Haebar Posted July 12, 2003 Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 Where do you guys get your lead? I got some free wheel weights at a local garage, but they look pretty questionable. I haven't started yet and don't have a melting pot, but am seriously getting ready to. Called a plumbing supply store and he said they had 5 lb ingots for $1.37 a pound. Is that a reasonable price? Ripping open batteries sounds dangerous, but I'd do it with the proper precautions if is a viable alternative. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celticav Posted July 12, 2003 Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 Wheel weights are fine, when I pour its what I use. I put them in the pot as they are, dirt, clips, and all. Everything but the lead will come to the top when you melt them and is not hard to clean up. When you get your melting pot, go ahead and grab an ingot mold. I use the one that has 2 one lb slots and 2 two lb slots. Remember safety above all else and have fun, JIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haebar Posted July 12, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 Celticav, Thanks. The dirt was the thing that was bothering me. I didn't want to hand-scrub everyone of the filthy things (some of them are real small). Now most of the people I've called have said that they already have someone who buys all of theirs except for one outfit who said he would save me up a five-gallon bucket and sell it to me for $25. Does that sound like a reasonable price? Should I just keep hitting the road and trying to find people who will give them to me? Thanks, Haebar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gr8flyz Posted July 12, 2003 Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 I think it depends on how much molding you plan to do. I just bought about 500 lbs of wheels weights for about $70.00, and I might get 425-450 lbs of usable lead from it. I have bought lead in the local hardware & payed about $2.00 a lb for it. The wheel weights work fine for most of my molding, but sometimes I want a softer lead so I have to buy it from other sources. If you're getting your lead for free, use what you can get. If that's a wholesale plumbing supply, then that's probably not a bad price. Batteries are something I've considered, but never messed with because of the acid, which is not only hazardous, but explosive as well. Too much, health, environmental & possible legal concerns for me to take the risk. If you have anyone in your area that recycles batteries, they may have lead available. I melt what I get down in a large pot & make ingots, so it's clean when I use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haebar Posted July 12, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 Gr8flyz, What do you use to skim off/out the steel parts? Do they float to the top? Do you like those "Do-it" molds or are they they only ones out there? What's a good melting pot for me to get? I'm not planning to sell my stuff, just make some stuff for myself and friends. Thanks, Haebar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlaery Posted July 12, 2003 Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 I usually pay 15 cents a pound for wheel weights. Here is some info on wheel weights http://www.rutuonline.com/html/wheel_weights.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haebar Posted July 12, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 Dlaery, Thanks for the very informative link. So if a five gallon bucket holds about 170 pounds, then $25 would be close to 15 cents a pound and would be a fair price? I guess I'd just have to weight it. Haebar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gr8flyz Posted July 12, 2003 Report Share Posted July 12, 2003 Haebar, I use a large stainless steel spoon to skim off the dirt & steel, you can get them at Walmart & other places. Most of the molds I own are Do It, a few are older Hilts molds, and I have some old Palmer molds also. I like the Do It molds just fine, except I've modified some of them for various reasons. Most of the modifications are to allow the use of different hooks than what they are made for. I have about 75 molds. For melting I have a "Hot Pot", and a larger 20 lb Lee production pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celticav Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 For personal use a five gallon bucket for $25 should be fine, but do not stop looking for the better deal ever! I don't know how much the bucket will weigh but you will not be able to pick it up! LOL. I melt mine in a 4lb HotPot I bought for $35, but have used the plain cast iron pot on the fish fryer alot too. Avoid batteries if possible, the safety concerns and all just outweigh any benefits to getting into those things. There are several ways to make lead harder, adding tin is one way, so the wheel weights are the best and cheapest way to go that I have found. You will be surprised when you melt them how easy it is to remove the slag from the top. Definintly get your own ingot mold, ingots are much nicer to have around than a bunch of wheel weights and make pour time much easier to deal with. Do it molds are great stuff, easy to master and very affordable. They are also easy to modify and personalize. Hope it helps, JIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gr8flyz Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 One other thing, if you're going to be looking around at flea markets, a small cast iron muffin pan makes a great ingot mold, especially if you have a larger melting pot. I use one for making larger size ingots, and a smaller pan that has dividers for smaller ingots. I got both at flea markets for about $5.00 each. Even the aluminum pans will work, but the cast will last probably forever, as long as you don't drop it & break it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celticav Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 LOL, thats funny Gr8flyz, I have used a cast iron cornbread muffin pan before . Y'know the kind that looks like little ears of corn! I think I have done some business with you in the past, some Premium UL spinnerbait heads with black nickle hooks last year. I am still impressed by your quality and its great to have you here. I will be placing another order soon. You guys should check out his site, I highly recommend his products. JIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haebar Posted July 13, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 Thanks for all the great tips :!: I ordered 4 Do-it molds last night: a 1/8 round head jig mold, a 1/16 round head jig mold, a worm sinker (Texas rig style) mold (size assortment) and a combination 1/32 and 1/16 tube jig mold. Am now considering which melting pot device I should get. Someone suggested the Hot Pot II and it looks good. Just wondering how I will preheat my molds : I need help again. Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gr8flyz Posted July 13, 2003 Report Share Posted July 13, 2003 Celticav, Thanks for the kind words! I thought I recognized your handle from somewhere else! The muffin pans I use are not corn ear shaped, but I've seen them! Probably a little hard to stack, lol! I use the "cup cake" shaped pans. I'm still making those spinnerbait heads, so whenever you need more just let me know. Haebar, the Hot Pot that I have is the original version, but whenever I need to warm up the mold, I just lay it across the top of the Hot Pot while it's warming up, and after the lead is ready, I make several pours without hooks to get the mold up to temperature. Then proceed with the hooks in the mold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haebar Posted July 14, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2003 I have a cast iron skillet with pie slice shaped compartments for making cornbread. I never use it and almost gave it to Salvation Army a couple of times but couldn't bring myself to give it away. Do you think it would make a good ingot mold? Do you need to rub anything in it to keep the lead from sticking? Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlaery Posted July 14, 2003 Report Share Posted July 14, 2003 I have one and the ingots are a little hard to remove. If you let it cool until you can touch it, they will come out eaiser. I turn it upside down and hit it on something solid. If you hit it too hard the cast iron will break. I have industrial talc that I use on my aluminum and silicone molds.and on my ladels. It makes the lead flow better and will reduce sticking in the molds. The talc you buy at the store has perfume in it. I don't think that will make any difference. A piece of angle iron, about 2" x 2" welded on the ends make a good ingot mold. Be sure to have plenty of ventilation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop Posted July 14, 2003 Report Share Posted July 14, 2003 Took your advice Celticav and looked at the web site for Gr8flyz. You are right! I was impressed. Let me ask you a question Jim. I noticed some of your 1/4 OZ jigs had 4/0 hooks. Did you modify the Do-It mold or is that a custom mold. If you modified the Do-It mold, was it with a dremel or similar tool and the big question, what kind of bit did you use. Any help you can give me will be appreciated. I have about 40 molds from Do-It and have never been happy with most of the hook sizes. I am trying to modify them but trying to gather as much information about the modification hoping not to ruin any of the molds. Your help would be appreciated. Thanks, Pop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gr8flyz Posted July 14, 2003 Report Share Posted July 14, 2003 Pop, thanks for the kind words about my website! Most of the molds I have are Do It's, I've modified them to allow for the bigger hooks. I've also never liked the limited selection of hook sizes that those molds are made for. I use a Dremel, and a tiny size, round carbide cutter, and very slowly removed enough metal to make the hooks fit. I've slipped a few times & now have some extra flash to remove from some molded heads, but didn't ruin any molds. Most of them just need to be opened up to allow for a larger diameter eye. The area just below the hook eye usually only needs to be lightly touched with the cutter to allow for the wire size of the bigger hooks. I have modified a few to allow using a completely different style hook, and that can be tricky, but still, I've not totally ruined any molds yet! Just take your time, and only remove a minimal amount of aluminum until you get what you want. I keep some lead hot, and keep testing the mold as I go. It makes its tough sometimes to work on the mold, but it's also tough to put back metal after you've removed it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celticav Posted July 14, 2003 Report Share Posted July 14, 2003 You can use almost any bit to do it, unless it is too big. Like Gr8 said just remove a little at a time. If you mess up you can always use JB Weld to patch it with. :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop Posted July 14, 2003 Report Share Posted July 14, 2003 I don't think that would work Lead melts at 662 degrees F and I havn't seen a JB Weld product good over 500 degrees F. Is there a JB Weld that I am missing? Thanks, Pop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celticav Posted July 14, 2003 Report Share Posted July 14, 2003 I honestly don't know, I have always heard that JB weld would work for a patch, I have never had to fix one of mine, but I go painstakingly slow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gr8flyz Posted July 15, 2003 Report Share Posted July 15, 2003 The only way I know of to fix a mold is to actually weld it, them re-cut it, but that's an expensive process. I know of a guy who does that type of repair work for Black & Decker, and he don't work cheap! He has a special welder that can micro weld a bad spot in a mold, then he uses another piece of equipment to re-cut the welded spot and that's all done by a very expensive computer program. It would be a whole lot cheaper to replace a Do It mold! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonefishindd Posted July 16, 2003 Report Share Posted July 16, 2003 I go to the local scrap dealers. Ask if they have any old lead pipe or sheeting. The lead pipe is a little dirty but it is nice soft lead.Melt it down outside in a frying pan then pour into useable ingots.I've used the wheel weights for saltwater sinkers but perfer the soft lead for lures and jigs. I spend a morning, melt down 30 or 40 pounds outside then you are ready to pour in the winter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
