Help

[DUCBOS]

I hate to start a thread with a rookie problem, but man can I use soem help!

Been doing hard baits for several years. Just starting today to try to pour some jigs.

I have read everything I can find on this site, on other sites, in the Do IT package insert and their web pages.

I expected a learning curve, but man I can not get a single one right.

I cannot get the lead to pour deep enough for the barbs to cast on the jigs.

Using 100% soft lead, flux often with candle wax, clean the dross, wiped the molds with WD 40 then smoked the molds with a lighter, heated the mold well before pouring, filed a notch in the ladel so I can pour down the hole quickly with a small stream of lead, have the lead as hot as it will get in the pot, using correct hooks, added several pieces of mailing lable paper to the new mold to try to let the air escape.... Don't think I forgot anything.

Some times it doesn't pour righr even without hooks in the mold, but never does it get deep enough with the hookd in.

just don't know what to do short of getting out the dremmel and enlarging the hook holes.

Maybe I should offer a couple of new smoked molds for sale cheap, but I sure would appreciate any advice.

Thanks

DUCBOS

[dlaery]

Which mold is it? Sounds like lead is not hot enough or you are not pouring fast enough.

[cadman]

Ducbos,

I have to hand it to you. You have actually done a lot of trial and error to try to solve the problem. Don't give up yet, and don't start enlarging hook cavities. I'm going to have to agree with dlaery, however I'm not at your place so I can't say for sure. Lead and the mold both have to be hot. The ladle should sit in the led pot to keep it hot as well. Lead has to be poured in fast in a mold otherwise the first few drops will solidify and nothing will get through. Finally which mold(s) are you having a problem with? Let us know and maybe we can give you some more info.

[DUCBOS]

Ducbos,

I have to hand it to you. You have actually done a lot of trial and error to try to solve the problem. Don't give up yet, and don't start enlarging hook cavities. I'm going to have to agree with dlaery, however I'm not at your place so I can't say for sure. Lead and the mold both have to be hot. The ladle should sit in the led pot to keep it hot as well. Lead has to be poured in fast in a mold otherwise the first few drops will solidify and nothing will get through. Finally which mold(s) are you having a problem with? Let us know and maybe we can give you some more info.

Using DO IT Football and Shaky Head to start with.

Lead is as hot as the electric pot wll get it. turmed all the way up.

Ladle is in pot and mold warmed on top of pot for 5 minutes.

Then I skim and pour as fas as I can with small stream of lead.

Maybe I'm not pouring as fast as I think I am, but it runs in pretty fast and I try to keep it in the center of the pouring hole.

Edited November 21, 2010 by DUCBOS

[sdsaw]

Try to smoke or coat the pour hole and cavity with candle soot

or even better "mold release spray"

I would also recommend pre-heating the hook in the area of the lead barb area by holding the hook shank at an angle in the hot lead without submerging the eye to heat it before putting it in the mold.

This may or may not help considering that it doesn't pour correctly without the hooks

[orionn1]

What type of pot are you using? Lee melting pot? If so a couple of thinks you can try: Don't fill pot totally full. Especially if your using an electric pot. Get a propane torch the ones that are used for sweating pipes and really heat your mold with that. Don't just set it on top of the pot to heat (though this works some of the time). Sounds like your flux ok and doing everything you can do. I also notice during different times of the year it seems to be easier to pour as in the summer. IMO when its colder out (i pour outside ) even in CA it seems like it takes longer for the lead to head up and molds will also cool faster. Also just make sure your lead is getting totally hot , even then though it pours quickly it might be only 400 degrees when you want to a 100 degrees hot etc.

get a thermometer and check your temps.

hope this helps

[Ogajiga]

In agreement with others, sounds like the pot isn't getting the lead hot enuf.

