Jig Man Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 (edited) As far as I am concerned a 1/2 oz jig should have at least a 4/0 hook. My Poison Tail is set up for 3/0. I got some advice on here about cracking the mold. It worked a month or so ago about 2/3 of the time. Today all I wanted was 10 simple 1 oz, 3/4 oz and 1/2 oz with 4/0 hooks. The first two groups poured just fine. Out of the 10 hooks for the 1/2 oz I didn't get any complete pours with the mold cracked. I varied the crack from front to back increasing and decreasing it. I did it again and got 1 good pour out of the second 10. I tried space between the pot and sticking the nipple in the hole. My lead is soft with the pot on the hottest setting. The mold is hot as I poured the 1 oz and 3/4 oz one at a time before the 1/2 oz. I have even used the Dremel to buff this booger. What to do next???? Edited August 30, 2009 by Jig Man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 This is a weird one. If I remember correctly the 1/2 oz cavity is the closest to the hinge correct? Gap the two mold halves until you get a lot of flash and good pours. From there reduce the gap between the mold halves. This should work. I pour the 1/2 oz with a 4/0 hook and I have no problem. I am really surprised you have problem with soft lead. That is rarely an issue. If you have a Lee IV bottom pour pot, I would not pour at such a high temp. I rarely go over 7.5 on the dial, usually 7. Also I will tell you that humidity does have an impact on pouring. There are some days I can pour all day and other days I have nothing but problems. So I just pour the next day. Maybe someone else will chime in. It looks like you coverd all the basics. The last thing is maybe the pot is not heating the lead hot enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21xdc Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 I modify all my molds for bigger hooks. I hate a small hook. Sometimes you can put the bigger hook in the mold and slam it shut, or set it on a bench and tap a hammer around the mold. If this does not fully fix your issue, You can normally see where the dremmel needs to be used. It's worth doing for sure. I also fill areas with permatex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jig Man Posted August 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 Ok is see where the hammer will fix the hook hole but will that help the pour? Cadman I couldn't even get flash today with it cracked a bunch. We are in a low humidity time. Should I pour in high humidity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21xdc Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 I personally have never experienced any difference with humidty. If you are pouring outside with lower temps, or with a low pot you can experience this. I would make sure the pot is screaming hot, Mold on top getting screaming hot, full pot of lead on high, clean the nipple with a spinnerbait wire, paper clip etc. Smoke the mold with a candle and put the nipple right into the pour hole and "inject" that sucker with lead. Thats what I do. Lead Molding Basics - Casting problem diagnostic guide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jig Man Posted August 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 Other than the smoke that is what I did. Now tell me what hammering the bigger hook into the slot will do to help it pour the 1/2 oz. I just don't follow the logic of that part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21xdc Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 Thats only so the mold will close with a bigger diameter hook. Sometimes the larger hook soaks the heat out of the lead too fast. You might add a small vent in the bottom of the collar to let air out and lead in faster before cooling... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 Cadman I couldn't even get flash today with it cracked a bunch. We are in a low humidity time. Should I pour in high humidity. Jigman, In my experience low humidity or no humidity is the best. I pour in Chicago,IL area all year long in winter it can get to 15 below by us, and I can pour every mold I have perfectly. The only drawback at that time of year is to keep the hooks warm, so I do believe that the low humidity and dry air is definitely a plus. As far as your current dilemma I don't have an answer for you since I'm not there. If you can not get flash with an open mold, then this tells me either the mold is not hot enough or the lead from the pot is not hot enough (Maybe your pot element is burning out, as you mentioned you had it on high and still no luck). Are you also telling me that you can not get good blank pours with out the hook? If that is the case then definitely look at the pot as being a problem and or mold not hot enough. That can be the only problems. Did you stick the mold sprue hole onto the pour spout and force the lead into it? Do you have a full pot of lead? These are many questions that I believe that 21xdc mentioned. I hate to say it but check all of these again. I know you're an experienced pourer, so that isn't the issue. Let me know if I can help in any other way, and if you find a solution Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 Jigman, one other thing I thought of if you put in a 6/0 hook in the mold, the mold won't close without any force. If you have a 6/0 put it in but don't force it closed. With that said you should get flash all over the place. You will not get flash on a 5/0 hook. Most mold cavities are made for one size up and one size down. Now if you went to a smaller hook, than you would get lead seepage down around the hook shank, which can easily be trimmed off. Try a 6/0 hook. I still say it's the pot not heating enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jig Man Posted August 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 It may be the pot. It is several years old and has poured 10s of 1000s of jigs. It poured the 1 oz and 3.4 oz just fine and the mold was smokin' hot before I started the 1/2 oz. Maybe I need to buy another pot or play with wider cracking or just go back to the 3/0 hook even though I think it is too small. I know a couple of guys who have pots. Maybe I'll borrow one before I buy a new one. I really like the Poison Tail jig but it has become a pain to pour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ogajiga Posted August 31, 2009 Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 Agree that it appears lead might not be hot enuf or perhaps the "soft" lead may have unexpected contaminants? Are you cleaning your melt per "sagacious" fluxing tutorial? What 4/0 hooks are you using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted August 31, 2009 Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 Jigman, If it's a pot problem, you can save yourself some money by sending yours back to Lee. They will fix it like brand new for half the cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljaw Posted August 31, 2009 Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 On my small PT mold I can get away with a 2/0 hook on the 1/8oz a 3/0 on the 1/4oz and I can put a 4/0 on the 3/8oz without much of a problem, the only issue I had with this is I get a little flashing around the hook eye but it only takes a minute to clean up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jig Man Posted August 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 (edited) Well this is kind of embarrasing. It was operator error all the time. I went out and pluged in the pot. I took some 600 grit sand paper and smoothed a couple of spots inside the 1/2 cavity. I put the mold on the pot to warm up and went in for a cup of coffee. Later, I went back out and refluxed the lead. Now I am already to start pouring. I got to looking around for the material that I had used to crack the mold ( 2 penny wrapers folded and 1/2 of another one). All I could find was 1 and 1/2. So I went back in the house and got another penny wraper and the problem was solved. I should have known when I couldn't get flash yesterday that the problem was close by. Sometimes I just don't pay enough attention to detail. Sorry guys. BTW: smalljaw, you wanna trade molds? Edited August 31, 2009 by Jig Man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted August 31, 2009 Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 (edited) I got to looking around for the material that I had used to crack the mold ( 2 penny wrapers folded and 1/2 of another one). All I could find was 1 and 1/2. So I went back in the house and got another penny wraper and the problem was solved. Jigman, when I suggested this awhile ago people thought I was nuts, (BTW you can use whatever works to do this I use heat resistant teflon tape) but it does work. If you can't get flash by doing this than there is a heat issue. Everytime I gap a mold if everything is going well, you will always get flash. By moving the location of the tape you will either get more flash or no flash. But gaping it a bit will usually result in better lead flow and perfect pours because you now have no possibility of any air pockets. Well I'm glad it all worked out, that's what's so great about this site guys willing to help each other out. I was actually going to drive to Missouri to help you out:lol: but I looked on the map and it's kind of far. Edited August 31, 2009 by cadman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jig Man Posted August 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 Well, we do have a moon coming and my boat and truck are ready to head for the lake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
