odinohi

I do the same. Empty pot and disassemble valve. While still hot I take a piece of wire and poke through the whole of the spout to get all the lead out. Then I cleaned off all the lead on the rod. I use a gun cleaning brush bigger than the whole of the spout to clean up the sides of the spout. Then use the same wire and poke through the whole of the spout to get the debris out. Then I take the rod dip it in the valve grinding compound and stick back into the spout and twist by hand just make a better seat. After that I use a pipe cleaner with the bristles, poke through the whole and grab one end with each side and pull in and out all around the whole to get out the valve grinding compound. The key is to get out all of the valve grinding compound before you reassemble. I did forget to add that I use a small wire brush to clean the sides of the pot. This is how I clean my old Saeco pot, my RC BS pro melt, and both of my Lyman 61s. I've never used a Lee but I imagine it would be the same way. I have just had problems with my Saco and my Pro-Melt dripping like crazy. It wasn't until I got out all of the valve grinding compound that they stopped dripping. I hope this helps and good luck.

Smalljaw, I use a turkey fryer propane setup. I just keep the flame low and when it starts to melt I stir stir stir. Got to keep stirring because if you don't, your thermometer might say 650, but there are hotter spots you can't control unless you keep stirring. I had a dude weld me up a bottom pour smelter out of a piece of 12" pipe. Send me your email addy and I'll send you some pics. The pigs I was talking about go into my bottom pour smelting pot. Temp isn't a big deal at this point. I had another dude make me up some 6 ingot ingot molds that I use to make the ingots that I feed into my casting pot, which is an old Saeco 10lb pot from around WW2 era. It's old and the thermostat took a crap on me. It's now wired direct(no thermastat, which works well for pouring lots of bigger sinkers fast. This thing might only hold 10lb, but it will keep right up melting lead as I pour and I pour fast. I also have a RCBS promelt that holds 22lb, but it tends to freeze up the spout if I try adding too much lead. I think you definitely need to smelt your wheelweights on a turkey cooker setup rather then your little lee. After I get my pigs in my smelter and it liquifies, I can pour 200lb of ingots in around 25 minutes. That's why I spent the money for this setup. I have pretty good acsess to WW's. Pure lead is harder for me to find, but not impossible. Sometimes I put an add in the local paper for lead and can usually get it for .30-.40 per pound. The only thing I have ever bought from Rotometal is a ladle and a skimmer for the clips on the wheelweights. Send me your email and I'll get you some pics. Take care, Tom toddo1@woh.rr.com

I have been smelting wheel weights for the last seven years. They really don't have a zinc content. Some of the newer ones are made of zinc, pure zinc. You really need a lead thermometer to smelt them correctly. I do it in small batches in a Dutch oven. You can do all the sorting you want and never get all the zinc weights out. Most are marked, but not all. If you keep the temp around 650 degrees you will be safe. Zinc melts around 750 degrees. At 650, all the lead will melt and the zinc, steel, and clips will float to the top and can be skimmed off. I have several Dutch ovens, so when I get one batch done I carefully lift it off the burner and let it start cooling while I start another small batch. When the first batch cools enough, I dump it out. I call the pigs. Right now, I have ten wheelweight pigs and several pure pigs. I also have 7 full buckets of wheelweight that I'm waiting for the weather to break before smelting. I always start with a cold pot full of wheelweight for safety. Like has been said, molten lead and moisture, not just water, but ANY moisture will cause an explosion you don't want to be near. This I call "a visit from the tinsile fairy". Now I use the wheelweight to make sinkers, NOT jigs. I mix 50/50, wheelweight/pure. When making jigs I use only pure. The wheelweight that melt at 650 degrees are made of roughly 97% lead,2% antimony,and 1% tin. That 2% antimony is what makes them hard, that's why I mix 50/50. I could use pure wheelweight for sinkers, but I make thousands of them and everyone has a sprue that I have to cut off. Adding the pure makes it easier on my old hands. I'm not here to rain on anyone's parade, just sharing what I have found over the last 7 years and tons of weights that I have melted. Hope this helps and sorry so long, but I could really go on and on about this. Good luck, Tom

I have some crappie jigs that I want to tie. Havent done tying of any kind. I have access to as much pheasant feathers as I need. Any info or advice on this?

Thanks again Kevin. Worked out good.

Thanks Kevin, I'll give it a try when I get home.

"Zip ties. Keep them tight as possible." I mean to let the wire off the coil to cut in pieces. I have been having my wife hold the coils while I cut pieces. She isnt always around when I need to cut.

This has probably been discussed before, but I havent figured out how to search on my phone. I recently started making bottom bouncers and spreaders. I have coils of wire of all sizes from 8"-22". What is the best way to handle these coils without having a disaster?

North Coast of America. Shores of Lake Erie

I just found this site and I like it. I started pouring sinkers last year and have learned alot since then. I have much more to learn which is why I'm here now. See you guys around, probably in the tackle making section. Thanks, Tom