Pouring and casting lead fishing lures

[Old plug]

After having a recent conversation with a member about pouring lead lures. I thought it might be interesting to see the proceedures everyone else is using. 

[dtrs5kprs]

Lead is about as simple as it gets. Hot pot, a safe work surface, and some ventilation is really all you need.

My tackle bench is a set of old modular pharmacy counters. Two on the ends are topped with pressboard/mdf type board, middle is ceramic tiled. I use the middle for all things hot, glue/epoxy, paint. Also have a couple of tiled boards that provide additional slick working surfaces. Those can be just rest on the benches, or be clamped with a quick clamp.

My hot pot is heading towards old age, but runs great. I keep a lead ladle, small cast pot (for catching drips during warm ups or rests), ingot mold, bent wire for cleaning the spout, and pliers handy. Also need some candles for smoking molds and fluxing the pot. I use the pliers to adjust the rod when it drips or clogs. Screwdrivers can be dangerous for that, if you drop them straight in the pot accidentally.

I try not to smoke molds unless absolutely necessary. A lot of molds pour just as well without doing that. Mold with barbed collars and spinnerbait heads usually require it.  If you do smoke them, stop and clean the cavities occasionally. That soot can build up and adversely impact the baits. I clean them out with CLP and a toothbrush, then wipe with a rag/gun cloth. Follow that with a dremel with a soft brush attachment to policy the cavities lightly.

Biggest trick can be dialing in the right temperature for the bait you are pouring. Fine detail, skirt collars on spinnerbait molds, etc., seem to require more heat. Some lead alloys do too. Once you figure that out a bit, it gives you an opportunity to tailor your alloy. Some baits are best made with harder or softer lead.

If there is something more specific let me know. We poured thousands and thousands of heads last year with that set up.

[Old plug]

I use lead pipe some of which is over 100 yrs old. I get it free from my daughter in law. I have to clean it. So i melt it and flux it with candle wax. That brings up all the impurities in the firm of slag. I remove the slag and pour it ibto ingots. The lead pours very smoothly. You Got to be caeful though with the candle flux if the lead is to hot the candle wax will come up right away and form a puddle on the top of the pot. Then vapor rises up and  the whole thing ignites in a column of fire for a couple seconds. If you put it in at lower temperature it will not do that. It stays in the lead. 

[Old plug]

Here is a example of a few of those I  poured last week. They are 1/2 oz bass jigs. The nics are not from the pour they are from my pliers when i made my cut off. 

[Foghorn]

Have been melting jigs in the neighborhood of 35 years with molds from 1/100 to 1/16. Bought a Lee production pot and shared with a brother-in-law till his sister divorced me so I gave him the Lee and bought a new one. Used it for 30 years and gave it to one of the younger guys in our fishing group because he melted more lead than me. Bought a new production pot last year and ran about 300 jigs thru it and it shot craps. One element shorted out and at first I thought I had dropped something on it and saw it flare up. About 10" later the 2nd element blew and tripped a circuit breaker. Had ordered it from TW and they sent a new one. Used it last week and worked well. Got a piece of lead from one of the lead smelters around here years ago that weighed about 100#.  Have some old Ament molds out out of Independence,Mo. that have great patterns but aren't as precise as the Do-It molds you can buy now.Normally keep an old sauce pan, spoon, screwdriver and gate cutter handy to aid in getting the final product. The lead I use seems to work well as I have used it the hole time I have been melting jigs. Do keep an overhead fan going in the room and give myself plenty of room to lessen the chance of getting burned. Powder painted a bunch the other day and tied a few jigs for the times I use a spinning rod and the rest I end up giving to family. 

[dtrs5kprs]

Plug...that flame up with the wax can be an exciting moment for sure. I poured for over 20 years before ever fluxing, still not sure how much it helps when pouring. Absolutely necessary when cleaning scrap lead.

Would have to look to tell you what we poured, but I know my last order of lead for '15 was sixty pounds. Have found the range recovered lead to be very good stuff.

[Old plug]

My daughter in law is the president of her families plumbing bussiness. They have been in business since something like 1903. Their mian area of repair is in a large area of St Louis county with old rehab homes in it. I have never seen the pile of lead pipe back in the warehouse but there is suppose to be a big pile of it collected up over the years. It definitely needs to be cleaned up before using. I have a tiny pot. Do notvpour that much. I bought my first mold about 1964 or 5. It was for pouring egg sinkers. iNrecently dug it out a modified it a bit and now pour 3/4 and 1 oz drop shot weights with swivels in them. They are not to nice but they will serve the purpose.

 

[Mitch f]

Those molds are becoming cheaper and cheaper. I suppose it's because they use an EDM electrode to burn the shape into the aluminum. The electrode can be used over and over. They usually have a roughing electrode, and a finishing one. These do-it molds probably use one that's kind of rough, but who cares? Why do you need a pristine surface finish on a jig? You're probably going to powder coat it anyway.

I use the Lee production pot also, and have had pretty good luck with it. It was leaking but I finally watched a video and figured out what the screw head was for.....Duh. Anyway I've never needed flux. I have an old spoon laying around to remove all the floating impurities that build up. Once they are removed, the lead is pretty shiny and beautiful. 

Regarding the powder paint, I probably need to get, ( or make) a device that shoots air into the container of powder, like an aquarium pump, to create an air Fluid bath so the coat is nice and thin, and evenly distributed. This also will help prevent the eye from closing, saving you the extra step of cleaning the eye out. I also add the last step which is to bake the jig heads after the initial application of paint. This step is very important and makes the paint tough as heck!

[rFisherk]

Never really like doing it, but back when I was guiding crappie fishermen on Kentucky Lake, I'd go through a few hundred Road Runners a season, so for financial reason, I molded my own horse-head jigs with a Do-It mold. Beyond the considerable financial advantage, I was able to use gold hooks more appropriate for crappie fishing than those used commercially. These gold hooks straightened out easier, so I didn't loose as many.

[dtrs5kprs]

1 hour ago, Mitch f said:

Those molds are becoming cheaper and cheaper. I suppose it's because they use an EDM electrode to burn the shape into the aluminum. The electrode can be used over and over. They usually have a roughing electrode, and a finishing one. These do-it molds probably use one that's kind of rough, but who cares? Why do you need a pristine surface finish on a jig? You're probably going to powder coat it anyway.

I use the Lee production pot also, and have had pretty good luck with it. It was leaking but I finally watched a video and figured out what the screw head was for.....Duh. Anyway I've never needed flux. I have an old spoon laying around to remove all the floating impurities that build up. Once they are removed, the lead is pretty shiny and beautiful. 

Regarding the powder paint, I probably need to get, ( or make) a device that shoots air into the container of powder, like an aquarium pump, to create an air Fluid bath so the coat is nice and thin, and evenly distributed. This also will help prevent the eye from closing, saving you the extra step of cleaning the eye out. I also add the last step which is to bake the jig heads after the initial application of paint. This step is very important and makes the paint tough as heck!

I have a fluid bed, and have been disappointed with it. Thought it might be an answer to the dreaded black paint.

The one I have is highly recommended and reviewed. Think it runs fine. Problem I have is with the heat. If you are painting a dozen or so heads and heating with a torch the bed seems to work fine. When your batches are 200+ and oven heated, they just are not hot enough. When I looked into why it wasn't working, the big "Aha!" In all the videos was that they were heating with torches. That brings up another issue entirely (as in grain elevator ka-boom stuff, due to the powder in the air). Torch method just won't work on a higher scale, too say nothing of the cost in fuel.

Will shoot you a pm on the other deal. Need to look at the molds.