Thread: Pouring help

These molds a designed to outgas through the hook slot. Using bigger hooks shuts the opening down. If you can't get it to poor after it gets hot and you try different holding/filling angles look at your venting. You may have to open up something somewhere. Kids are a lot more sensitive to lead issues and the fumes off these lead pots are very dangerous. Its cool seeing kids make jigs and lures but there are a lot of risks involved. Please be careful Lit'l Bit !! You are too precious to get hurt !

i am wondering if the mold is hot enough when poured? i hit my forms with a map gas torch just to pre-warm them. they are aluminum which expels heat out ward from it self and cool very quickly compared to that of steel. i learned this in welding class if you have to much heat on a weld back it with aluminum. see my point this is why they have that pre warm slots on the smaller jig molds to pre-warm the form for like 1/64 of a ounce and smaller. by the way your daughter does not need to be exposed to the lead like every one else says. she does not need to develop problems later on i got sensitized to wood working dust and cant go in the basement to wood work any more if that tell you some thing so keep her safe!

Good info guys thanks. What about pouring the other type of materials than lead?

The pot is a 10lb lee bottom pour and all you'll need for some time. Fatman can give you maintenance tips to keep it working at its best. I'm yet another vote for the safety issues already stated, and will add another that I use. Buy an old cookie sheet at a yard sale or someplace like that and sit the pot in it. If hot lead gets out of hand it will not get into your lap, acting like a dam. Glad to see the girl doing this, does she tie yet? Be a good time to start.

arkansasbowhunter
I have no idea on what number temp to pour at

From your picture you have a Lee Production Pot IV. The back piece is either square or oblong mine are newer so they're oblong. On top is a knob with numbers around it - the #"s are for 100's of degrees. If this knob is missing, turn the peg all the way in one direction with pliers - and the split in the rod which holds the knob should be at the highest or lowest number.

Full protection is an absolute must for cleaning of your lead pot!!!!!!!!!! T

You didn't say anything about fluxing your lead!!! If you don't flux - DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!! Until a thread about it on TackleUnderground, http://www.tackleunderground.com/com...ead-melt-flux/ I had never fluxed my lead, and I'm a convert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It helps keep the lead clean and makes it pour so much better. I personally use old pieces of my wifes Yankee candles and they're scented

The first time you flux will be a surprise - it does flame up, so make sure there is nothing above the pot.

Here's what I do for cleaning after EVERY USE!!! You'll need a piece of spinner making wire or an old jig with the barb cut off and bent in an L shape.

When all the lead is out of the pot WEARING GLOVES tilt it forward to get any remaining lead to flow out the hole.

Next you'll have to loosen one of the screws that holds the bar lifter, don't take it all the way out just loose enough so that you can use a pair of vise grips to get hold of the pour bar and pull it out set in on a safe surface to cool down

Turn the pot down to about 200 degrees and using the bent jig wire (old bass jig with the barb cut off and shaped into an L) up into the hole, you may have to use needle nose pliers to do this - from the bottom and hold it there.

Use an old flat head screwdriver to scrape down the inside walls of the pot, you don't have to do it hard it should come off

Unplug the pot and using the base turn it upside down and shake everything out of the pot. Put it back on the base and take the spinner wire and push it through the hole from inside the pot out the pour tip and leave it there while you wait for the pot to cool off.

You can use the cool down time to break the sprues off your jigs.

Once everything is cooled off scrape the inside walls of the pot again and shake it out, then use a big piece of steel wool or a wire brush to wipe the inside of the pot till totally clean. I even use a fine long handled flat head screwdriver to help clean the pour spout inside the pot, tip it over again and shake it out again.

Last step is hold the pouring bar in your vise grips and use an old pocket knife and scrape the rod off on all sides - you'll be surprised how much stuff you can get off the bar. When you're done use steel wool on the pouring bar then wipe it off with paper towel. Put the pouring bar back into the melter and make sure the handle seats back in the pour bar slot and then tighten the screw back down and your done.

It might seem like it takes a long time but it doesn't once you get used to it. This cleaning process has worked well for me and my two original pots lasted 24 and 27 years, plus when you go to pour again everything is clean and ready to go.

It would have been longer but I messed up when we moved and left a box outside in the garage and with it having a split top water got inside and ruined them. Got them replaced through the Lee 1/2 price replacement program so I use one of them and the other is still in the box.

The hardest thing we have found on pouring is finding good clean lead!! With all the Regs and shutting down the lead mines!!Good Quality clean lead is going to be a problem!!! Grizzly Jig (louie mansfield) has the best deal (price) and good clean lead!!! Pleas be careful and wear your safety equipment!!!!

Looked in the catalouge and I must be missing it. Can you tell me what page it's on??

Thanks so much for taking time to share your wealth of information.