Sinker molds

[Sean]

Looking in to pouring my own lead sinkers.Anyone use the Lee Production Pot? Will be wanting to make 2-3-4 oz flat weights for river fishing.Any advice on where to purchase Pot and molds would be appreciated.Thanks!

[walfshmn]

Try www.jannsnetcraft.com (http://www.jannsnetcraft.com). They carry the Lee pots and Doit molds.

[perchjerker]

I have a few of them for my business and I really dont like them.

Since they pour from the bottom, dirt ends up in the castings unless you keep the pot as clean as possible since any dirt or crud that builds up ends up sinking to the bottom.

I like the style that pour off the top. The results are a lot more consistent.

And I pour a LOT of lead lol

[Sean]

Thank you for the replies walfshmn and perch.

I dont need anything huge perch but what would you suggest for a top pouring pot? I also see tire weights which I can get my hands on is a hard lead.What would be some sources of soft lead? Will the hard lead work?

[perchjerker]

tire lead will work ok for that. just messy.

one of those hot pots that look like a ladle work great.

[Sean]

This what you had in mind?

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/standard-pod-wrapped.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/pod-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat20362_TGP&rid=&indexId=cat20362&navAction=push&masterpathid=&navCount=11&parentType=index&parentId=cat20362&id=0011043

Thanks perch

[perchjerker]

yea thats it

its nice because it has a replaceable element if you happen to burn one out, but that takes a long time for that to happen

use an old tablespoon to skim the floating scum and the wheel weight clip (it will float)

and read the directions on lead exposure very carefully, I always do it outside on a portable bench I made up

[Sean]

Thanks for the help and advice perch!
I am very aware of the dangers of lead and plan on being very careful.

[trapper201]

Hello,
perchjerk is right, do it outside and stay on the upwind side of the job. we had a little guy test high for blood lead levels at the health dept I work at. knowing what I do with lead- melt stuff for jigs, I asked the family if they did the same-- They did. luckily it was not super high and he was going to be o.k. dad quit doing it and cleaned the entire basement with soapy wet cloths.

[swantucky]

I use the Lee production pot and have never had any trouble with junk in my sinkers. I also have the hot pot but have never used it, it will not hold the amount of lead the Lee does. I run about 2-300lbs through the Lee every year. The Lee seems easier to control the heat and the flow.

[JJ Scully]

I use the Lee Precision Melter. It doesn't hold as much as the Production Pot but I think it heats up faster and once it gets hot it only takes a few seconds to heat up the lead as you add it to the pot. I don't make alot of sinkers at one time I just make what I use and some for my friends. I also found wheel weights to be a little dirty and have been using lead shot that I have had laying around it seems to work alot better for smaller jig heads.

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/lead-melters-tools/

[Burr]

I have the Lee pot. It works fine, but I think I would opt to take the approach Perch mentioned.

with the Lee pot, and probably any other, you'll want to let the lead get hot for best results. If you pour too soon at the lead turns to a liquid state, you'll have quite a few voids and bad pours.

I just use a metal rule to take the impurities out when liquified. The impurities seem to just stick to the metal, and leave you with cleaner lead.

I've often wanted to try a pan with a ladle to pour lead. I would think that method would be cleaner and faster.

If you can't find a production Do it! mold, you can purchase a mold blank from Do it! and make your own design.

[jignpig]

If you flux your molten lead with bee's wax you will take all the impurities of the lead to the top of the reservoir and you can scoop them right out. Been pouring for bait and tackle stores forever and have never had any bad comments on product... Like others have said, stay away form the smoke, and it only takes a little piece of wax...
JignPig

[AllenW]

I'm with jignpig, I normally use a Magma set up but I doubt you want to spend that kind of money, but a lee pot works just fine if you clean the lead first, I use a cast iron kettle and melt the lead and add some wax, then scoop the impurities off the top, them dump into molds that make about a one or two pound bar for later use.

No probs with a bottom dump if your leads clean, I also think the bottom pour is safer, smelting lead can be a bit dangerous.

To bad ya didn't live near Mpls, I have all the equipment and only use it occasionally now, maybe check to see if there's anyone else in your area smelting?

I went with smelting jigs when I wanted a longer shank on the hooks and no one made them that I could find, I used the powder stuff for painting but I'd think there may be a better way??

Al

[walleyedmike]

I have to agree, the Lee production pot works great for me, and I use it a lot. I pour 3, 4 and 5 oz. bell sinkers for three-ways on the Illinois River, and I've never had a clog or problems with debris settling to the bottom.

[walfshmn]

For getting soft lead, I get mine at the recyclers.
Just bought 200 lbs. earlier this summer for $.45 per lb. and it was very clean.

[Sean]

Thanks for all the ideas guys.I will let you know how it turns out.

[AllenW]

You didn't say if you have worked with molten lead before, but fwiw be very careful, molten lead and water react violently to each other and the lead also has a tendency to stick to anything it comes in contact with, skin is what I'm thinking of mostly.

Also do this in a very well ventilated area and I take a shower after working with lead, do not eat while doing this, one of the most common ways for lead poisoning while smelting is getting lead dust on your hands and transferring to your mouth by eating or just contact.

I've know shooters who ended up with medical treatments for lead poisoning from lead ingested by this method.
I might add they did a lot of smelting, but why add any lead to your system.

Al

[Sean]

I have read the safety issues and have worked with other metals.Thanks for the heads up Allen.

[Stoic Cynic]

Anyone know where to find a 1/8th oz pencil sinker mold. Rigging up a drop shot sinker with a normal size 7 swivel just doesnt work well and pencil sinkers are quite difficult to get here...

[ksgoosekillr]

Try this website, http://www.do-itmolds.com/ every mold known and have all the pots... i have the 10lb production pot, and the hot pot 2. I really dont know what people are talking about here with impurites sinking???? i even run tire weights thru my pot and all the impurities float to the top and can be scraped off. The only probems i have is sometime with the bottom pour if you empty it, or leave lead in it the the stop in the bottom of the kettle will be blocked partially open and the next time you start it up it will make a mess until you get the stop back down.... I own 26 different sinker/jig/lure molds and the bottom pour works fine for every mold i have except my 14 oz/16oz egg sinker mold... the bottom pour does not release enough lead fast enough to use here, the cavity will start to cool before you can finish, but with the hot pot you can do this... the only time crap gets on the bottom of my pot is when i empty it, then whatever impuritesd i didnt fully clean off the top end up at the bottom when the lead is gone...

[Bill Krejca]

I'm afraid that I, too, have had trouble with the bottom pour getting clogged up. I don't know exactly what was getting stuck, but it made it pretty much impossible to pour. I ended up giving the Lee away, maybe 20 years ago, and went back to the Hot Pot. It is possible they have since improved them, or somehow revised the design by now. I just burned through yet another Hot Pot heating element, darn, guess I'll have to take a trip to Cabelas; I hate it when I have to go there:)
\
Bill Krejca

[AllenW]

Bottom pours usually only plug up if you let the lead level get to low, not much is heavier than lead so crud stays on top...usually

Big jigs can be dealt with by preheating the mold, had to do it when I made downrigger balls for a friend, either sit the mold on top of the pot or use a propane torch or some source of heat, you may be able to just keep dumping lead into the mold, till it get hot but that seems like a lot of extra work.

Used to buy 5 gallon pails of wheel weights from the tireshops for 10-20 cents a pound, not sure if you can still get it for that price anymore.

Al