HaHa HaHa:  0
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 13

Thread: Success finally and pot questions

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    NE AL
    Posts
    4,019
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default Success finally and pot questions


    I posted here when I poured my first jigs about having problems with the collar and barb not pouring. I got many helpful replies. Most agreed that I had contaminated lead in the pot and suggested cleaning it out, so I did that. I cleaned every speck of lead out of my Lee 4-20. When I needed some jigs a few weeks ago, I put 2 lead "muffins" that I made from xray room lining in the pot. I fluxed the lead when I melted it all down to start with wax and I fluxed it again with wax before I started pouring. It was very clean lead and I suspect it's close to pure. The first time I used the pot after cleaning I was going to make 200 jig heads. I poured the first 100 and had very few bad ones. When I tried to pour the 2nd 100, I ended up with 75 keepers and 25 not fully poured. I was very frustrated. So today I decided to spend more time trying to flux the lead in case there was something in it causing the problems. I put cardboard chips in the lead because I didn't have any dry sawdust. It worked pretty well and did get out some rust from the pot. I then added more wax and stirred it more. I got out a little ashy looking substance. I started pouring and had the same exact problems that caused me to stop pouring the last time. Incomplete collars with no barb. It was then that I remembered somebody suggesting, on my original thread about this, to put the spout on my pot, into the holes in the mold. BINGO. I had 249 good ones out of 250 and I know why the one bad one didn't pour correctly. That sure makes like a whole lot easier. So whoever that was who recommended that, thanks!

    Here's the question.... I had the pot on for probably an hour and a half. When I got close to being done I decided to pour 50 1/16 ounce jigs. I got around 10 of them poured and then started getting no collars at all. I checked the spout and the lead was only dribbling out when I'd open it. I hadn't looked into the pot in quite a while so I did and there was lots and lots of floating rust around the edges. I scraped the sides down in the lead pool and ended up getting almost two full spoons of rust and "film" out of the pot.

    It's only been a few weeks since I did a full cleaning. Is it the heat from melting the lead, the dissimilar metals in contact with each other, or something else that causes all this rust so fast? I guess that's what was causing the lead to only dribble out of the spout. I cleaned it good with a torch tip cleaner and it went back to working great.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    ca
    Posts
    2,510
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    The rust is from the pot oxidizing - sounds like you have a lot. If you drain your pot you get more oxidation on the sides of the pot. I leave about 3/4 full. If you leave too much - the lead doesn't heat up evenly when you go to repour and if your spout isn't fully seated you're going to have a big leak problem. With the lead & problems you've had - maybe flux more often. I use a long handled tea spoon to add wax and scrape the sides of the pot & stem while fluxing - the rust doesn't automatically rise to the top. Be careful and use gloves.
    Likes STUMP HUNTER LIKED above post

  3. #3
    Redge is offline Crappie.com Legend - 2017 Man Of The Year
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    OK
    Posts
    27,548
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    I do like Ledhed, leave my pot 3/4 full or so.
    Dr Nip is the one that said inject directly into the pour gate.
    For fluxing weld you a tablespoon to a long piece of flatstrap, makes it much easier to flux without your hand getting hot.


    Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com
    Proud Member of Team Geezer!

  4. #4
    Cray's Avatar
    Cray is offline Crappie.com 2019 Man of Year, Supermod & Moderator of the Mechanics Forum * Crappie.com Supporter
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Byhalia,Mississippi
    Posts
    17,388
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Like the others I try to keep my pot about 3/4. To full I get overruns, to little I start getting incomplete pours. I think each mold has a pour rate that suits it best. Larger lure more lead in pot smaller less.
    Proud Member of Team Geezer
    Charlie Weaver USN/ENC 1965-1979



    Likes Redge LIKED above post

  5. #5
    STUMP HUNTER's Avatar
    STUMP HUNTER is offline Super Moderator * Crappie.com Supporter * Member Sponsor
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    PIEDMONT SC
    Posts
    20,571
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    The spout will get stopped up as you are pouring and it happens with soft clean lead that I always used. Using a paperclip size wire to run up into the spout will fix the problem. When cleaning the spout place your hand on the handle to be sure it closes off as you pull the wire out.
    PROUD MEMBER OF TEAM GEEZER ---------
    Ascend 133X 13' - MotorGuide Xi3 & Mercury 4

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    NE AL
    Posts
    4,019
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Stump Hunter, I used a torch tip cleaner to clean the spout. It worked great. It's like a paper clip with tiny file type ridged rings on it. It really scrubs the inside of the spout. After completely cleaning, I only put around 5 1/2 pounds of lead (2 ingots from a muffin tin) into the pot. I just cant understand why there is so much oxidation. I even tried "seasoning" the pot with peanut oil prior to putting the lead in. I am adding wax every time I turn on the pot, stirring it with a spoon. I have a pair of the heavy "stick welding" gloves that I am wearing to stir it. When one hand starts getting hot I just swap hands. The only thing I'm getting out of the pot after fluxing is the blue, purple, gold, metal looking looking film on top of the lead and rust. I'm running the pot on a medium setting. The rust that's coming out of the pot is coming from below the lead surface, not above. There is a little bit of rust below the lead, but this is coming up to the top after it's been "cooking" for a while and I re-flux it. Maybe I need to try more lead anyway.

    At the rate the rust is forming, I'm going to have a hole in the pot in the foreseeable future.

    Thanks for all the replies and advice. If something I'm doing doesn't sound right, please let me know.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    ca
    Posts
    2,510
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Peanut oil??? Did you buy a new pot?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    NE AL
    Posts
    4,019
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by LedHed View Post
    Peanut oil??? Did you buy a new pot?
    LOL, no it was used but I had cleaned it very good. The inside of the pot was shiny when I got done. I just thought that seasoning it like a cast iron skillet might help reduce the rust problem. I did not.

    I had the peanut oil at the shop for making popcorn. LOL

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    ca
    Posts
    2,510
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    might be the source of your "crud"

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    NE AL
    Posts
    4,019
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    It could be. I don't plan to try it again. I'm really trying to figure out why I'm getting so much rust from the pot and is there anything that can be done about it?

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

BACK TO TOP