# Problems with Frog's tongue mold



## jcreamer

I am hving trouble with one side of the mold. I keep getting lines (wife says wrinkes) when I pour. I have smoked the mold, heated the mold and still have the same problem.
One side(pour side) is thinner and heats up a lot faster. 
Any suggestions,


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## ReelinRod

The lead isn't hot enough or you are pouring too slow.


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## jlentz

You need to make sure the mold is very hot and that you pour the lead into it quickly. The lines apear as the molten lead hits the mold and cools. I have a pot with the spigot on the bottom and it has to be cleaned often to make sure the lead comes out fast enough. To clean it I make use a piece of coat hanger or strong wire bent into a U with one side longer to grab onto above the level of the pot. I insert the shorter end into the hole at the bottom of the pot, open the spigot and twist it around a few times. With the bend in the wire it keeps your hand above the lead that will be coming out. You must do this in a place where you dont mind a little molten lead spraying around on the floor. Not the safest method but it is quick and easy.

John


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## Lightload

*Wrinkles*

Yeah, what they said. Get the mold hot and pour the lead in fast.

I just got a new Collins frog tongue mold and during my first casting session I learned that my Lee Production Pot just doesn't have the capacity to cast sinkers with that mold. The lead just doesn't come out fast enough to heat up the mold and keep it hot enough to cast good sinkers.

I've picked up an old cast iron pot and a large lead ladle for pouring and I have every intention of dipping the mold (it's aluminum so that shouldn't be a problem) right into the molten lead to get it hot enough before starting the pour. 

Let us know how you make out.


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## ffemtreed

Yes, I have the same problem with collins fron tounge mold. 

My solution is to heat it up good on the stove before each pour. I do use a Lee production pot for pour. 

The biggest thing you need to watch out for is overheating the mold. I have pulled the eyes out of the lead a couple times because it took forever for the lead to setup because the mold gets HOT HOT HOT. Other than the eyes being pulled out those where PERFECT looking sinkers. I am still trying to find the perfect balance of heat to perfect these pours. Right now I pour and wait 20 minutes before I open the mold. That 20 minute wait kills productivity. 

If I make another pour right after removing the sinkers the mold is too cool again. I need to heat it back up on the stove for a bit.


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## jcreamer

Going to try it again Friday. I have 100 lbs of lead (neighbor took it out of a bathroom) It is all lead and 4' x 8' and 1/8" thick. It melts easy and leaves very little residue.
I have a hot plate that I am going to use to keep the molt hot.
I have approx 15 that have tghe ripples but I am going to use them for myself. Wife says to just say that it is my design and trade mark Go Figure


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## sandmander

*Tongue sinker molds*

Just curious,is a"frogs tongue" sinker the same as a regular tongue sinker we get at the obx tackle shops?If so,where'd you get the mold-we would love to pour a few.thanks.


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## Shooter

The easiest way to heat the mold up *just poured a few thousand sinkers so duhhh* is leave the brass rings out and pour 4 or 5 sinkers, that will heat the mold up fast. Unless the ripples are pealing apart don't sweat the small stuff, everyone enjoys pretty but remember guys they are just sinkers all they do is hold bait in place.

Now true I aint pouring frog toungs but when I use the 8 & 10oz Do-it mold I pour both sinkers and by the time I pour the extra lead back in the pot I pop open the mold and drop out both sinkers and pop new brass eye lets back in and start pouring again,,,, now repete that porcess over and over for 4 hours straight.


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## eric

lol tell me about ripples.
im pouring breakaway style wire sinkers.
its a bitch to pour even though the mold and lead is smokin'


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## Lightload

*Frog's Tongue*

Shooter, I don't have a problem with Do-It molds, or Hilt's molds. The problem is with the Collin's molds. Those molds are so massive that it takes a lot to get them heated up and the Lee Production Pot just can't get the lead into the mold fast enough to get the mold hot. 

Heating up the Collin's mold before pouring is the ticket but like ffemtreed said, ya gotta be careful not to overheat the mold.

