First time melting lead help!!

[Bassinkorea]

Hey guys, I have just got a Lee melting pot and I am going to start making my own spinnerbaits and jig, but before I just dive in and make a mess of things, I wanted to get some tips and ideas from you experienced guys first.

Thanks in advance.

[GotstaFish]

Smoke your molds with a good candle so they release better.
Don't have any liquids by your hot lead!!!!
Where gloves if you have heat sensative hands.
Pour with your mold at a slight angle to get a toilet bowl effect when the lead enters the mold in order to get a nice consistant pour all the way to the bottom of the cavity.
Get your mold hot by resting it on top of the pot while its heating up.
Be prepared for your pot to over pour due to a piece of impurity in the lead, it will happen and the only way to stop it is to use a pair of pliers and wiggle the rod back and forth a little. Don't try and force your handle or you'll bend it.
Have a surface under you pot that can handle 1000*F when this happens, it won't run far but it will run a few inches before cooling.
Be sure you lead is hot before you pour and keep the top skimmed off.
If I think of any other tips I'll let you know Steve, be careful and good luck..

[Dug]

Another Tip, don't do this in the house,use the  carport or garage.  You don't want to start inhailing lead fumes..

Dug

[GotstaFish]

Another Tip, don't do this in the house,use the  carport or garage.  You don't want to start inhailing lead fumes..

Dug

Is that whats wrong with me.

[bigjim5589]

Check your molds to make sure they'll pour with the melting pot you have. If you have a bottom pour type, some molds just do not pour with a bottom pour melter. A ladle is better for pouring these types.

Adding to what Dug said, if you have to pour in an enclosed room, a fan will help, and then buy a respirator & the correct filters & use it. Ounce of prevention type of thing. The fan should draw air away from the pouring area, not blow towards it. Otherwise, you'll have problems with keeping everything hot. 

If you have any problems with the molds not pouring completely, and it's a constant problem that the tips that GotstaFish  listed can't cure, you may have to modify them some. I had some issues with a few of mine, so I "improved" them with a Dremel tool! But, I just removed a minimum amount of metal, mostly in the sprue area, just to get a better flow. 

[GotstaFish]

Check your molds to make sure they'll pour with the melting pot you have. If you have a bottom pour type, some molds just do not pour with a bottom pour melter. A ladle is better for pouring these types.

Adding to what Dug said, if you have to pour in an enclosed room, a fan will help, and then buy a respirator & the correct filters & use it. Ounce of prevention type of thing. The fan should draw air away from the pouring area, not blow towards it. Otherwise, you'll have problems with keeping everything hot. 

If you have any problems with the molds not pouring completely, and it's a constant problem that the tips that GotstaFish  listed can't cure, you may have to modify them some. I had some issues with a few of mine, so I "improved" them with a Dremel tool! But, I just removed a minimum amount of metal, mostly in the sprue area, just to get a better flow. 

I knew I was forgetting something  The dremel is your friend and can be quite handy for those "Special Modifications" 

[Bassinkorea]

Thanks for the great advice guys, I really appreciate it. Since I live in an apartment, I will have to pour in the laundry room which is quite well ventilated, but I'll have to do it when the Mrs isn't washing clothes.

[Bassinkorea]

Smoke your molds with a good candle so they release better.
Don't have any liquids by your hot lead!!!!
Where gloves if you have heat sensative hands.
Pour with your mold at a slight angle to get a toilet bowl effect when the lead enters the mold in order to get a nice consistant pour all the way to the bottom of the cavity.
Get your mold hot by resting it on top of the pot while its heating up.
Be prepared for your pot to over pour due to a piece of impurity in the lead, it will happen and the only way to stop it is to use a pair of pliers and wiggle the rod back and forth a little. Don't try and force your handle or you'll bend it.
Have a surface under you pot that can handle 1000*F when this happens, it won't run far but it will run a few inches before cooling.
Be sure you lead is hot before you pour and keep the top skimmed off.
If I think of any other tips I'll let you know Steve, be careful and good luck..

Karl, do you have any suggestions for what material to use for the spills ??

Also, what do you mean about "skimmed off" ??


I will be going to Costco in a week or so and will look for a Dremel there as I can't seem to find one in Korea, but the Costco here is supposed to have lots of US items, only problem is it is 3 hours away from here.

[Dug]

Skimming off the impurities that rise to the surface of the molten lead...

Dug

[tsmith35]

BK, to help remove impurities in your lead, you should add a bit of lead fluxing compound. I use Frankford Arsenal Lead Flux from Midway USA. I'll typically add it after adding lead during the melting pot startup, and again before I shut it off. Add a healthy pinch and let it burn off a bit, then carefully mix the flux into the lead, scraping the bottom, sides and pouring rod (if you have a bottom pour pot). then carefully skim all the debris to the side and scoop it up with a small ladle. Turn the ladle a bit to the side and any good lead will pour out, leaving the junk. Tap the ladle on a hard surface (I use small clay flowerpot saucers) to let it cool.

