Just made my first ingots

[SlowSmokeN]

finally built up the courage to smelt some lead. Went down to the local range and dug out what I could carry in about 15min.

Went home and threw it in the cast iron pot, and pored into cupcake pan. I ended up with 15 cupcakes.

I might just have 30lbs of lead. Have no idea how hard it is but it is a good first step.

[stubshaft]

Welcome to the Asylum!

The first step is always the hardest. Just go through and read the Stickys and the LASC pages. It WILL make sense when you actually practice casting.

[Centaur 1]

And another caster is born, welcome to the insanity and the website.

[jsizemore]

Time to cast some boolits and send them back from where they came.

[10 ga]

NO! NO! No boolit casting! Just mining and scrounging "ore". Then smelting to make those pretty ingots, adding them to the cache, and getting some more! MORE! MORE! You don't need boolits, just more ingots! Guess I'm just a hoarder. Heck, I probably cast n shoot 20# to 50# of boolits a year, and then apply the 10 rule. Shot 20# need to hoard 200#, shoot 50# need to hoard 500#. Works for me. 10

[SlowSmokeN]

Thanks, yes the madness is starting. Already trying to figure out how to get more lead. One thing I already learned was the cupcake sheet was cold when I poured the lead in so it came out frosted. I knew I heard that somewhere before and now know what it looks like.

anybody know what the harness is for scavenged lead from a range?

[Alchemist]

Range scrap hardness will vary widely, depending on what's in the berm. 22 lr slugs are soft, as are centerfire swaged bullets. A large percentage of commercial cast bullets would result in a much harder mix.

Need a tester to tell for sure.

[Moonman]

With one of member GUSSY"S " Cabine Tree Hardness Testers you can more easily adjust your alloy and keep BHN hardness consistant.:drinks:

[Cherokee]

Welcome to the forum and to the world of smelting/casting. Now cast up some of that alloy and try it out.