jig making help

i gave my first try and am in here looking for some help. it says to pour a couple before you put the hook in so i was pumped got my stuff went out to the garage had a fan took all safty precautions mad sure it was vented poured my first four in two out of the three everything was great the first eight was perfect. so now i am ready for the hooks to go in. cam in told my wife this is going to be awsome. so i went back out side and then it happend the pouring pot just started to to drip out instead of pouring out like it was so i tryed to get some of the gunk out tryed to move the rod wiggle it around tryed to scrape around the rod and still no luck still slow little drips, also it says to use candle wax to stir in but every time the wax would hit the lead it would go into flames for a few secounds. i figured the rod part that goes up and down was cloged i was out there for an hour so i decided to come and get the experts help/ it ***** that one minute you are excited then the next bumed out i have all this stuff to make a bunch of jig heads and shaky heads and now the pot pour spout wont work right. please help me anybody

thanks
chuck

Sounds like you have one of those pots that pours directly into the mold from the bottom of the pot. Those spouts will get clogged from time to time. I've gone back to ladle pouring all my stuff now. Should be something in the instructions on how to clean out that spout.

What lead are you using? If its from tire weights, that is probably part of your problem. Too much other junk in there that will mess up those spouts. I use the soft lead that you can get in 5# ingots from plumbing supply stores (also called lead chalking).

btw, there is a lure and rod making forum on these boards. Might get some additional responses from folks on that one.

Andrew

Yeah, sounds like you may have some impure lead. sorry I don't have anything constructive to say I dunno what to do about it, but just what it sounds like.

I pour all of my jigs and have for several years now. I think I may know the problem but you will have to check.

With the pot sounds like, I am just guessing, you melted down some used lead. When you melt down used lead take the ladle and stir the melted lead around until the unwanted material comes to the surface skim it off and the spout will not get clogged. You may need to get the lead hot tilt the pot and pour it all out in to something (mental note make sure if you are going to use the lead again pour in something that is small enough you can place back into the pot LOL I know someone that did this)and clean the pot and spout. This will help with the clogging.

I have never head about the wax deal. I have heard of smoking your mold using a candle to help with removing the poured jigs from the mold.

Do not know if this helps


[QUOTE=smuckey41;347635]i gave my first try and am in here looking for some help. it says to pour a couple before you put the hook in so i was pumped got my stuff went out to the garage had a fan took all safty precautions mad sure it was vented poured my first four in two out of the three everything was great the first eight was perfect. so now i am ready for the hooks to go in. cam in told my wife this is going to be awsome. so i went back out side and then it happend the pouring pot just started to to drip out instead of pouring out like it was so i tryed to get some of the gunk out tryed to move the rod wiggle it around tryed to scrape around the rod and still no luck still slow little drips, also it says to use candle wax to stir in but every time the wax would hit the lead it would go into flames for a few secounds. i figured the rod part that goes up and down was cloged i was out there for an hour so i decided to come and get the experts help/ it ***** that one minute you are excited then the next bumed out i have all this stuff to make a bunch of jig heads and shaky heads and now the pot pour spout wont work right. please help me anybody

thanks
chuck[/QUOTE]

The wax deal is sometimes used to provide a flux for the lead. If you are using clean stuff, it really is not necessary.

Andrew

I have been using a Lyman lead pot similar to what you are talking about for many years. They will get junk in the tube that plugs it up. First like already said, you need to skim off from the top of the lead all of the impurities that might be in the lead.

When mine plugs up I just unplug the tube while it's hot. What I do is heat the lead up somewhere safe in case it spills. I normally take mine outside to my barn. After the lead is hot I take a long piece of wire that I use to make spinner baits and bend it so it will clear the table of the pot. I use a pair of vise grips to hold the wire. Next I raise the handle on the pot that would allow lead to flow from the pot, at the same time I run the wire up into the tube from the bottom being careful not to let the lead burn me. It sometimes takes several times to work out the plug. I have always been able to unplug my pot by doing this.

Please use extreme caution while doing this. I wear leather gloves because some lead may splash as it comes out. Also put something under the pot to catch the lead when it unplugs.
I have found this to be safer than trying to pour out the lead. Either way please be careful and good luck.

As far as it being clogged up the post above is what you need to do. From time to time imy pot will drip but its not stopped up, the plunger isn't sealing off. I keep an old metal ashtray under my spout to catch it when it drips. If if drips maybe once every 15-20 seconds no big deal. But when it drips faster I take needle nose pliers and turn the shaft from side to side. You cant turn it much because the handle is connected to this. Every time I do this it completely stops the drip. Alot of times immediatly after I make a pour I will do this. It only takes 4 or 5 seconds. Hope this helps, Ronnie

Where you at Billy Redneckshadrap, jig making are you kidding me. As Doc Holiday said in Tombstone, "Jig Making, Well that's just my game". Come on Billy chime in for we are all on pins and needles awaiting you to help tell us how to make that "Cloudy Sunfish".

Elnutsmalljaws
"Certifyable Floatnflyable"

thanks for all the replies, i will give this a try. but the led was soft led that comes in the bars from barlows tackle. can i use a close hanger to shuv through the spout or do i need a wire from a spinner or buzz. either way i will give it a try will report back and let you guys know. thanks again from everyone who wrote on here.

chuck

Please do cause I have had the SAME issue with mine and had no clue how to fix the dumb thing, so I just quit trying :) I probably should have taken the "fan idea" into consideration when I did mine, that may actually explain so of my problems though :) Good luck and call a brother when you get some time.

Rob

Smuckey41- You can use a paper clip to clean out the pour spout. The large size is what works best for me. Just unfold it and leave one end bent at 90 degrees to insert into the spout to "wiggle" around.

I have the Lee 4-20 bottom pour and have found that it pours better when it is fairly full of lead vs. half-full or less. Also, getting the right temp is crucial as well. Full high heat isn't necessary. Another problem could be the fan you are using for the fumes. If it is too close to the lead pot, the breeze could be playing with the temp on the surface. Lee says not to use a fan to blow away the fumes, but I do as well. I just keep it about 10 or so feet away, and on low.

Hope some of this helps. There is quite a bit of trial and error in pouring.

UpaCrick

I use the Lee 10 lb bottom pour pot and will give some opinions of how to avoid trouble with using.I never put wheel weights directly into the pot as the dirt and sand on them will cause problems with the pour spout.I have a larger cast iron pot that I melt the wheel weights in and clean them up and pour billets small enough to fit in the Lee pot.I never empty the clean up pot as there may be junk in the bottom that will effect the Lee's spout.Keep a screwdriver laying close to the Lee pot to give the a few twist if it starts to drip.Have never had to use anything to clean the spout.
Jake