Poured first heads today, need some advice

[FurFlyin]

I bought a used Lee Pro 4-20 from a member here. It was shipped with a pot still full of lead. When I got it I tested it out and decided to clean it out. When the lead became molten I started stirring it and it had what appeared to be red dirt clumping up around the edge. I cleaned all that out. I got the lead as clean as possible. Today when getting ready to make jig heads I turned the pot back on. When the lead got hot a gold colored film covered the top of the molten lead. Is that tin? I took some wax and put in the lead, because I’d seen that on a video. Supposed to be “flux” The was melted, then ignited and I stirred the lead. When I got finished stirring the lead, it looked like it had wood ashes on top. I scooped them off. What is that stuff?

So on to pouring jigs. I started with 1/8 ounce since I’d read that smaller was harder to pour. I heated up the molds and smoked the insides up. The 1/8 seemed pretty easy to pour. I made 100 of them and moved down to the 16-32 mold. I smoked the inside and heated it up good. The first 4 pours on that mold were flawless. Then the wheels ran off. I didn’t pour another good 1/32 ounce jig for 15-20 minutes. I tried pouring lead on the sides of the mold to heat it up hotter, I tried smoking the inside again, I tried heating the lead with a higher setting and then tried cooling the lead down. It seemed nothing helped.

I seemed to to notice that the lead wasn’t flowing from the spout on the pot as good as I thought it should. Instead of a flowing stream out it was more
like a rapid machine gun fast drip. I think that may have been the problem. So is there something you can add to the lead to make it pour better or am I doing something wrong?

[billygee]

if you could get yourself some other lead to compare
may give you an answer if there's contamination
for there could be some incompatibility in mixed metals your dealing with

billygee

[Slabprowler]

I had the exact same problem ! I started out using bullet weights (Not knowing any better) that had been melted slagged and fluxed flowed good for a while and then the spout started getting clogged had a fellow give me some pure lead from where he used to make decoy weights once I got the pure stuff flowing no more troubles!

[Cray]

Get you a 6 in piece of stainless wire abou .026- .032. Bend about 2 inches over into almost a L. Using a good pair of pliers grasp the longer part of the wire. Start the tip of the short section into the spout, lift the handle and work that wire up into the spout. That should clear it for a bit. You need to get something to pour ingots into that are a size that will fit back into pot. Pour out all the existing lead. Then scrape and clean the pot really good. And if you can find one a small round wire brush to clean the por spout. You will need to remove stem that is the stopper for pour spot and clean tip good on wire brush. Then remedy your lead. Almost every time you flux you will get a little residue on the surface. I use a old bent table spoon to clean it off. Almost impossible to find pure clean lead.

[skiptomylu]

Sorry I am of no help in pouring as I never got into that, but feel sure some of these guys can get you On track!

Good luck!

Skip

[FurFlyin]

Thanks for the info guys.

Related to getting good lead.... Maybe I'm confused about part of the process of taking dirty lead and cleaning it, but how does adding wax to the lead, which just melts, pools and burns do anything to make the lead more pure, or does it do something else?

[Cray]

I can’t really explain the chemical process, but when you get lead melted it is the heaviest, when you flux the idea is wax or what ever you use gets hotter than your melting pot can. Thus it helps separate impurities from the lead. That is the scum you find after fluxing. The best way is to flux a big batch in a big pot over a hot fire like a fish cooker to get it hot as you can. Some of the guys that cast bullets and large weights do that and add scrap wood to it to flux. Ideally you would do this process several times to get clean as possible. If you just have small amounts you can do just like you did in your pot with the wax. It’s a little slow process but worth the time in the long run. And no matter what you will always have a little bit of rust buildup in the pot so it pays to clean on a regular basis.

[TurboDan]

There is a difference between clean lead and pure lead. I buy clean 99.9% lead. I don't flux and only skim off what little contamination that comes to the top. I will add a little range lead for the antimony to harden the lead some. The range lead usually contains some tin to improve pour-ability. If not, add a little tin. I have a 20 lb pot and it stays full all the time. I never let it drop below 2/3 full. Lead should have an almost mirror like finish. I pour at around 700 to 750 degrees. Know your lead and know your temps.



I don't mind paying a little extra for pure clean lead and don't have the headaches that come with all the cleaning and fluxing. If you are going to be cleaning lead, don't do it in your production pot!

[tahoe 50]

Being as I ran a foundry in the Navy I am somewhat more knowledgeable about this. And I have been pouring my own jigs
For some time now. First as stated I keep pot about 2/3rds full, I flux with a powder that the bullet guys use,also I spray my molds with a release that they use. I buy pure lead for about 20.00 bucks. As also stated I straightened out a hook and use that to keep my spout clean. Lead must have a good flow into the mold. I also lay my molds on top of my pot to heat up, during pouring they stay warm enough. I will be pouring about three hundred jigs this Sunday. Will take some pics of my operation.

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[GrumpyLoomis]

I use 96 to 99 % pure lead for 1/8 oz down. I use less quality lead only for the bigger stuff. When I get to 1.5 oz and up to my 14 oz sinkers for duck decoys I use all the garbage even down to wheel weights. All melted by separate methods. Only good lead in my good pot. I also like the hook method for the pour tip cleaning but every now and then the pot needs tore down and cleaned well as stated up above. I think the above posts should have you headed in the right direction. Good luck