Sandmander, yes the Collin's mold we're talking a about casts the same Frog's tongue sinkers that you find in the OBX bait shops. The molds are manufactured by Shaun Collins and they cost in the neighborhood of $125.00. You should be able to find Collin's website by Googling up Collins Custom Molds. Or maybe someone has the address and can post it here.


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## TreednNC

plumbers torch. Dont use the long slender propane bottles, use the shorter lantern bottles. Aim the torch at the mold and just set it there with the valve about 3/4 of the way open. Do what you gotta do with the lead while your torch is sitting there aimed at the mold.


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## Charlie2

*Molding Lead Sinkers/Jigs*

When pouring lead sinkers/jigs, I keep the mold on a hot plate turned up pretty high between pours. I find that if I don't, I have mold cooling problems. I also preheat the mold before starting.


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## chilehead2

*casting lead*

Im just getting back into making my on breakaway surf weights. I had some powderd resin like the stuff i think is in the bag ball pitchers powder their hands with.

I used the pdr to clean molten lead . do you use this or what do you use now and where can i get it? also im having no luck finding a supply of scrap lead. the epa cant clean our bays, but they have scrap lead aewn up.

Thank you for your replies. 
your right on about keeping molds hot between pours.


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## jcreamer

chilehead2 said:


> Im just getting back into making my on breakaway surf weights. I had some powderd resin like the stuff i think is in the bag ball pitchers powder their hands with.
> 
> I used the pdr to clean molten lead . do you use this or what do you use now and where can i get it? also im having no luck finding a supply of scrap lead. the epa cant clean our bays, but they have scrap lead aewn up.
> 
> Thank you for your replies.
> your right on about keeping molds hot between pours.


I have a friend that is a plumber and gets me sheets of lead from bathrooms that he reworks. The sheets are about 1/8 inch thick, 4 feet wide and about 6 feet long. He brought me 4 of these and they give me plenty of lead.
Check with a plumber.


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## eric

local tire shop.

ask the guys there for the broken tire balancing scraps.

ask them to save them for you next time. and just spiff them a lil.


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## Shooter

OK I just spoke with THE SINKER MAN, this guy pours more sinkers in one year than all of us will pour in our life times. He said with that mold it has to be hot and you can't use wheel weight lead, it will not pour right, you have to use the really soft lead for them to come out half way right.
Here I been thinking for years lead was lead but he has shown me 3 or 4 different types of lead, what all makes them different and how each of them pours into molds.

Way to much info for my small brain


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## jcreamer

Shooter said:


> OK I just spoke with THE SINKER MAN, this guy pours more sinkers in one year than all of us will pour in our life times. He said with that mold it has to be hot and you can't use wheel weight lead, it will not pour right, you have to use the really soft lead for them to come out half way right.
> Here I been thinking for years lead was lead but he has shown me 3 or 4 different types of lead, what all makes them different and how each of them pours into molds.
> 
> Way to much info for my small brain


I will find out tonight.


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## eric

well the tire leads that i get

usually,, they are dirty.

so i make a big pot quickly melting and stirring it, so it wont smoke as much.

then pour out clean ingots.

then use the clean pieces and bars to make leads.

in my wire molds. they come out very very nicely shooter, ill try to get some pics of the leads i make.


edit. pics! 



















see? they pour out very clean.

175gr (6oz) wire grip lead on the left
150gr (5.24oz) on the right.


oh ya. here, the completed lead.


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## Lightload

*Collins Frog's tongue mold*

With all due respect to the sinker man, I just cast about 10 dozen or so Frog's tongue sinkers using wheel weights. 

The melt has to be the right temperature, the mold has to be the right temperature and you have to pour the lead in quickly. 

I used a cast iron pot over one of the turkey cooker gas burners. The melt was fluxed with hunks of candle wax and I used a large lead ladle to pour the lead. The ladle would probably hold about 2/3rds of a cup. 

I put the mold in the lead for awhile to get it heated up but that's only needed to get started. Once you start pouring, the mold stays hot enough. The trick is that the melt has to be the right temp and you have to pour the lead in fast for the mold to fill out properly. 

