Pigging lead - Looking for Bigger ingot molds

[toecutter]

As of late, I have been collecting quantities of WW's from a number of tire shops here in the DPRK and had some pretty good luck doing so. At this point I'm getting more lead than I can reasonably cast, so I would like to be able to stock up while the getting is good.

The main thing I need is a bigger ingot mold. So far I've seen the bread pan molds, and the DIY channel iron molds. But I'm looking for something better designed so I can get an ingots of uniform weight. I'm trying to find something in the 5 to 10 lb range.

Any suggestions?

[C A Plater]

The neatest set up I've seen is a multi-ingot mold made from angle iron. I recall it was either 2" or 1-1/2" iron set to form a 6 "V" shaped ingots about 10 inches long. The ends were cut at a 45 angle and welded up with another piece of angle iron to form a common ends.

[trooperdan]

I'd like to make up a couple of these angle iron based moulds; some real-life dimensions and the resulting ingot weight would be very helpful. I remember one member here that stacked his tamed WW ingots in the .50 ammo cans. Those cans are readyly available in my area and sounded like a good idea to prevent oxidation and make moving them easy, well easier maybe! If that can was full it would stretch your arm when you lifted it!

[BruceB]

I expect it was my input on using the .50-caliber cans for ingot storage, and my ingot mould is made from four lengths of 1.5" angle iron. 100 pounds of alloy in these ingots is an easy fit in the can.

The ingots are 10.0" long, and this is quite important if using the .50 cans. Triangular ingots nest rather tightly, and 10.0" still allows me to get a finger into a gap at the end of the ingots to lift them free of the nest. If they're too long, it's an endless routine of prying them up with a screwdriver in order to get a grip on the rascals. A ten inch length of 1.5" angle yields about a three-pound ingot.

My ingot mould has vertical ends, but the bars fall freely from it IF the welds are all on the OUTSIDE of the mould. An earlier version had the welds inside, and it didn't work nearly as well. Consider having handle loops welded onto each end, too; mine don't have 'em, but I'm taking them back to the mine for the addition this week (night shift). Just a simple piece of rebar or other light round stock will suffice.

If heavier ingots are desired, it's perfectly possible to make moulds from U-section channel iron or even I-beam of any desired width up to at least six inches. Consistency in weight is within the control of the person filling any ingot mould, I believe. I like the 3-pounders because I can add pre-heated ingots of this size to my RCBS 22-pound pot, and never stop casting to wait for the pot to re-heat. A row of them sits on the furnace above the melt and they get HOT.

[kywoodwrkr]

Bruce,
Thanks for the additional information on your ingotmould.
I was already to start welding away.
Had the angle iron too long and was going to do a very fine job of welding on the inside.
Now to find my ammo can supplier.
Thanks aagin.
DaveP kywoodwrkr

[redneckdan]

I use banana breadloaf pans. Each one casts a 25lb ingot when filled to the rim. tey take about 20 minutes to cool unless you use a liquid cooling system like I devised.

[mooman76]

Soda or beer cans work great. Make sure they are dry inside. Keeps the lead clean until ready to use. Just strip off the aluminum with a pair of pliers. A can compleately full will be a tad under ten#.

[Texasflyboy]

Soda or beer cans work great.

Second that here. Soda cans have to be one of the best inventions for ingoting lead. Make sure they are absolutely dry, I like to put mine in the oven at about 300F for about 20 minutes to ensure that they are dry, or float them for a few seconds on top of the lead melt to boil any residual moisture right out.

They can take a long long time to cool, so what I do is to lay down a couple of layers of aluminum foil on a level surface and pack the cans tightly in a matrix. I often remove the tops of the cans with tin snips to facilitate pouring from my lead ladle.

Leave them cool overnight and the aluminum just peels away the next day. They stack up nicely along any unused wall or flat surface. I hide mine by stacking them in a long row, 3 ingots deep by about 12 feet. I cover the whole row with a 1x10 plank and stack .30 cal ammo cans on top.

I just love 12oz soda cans for ingots....

:-D

[mooman76]

If you have enough cans to pour lead into them like 1/3 at a time and let cool some, when you later need the lead you can seperate into chunks when the rap of a hammer usually. I also cut the top off with tin snips but I make sure they are dry by holding the over the stove burner and let cool.

[Jack Stanley]

Years ago I cut some three inch channel iron and fitted a common plate to the ends . I took the whole thing to a local welder who was a virtual artist with a heliarc torch and explained that I wanted the lead to drop out freely . The end plates had the same angl as the side of the channel and it works great . Ingots are nine to ten pounds .

Jack

[454PB]

I've posted this before and you may have seen it. This is the angle iron type ingot mould and home made melting pot. This mould is only a double, but can be as many as you want within reason and weight constaints. The ingots weigh around 4 pounds each and are 11" long using 1 1/2" angle. I welded a piece of all thread on it as a handle for dumping.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/eddard49/HPIM0529Small.jpg

[Lloyd Smale]

the bigger muffin tins make nice 5 lb ingots.

[cbrick]

I use the RCBS cast iron pot for ingots. Filled half full it makes 5 pound ingots that are flat top and bottom and stack very well. Warning: filled full they will make 10 pound ingots but the 10 pounders will not fit into the RCBS 22 pound furnace.

http://www.lasc.us/5lbingots.jpg

[largecaliberman]

As of late, I have been collecting quantities of WW's from a number of tire shops here in the DPRK and had some pretty good luck doing so. At this point I'm getting more lead than I can reasonably cast, so I would like to be able to stock up while the getting is good.

The main thing I need is a bigger ingot mold. So far I've seen the bread pan molds, and the DIY channel iron molds. But I'm looking for something better designed so I can get an ingots of uniform weight. I'm trying to find something in the 5 to 10 lb range.

Any suggestions?


Mini meatloaf pans each ingot will weigh around 10 lbs if filled to the consistent level.