As for water... never, ever let water or any liquid into a lead pot. This includes sweat. It will explode and spray molten lead everywhere. For this reason, it's important to wear safety glasses/goggles, good heat-resistant (thick leather works) gloves and fully protecting clothing such as long sleeve shirts, full pants and shoes when pouring. Believe me, I've seen what happens when a few drops of water gets into molten lead or tin. Kaboom! If it happens to you, you'll never forget it. Wear gloves at all times when pouring, and wash your hands well when finished. When using a ladle with your pot, let the ladle heat up to eliminate any moisture on the ladle.

I put my melting pot in a large shallow baking tray for safety. That way, a stuck pouring rod won't result in disaster. Molten lead is typically 750°-800°F, so it will set paper, wood, cardboard on fire in an instant. The pan will help catch that. Make sure your pot is on a stable surface to avoid disaster. Keep an ingot pan under the pot to catch any drips. Set a fan a few feet from the pot and face it so it blows away from the pot. Test the airflow by lighting and match and blowing it out over the pot, then make sure the smoke from the match is pulled away to ensure sufficient airflow. You don't want to breathe the fumes when melting lead.

When I shut down a melting pot, I'll leave about 1" of lead in the bottom. The rest is poured into an ingot pan and cooled. When I start the pot back up, I'll add the ingots back to the pot. The reason for this is because too much lead in the pot will allow the bottom to melt while the top is still solid. The result will be a dripping pouring nozzle until the lead on top melts. I usually run my lead pot about 1/2 to 2/3 full when pouring though.

The dial setting isn't really correlated to the temperature. Depending on the ambient temperature, you may need to turn it up or down to get a good pour without excess seepage which can cause flash (lead running out where it shouldn't) on the molded part.

To heat up the mold prior to use, open it up into a "V" shape (hinge in back) and put it on top of the pot for a few minutes. I will also do a couple test pours (no hooks, and using pins instead of weedguards) to check fill and heat the mold up.

You can't pour lures that use wire forms from the nozzle due to the wires sticking out. Well, you can sometimes, but it's tricky. Usually, you'll need to use a ladle to dip out the lead and hand pour them. Practice before you do a real pour to ensure the temperature is up high enough. Be extra careful to keep lead out of the hinge area of the mold, since it can cause damage to the mold if it gets in the wrong place. Keep an ingot mold under the lure mold while hand pouring to catch spillage.

Use pure soft lead. No tire weights, since they are known to contain a lot of impurities that causes the lead to become too hard to pour easily and may clog up your pot. Ideally, lead ingots for use pouring tackle should be so soft that dragging a fingernail lightly across the ingot will leave a mark. I've found a guy on eBay that provides excellent lead, but shipping to Korea is probably too expensive, so you'll probably buy locally.

If you use unmodified store-bought molds (Do-It), you should't need to worry about sooting up the molds or using a release agent. If you modify the mold or if you have problems with sticking, then you can soot up the cavities or use a release agent.

Experiment with temperatures to see what works best for you. You can do test pours at different temperatures to see what it looks like if you pour at too low or high a temperature. You can do this with or without hooks. If doing test pours with hooks, you can hold the hook by the bend and swirl it around in the molten lead to remove the lead, then tap the hook on the side of the pot to remove lead stuck to it. Rub the eye with your fingers (wearing gloves of course) to remove any remaining lead, then put the hooks back in the mold and try again.

Keep a dust pan and brush handy for cleanup afterward, but label it "Lead" so it doesn't get used for anything else. Lead is toxic, so you don't want to get it spread around the house from using a shared dust pan. Also, keep a screwdriver handy in case the pouring nozzle starts leaking. Use the screwdriver to turn the pouring rod in case of a leak (there's a slot on the top for a screwdriver) and the leak should stop.

Okay, that's all I can thing of right now...

[Bassinkorea]

Some more awesome advice, thanks alot tsmith35 

[Bassinkorea]

I will be buying a few last supplies today and will hopefully start pouring in the next day or 2. Does anyone have any more tips for me before I get started.

[tsmith35]

I will be buying a few last supplies today and will hopefully start pouring in the next day or 2. Does anyone have any more tips for me before I get started.

Well, maybe just one more... start saving up your money for hooks, swivels, wire forms, benders, clevises, beads, good round nose pliers, good wire cutters, Texas Tackle split ring pliers, split rings, wire, spinner blades, rivets, buzzbait blades, molds (of course!), hooks, Dremel tool (to improve molds), more molds (in case of over-Dremeling), more lead, extra ladles, more hooks (to cover every size and style your molds will handle), and on and on...

It's addictive.

[Bassinkorea]

Well, maybe just one more... start saving up your money for hooks, swivels, wire forms, benders, clevises, beads, good round nose pliers, good wire cutters, Texas Tackle split ring pliers, split rings, wire, spinner blades, rivets, buzzbait blades, molds (of course!), hooks, Dremel tool (to improve molds), more molds (in case of over-Dremeling), more lead, extra ladles, more hooks (to cover every size and style your molds will handle), and on and on...

