Haven't started and am overwhelmed.

[novalty]

**UPDATE 3/4/13 See last post** Well last year I started getting equipment to start casting my own and thought I was getting really close to start :cbpour: Been doing some more reading and get the impression I am still far from there. So far I have:

Lee 10lb bottom pour.
3--38/357 Molds
3--Handles
Welding Gloves
Safety Goggles
Muffin Pan
Lyman #3 Casting Handbook
Lead Thermometer
2 Stainless Steel spoons and slotted ladle
RCBS LAM2
4 Sizing Dies
Top Punches
Lyman lube
200 lbs. of used Lead wheel weights

My father-in-law, who has been casting for 20+ years, has been my mentor to get me started. DukeInMaine has also offered up his knowledge and some additional hands on demonstration, and am hoping to take him up on that in the near future. Was wondering what else I am going to need before I make a molten metal mess. Will be able to cast in my father's barn which will give me plenty of ventilation and access to sawdust for fluxing--which is a whole new learning curve for me.

Not sure if this will make any difference, but figured I should post all of the info. I am planning on getting a 45 mold as well to shoot cast through my S&W 1911, the 38/357 molds will be for my Ruger SP101 and my father's S&W 686. The reloads I will be doing with cast will be all low velocity plinking rounds.

[RayinNH]

You'll need a smelting pot of some sort and a heat source for it and a large ladle for transfering the molten lead to your muffin pans. You'll also need a skimmer of some sort to remove the clips...Ray

[novalty]

You'll need a smelting pot of some sort and a heat source for it and a large ladle for transfering the molten lead to your muffin pans. You'll also need a skimmer of some sort to remove the clips...Ray

Would something like a Lyman Big Dipper pot work well for smelting? I don't see myself doing any high production, plus being in Maine I have plenty of weekends not shooting to working on casting/reloading for the warmer months.

[RayinNH]

If you already have it , sure, although you would be very limited with it. For what it would cost to buy new you should be able to find a Coleman cookstove and a suitable pot, cast iron or stainless steel, in a thrift store or yard sale that would give you more leeway. You WILL ramp up production when you see how much money you save buying new equipment and molds and...

[novalty]

If you already have it , sure, although you would be very limited with it. For what it would cost to buy new you should be able to find a Coleman cookstove and a suitable pot, cast iron or stainless steel, in a thrift store or yard sale that would give you more leeway. You WILL ramp up production when you see how much money you save buying new equipment and molds and...

I have a Coleman cook-stove. But keeping in mind the saying "Happy wife, happy life," me smelting lead on it is not an option. Yard sale season won't be in for awhile here in Maine, but will keep an eye out on Craigslist, and local sale papers for a cast iron or SS pot.

[Mk42gunner]

I hate to be a safety nazi, but I don't see any eye protection listed.

I use a full face shield while smelting, it doesn't fog up as bad as goggles.

Robert

[novalty]

Sorry I did forget to add that I do have some safety goggles. Was just trying to remember all the items that I had laid out on my bench.

[462]

Another piece of safety equipment is a below-the-knees denim apron.

[Doc Highwall]

I use a leather welders apron for smelting and casting.

Never use your bullet casting pot to make lead ingots as it will cause problems with a clogged or dripping spout.

Get a separate 8 quart or larger pot for smelting and pouring into ingots that will fit into your casting pot.
I smelt in a 11 quart Dutch oven and alloy in a 8 quart Dutch oven.

[dickttx]

I have been doing the same for several months and am also kind of hesitant to get all ginned up the first time and find that I don't have a $2 gizmo I need to go on, leaving a pot full of lead.:mrgreen:
I have pretty well decided to forget about smelting for awhile and just cast from the ingots I have accumulated

[Mk42gunner]

Hey guys, I'll let you in on a secret-- It ain't rocket science.

Being cautious is a good thing, but eventually you have to melt the lead. With a few very basic safety precautions you too can make good boolits.

The nice thing about turning out bad boolits is that you can remelt and recast them until you are satisfied.

Good luck,

Robert

[runfiverun]

here's how i started.
i went and bought a lee 20 lb bottom pour i used it to melt down ww's.
i washed the ww's off in some gas before hand.
i made ingots from those ww's
i used those ingots to make shot with.
later i bought a mold and used those same ingots in my lee pot to make boolits.

i later come up with a brilliant idea to get 2 cast iron pot's,and a cook stove that runs on propane to melt down ww's faster.
30 ish sumthin years later i still have the lee pot,the cast iron pots, and the cooker.
the metal pail i put the metal clips in,the stainless steel ladle,the big spoon thing i get the clips out with...
the cast iron pots are pretty smooth and getting thinner..