When you pour the lead, you can't pour the lead in faster than the mold can take it. The stream of lead going into the mold should not "fill up" the pour hole. There should be some space around the lead flowing into the mold to let air escape so the mold can fill up more easily. 

If the mold isn't filling out properly, turn the heat up. If the sinkers are frosted and taking a long to solidify, the mix is too hot. Eventually you'll reach a balance where the mold will stay hot enough while you dump the cast sinkers, insert new eyes and pour the next batch of sinkers with good results. 

Just gotta play with the temps until you get things evened out.


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## Shooter

Well I guess if you spend enough time and trouble you can find just the right temp for anything, also guess thats OK if your only pouring a small amount of sinkers. Since he has access to all different types of lead and pours all different types of sinkers just thought his advice on a softer lead will pour easier might be good advice.

PS... it was only for the Frog Tongues that he said Wheel weights werent the best type of lead to use.


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## eric

but hey,,, you cant beat free wheel lead.. free.... 

gawddamn sinkers at the tackle shops cost like 1$ for a 4oz pyramid or bank
a BANK sinker for lord sakes. its easier to pour then the stupid egg.


... that means the box in my pic is about 60$ in sinkers.. lol



and suggestion from Lightloads reply.. you can always drill the pour hole on the mold larger.
allows the lead to go down alot faster.


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## Lightload

*Frog's tongues*

The right temp is everything and once you find it, you can really knock'em out. I paid $125 for my Collin's mold but I figure it paid for itself in one castng session. 

Soft lead has always been the hardest for me to find. I used to cast muzzleloader balls which should be pure soft lead but short of buying the metal, pure lead was always tough to come up with.


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## jcreamer

jcreamer said:


> I will find out tonight.


I did 13 8 oz
12 6 oz 
6 4 oz
6 2 oz
These were all frog's tongue. I had a hot plate that heated the mold and they sinkers came out better. They still had a few wrinkle in them.

I poured several 2,3,4,5,6, oz storm sinkers and they turned out great.

As said earlier I just have to practice. The lead did fill the hole before completion a couple time.

Man I like those wire sinkers. What mold do you use?


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## ffemtreed

I am curious on how everyone removes the spru from the sinking once its cooled down. I have been trying to cut them off but it leave some nice sharp edges on them. Esp with the 10 and 12oz sinkers. They are hard to break!


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## jcreamer

ffemtreed said:


> I am curious on how everyone removes the spru from the sinking once its cooled down. I have been trying to cut them off but it leave some nice sharp edges on them. Esp with the 10 and 12oz sinkers. They are hard to break!


I have a large set of wire cutters and after I cut it off I file the rough edges. Takes time but works.


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## narfpoit

ffemtreed said:


> I am curious on how everyone removes the spru from the sinking once its cooled down. I have been trying to cut them off but it leave some nice sharp edges on them. Esp with the 10 and 12oz sinkers. They are hard to break!


I just grab the sprue with pliers and twist or bend till it pops off but I havent done anything with a really big sprue yet either.


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## ffemtreed

narfpoit said:


> I just grab the sprue with pliers and twist or bend till it pops off but I havent done anything with a really big sprue yet either.


that works for the hilts and do it molds, but I was specifically talking about the collins frog tongue molds. Those 10's and 12's (even the 8's) can be a real PITA to break off.


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## eric

one is a DCA mold. 175gm. 6oz

the other is a ajusti mold.

im actually selling the DCA mold. 
as i find i dont get much use with it.

i dont bother filing any sharp clippings.
since im in the backyard, i just rub the spru on the concrete and its good.


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## jcreamer

Got it to work halfway decent.
1. I smoked the mold and put it on a hot plate.
to heat it up.
2. I used the softest lead that I had.
3. my pot is rated at 500 and I had it max. I put a piece of tile under the mold so I could raise it closer to the opening on the pot. I lifted the lever faster and it came out not bad.


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## eric

who made the mold? any pics of it?


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