Squall Line Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 (edited) Great thread, a lot of useful Q & A here. I am new to this board. I've been pouring lead jigs for about a week. Pulled out my old pot ran out and paid HIGH DOLLAR for some bees wax, Fluxed my hard lead ingots 2 times and WOW what a difference it made ! I have 1 question. I read that I shouldn't melt tire weights in my bottom pour pot. Thats how I melted 80 lbs into ingots a year or two back and I wonder exactly whats wrong doing it that way? Will it effect the pot somehow? Thanks Squall Line Edited April 28, 2010 by Squall Line Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBK Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Great thread, a lot of useful Q & A here. I am new to this board. I've been pouring lead jigs for about a week. Pulled out my old pot ran out and paid HIGH DOLLAR for some bees wax, Fluxed my hard lead ingots 2 times and WOW what a difference it made ! I have 1 question. I read that I shouldn't melt tire weights in my bottom pour pot. Thats how I melted 80 lbs into ingots a year or two back and I wonder exactly whats wrong doing it that way? Will it effect the pot somehow? Thanks Squall Line The crap in the lead may plug the tip, just heat it up with a torch and flush it out to clear the tip. I've melted wheel weights in my IV, just flux the hell out of it before you pour anything and it should work fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salty's Posted July 24, 2011 Report Share Posted July 24, 2011 Next time you pour try a hardwood stick. Birch, maple, etc. Stir your pot with it and the carbon off the wood removes impurities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clint M Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Yeah lemme give you another tip. BE CAREFUL HOW MUCH YOU USE!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxamus Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1132 That marvelux flux stuff is on sale right now for around 5 bucks for a half pound! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlaery Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 http://www.brownells...ail.aspx?p=1132 That marvelux flux stuff is on sale right now for around 5 bucks for a half pound! Have you used this? It sounds too good to be true I called the tech dept and was a long wait. I may call back, but I like the Non-Smoking Non-Fuming Odorless part. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxamus Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 Havent tried it yet, but saw that someone had posted about it on the first page so I followed the link and thought for five bucks I can give it a shot. I will let you know what I find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tholmes Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 Hey guys! I just read through this thread, man what a lot of great info! I've been pouring lead (bullets, sinkers and jigs) for many years. I've been very pleased with a couple of products from Frankford Arsenal. Drop-out mold release and CleanCast fluxing compound. The Drop Out is invaluable as a mold release. Just spray it on and, most of the time, jigs will fall right out of the mold. An application will last for quite a while. The CleanCast is hands-down the best fluxing agent I've ever used. In my experience, it works better than paraffin, beeswax or anything else I've used.. It's available from Midway USA. http://www.midwayusa.com/find?&newcategorydimensionid=5671 Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxamus Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 Have you used this? It sounds too good to be true I called the tech dept and was a long wait. I may call back, but I like the Non-Smoking Non-Fuming Odorless part. Just fluxed some this morning in the garage and there was almost no smoke and I couldnt detect any odor, so I like it so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlaery Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 Thanks, that's good to know. I still have a lot of the smoky smelly stuff to use up first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy1976 Posted October 15, 2012 Report Share Posted October 15, 2012 I pour a hundred pounds a day. I started using vegetable oil. Smoke doesn't bother me as I pour the oil in while the lead is heating. It catches fire when its up to temp or I light it with a fire place lighter. Cleans the lead really nice and is free or cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Pain Posted December 17, 2013 Report Share Posted December 17, 2013 I have been using Buck Beavers Lead & Bismuth casting flux and it has done very well so far and it goes a long way and makes lead look like silver! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilhoite333 Posted April 4, 2014 Report Share Posted April 4, 2014 I just wanted to thank all the contributers on this thread and forum. After pouring my own jigs for a couple years and dealing with low flow on my bottom pour pot, I read this thread. I cleaned out my pot, fluxed with beeswax multiple times, and did my first pour tonight. It is amazing how much better the jighead looks and how much better the lead flowed. Thanks everyone! Especially Sagacious and Cadman! Keep the great tips coming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fshng2 Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 Great post. Always heard to use pure lead to mold jigs. Can wheel weights be used to make flawless jigs if fluxed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LimpNoodle Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 No. Wheel weights are hard lead and many of them are Zinc. It's not worth messing with them