[engineer401]

I bought a Lee 20 pound magnum melter for melting wheel weights. I purchased the slotted spoon and ladle from the Dollar Store for you guessed it, $1 each.

[novalty]

Right now I am trying to find a burner and cast iron dutch oven. Picked up a couple $1 SS spoons at local Dollar Store this past weekend.

[Markbo]

About the last thing I got was a bottom pour pot. I started out with a coleman stove, an old cast iron post that smelted and melted/cast in. Very small, very slow, very aggravating. I bought a used Turkey friar and a smelting pot from someone here. It is a 5 gallon propane tank cut to about 2/3 depth with a skirt welded around it. has a little spout welded on one side. I cranked down 2 C clamps to use as handles to be able to pour from if I choose.

I figured casting won't happen unless I have ingots to work from AND i have found out a LOT about my smelt in the mean time! Since I use primarily wheel weights I have had some contamination issues. The more I know about my feedstock, the better my cast boolits turn out. How 'bout that? I just use cheap stainless kitchen utensils. A slotted spoon to pick everything out and a ladle to pour melt into 6" angle iron molds. Already had all the safety gear. I use it too. That melted lead is hot, man! :)

[1bluehorse]

I'd say get to work on it...you've got a lot more "stuff" to start with than I did...I use safety glasses and heavy leather gloves (not welding gloves, I use those for "welding"). I wear a long sleeve shirt and wranglers, (same thing I pretty much wear everyday) and haven't maimed myself yet after 20 years of this stuff...I'm careful when I'm smelting, and casting, and the only time I've burned myself was when I didn't wait long enough to pick up a bullet....I've burned myself way more times welding...sure nothing wrong with welding gloves, a full leather shop apron, and a face shield....that'd be the safer way for sure. Agree, you don't want to "smelt" in your casting pot, a big stainless kitchen spoon with a few holes drilled in it will work for cleaning and fluxing your smelting pot...looks to me like you're ready to go..

[WILCO]

I started casting and smelting with a hotplate, cast iron skillet, ladle and a set of gloves. Safety glasses too.

[Any Cal.]

Here is how I started this last spring. $65 for a mold, homemade ladle, free stainless pot, 50c cake pan and homemade lube, spoon in the background I put back in the drawer...(just kidding:mrgreen:),shot unsized. Ummm, no gloves or apron. You know, they used to do this over a fire, it isn't ultra complicated. The pot shown was my ingot mold as well for a time.

http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/7392/img0501xw.jpg

Here was the ladle I made. I figured money spent on a ladle could go toward a bottom pour pot, so didn't spend it.

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/2304/burnettbuilding.jpg

Now I have a few more dollars into casting tools, which speeds things up considerably, but isn't needed to get started.

[novalty]

Well looks like I might have found a used Coleman camp-stove for $10 on Craigslist, so now I am on the look out for a cast iron dutch oven or large skillet.

[Wayne Smith]

Just go to the thrift store and pick up a ss 1 or 2 qt kitchen pot. This is adequate to get started melting lead. I still use one for my pure - the handle is long gone, but I don't need to move it before it cools down anyway!

[novalty]

Well have a deal pending on another Craigslist add for a 8" cast iron bowl. Hoping this will work good for smelting. Ended up getting a 12" dutch oven instead.

[Wayne Smith]

I started with the propane version of that stove. Worked fine for my pots, but they are small, 10, 20 lbs at a time.

[David2011]

Keep in mind when selecting a smelting pot and burner that molten lead weighs about 30 pounds/quart. You want a good sturdy platform to hold your smelting pot.

David

[novalty]

Just thought I'd post an update to my thread. Have bought and sold a few things, and although not quiet there yet, while waiting on deliveries. I have manage to procure the last of the items I need to start casting:

Lee 10lb bottom pour. Replacing with RCBS Pro-melt
3--38/357 Molds 2 -- 38/357 Molds (RCBS 158gr. RN & Lachmiller 162gr SWC)
1 -- 45 Mold (Lyman 225gr. RN)
3--Handles (Many thanks to Dan Cash for helping me with a set of Lachmiller handles)
**Purchased Coleman 425 Campstove--replaced my old one with a new one to keep the Mrs. happy.
**Purchased 12" Cast Iron Dutch Oven
**Purchased Denim apron
Welding Gloves
Safety Goggles Safety shield
Muffin Pan
Lyman #3 Casting Handbook
Lead Thermometer
2 Stainless Steel spoons and slotted ladle
RCBS LAM2
4 Sizing Dies
Top Punches
Lyman lube
200 lbs. of used Lead wheel weights

Think I will need to pick up an extra ingot pan or two as the pan I have now probably, I suspect is not going to be nearly enough.
http://img0025.popscreencdn.com/124353171_vintage-griswold-cast-iron-no11-cornbread-pan-950a-look-.jpg

