I am making my own and maybe selling them sinkers and came across a problem that I don't understand. when I do my 3oz sinkers there good (Hilt)mold but the 2,1,3/4(Palmer) come out not so good The 2oz get a slite dimple and the 1,3/4 has what I call flash around them. The Hilt mold I bought the other molds where given to me I am thinking the molds are to hot! or maybe dirt from not skiming to often I do use a candle to burn the molds for easy release Any Idea's
Sinker mold problem
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Paul F: your doing it right .
you mite be pouring to FAST !!!!!!!!
and it mite be to .hot
if you pour to fast , the opening close
and the air has not come out.
if the mold is not closes completely or your parts will flash.
next you must check to make sure your hooks,wire and eyelets fit the mold and the mold closes completely . sometimes eyes of the hooks are bent.
you mite be pouring to FAST !!!!!!!!
and it mite be to .hot
if you pour to fast , the opening close
and the air has not come out.
if the mold is not closes completely or your parts will flash.
next you must check to make sure your hooks,wire and eyelets fit the mold and the mold closes completely . sometimes eyes of the hooks are bent.
One way to test the mold for proper closure is to blacken the mold (using the candel) and place a piece of white paper between the sides. close the mold on the paper tight enough to leave the black imprint. may have to use more than one sheet. This way you can see if the mold is closing properly. If so, you may be able to correct it by "Lightly" sanding any high spots that may be preventing it from sealing properly.
Dividends
Dividends
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3,953 Posts
Have this issue myself
I have had this issue with the palmer mold. They make a blue spray for sinker molds that helps stop the problem if you look on ebay they sell it there don't know the name of the stuff off hand but guys sell molds already treated so you could see the name of the stuff. Also when pouring try and shake the mold I find the palmers tend to cooldown at the pour hole causing the sinker to have pits and bubbles. hope this helps
I have had this issue with the palmer mold. They make a blue spray for sinker molds that helps stop the problem if you look on ebay they sell it there don't know the name of the stuff off hand but guys sell molds already treated so you could see the name of the stuff. Also when pouring try and shake the mold I find the palmers tend to cooldown at the pour hole causing the sinker to have pits and bubbles. hope this helps
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352 Posts
Paul, first off, what is your heat source? I poured allot of lead over the years over propane. Big (80lbs) innings to 20 oz. My Do It molds for bucks to 3oz came out perfect. Seeing as I have over 100 lbs of big sinkers in hand I needed something just for jigs. I bought a Lee electric pot that holds about 10 lbs with a bottom pour. Horrific results! The thing pours so slowly that all you get is ridges no matter what the temp is or how hot the molds are.Usually when you get flash it's because the mold is too hot not the lead but one could in turn lead to the other. Another aspect is when you last added lead to the pot to bring it up to temp and maybe over compensating by turning up the heat because you couldn't wait and went over your pour temp? Lots of stuff going on with this. Is it pure? Alloy? What size mold and
how fast can you pour to fill it before your opening closes because it lost temp and you got a half sinker? Well that's the other side of flash! Do some run throughs with the molds or adding hooks to heat your mold and see if you get a full pour, then and only then add hooks. Good Luck, you've got all winter to figure this out. Prospector
how fast can you pour to fill it before your opening closes because it lost temp and you got a half sinker? Well that's the other side of flash! Do some run throughs with the molds or adding hooks to heat your mold and see if you get a full pour, then and only then add hooks. Good Luck, you've got all winter to figure this out. Prospector
Prospector,
Clean out the pour hole on your Lee melter with a paper clip often. Slag can partially block up the hole. Of course you must empty it first. Another thing about keeping your lead at the right temp. is to pour from one pot while a second pot is melting. More expensive yes but a lot easier with little down time from pouring!
Hipshot
Clean out the pour hole on your Lee melter with a paper clip often. Slag can partially block up the hole. Of course you must empty it first. Another thing about keeping your lead at the right temp. is to pour from one pot while a second pot is melting. More expensive yes but a lot easier with little down time from pouring!