[tubetragger]

I have the same problem sometimes with football heads and the notorious worm head jig......the barbs

sometimes do not quite fill in properly, but what I have noticed is that the longer I stick with it during

a pour session the better my jigs become. I guess this i due to the pot and mold getting nice and hot,

I also put the mold right up against the nipple of my bottom pour pot..........jeff

[DUCBOS]

What type of pot are you using? Lee melting pot? If so a couple of thinks you can try: Don't fill pot totally full. Especially if your using an electric pot. Get a propane torch the ones that are used for sweating pipes and really heat your mold with that. Don't just set it on top of the pot to heat (though this works some of the time). Sounds like your flux ok and doing everything you can do. I also notice during different times of the year it seems to be easier to pour as in the summer. IMO when its colder out (i pour outside ) even in CA it seems like it takes longer for the lead to head up and molds will also cool faster. Also just make sure your lead is getting totally hot , even then though it pours quickly it might be only 400 degrees when you want to a 100 degrees hot etc.

get a thermometer and check your temps.

hope this helps

A Lee pot turned all the way up

4# pot with 2 1/2 # lead

Smoked all cavities and the pour holes

Guess it may be like askig how to get to Carnegie Hall.

Practice, prectice, practice.

Plan to practice at least 6 hours today

Thanks to All for your help

This site is the greatest

Edited November 21, 2010 by DUCBOS

[dlaery]

I guess this is not a bottom pour pot?

Edited November 21, 2010 by dlaery

[LedHed]

“I also put the mold right up against the nipple of my bottom pour pot” – ditto.

Also, while you are pouring, angle your mold to let trapped gas out.

If your lead is getting a blue haze you are getting it too hot.

Make sure you have a good steady stream coming out of your pot before you pour.

[smalljaw]

Football heads are know for this and in order to get it to pour the mold has to be hot and when we say hot we mean hot to the poit if you touch it with bare hands you'll get burned quickly, the other thing I can help you with is your actual pouring, I'm a ladle pourer myself and what you're doing is wrong. Get the small 2oz ladle from Lee, it has a wood handle and a spout on both sides for left or right handed pouring, once you get that do everything else you stated and when you go to make your pour place the ladle so that the spout is linde up with the hole but the the side of the ladle is touching the mold, sort of like making a fulcrum in which instead of pouring the lead into the hole you will actually just sort of tip the ladle and dump the lead into the hole. This dumping method sounds strange but it works, lead is heavy and so when you dump it doesn't splash but goes directly into the hole very fast, make sure you fill the ladle to where the lead is just below the crease of the spout and you'll be on your way.

[toadfrog]

If you pour wiyh a ladle get one with a opening to collect the lead in the ladle, then a round spout on the side to pour the mold. not one of those that has the v in the edge like a spoon. I think RCB shooting supply sells them. It won't completely cure the problem but it darn sure will help. you'll get a mis-fire with all barbed molds now and then. I have a mold I hate for all those problems you are having.

[Ogajiga]

OK, assuming your melt pot temp is normal, sounds like the ladle isn't getting hot enuf. As another pot & ladle pour guy, I can say from experience that unless the ladle is pre-heated by sitting on the melt, good pours are impossible.

Edited November 21, 2010 by hawnjigs

[DUCBOS]

Started with re-smokng molds a started with a new attitude today.

I actually poured a little slower and lowered the pot to 8 from 10

Took all advise that I wasn't already doing.

I loaded hooks and used my heat gun and REALLY heated mold and hooks.

NO WAY TO TOUCH THE MOLD!

I did OK with the larger one's and a Arkie jig mold.

Still having trouble with smallest shakie heads.

Just can't get it into the lower part of the mold.

Thanks for the help. Guess I'll work harder with the small one's.

Has anyone ever oiled the small hooks before pouring?

Thanks again

DUCBOS

Edited November 21, 2010 by DUCBOS

[dlaery]

If you lightly powder (talc, baby powder etc...) the mold cavity and the ladle, that will make it pour and fill better. If you use too much it will show on the lead head. It will also dull the finish of the lead.

[Ogajiga]

"Ladle is in pot" - sorry, missed that.

What works for me on on my collared 1/8 shakey heads is to elevate the ladle 2-3" above the mold with the stream dead center into the gate. Smaller size jig head molds appear to require more drop pressure to force the lead thru narrower gates quick enuf to fill collars.

Best solution tho might be to invest in a bottom pour, as the elevated pour method requires precision ladle control and can get messy.

[Ogajiga]

Sorry, can't edit my last post so would like to change my suggestion of 2-3" ladle elevation above mold to 1" to 1-1/2". Poured one of those high melt drop molds today and realized my earlier height estimate was off.