Done did it now,,,

[Micanopy]

The warnings are serious and real.


One item that is a must in my eyes is a thermometer for metals setting in the pot. Lead starts to melt at 625-650 degrees. Once that happens you have no way of knowing the actual temperature. If a mold fills nicely at 700, keep the lead at 700. Try not to go past 800. The hotter it gets the more opportunity for fuming and warping/destruction of the molds. Likely he provided some nice molds.

Gloves are best, but I have to use my fingers, so I don’t wear gloves. However, it would be great if you wore a glove on the hand that is holding the mold handles. Easy to miss the mold and pour directly on your fingers.

Some molds pour easily, some are stubborn. I use ladles and have developed techniques to force the lead into the mold so they fill completely. Really good molds fill easily. I have some that require me to get creative with the pour.

Get some good quality flush cutters and never trim anything that isn’t lead with them. These handle all sorts of things. Some molds are sloppy and leave lots of slop. Having good snippers helps.

Pouring will leave blotches of lead here and there on your work surface. I set down a piece of plywood about 2 x2 to set the pot upon and pour. It collects these drops. I also like paper plates for when I snip at the jigs and file them. This will collect the dust and allow you to dispose of it by pouring back into pot, and then tossing. Dust will contaminate the entire house if you get loose with your style and allow the dust to move away from the work area.

Do not be afraid to modify your molds to make a better product. Think carefully before you do it, and maybe test on a cavity you likely will never use. I have added under spin wires by simply setting the wire in the mold and then squeezing with a C clamp. Others use rotary tools like Dremels and drill presses. Just make sure it is a mod you really need.

Never smoke your molds. I am not sure how this got started but it is pure BS. I have exactly one mold that is smoked and that was done by it’s former owner. Guess which mold has issues releasing the head.

If you plan to sell, make sure you learn about hooks. These are the critical component in the entire mess. I have some hooks that are pretty much useless. I have others that are fabulous. Most people think they want sickle hooks, but these tend to have small barbs and fish can escape more easily. I have some that I can barely see a barb. Each mold will have a specific hook designed to work with it. Often times another hook will fit. Other times a slight modification away from the cavity can be made to fit the hook. Some even heat hooks and bend them to conform.

Mustad makes a nice hook. Eagle Claw makes a few that are pretty good. Gamakatsu makes expensive hooks. The finer points will involve your understanding and ability to fit specific hooks to specific molds. I have a mold that was designed for a 30 degree eye, and it was modified to accept 90 degree eyes. Read some about the different angles and try to understand when each is best. There is not much of value on the web regarding this. The lower the angle of the eye to the shank, the more of a swimming type motion you can expect. Basically.

Matching hook size to the jig head can be of concern in all of this. One hook might make the jig hang one way, and heavier hook another way. Most people will benefit from a jig head that has balance. Balance can be achieved and then lost due to the addition of a plastic baits or some tying materials.

A bottom pour pot will clog. Best to research how to remedy this before you go boring at the hole. I could not get along with that so I use ladles. If you use ladles, look for ones that pour from the bottom of the scoop. Rowell ladles are designed like that. Look for smaller sizes.

Your lead quality is a big mystery in all of this. You can make 16 jig heads from one ounce, and 16 ounces make one pound….. 16 x 16 = 256 jigs. More or less, probably less. Consider this when purchasing your lead supply. Clean pure lead will pour better. Some will add antimony to make a harder jig head that is less likely to oxidize as quickly. I suggest pure soft lead to start, and only after you have read some try other alloys in the mix.

If you wish to experiment with products, try mold release for making a stubborn mold pop free. Most molds will not need it, but just know it is available. Also, they sell jars of stuff to clean the lead. Sawdust works the treat for that, too. People who cast bullets have websites that sell all this sort of thing.

Powder painting is easy to do, and there are tons of advice videos on the web for you. Jim here does crinkle and sprinkle stuff and there are lots of threads regarding painting. I am busily focussing on eyes at this time. Got a new mold that makes Hatchet heads with large eyes and the Screw Lock system. Nice stuff.

Some wires are easier to fiddle up than others. The wire bait keeper is one that I find frustrating. Screw Lock is easy though. It has to do with the size of the wires and my big fingers and poor eyesight. Hmmmmm…. well anyways try to get by with the various keepers as they work. The lead keepers also work, it is just that I do not like them. Some molds are designed for production work, as in pour seven at a time stuff. Good luck getting everything aligned to prepare for the pour. If one hook is out of position, you go for the big re-open and now they all need readjusted. LOL

Pouring jig heads isn’t for everyone. A man has to want to do it and it sure seems you are after it now. Most everything you will learn will be based on the system of trial and error. Monkey see monkey burn finger type stuff. Wear long pants and always wear shoes as molten lead on tennis shoes doesn’t require you to hop about and squall. Common sense often gets revealed best after a special moment has already occurred.

I can’t think of anything else to add. The men have you pretty much terrified so…… that is always a good thing. Just bear in mind that lead is a heavy metal that does not leave your system quickly. It kind of hangs out and accumulates as you continue the behaviors that introduce it. Modes of entry involve inhalation, ingestion, and absorption. The cleaner you are at first, the cleaner you will be when you start to get lazy. Keep that temperature down and the work station clean. Make sure it never gets inside the house as it will linger and spread.

Congratulations on the purchase of a ready to go deal. This will save you tons of money in single purchases. Most everything will last for a long time and can be resold once you grow weary of it all, or die. in 2008 we had a president that closed down all our USA lead smelters, so expect to be using expensive lead. Just try to get good lead as it makes it easier to learn.

Good luck !

[Takeum]

Thanks Mic,,,,so far only issues I have is finding lead cheap,,,and have some quality…not in a hurry so I’ll just watch and wait…