Pouring jigs

[AllenW]

Get the lead and the mold hotter, I've poured for years with no candle smoke or modifying molds, not to say it can't happen or needed, but get the mold and lead hot enough first.

Drop a thumbnail size of canning wax (paraffin) into the lead just before you pour, it should help both the mold and help clean crud out of the lead, skim the lead surface and let the lead reheat slightly and then try pouring.

The wax will flame so be careful.
imho

Al

[jopes]

Do it molds also recommend using a small piece of paper during the first few hundred pours if necessary

[2XL]

Those are pretty big hooks for an 8th oz jig. I have done that too and one thing I noticed is sometimes the hooks don't seat properly. By not seating properly, I mean the shank sits at a slight angle in the channel between the head and the barbed part of the jig mold restricting the lead flow. Not saying that's the problem but I have had the same problem as you from time to time using larger hooks.
One soloution I tried and seems to have worked is to use a triangular rat tail metal file and widen the gap between the head and collar of the jig. That seems to have helped but not cured the problem on one of my most problematic molds. If you go that route BE CAREFUL not to remove too much metal from the mold. Modifying your mold should be the last resort If you are all thumbs like me IMO. LOL
Another thing to try is (if you have a Lee production pot) is to hold the mold right under the spout. By right under I mean almost touching the spout. That seems to lessen the short fills too.

I use soft lead and have never fluxed my lead or candled a mold in 20 years of pouring jigs. I just melt my lead then skim the crud off the top before I pour. I've never done these things (candeling/fluxing) because I have never felt the need to do so,not because they don't help. Though I can't speak from experience whether candeling,fluxing helps, many have said it has helped them with their pours so it may be worth your time to try both of those things. Good luck and keep us posted down the road.

[Bill Krejca]

Pour the lead into all the cavities to start with, do this 3-4 times without putting the hooks in. Run the lead in a straight bead all across the cavities, one hole to the next without stopping. All the lead on/in the mold will then remove in one piece- this will heat the mold. Also, holding the lit candle under each cavity to blacken the mold seems to help for me.

Try pouring the lead into the cavity a little faster - it seems to cool down if it is poured slowly. When the cavity is filling, try quickly tapping the mold lightly on the (table?) surface - I do this, think maybe it helps get the lead to the bottom portion of the collar. Continue using the bead of lead from one cavity to the next as I mentioned above. This keeps the mold hotter. Do this even if only one cavity is being poured - it just adds heat to the mold. If you have to stop pouring for a brief time, to get some more hooks, etc, leave the last pour in the mold unopened until you are ready to start pouring again - this will help keep the mold hot for a short time.

Because you are using a larger size hook, and the diameter of the wire the hook manufactured used is larger, less space is available for the lead to flow in the space between the hook and the shoulder cavity.

I use larger hooks regularly in my pours, and the above tips, along with using soft lead should assure that most of the pours will come out as intended.

Good luck,

Bill Krejca

[eriksat1]

I have the electric melting pot and between pours I set the mold on top of it to help keep it warm. I also find blacking the mold with a candle does help keep the lead from sticking in the mold, I don't think it has anything to do with helping the lead flow better.

[grizzley]

one of the biggies is to have the mold hot, otherwise it will act as a "chill". some of the lead will harden very quickly before the cavity is full, and thus bad castings.

[Bob/MN]

I use a bottom poor ladle. When I am having filling problems I force fill the mold allowing excess lead to flow out of the mold. If you think the mold is not hot enough, take a ben-o-matic and blast some heat down the fill hole.
I have several molds with fill problems that I have had to cut vents into to allow air escape. I don't think venting is causing your problem.

[locomoto]

A couple things come to mind.

That's a huge hook for a 1/8oz jig head....I too like big hooks.

Mold modification may be the answer but I'd try a couple things first.

1. Try tipping the mold during filling and see if you can fill the void. If venting is the problem you may be able to get the lead to flow differently to fill the void.

2. Smoke not only the mold but also the area of the hook that is giving you the problem. This blows if you're trying to make a hundred jigs but is not so bad for a dozen or so.

3. Try any combination of things suggested pouring with a ladle.

Good Luck

[saskcat420]

I also believe that your hooks are to big. What size of hook does the mold recommend for that size of jig? I pour big hooks in small jig molds and have the same problem too. With the correct size hook I can get good product but when I use bigger hooks only about half work out good.

[Bill Krejca]

I just had another thought - try using Matzuo sickle hooks instead of the "normal" hooks commonly used. The Matzuo seem to use a bit smaller wire size, which should give you a little more pouring space between the hook shank and the collar.

Bill