Thread: Mold Mod???

Production pot. Don't even own a ladel. I will check the ports and try pouring on a angle. Pouring to fast is what I have thought.

Are you using direct pressure
With the nozzle against the mold if not try that (wear sleeves and gloves)
That's how I did it when I ran production we would run several 1000 in one sitting
If its voids in the heads its could be to hot or the flow its to fast
If its voids in the barb area it could be lead to cool of lead to hard (hard lead cools quicker than soft in small cavities) to hot can cause the trouble but most of the time (in my case) that was not the trouble
If the flow is to slow it can cause the same trouble
Have you tried smoking the cavities

Charlie, are you pouring just one jig cavity? If so I would pour all the cavities to get the inside of the mold hotter. Pouring just one cavity the mold may not heat up enough.

Also u could try warming hooks. Sounds to me like hot lead cooling down. Doesn't take much coolness for lead to start setting.

It might be as simple as hook size. Did the mold pour the #4 or #2 hooks without any issues? Sometimes stepping up to a larger hook means the extra metal in the hook itself creates a heat sink and stops the lead from fully pouring into the cavity. Check the wire diameter of the #1 hooks to see if there is a significant difference in diameter from the #4 hook the mold recommends. Heavier wire can really throw a wrench in casting when certain and specific hook sizes are called for.

I have a Do-It 1/32 collarless mold that I have modded to accept #2 hooks and hand pour it with sickles and no problem at all. I am certain that if the mold was for a collared head I would have issues using the larger hooks.

Before I would open the gate up any I'd find a way to vent the cavities a little to help get rid of air so the lead flows easier. Other-wise, the advice given is pretty much spot on.