Tried My Hand at Pouring Lead

[Latimeria]

Well I had a bunch of old lead laying around and felt like recycling it would be in my best interest, but I had no experience with pouring weights.

My first mistake was getting a bottom pouring lead smelter.  It's great for smaller sinkers, but I bought a mold to make 8 and 10 oz cannon ball sinkers.  I did find it will work, but the sinkers don't come out all pretty at times with the slow pour.

I used up all of my spare lead for (2) 8 oz and (2) 10 oz sinkers.  Thankfully I have some big sheets of lead that still need melting.  That Tin was a quarter filled with old egg sinkers and lead heads, so I did a decent job recycling the old stuff!



I also read about the impurities, but I never realized how much nastiness was in lead!  You can see it in the pot here.  That's some serious skimming I need to do!



My new mold!



My first pours...



I'm by no means going to become a sinker maker, but I like that I have the ability to do so if the great state of California decides to ban lead sinkers anytime soon.

More to follow as I play around more, but I'm pretty stoked to learn some new things about my craft.   

[j.rasta]

That's some heavy metal! Jig head mold next?

[Pinoyfisher]

Are you gonna be my new source of sputniks?

[Latimeria]

I started cutting down some of the sheet lead and made it more manageable. 



Damn bottom spout needs some adjusting.  This type of lead smelter is good for weights to 2 oz.  Pouring 8 and 10 ounces is not right especially when there is a slight clog.  Great thing is they still make a great rockfish weight or I could just melt them down again and start over!  lol

[Latimeria]

I melted and cast 40 pounds of scrap lead today. Almost all ingots for easier casting later. Tuned up the lead smelter and now it's pouring so much easier. Pretty fun but glad I'm done.

[Pinoyfisher]

I melted and cast 40 pounds of scrap lead today. Almost all ingots for easier casting later. Tuned up the lead smelter and now it's pouring so much easier. Pretty fun but glad I'm done.

Man, you are "lead" rich! Lol!

[LONGCAST JOE]

'Warning!: this product my contain lead, a known cancer causing agent to the state of California"...everytime I see that warning all that comes to mind is the thousands of split shots that Ive used my teeth on as pliers on to crimp closed (did anyone else used do this?) and the lead fume clouds hovering in the air when Id smelt and pour sinker lead. yikes...
JOE

[faster u fool]

Nice.  I found that the lead has to be as hot as possible for the smoothest pours.  even on the smaller stuff.  I still use a tin can and propane torch to melt and pour.. Its how my dad did it keeping the tradition alive.  lol.. a bottom pouring smelter would be easier though...