Suggestions for Muffin Pan Ingots

[hhilljr]

I am getting set up to smelt my first bucket of WWs, and have picked up a cast iron muffin pan from EBay to pour my ingots. Are there any tricks of the trade to make sure that the ingots actually release when cooled ?

[Hackleback]

Nope, pour it, let it set, flip'en out

[Murphy]

hhilljr,

About the only suggestion I can offer, is to make sure you pre-heat the muffin pans enough to get any moisture out of the cast iron.

Metal 'sweats', I'm sure you've seen it happen going from cold to warm temperatures with your firearms. Failure to pre-heat the muffin pans enough could result in some very undesireable surprises. If you start with the muffin pan cold, then pour molten lead into the holes, steam can be created and result in a mini explosion. And trust me, mini's are no more fun that major ones when the Tinsel Fairy visits.

Murphy

[Springfield]

So don't leave them outside from one day to the next like I did. Fortunately I saw the moisture and poured very slow the first set of the day. Still got some nice sizzles. Only one pan? Takes forever that way.

[jdhenry]

More pans the better. Just don't take the ones from the kitchen!!!!! You'll never hear the end of it:)

[Sundogg1911]

Like Murphy said. preheat the pans. its not only safer, it's makes the ingots look a whole lot nicer. :-D

[MT Gianni]

The plumbers adage has always been "lead into water, never water into lead" You can pour water into lead and get a steam explosion but lead melt into water gets you cold lead. Gianni

[NVcurmudgeon]

The plumbers adage has always been "lead into water, never water into lead" You can pour water into lead and get a steam explosion but lead melt into water gets you cold lead. Gianni

Reminds me of about the only thing I remember from Chemistry I. This was back in President Eisenhower's first term, before Chemistry 101 was invented. "Always do what you oughter, add the acid to the water."

[hhilljr]

Thanks for the advice guys. I don't want visits from any fairies, most of all the dreaded "tinsel fairy" !

[bruce drake]

I've sprayed my cast iron cornbread stick pan with Drop-Out GRaphite Spray and have never had a problem dropping them out.

[piwo]

I've sprayed my cast iron cornbread stick pan with Drop-Out GRaphite Spray and have never had a problem dropping them out.

Where'd you buy that spray? What type store. Hardware, automotive??

[Buckshot]

...............Midway sells their brand of mould drop out. If you have a machine tool store or a well stocked hardware store you can also find spray Moly. It works the same.

................Buckshot

[jh45gun]

you do not even need cast iron as I use the cheap aluminum ones and they work fine.

[bruce drake]

I use Midway's Drop-Out Spray and I have also used the Moly spray from my local Gander Mountain. Both work just fine lubing the pan. I also have a aluminum muffin tin that I spray down for larger ingots. Works there too.

Bruce

[Nobade]

Yep, I get the cheap ones from yard sales and flea markets whenever they show up. They work great, never had a problem with them releasing. One thing to remember is if you keep pouring lead into one and it's sitting in the same place, the ground under it gets really hot and they take a long time to harden. Move the pans around each time and it'll work better. And for sure don't set them on anything that's bothered by heat.