It's addictive.

  That was funny, and I can see myself as being one of those "over-dremellers" 

Again, big thanks to you tsmith35 and everyone for all the advice 

[tsmith35]

Oh yeah... one more tip. Keep an oil can with a drip nozzle near your molds somewhere. A can of 3-in-1 oil works fine, and so does 30W. After you get done molding, put a drop of oil on each mold hinge at the roll pins and open/close the mold once or twice to work it in. Wipe off the excess. The hinge design is such that lack of lube will cause it to wear out. Fixable, of course, but prevention is better.

[Bassinkorea]

Cool tip 

[Bassinkorea]

Well, I just poured my very first lead 

I took some photos that I will post a bit later, but I did some arky jigs that came out great, but when I tried to pour some spinnerbaits and football jigs the lead didn't go all the way to the skirt collar. Any way to fix this without a dremel??  however, I do have a dremel ordered 

[tsmith35]

I took some photos that I will post a bit later, but I did some arky jigs that came out great, but when I tried to pour some spinnerbaits and football jigs the lead didn't go all the way to the skirt collar. Any way to fix this without a dremel??

Okay, a few things. If you have problems with a new mold, remember that it takes a number of pours before the mold breaks in to where lead will flow through it right. Put a piece of masking tape on the flat machined surface of the mold near the handles (not right next to a mold cavity of course). This opens up the mold a tiny bit to let trapped air escape. Doesn't seem like much, but it can make a big difference. It takes a couple hundred pours to break in a mold to where the tape isn't needed. Masking tape comes off easily, and residue will scrub off with a non-scratch Scotch-brite pad.

Also, be sure you're preheating your mold (I'm sure you are, but had to say it) and that your lead is hot enough. Try the tape first, though. The Dremel is for doing things like modifying barbs, touching up or enlarging the hook eye area, providing hook or wire clearances outside the mold area (if using non-standard parts) and so on. Shorts (lead doesn't fill out fully) and flash (lead goes beyond where it should) can typically be fixed without mods.

Be careful when placing hooks, wires, swivels, etc. If the mold doesn't easily close with a click (like an empty mold does), open it up and check alignment of the added pieces. It's really easy for a hook or wire to bump out of place. Since the molds are aluminum, forcing the mold closed can cause damage.

As for the spinnerbaits, pinch the "J" in the wire form over the hook eye a little bit to keep it from wandering away from the hook eye. Too many moving parts make molding spinnerbaits and buzzbaits a challenge.

Once you get your Dremel, practice on chunks of spare aluminum for a while. Dremels can be quite a handful until you've got your cutting technique down pat. They're useful for all kinds of stuff (sharpening mower blades, cutting screwdrive slots in stripped screws and bolts, notching parts, shining up small items, removing pop rivets, and a couple million other things), so look around and see what you can destroy play with.

[Bassinkorea]

Thanks again for your great advice tsmith35. I'll give it another try later and report back.

Until then, here's what I poured today.....You can see on the football and standup jigs where the lead didn't pour fully. For my first attempt I am very pleased    I can see me getting very addicted to this 

[tsmith35]

Those look really nice. Fun, isn't it?

The shorts in the collar area could be due to the air flow (ref. the tape), or possibly low lead temperature. My Lee pot runs around 7 or 8, but they all vary a little. Also, squeezing the mold too tight can cause shorts by reducing airflow out of the mold as the lead is flowing in. I've found a light grip works best, but I have a couple older (or just old) molds that need a firm grip.

You can remove the excess lead at the gate by gripping the excess with pliers and wiggling back and forth until it breaks off, or you can cut it off with wire cutters or gate cutters (they provide a closer cut). Smooth the gate area on the lure with sandpaper or emory boards in a well ventilated area (outside, with a breeze can work) to avoid breathing any lead dust. I avoid using metal files since the lead clogs them up. Alternately, you can tap the rough part of the gate area on a steel or smooth concrete surface to flatten out any bumps and don't want to generate any dust. Works in a pinch.

If you use base hole pins instead of the weedguards, such as if you plan to powder paint and epoxy the weedguards in afterward, be sure to pull the pins out immediately after molding. Use pliers to grip the pins near the head or use heavy leather gloves and be aware of the big hook in the direction that you must pull. I usually use gloves and wiggle/twist the pins out.

[GregLOTW]

it's important to wear safety glasses/goggles, good heat-resistant (thick leather works) gloves and fully protecting clothing such as long sleeve shirts, full pants and shoes when pouring. Believe me, I've seen what happens when a few drops of water gets into molten lead or tin. Kaboom! If it happens to you, you'll never forget it. Wear gloves at all times when pouring, and wash your hands well when finished.<<<<<< This was the Best advice given..Lead gets into your body through your skin so although you can inhale it ,protect yourself from contact or obsorbing any lead.
Once lead gets into your body its their to stay!
Greg ><>

[Bassinkorea]

Great advise Greg.....thanks 

[6lbsonthesurface]

Is that whats wrong with me.

hahahahahaha good one