Hipshot
Hipshot's right. In the one video I've seen, on making your own lead lures, they use a propane burner to initially melt the lead in a large black iron skillet (never to be used again, for any other purpose), skim off the slag, and then ladle clean molten lead into the pre-heated 10 lb. Lee electric pot. I also agree that it sounds like your pour hole is partially blocked. I haven't had any problems with pouring up to 20 oz. bank sinkers from my Lee 10 lb. pot, using Hilts and Do-It molds. Usually have to make 1 or 2 pours to get the molds warmed up. Always use quality lead - I use old lead pipes and roof flashing, purchased from a scrap metal yard. Car wheel lead weights are not a quailty source of lead, too much antimony in them. I cut off the bottom plate of my Lee 10 lb. pot, and attached the back of the pot to a pair of small pipe clamps. The clamps fit over a pair of 1/2" diameter threaded pipes, about 2' long, picked up at Home Depot. The pipes are screwed in to those round mounting flanges, made for them. The flanges are screwed on to a large (cafeteria size) metal tray, that becomes the new base for my pot. By adjusting the pipe clamps, I can easily move the pot up, so the larger molds easily fit underneath, and down to be closer to the smaller molds. Good luck.
If you use any scrap lead(yes wheel weights make good sinkers!) is to melt the lead and get out the impurities, then pour them into ingot molds)Wheel weights stink due to the rubber on them) I use a n old Coleman camp stove (gas-not propane-you can pump the **** outa it to get a good hot flame)I use a muffin tin (steel) to make the ingots. Making the ingots clears a lot of the crap and slag outa the lead! Don't forget to flux and stir ofter(you can't overdue it). Also by varing the distance from the melting pot(LEE type-bottom pour) to the mold, you may find a difference. All molds are different! Some are vented better which makes for easier pouring. Rember-there is air in the molds-when you pouryou must allow time for the air to be forced out! Kinda like the opposite of a gas jug which must be vented to let air in or the gas will glug!
Hipshot
Hipshot
pouring sinkers
this is a very interesting conversation. where would one buy these molds and where would you be able to buy the lead? i've always wanted to pour my own sinkers but never knew anyone or had a clue as to what to buy and where to buy it?
Gary Greco
this is a very interesting conversation. where would one buy these molds and where would you be able to buy the lead? i've always wanted to pour my own sinkers but never knew anyone or had a clue as to what to buy and where to buy it?
Gary Greco
TERMINAL TACKLE in Kings Park sells the molds and the melting pots. Lead you have to scrounge, get from a plumbing supply or buy from a scrap metal yard. Melting is a little dangerous, pay attention to what you're doing. It is safest to melt outdoors BUT DO IT UNDER A TARP as one drop of rain will basically explode your pot spraying molten lead all over the place!
Hipshot
Hipshot
There's a VHS video called "Do It Yourself Lures & Sinkers", made in 1993, by Ken VanSant, that I found very instructive. I just found it on the web for $12.95, with a yahoo search, at:
http://www.buyindies.com/listings/9/8/983995790843.html
The catalog that comes attached to the "Do-It" molds (www.do-itmolds.com)has a lot of good information, too.
Knowing the good service provided by the folks at TERMINAL TACKLE
(www.terminaltackleco.com), they probably have a good write-up on making your own sinkers and lures, probably free for the asking. A few years ago, when I asked them about making my own bucktails and how to tie on the hair to the leadheads, they immediately offered me a free typed and diagramed write-up.
http://www.buyindies.com/listings/9/8/983995790843.html
The catalog that comes attached to the "Do-It" molds (www.do-itmolds.com)has a lot of good information, too.
Knowing the good service provided by the folks at TERMINAL TACKLE
(www.terminaltackleco.com), they probably have a good write-up on making your own sinkers and lures, probably free for the asking. A few years ago, when I asked them about making my own bucktails and how to tie on the hair to the leadheads, they immediately offered me a free typed and diagramed write-up.
Got Lead
I have a couple of hundred pound of pure Virgin Lead. Anybody up in the Portland Maine, NH or Northeast Mass area want to pour me some sinkers and round ball, miniball & slugs ( I'll let you borrow the molds)
I'll also see if I can pick up some wheel wieghts for the sinkers. They do not have to be pure lead and I have hundreds of pieces of 1/2" EMT for the sinker jigs.
Capt Walt
[email protected]
I have a couple of hundred pound of pure Virgin Lead. Anybody up in the Portland Maine, NH or Northeast Mass area want to pour me some sinkers and round ball, miniball & slugs ( I'll let you borrow the molds)
I'll also see if I can pick up some wheel wieghts for the sinkers. They do not have to be pure lead and I have hundreds of pieces of 1/2" EMT for the sinker jigs.
Capt Walt
[email protected]
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