Thread: Shiny jig head alloys

I have used tin and it is shiny, lead will eventually darken as it oxidizes. Maybe you should just buy plated jigs. Not much more expensive than a bar of tin every time you want to brighten your lead pot.

Lead is cheap here and tin should be but I don't have a price yet.

Antimony. I use 95% lead 5% antimony. Makes lead a little harder but heads stay shiny. It’s all I use.

These were poured 1 year ago. Maybe closer to 1.5 years ago.

Antimony might be hard to get here but I'll check with my local center. Around $8 a pound isn't bad compared to tin at $23 online.

Any issues with releasing from molds with the antimony at 5%? I'll be doing round heads and pony heads.

No I haven’t had any issues. I have found that on heads where that it’s best to twist sprue off that you do it before it cools off completely otherwise it can be hard to do. If cutting off then no worries. I try to stay away from molds that need spore cutoff though.

twist off the sprue eh, never considered that.

That’s how I do it. Now there are some do-it molds you can’t do to the sprue being too thick. Those I just rock back and forth until they break off.