Need Help Managing My lead for Sinkers

I usually melt my large hunks of lead in a cast iron pan then pour it into a 5 gallon bucket of water to break it up into manageable pieces for my lead pot. Doing this instantly breaks up the lead into hundreds of small pieces that are easily used in my production pot when I need to make jigs or sinkers (It works well though I assume no liability if you try this – it can be spooky). Some problems with this method are that the pieces can hide/store small amounts of water for a long time (weeks) that scare the @#$% out of you when you drop them in the pot of melted lead and they are hard to grab onto when you have gloves on.

Anyway, I like using lead strips similar to decoy weights better. It’s just less effort. Does anyone have an easy way I can make a homemade mold for making lead strips? I know I could buy one but I’m more interested in making one. Or, is there a better way that I’m not thinking of. Thanks in advance for the info.

Dirk I don’t have a very big pot and I just cut a pop can (about the bottom 1″ – 1 1/2″) Let it cool and peel the popcan like an orange.

If you had a router drill and chunk of wood you could make strips that way. I just use and ingot mold.

I stole the FWs mini muffin pan (she still doesn’t know it’s gone) I use a 20 lbs melting pot and fill the mini muffins up…wait a few seconds…flip it over and I have 12 seven (I think) oz muffins that are easy to add to the melting furnace as needed …with or without gloves.

One could go with the regular size muffin pan, as they will fit in the furnace too…but stick up out of the molten lead on the open/close plunger.

Lead and water Glad you put a “do not try this at home” tag on that! Spattering hot lead does leave a mark!

We use the bottom of pop cans also. I like the muffin pan but since we only have one I think my other half would miss it. The wood idea sounds like a good idea, going to have to give that one a try.

No matter how much this pains me to say:

I agree with Briank, I also use the mini muffin pans.

Ron

But Ron, I don’t use that pink apron you use.

I used to keep a few ingot molds on hand. I used to melt mass amounts of lead in a cast iron pot in a fire pit and I would use a ladel(lead pouring type) to pour the ingots.

Word of the wise.. be sure if you get your lead from a rifle range to be sure nobody through any misfires in there!

Water and lead is a dangerous mix.

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But Ron, I don’t use that pink apron you use.

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OH NO !!!!!
Here we go again with the pink dresses for the REST of the year. I think we had at least a couple of months break from all that..

Let’em roll BOYS….

Jack..

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I stole the FWs mini muffin pan (she still doesn’t know it’s gone) I use a 20 lbs melting pot and fill the mini muffins up…wait a few seconds…flip it over and I have 12 seven (I think) oz muffins that are easy to add to the melting furnace as needed …with or without gloves.

Yeah what he said AND the wood will burn after just a few poors so be careful with molten lead.

Jeff

Im going to have to try the muffin pans. I was using 2″ cast iron blind plugs to make my ingots. That sounds a lot easier. If any one needs lead get a hold of me. Will trade lead ingots for jigs or what ever.

When I pour jigs I take my largest size jig mold (1 oz) and pour a bunch without hooks. I believe my 1 oz mold makes 6 jigs at a time. Then I end up with 1 oz lead chunks that I add to my melting pot the next time I pour jigs. I have also done this with a 3 oz pencil sinker mold that I made out of 1″ thick aluminum blocks. However I can only pour one pencil sinker at a time with this mold so using the 1 oz jig mold works best for me. What I like the most about the 1 oz size of my lead chunks is that they seem to melt faster when you add them to the melting pot.

Eyehunter

My dad makes his own decoy strap weights by pouring lead into the handle of a crescent wrench. Just use a different sized wrench for different strap lengths.

I made an ingot mold out of iron, it holds a little over a pound of lead. I clap a pair of vise grips on it to handle it because it gets really hot.

The muffin tin idea sounds like genius to me.

where do you guys find lead in bulk and how much..have always wanted to start pouring my own for 3 ways for eyes AND channels in the summer at the dam

Some metal recyclers have lead you can buy by the pound. Also I heard you can get the lead wheel balancers from auto shops. They have steel tabs in them you would have to remove. I bet they would float to the top when you melt them down.

yes they do float to the top

Eric, there’s only one place in the Metro area that I’ve found that will sell lead…and i can’t recall the name. Maybe Catten Addict recalls it. It’s in Mpls just off of Broadway and 94.

Last I heard it was up to 50 cents a pound.

I know a number of people that use the free wheel weights. I used them once and because of all the smoke never went back…not to say the scrap metal companies lead doesn’t smoke…

Will the mini muffin pan sized pieces fit inside a 10 lb Lee Production Pot? Sometimes, because of the valve rod, hunks of lead don’t get down into the pot far enough to melt quickly. That’s why I was thinking strips/straps. You can shove them way down in the lead thats already melted for quick melting.

One “muffin” will fit on each side of the valve rod. Again this is a mini muffin pan.
I have the same furnace Dirk.

I wish I could remember the name of the place, I havnt been there for a few years. like brian said its right near 94/ west broadway, I think on 2nd if memory serves me.

CA

I live down south of Roch Brian and I work at a huge trucking outfit maybe I should go check our shop thanks for the pointers probably will be asking again soon

Would it be wrong if I suggested keeping it in the vegetable crisper?