jig making help

[kc]

Ditto. Melting your lead down in a different pot and making "ingots" for your bottom pour pot helps keep the impurities out of the ingots hence out of your bottom pour pot. Another poster mentioned the bottom pour pot pours better more full than empty which is true. Plus I never pour all of the lead out of my Lee pot because dirt floats in melted lead and if you run the lead low that puts any dirt closer to the the spout. When I pour it down to about 1/3 full I add more ingots. Finally, even using the ingot trick every time I fire up the Lee some dirt will float on top and I scim it off and put it into an aluminum can that I cut the top off. I have had to clear out my spout with a spinner bait wire before but if you keep the dirt away from the spout you rarely have to do it.

kc

[smuckey41]

ok i got it un cloged and now it wont quit dripping till i un plug it i even tried adjusting the pour spout with a screw driver befor for i tried the wire to un plug it so i could have messed it up by doing it so now that i kinda got a clue on what i am doing i will proubly need to get a new pot. the thing is it pours a good streem but it wont stop dripping does any body know how to fix these things or a place to take them to be fixed in the louisville area so i wont have to buy a new one.

thanks
chuck

[zx150]

Give me a call 664-5921 Ryan.

[BGO]

ok i got it un cloged and now it wont quit dripping till i un plug it i even tried adjusting the pour spout with a screw driver befor for i tried the wire to un plug it so i could have messed it up by doing it so now that i kinda got a clue on what i am doing i will proubly need to get a new pot. the thing is it pours a good streem but it wont stop dripping does any body know how to fix these things or a place to take them to be fixed in the louisville area so i wont have to buy a new one.

thanks
chuck

It's just got some junk stuck in the tube. It's normal for this to happen sometimes. Don't buy a new one. Empty the pot of lead, let it cool off and you should be able to take the tube apart for cleaning. When you get something caught in it, the rod is unable to seat in the tube to close it off all of the way. On mine it's no big deal to clean.

[F16ENGMGR]

Smuckey41 I've used wheel weights for over 30 years. After they melt I make sure the crud is skimmed off the top. I bent a Colorado blade holding it with needle nose pliers and skim the surface then just smack it into a coffee can. The metal parts from the weights are easily removed. The only bad thing about them is they initially put off a lot of smoke. I never use wax or smoke the molds. I use 5-6 different molds and usually never have any problems. The main thing is don't open your lead pot until the lead is HOT. And make sure you keep it 1/2 to 3/4 full. I can count on 1 hand how many times it's fouled up on me. I use a spinnerbait wire .040 or as mentioned earlier a paper clip would work too. I got away from the electric handle ladle because the wire on the handle getting burning away. I found the production pot to be much easier. And while the pot is warming I place the mold on top of it.

And there is no safe way to pour lead out of your production pot.

Good Luck