Question for the lead casters

[ctom]

I am going to be casting some downrigger cannonballs. 12 pounders. How long will I have to wait to remove the mold after pouring the lead? I don't have a clue. I plan to support the mold in a wheelbarrow full of damp sugar sand so I don't have to lift a 20 pound cast iron pot of lead up to a bench vise. My twenty pound hot pot sets hard lead in about 15 minutes after the shut-down and un-plugging.

I plan to cast up six of these animals to start and want to have an idea how much time I need to commit for this. I'm thinking an afternoon. I have a propane fire stove for the lead melting and two 5 gallon pails of wheel weights that are to be smelted and cleaned and used to the cannon balls then the rest as sinker lead in 2 pound ingots. Sinkers are not the issue but the cannon balls, I have never worked with that quantity of lead before so any info will be helpful.

[basskat]

That's way out of my league. The one pound ingots used for a small lead pot don't take long but ten pounds is a lot more.

[ctom]

I have one cast now and its sitting outside in the nice 40 degree air. Should set up fairly fast. I've got another cast iron pot of  wheel weights cooking down as I type. Nice day for doing this in the garage. Its cool out there and the melting process sure warms the garage up.

[ctom]

These things are ultimate hand-pour. Three quart cast iron sauce pan filled 1/3 full with molten lead and try to hit a 3/4" hole with the stream of lead. lol It's a bit of a challenge for the muscles and I had to double glove the hand bearing the weight, but I got it done. When that mold pops open all I can think is "Oh ya".

[Fatman]

Sorry didn't get on till now but if you want to get a finer pouring stream get a triangle file and center it on the pour spout on the sauce pan and file a groove you'll get the fine stream. 

When you get a chance  post some pics of those bad boys biggest I ever did was 6 lb.er for a friend who had the mold and that was using an old cast iron dutch oven.   

[ctom]

Here you go Fatman.

These are 12 pounders. The bait sitting atop of the one on the left is a 3" glider.

[Fatman]

They came out nice!!!!!!!  Sure as heck alot cheaper making them yourself!!!

[Lamar]

You crappie guys got me shaking my head. First your making 1/32 oz jigs and now 12 pound cannonballs. I'm sticking to bass fishing.

[Kasilofchrisn]

I have never timed it but I have made the 10# fish shaped weights.
I once opened the mold too soon and made a nice mess of things.
I also have an 8# fish mold but am thinking abot the 12# fish also.
Those look good. Hope they work well for you.

Sent from my HTC One V using Tapatalk

[gone2long]

Now there's a powder coat job

[jmatheny9]

What are those used for??


  -Jeremiah         Bullfrog lures

[ctom]

Downrigger weights for deep trolling Jer. These will be used on Lake Superior.

[WALLEYE WACKER]

The other people don't know what there missing. Fishing on the big water is one the fun ways to fish and you only need a couple  to get a lot of meat in short order if the weather is right. By the way how long did it take to cool off.

[ctom]

By the way how long did it take to cool off.

From the end of the pour to popping the mold open with the mold sitting outside after pouring about 15 minutes. I could handle the weight when it came out of the mold with an un-gloved hand then. It was a whopping 43 degrees outside though.

[Kasilofchrisn]

Here is a fish shaped 10# weight I made from my hilts mold.
This is coated in a vinyl super glow paint and D2T. I do have plans to try and powder coat one with an electrostatic powder spray gun.