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Well, so far I'm pouring my jigs on my workbench. Have hooks laying on the bench ready to go into the mold. Hot pot plugged in with my mold in front. off to the side is a veggie can for my slag. Today bought and organizer bin to start putting made jigs in and lead that is ready to go into the pot when needed.
You guys that have been doing this for some time can you give this newbie ideas that can help with my organization and ease of jig making? Thanks
I'm just starting to do the same. I plan on making a nice work station and an exhaust fan so I can pour indoors comfortably year round.
I have things here and there and use my workbench to pour. I'm moving in a short while and the new place has a garage(yaaaay!!) and I'l be setting up a bench with lights and vent and such. I have a small roll around tool box that is mostly empty that I'm going to try putting all my pouring stuff in it. I think it will be easier to keep things close when working, and out of the way when I'm not.
Skeetbum makes a good point about being organized in other areas. I have a tacklebox loaded with hooks, pliers, cutters, etc. I also keep a variety of hooks with enough of each one to do at least a couple of 100 of that size at a time.
I keep a plastic bin to hold my lead (in plastic bags) my cast iron pan to catch any lead that might drip, pie pans to hold the jigs when I kick them out of the mold, a variety of molds, small lamp that can be bent to put light where I want it, wax for fluxing, paper clips for cleaning out spout, etc.
I try to lay my hooks our in rows where they are facing the same direction an are easiest to handle. I do all this so once I start pouring, I can get into a rhythmn and pour as many quality jigs as I can in the least amount of time.
Use the top of the mold when your pouring heads. Join the sprue holes together and POP them out together. They'll break-off 2 or 3 or all at one time depending on how you decide. Saves tons of time and you won't have a bunch of finished product to work around. It will look like army figures stacked up in rows. And your not dropping a bunch of billets into the pot, it will be a strip.