Scottyice

I bought some wire to build my first spinnerbaits, but I think I screwed up and got the wrong type. I bought Bend-and-Stay 302/304 Stainless Steel Wire .32 and .38 diameter. Both types of wire are wound up and stored in a small spool and they seem to flexible to use for a Spinnerbait. What type of wire should I use? Thanks for the help guys!

Thanks Slammerjack, I think I got it going now. I filled the pot almost to the top, once the lead liquified I fluxed, cleaned out the bottom spout with a paper clip. Once I did that i actually had a nice stream of lead coming out instead of the drips I was getting before. I was actually able to get a few jigs poured tonight. I really think lowering the temp and filling the pot with lead almost to the top helped a lot.

Smalljaw I tried what you told me about filling up the pot almost to the top and it totally changed the lead in my pot. Once the lead liquified and I fluxed I had very little slag on top of my lead. And let me tell you guys I am so glad I read the best ways to flux your lead topic. Because if I wasn't expecting that wax to catch fire like it did, I would have thought I had a really big problem on my hands..... Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

I'm not really sure what temp I'm running the lead, I have it set on 9 when I first start the melt. Once it's liquified I reduce it down to a 7. I guess I should get a thermometer so I can see that kind of thing. I also see I must not be filling my pot with enough lead I'm only filling it right at half to three quarters full. I'm using a Do-It Brush Jig Mold, the lead is shiny when I can actually get lead to come out of the pot. I know for sure a lot of my problem is lead flow out of the pot. I think once I get some good clean lead my problems will reduce. Thanks for the input, once I get some new lead I will try again, I twill take the rest of the tub lead and trash it.

I guess I'm going to be sending my Lee's back to them too. I'm getting a lot of dross (I'm assuming dross is the sandy rusty looking stuff on top of my lead.) even after I flux the lead and pour into ingots.

Yes, it does look like rust, and it's a brand new Lee's pot I opened up Saturday. Thanks Yo AlI will see what I can find on rust.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I still don't think something is not right with the lead though. Yesterday I melted 22#'s of lead making small muffin ingots. I fluxed the lead ( marble size bees wax into the lead, small square of paper towel thrown into the smoke, it catches fire and I stir until the flame is extinguished) and removed all of the slag from the top. Does the slag almost look like sand? Today I took some of the ingots I made yesterday and melted them down, fluxed the lead again, and took more slag from the top. It seems like every time I stir the lead more of this sand stuff comes to the top of the pot. Is my lead to hot or not hot enough? My spout is getting clogged everytime I try filling one of my jig mold. Again, Thanks for your help guys.

Hello everyone, I'm recently new to the forum, and want to thank everyone who shares their knowledge on these forum pages. I have been reading for a couple of months now just learning the to do's and not to do's. I finally got setup yesterday and was able to start my first melting project which prompts my first couple of questions. I am using a Lee's production 20# pot, and the lead I'm melting is a old bathtub lining. 1. When I get the lead melted and fluxed what is the best tool to remove the slag from the top of the melt? I have never melted lead before, but seems like a lot of trash on top of the melt. 2. When I removed my lead from the mold it doesn't look smooth, it almost looks grainy on the outsides of the jig head. Is my lead not hot enough or my mold not warm enough? 3. Once I remove the slag from the lead, the top of the melt seems to look almost like its cooling down on top. Is this normal?