Not a jig or tying issue but a pouring issue.

To start i was using tire weight lead I can pour jigs with not issues collared or ball with no issues. I decided to pour some split shots and they would pour fine only issue was they would break when bent. So bought some pure lead pours the 1/8 oz fine. I cant pour a 1/16 oz one to save my tail. The side that you would squeeze to remove the sinker will not pour right. The end at the bottom of the mold pours good the other side will only be half a tab if that. The side that grips the sring is good. Tryed turnin up the heat, turnin down the heat, pourin faster, pourin slower still same results might get one out of 11 to pour right. I'm pourin by hand with a laddle if that helps. Any one got any ideas on what i'm doin wrong?

I have the same problem, but I use them anyway. I think alot of the stuff you buy in stores is made on a spin cast system, and that would force the lead in there.

Two things to try. Make sure the mold is hot and leave the ladle in the melted lead. I've found the ladle will cool down the lead more than you realize if it's not left in the pot between pours. Make a quick pour and be generous with the lead.

Charlie

Smoke the mold so the leads flows better. Maybe.

If you have a ladle with a nozzle, try turning the mold to the side a little and pouring at an angle. This may allow the lead to fill the rest of the cavities. Also make sure to flux the lead really well. I buy lead from a metal scrap yard and if I don't flux it 2-3 times I notice that the lead doesn't fill cavities as well. A little bit of wheel weight, maybe 20% might help and still leave it soft enough that the split shot don't break when you use them.

Skeet mold is smoked as good as i can get anyway kinda hard to gret down in those cavities good.

Fish mold is hot yesterday i think i even got it to hot got alot of flash and had to let it cool down to even get the 1/8 to pour right.

Goin toBPS today and see if they got a differant kind of ladel, might bite the bullet and get a lee bottom pour if they got it and see how that works out.

Redear i was just gonna say heck with and use em too. But the better half wont hear it (shes a little OCD dont tell her i said that tho) and keeps handin em back sayin there bad redo em lol.

Fish4 ive pretty much tried all that. Only thing i havent tried is mixin in some wheel weight lead might try that later today will let ya know how it works.

The bottom pours are the way to go in that you can release the lead directly into the hole for the cavity. Some of mine don't pour well if the lead hits the funnel area and then enters the cavity. Heat of the mold can be finicky.

Take a triangle file and dead center on the pour spout file a nice groove it in, this will give you a very fine pour stream for your mold. Only do it on one side of the ladle.

Lead split shot are illegal here in Vermont so I hve to buy mine.

i smoke the molds to!

After making a few adjustments that you all had suggested i've managed to get it done. Takes me alittle longer but pouring real slow one hole at a time and not filling the hole completely i'm getting almost all of them to turn out perfect now or at least good enough the better half aint throwin em all back at me when shes breakin em off. Thanks and once again you guys are a wealth of info.

One of my molds, 1/8 oz barbed, is super finicky. If I don't angle it correctly and don't pour directly into the gate the barb NEVER pours correctly. What it comes down to (in my case) is the fact that the air cannot escape the cavities. For whatever reason this mold does not have the very thin channel off the tip of the barb to vent it. If you are getting a mis-pour on that same side of every cavitiy it may be coming down to the angle the mold is when the lead enters the mold.

You've got some great advice so far. I will second what skeetbum said re: the bottom pour pot. They make pouring sooooo much easier. Another thing you might want to do is flux your lead to remove impurities. I use Marvelux flux from Brownell's MARVELUX® BULLET CASTING FLUX - Brownells
or CleanCast from Midway USA CleanCast Lead Fluxing Compound 1 lb

Clean lead makes a world of difference when casting, especially very small stuff.

Tom

One of things that I have done to a couple of Do-It molds that I have that didn't poured right is that. Is #1 drill the pour hole or sprue hole out a little larger. #2 tilt the mold a little when pouring. #3 very hot and clean lead and have the mold as warm as you can get it while working with it.

Hope that this helps you with your mold. It is frustrating when the dang thing don't pour right.

Redman

it sounds like its a dirty lead problem.. Flux the lead

If you are getting brittle pours with wheel weights you may have mixed some zink wheel weights in your lead. A lot of wheel weights are zink now days. Dump your pot out and start over. Shooting has been up there with fishing all my life so i've cast thousands of bullets in the last forty years. If you add a little 50/50 soulder in with your lead your jigs will fill out in the mold better. Always flux the lead, stir and skim off the scum on top but don't skim to much or you will take all the soulder out. The tin helps fill out in the mold. You will have to cast quite a few before your mold starts throwing nice formed jigs most of the time. Also smoking the mold with a wooden match helps fill out and release. Plain old candle wax is the best flux to use.

I use candle wax too but be ready for it to catch fire when you do. If you didn't know it would do this, it might make you think you've messed up. In reality, this is what you want it to do because it helps condense the junk on top making it easy to scoop out. The flame will quickly burn out.

People at Do It Corp told me to try it so I figured it must be okay but have to admit, I wasn't comfortable watching the melting pot I paid good money for catch fire.

From time to time, you may also need to clean the spout at the bottom. I use a paper clip and hold it with some pliers and ease it up underneath. This warms it up, I then roll it on a piece of candle wax and repeat. Usually pours much better after that.