Do-it's keel head buzzbait mold

[Saugerman]

I really like the do-it keel buzzbait head for making my buzzbaits. I own probably 50 or more so-it lead molds. I have wanted to get the keel head mold, but because I have heard how hard it is to get a complete pour on the heads, I have not bought it  yet. Is there a way to get complete pours on this bait without making alot of bad incomplete heads ? Something someone has figured out to get a better, complete pour with all of the skirt holder filled out?

Thanks I hope someone will answer back

[cadman]

1 hour ago, Saugerman said:

I really like the do-it keel buzzbait head for making my buzzbaits. I own probably 50 or more so-it lead molds. I have wanted to get the keel head mold, but because I have heard how hard it is to get a complete pour on the heads, I have not bought it  yet. Is there a way to get complete pours on this bait without making alot of bad incomplete heads ? Something someone has figured out to get a better, complete pour with all of the skirt holder filled out?

Thanks I hope someone will answer back

 

Saugerman, I have had this mold for over three years and unfortunately this is the worst mold of all of the 200 molds I have when it comes to getting perfect pours. I have a customer that orders 300 of these from me every year, and I dread to pour these. I am a perfectionist when it comes to getting my heads right. Reason being is if you have a crappy poured head, the paint job makes it look worse. I have tried  and tried with this mold, and the solution I found to get 100% perfect heads, is to get a custom one made, with more lead on the underside of the head where the hook eye and the wireform meet. I would suggest you buy the mold and give me your input. With that said, here are some of the things that might help.

1. Definitely spray drop out in all the cavities.

2. Make sure your mold, hooks and wireform are very hot.

3. Crimp the wireform over the hook eye. This will make a smaller profile when both of these are put in the mold. By doing this, it will make it easier for the lead to fill all around the hook eye and wireform leaving no incomplete pours.

4. I tape the hook in place to keep it from moving in the mold.

5. I tape the wireform at the top to keep the  wireworm from moving with the hook.

6. When you tape steps 4 and 5 in place, make sure that you center the connection in the biggest part of the cavity, so you get complete pours.

I would like to know someone else's  opinion if they have this mold. I have to almost always pour 2 for every good one I get. Yes I use soft lead, and I have tried all the other methods.

Saugerman, give it a shot and post your experience here, this way I can learn  from you. I am all ears to hear other peoples input......Good Luck

Edited September 12, 2017 by cadman

[canuck]

I own this mold as well. Got it as one of the first in my collection. I had it  modified to allow a wire form on the 1/2oz head to do spinnerbaits with it.  As I was new to pouring and had no experience other than hours of reading from this site, I had a bit of a learning curve with it in all cavities. Smoked each one with a candle,preheated the mold really hot, pre heated the hooks and wire form eventually got a high percentage of good pours. Since that time last year I have learned to flux my lead using parafin wax,and  customized the lip on my poring  laddle to  direct  the lead pour more accurately and fluidly into the center of the sprue without side interference or disturbance. Laddle skill is important.   I was and am still using soft lead heated on a gas burner which I keep  my laddle in submersed while not pouring. If you try all of these things and still have difficulty I would suggest using drop out spray or bees wax candles for smudging the mold. I have also just started using a graphite spray for release agent but did not like how it was working. So went back to candle smudging. It was not drop out  spray but a high temp graphite lubricant . I am interested in getting back into pouring this mold again with my new found knowledge and experience. Hope this helps. It makes a great looking keel spinnerbait.

[Saugerman]

I really went about this all wrong. The first thing a person should do is contact the manufacture of the product, if you have problems with there product. I really like the head that this mold makes, but nearly everyone that I have heard from, has trouble pour this head. That is the reason that I don't already own it.

Cadman I bought the last ones I have from you, maybe a year or so ago.

I will go to the do-it forum and bring this up,. Maybe someone from do-it will give there advice, about using this mold.

[cz75b]

I've always found that a hot alloy with tin makes exceptional pours even in this mold.  Clean hot alloy and a mold release in the cavities plus a pre-warm of wire forms and hooks is the key.  Its a great mold and the lures catch fish.

Edited September 24, 2017 by cz75b

[Skimpy]

Made a video making Buzzbaits with the Buzz-Keel !!!

 

[Saugerman]

Thanks for the great video, I had heard how hard it was to get a complete pour on this mold. I think the key to getting a good bait is to pour directly in the mold with a ladle, instead of a Lee pot.  Maybe you need more volume to get a complete bait. I think I'll go ahead and get the mold.  

Thanks again.

[brad68]

For what it's worth.....I am pouring from a hot pot ll and let my pot sit about 25-30 minutes before pouring, then when I do pour I try to pour it kinda quick......I don't get 100% good pours but I did manage to improve the number of good pours quite a bit doing it this way