joelhains Posted August 3, 2015 Report Share Posted August 3, 2015 (edited) Just moved into a new house. This one has a room that will be my dedicated bait making room. Just moved in this weekend and I just picked up a few new tables to work off of. It should be a great setup after a put up a few selves and everything is put away. In my excitement I decided I needed to pour a few jigs for myself. My lead pot usually leaks a bit when it first heats up and I always have to keep an eye on it. Today just after I plugged in the pot I got a phone call and had to leave the room to get a clear cell signal. Well, the conversation got a little heated and I forgot about my lead pot... Until I started smelling melting plastic. I went back to my bait room to see that my lead pot had in fact been leaking and it had melted a hole in one of my brand new tables. A now I have a mess and a brand new table with a large hole in it. Moral of the story...never walk away from your lead pot. Learn from my stupidity. And plastic folding tables WILL melt, so put something under your pot if you use a table like this. I have a piece of granite counter top that my pot usually sits on. Edited August 3, 2015 by joelhains 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted August 3, 2015 Report Share Posted August 3, 2015 Eh... That'll buff out Ha! Nice set up!.... Funny how easy we are to please... All we need is our own space... And several hundred dollars worth of tools and supplies..... Then were grinnin like a opossum eatin trash! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted August 3, 2015 Report Share Posted August 3, 2015 Sorry that your first experience in your new shop was a bit of a disaster, but a good share of lessons learned. DAve 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Stuff happens for a reason. If you can't fix the hole, find a 6" diameter gromet, enlarge the hole enough to accept the gromet, and make it into a trash drop. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LedHed Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Congrats on the room . You should get a large aluminum cookie sheet to put under your pot for a drip pan. Very fortunate - you got off cheap. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 For a lead station, I would make a tray of 1/2" ply with a decent height perimeter rim to catch accidental spills. 1" wall height should be enough. Any higher is likely to cause more accidents than to save. DAve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 I am going to agree with Vodkaman. I made a pan out of 1/8: thick aluminum with 1" folded up sides all around, and it has saved many accidental spills from going over the edge and onto my feet. Now the 1" lip bothered my hands and made for my molds to sit too low, so I got a piece of 1" thick particle board set it into the tray. 12" x 12" so I can rest my molds on and they are flush with the bent edge. Works really well for me. I'll try to take a pic when I get home. BTW nice set up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking Dead Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 (edited) Man, you got off lucky on that one both in costs and injuries. X2 on some form of drip pan. The tables would make a great assembly, drying, or other non heat area. Edited August 4, 2015 by Walking Dead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munkin Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 I use an old cooking pan after a similar experience but mine was outside. Allen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LimpNoodle Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 If I,m casting on a plastic surface I use a large aluminum cookie sheet with a piece of 1/8" plywood under it. I use the cookie sheet no matter what surface I'm casting on. Never rest a hot mold on a plastic table either. Plastic is REALLY hard to clean off the mold. That drip is one of the reasons I upgraded to a Pro Melt. Right now if you shop around you can get the Pro Melt for just over $300 after rebate. Actual temperature control, holds 20 lbs of lead. More clearance under the pot. Has a mold guide, can pour a LOT more lead than a Lee. I could go on but I won't. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flippinfool Posted August 5, 2015 Report Share Posted August 5, 2015 Thanks for sharing. I think we all have done things we wish we had not. My pot does the same thing. I use a plumber's torch to get the top layer of lead hot so it doesn't empty out the bottom. May I ask how you are venting the room ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted August 5, 2015 Report Share Posted August 5, 2015 A piece of plywood makes a great "insulated" table top protector. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlaery Posted August 5, 2015 Report Share Posted August 5, 2015 (edited) I have a bunch of 12" worn out spin cast silicone molds that would work as a great insulator. maybe I could sell them. I have thought about putting them in pot holes. Edited August 5, 2015 by dlaery 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted August 29, 2015 Report Share Posted August 29, 2015 May I ask how you are venting the room ? Check out this thread http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/22855-venting-question/page-3 Lots of good info here!.... My solution was a 2'x2'x2' box.. So i only have to vent the box rather than the whole room Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joelhains Posted August 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2015 Thanks for sharing. I think we all have done things we wish we had not. My pot does the same thing. I use a plumber's torch to get the top layer of lead hot so it doesn't empty out the bottom. May I ask how you are venting the room ? Just a simple bathroom exhaust fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ccfish Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 I use some left over ceramic tiles I had lying around to put under my pot and set my molds down on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasilofchrisn Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 I made my table 4'x4' out of 3/4" plywood. Used 4x4's for the legs and 2x4's for the braces. Then I went to a sheetmetal shop and had them cut me a top for it. Their sheets are 4'x4' so on opposing ends I had them bend one inch down. I don't recall the cost but the sheetmetal was less than $30 I believe. A smaller table would also be easy to make in the same fashion. I used to use the cookie sheet idea but when I moved I decided to get a real table and decided just to build one like I did. Mine sits next to my garage roll up door so if need be I can just slide it out to work outside or to make ingots. I always make my scrap lead ingots outside. I'm glad this was the worst of what happened. It certainly could have been worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joelhains Posted September 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 I've got a piece of granite counter top that I put under the lead pot. Its was a left over piece from cutting out the opening for a kitchen sink. Its about 2x3 feet and an inch thick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 Good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishon-son Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 i did the same thing with my plastic molds got them hot after shooting many baits and they started to melt into the table...i put a 3/4 in pc. of ply over them....worked fine after that.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