at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasilofchrisn Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 Great post. Always heard to use pure lead to mold jigs. Can wheel weights be used to make flawless jigs if fluxed? Yes, but it depends on the jig. Wheel weights are not good for small jigs or those with intricate parts but for my bigger saltwater stuff it isn't a problem. You do have to sort them first tossing the steel and zinc ones. Then clean out tons of dross and clips after it is melted. I have a big pot just for melting scrap. I also have a magnet on the end of a bent piece of all thread for removing the clips from the pot.Once fluxed and cleaned they are ingotized. Only clean fluxed ingots go into my shop to be made into jigs and sinkers. They are also good for bigger sinkers. Iv'e used a few hundred pounds of wheel weights over the years. Anymore I only use them if they are free. Around here wheel weights are hard to come by as so many people make saltwater sinkers out of them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy1976 Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 I completely disagree with wheel weights being usesless. As long as you pour blanks till your mold is hot and use a graphite mold release they are awesome. I will take wheel weights first given a choice. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fshng2 Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 I completely disagree with wheel weights being usesless. As long as you pour blanks till your mold is hot and use a graphite mold release they are awesome. I will take wheel weights first given a choice. Andy,do you mix any soft lead with WW's? Where do you buy graphite mold release? Will the graphite need removed before powder coat painting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodtimesfishing Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 Decided to give the cleancast fluxing compound(same brand as the drop out releasing agent) a try and now I will never go back!!! For those that have not tried it, it only calls for 1/8 of a teaspoon for 5-10 pounds of lead. No smoke no smell and no fire. I pour in my garage and hated the massive amount of smoke caused by fluxing with wax. This caused me to not flux as often as I should. I have had about 6-7 pour sessions since I started using cleancast and all I can say is WOW what a difference. The only reason I had not tried it before is I got the impression it was not any better the using free wax. It is not the same. The other thing was the cost, didn't want to add an unneeded expense. Now I have not done the math but I am thinking at 1/8 teaspoon per 10 pounds you should be able to flux thousands of pounds with just one container(comes in 1 pound container). The only complaint I have found was that it gummed up a pot but I am pretty sure that was caused by not reading directions and putting way too much in the pot. 1/8 teaspoon is very little, don't over do it. It shocks me that I don't see more reviews on here about the stuff. I think anyone who tries it will never go back to other fluxing methods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy1976 Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 Andy,do you mix any soft lead with WW's? Where do you buy graphite mold release? Will the graphite need removed before powder coat painting?[/q I formulate my lead based on what I'm making. Jig heads i like soft so the piwder coat dents and doesnt chip. Wheel weights work great by themselves though. So long as you don't melt zinc into them. I've never bought the commercial mold release I just get the graphite dry lube at home depot. Its called blaster graphite dry lube. Ive found it better to apply it to a clean hot mold. Others prefer another more specific brand. Mine is in the door handle section at home depot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy1976 Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 Call me crazy but I flux outside with vegetable oil. Sometimes I add a little gas to make it burn hotter. Used vegetable oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fshng2 Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 Andy,do you mix any soft lead with WW's? Where do you buy graphite mold release? Will the graphite need removed before powder coat painting?[/q I formulate my lead based on what I'm making. Jig heads i like soft so the piwder coat dents and doesnt chip. Wheel weights work great by themselves though. So long as you don't melt zinc into them. I've never bought the commercial mold release I just get the graphite dry lube at home depot. Its called blaster graphite dry lube. Ive found it better to apply it to a clean hot mold. Others prefer another more specific brand. Mine is in the door handle section at home depot. WI'll even a small amount of Zinc ruin the batch? What happens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlaery Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 it will look like a slug or slurry on top, different than dross. If you pour from a ladle it is still like the slurry. Hard to get it out of the lead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy1976 Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 (edited) Zinc usually purple, orange, or gold in color when its in the lead. Edited June 6, 2015 by andy1976 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy1976 Posted June 6, 2015 Report Share Posted June 6, 2015 http://hardwareonlinestore.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=productdetails&virtuemart_product_id=8193&virtuemart_category_id=12501&gclid=Cj0KEQjwmqyqBRC7zKnO_f6iodcBEiQA9T996B1RUQJsxCT-I4_-UCCfX92YuFZ5Pk6O0TPT4lffRi4aAuTn8P8HAQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
