help on pouring sinkers

[byrumjr]

[font "Arial"][size 2]I got a do-it mold to make bank sinkers. It makes a 2,3,4, and 5 ozs. The lead is getting hard and stopping up the hole, where you are suppose to pour the lead in. Maybe the lead is not hot enough. Does anybody have any ideas? Do I need to heat the mold first, it so how hot and how do I do that? I was thinking about in the oven. How do you all do it. Any advice is appreciate.[/size][/font]
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[aquaman]

hi byrum maybe post your question on the AZ. tudedude pours his own jigheads and such maybe he can help you out
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[DH_tubinjoe]

what you should do is put some kind of flame so that the soot is all over the inside of the mold... this usually keeps the lead from sticking to the mold. give it a shot. worked for me!


joe
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[trfishin]

[]HEY we used to pour sinkers years ago and i remember that we had to heat the lead up really hot to make them, try to up your heat. Becareful not to breath the lead fumes as lead is really toxic to your body. we quit pouring our own because of all the work and the time making them and that we didn't use that many in a years time. trfishin
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[byrumjr]

[font "Arial"][size 2]Thanks for all the tips. I think my main problem was that I was pouring the lead to fast and it was running around the hole and getting hard. I also drilled the hole in the top of the mold bigger. It woks fine now. All I need now is a melting pot. It’s hard melting all that lead with a hand torch.[/size][/font]
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[davetclown]

Most any gun reloading shop will have pots, also they will have latels where you dont have to melt as much at one time. both pot and ladel are cast iron.

to melt the led all you need is a colamn burner. similar to that of the lantern. you can do it on an electric hot plat or even a gass grill burner. you just want to be sure that you have a concreate floor or a dirt floor. if you drip the lead on a wood floor you vary well could start a fire lead burns hot enough to set wood on fire and cools slow. any burns from lead will fall in the catigory of 3rd degree.

if all you are making a half dozen to a dozen I would go with the cast iron ladel.

there is also on the market plug in smelting pots where you can put the lead in plug it in wait then pour. again you may want to use a cement yard tile for a work base in case of spills. you can set one on a work bench or picknick table. and not have to wory about starting a fire.

if you go with the smelting pot you will get a set of instructions on mold making.
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[byrumjr]

[font "Arial"][size 2]Thanks for the tips about melting lead. I have also found out sometimes the lead will pop and fly in the air. It could be because I am using tire weights and not pure soft lead. I am going to pick up a plug in smelting pot after Christmas. It hold 4 pounds of lead and my mold makes 4 sinkers at the time, so that should be good for now. Until I get the others molds I want. [center][/center][/size][/font]
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[davetclown]

you are correct in that the wheel weights will pop and spit, this is one of the reasons I suggested using a cement tile. the cause of the splatter is the dirt greese and oil associated whith wheel weights.

what ever you do dont use battery terminals (ends of battery cables). the gasses released when smelting are leathel.
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[lonehunter]

I POUR MINE OUTSIDE USING A PROPANE BURNER , SMALL IRON SKILLET , A OLD STEEL SPOON FOR SKIMMING OFF THE SLAG , AND A COUPLE OVEN MITTS AND SAFTEY GLASSES .
A SCREWDRIVER SHARPENED TO A POINT IS EASILY HELD WITH THE OVEN MITTS ON FOR PRYING THE SINKERS FROM THE MOLD .
IF IT'S STOPPING THE HOLE , LEAD IS TOO COLD , FULL OF SLAG , OR YOUR POURING TOO SLOW .
LIMIT YOUR TIME WHILE MAKING SINKERS , THAT LEAD CAN REALLY SCREW YOU UP .
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[MasterJigBuilder]

Yep and two other tips as well. Always pre-heat your mold so it is allowed to warm up. That will make pouring easier and produce a better product. Alternatively, do some dummy pours and use that as a way to pre-heat your molds.

I also agree with LH about the need for all precautions to be taken when dealing with lead. Use a well ventilated area and a fan to push the air around. Wear gloves on your hands to prevent lead uptake through your skin. The extensive warnings that come with molds are there for a very important reason and that is to prevent a condition called "lead enchalopothy" or lead poisoning.

Easy to get, hard to treat and over time the organic brain damage from prolonged exposure is not pretty.
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