[Le Loup Solitaire]

There are several to many items in your starting list that can, might or will change with use and experience. That is the way things go with life , hobbies, plans etc. So roll with the flow...its natural. Go with whatever works for you and modify, change and adopt anything that you need to. I've changed many things in my own shop along the way and in some instances had to backtrack to an item that I had originally abandoned. Stay flexible and happy. Oh by the way, that "roll pan" shown in the previous post by Novalty is a Griswold. It is not a "muffin pan" (or a pop-over pan) and is worth quite a bit of money as a collectable. Some models are really rare. There was a whole series of models of that design and they were manufactured for several decades beginning in the early 1900's. Of course they make great ingots, but really good bread rolls as well; served hot with buttered insides and world famous new England Maple Syrup. Definitely not for weight-watchers. LLS

[Texantothecore]

I would get a full face shield for about 13.00 at Lowes. I used safety goggles until a very small drop of lead ended up on my nose and burned like the dickens. Never again.

The face shield is much more comfortable to boot especially in hot weather.

[flintshooter]

when you melt lead, whether smelting ingots or casting bullets, make sure you have no distractions ie: kids and pets. Yes, they are excited and interested in what you are doing but, molten lead is very unforgiving. A kids ball thrown in your direction or a wagging tale can create an instant catastrophy as well as an unexpected visit from the tinsel fairy which could be very tragic and to say the least, painful.

[novalty]

I would get a full face shield for about 13.00 at Lowes. I used safety goggles until a very small drop of lead ended up on my nose and burned like the dickens. Never again.

The face shield is much more comfortable to boot especially in hot weather.

The safety shield I have ordered is a full face one. Had originally thought safety goggles/glasses, but figured I would like my whole face protected from the tinsel fairy.

[jsteed]

I'm starting out new as well. Bought some used equipment (Lyman) all of 60 yrs. old , bought some WW pluged in the furnace and melted 300+ WW ingots. Thought that is what the furnace is for, besides heating alloy for bullets. The furnace is a bottom pour and worked real slick for turning WW into ingots. Could pour 20-30/ hr.

[Big_Blue]

Just picked up these to get me started:
https://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_27870_-1__
https://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_27742_-1__

I also have a list like the one you posted. Still looking for a cheap source of welding supplies.

I picked up 350# of WW in two days of stopping off at tire shops along my route to work. Started carrying a dolly, two Home Depot buckets, and a scale in my truck's bed just in case.

[novalty]

That'll be a nice set up Big Blue. That dutch oven will be nice and big, and not a bad price. I went with the Coleman stove to smelt on, so I can set it up on a table or bench and try to save my back some. Just waiting on Harbor Freight to deliver my dutch oven, denim apron, and face shield, and have to stop by Wally World and pick up an extra non-stick muffin pan for ingots, and I should be good to go. Have a half-off coupon that came in the mail for Ace Hardware, gonna pick up a jug of Coleman fuel next week. Should be able to get some ingots made before the RCBS Pro-Melt I have on order from Grafs arrives--since it won't be shipped until "April 1 - April 5."

[afish4570]

You'll need a smelting pot of some sort and a heat source for it and a large ladle for transfering the molten lead to your muffin pans. You'll also need a skimmer of some sort to remove the clips...Ray

Next don't use aluminum pots for melting lead in. They too have melted and caused dangerous spill. For smelting large batches , if I was starting all over, I think a turkey fryer with a large cheap (garage sale type) SS pot or one made from an old 20# propane bottle. Do a search on the two cast bullet forums and you will see the safe way to cut one in half (cheaply & safely). Have a hose or plenty of water if you are using an open flame around a barn (hay and other flammable material).I prefer to cast alone--no sharing in the meager yield and no distractions (pets too must be kept away). Use common sense and allow 3 or more hours for a smelting session or casting session. After you first run you will learn from your mistakes. Keep notes,start with clean molds, lube sprue plates & pins on your alum. molds. Follow manufacturers instrctions or some of the pointers on this forum. afish4570:Fire::Fire:

[.22-10-45]

Whats the holdup? Your already light years ahead of me when I taught myself to run ball for my Navy Arms 1851 .36 percussion revolver, using a little 10# cast iron pot sitting in the opening for the small center lid on an old cast-iron wood range when I was 15!

[Doc Highwall]

You will need a large ladle when smelting to pour the lead from your Dutch oven into you ingot mould.

http://www.advancecarmover.com/rowellbottom-pouringladles.aspx

When smelting I pour the melted lead into 8" cast iron frying pans I bought at Walmart and the ingots weigh approximately 20 lbs..
Then when I am going to alloy I weigh the ingots and mix with what ever I am alloying with.

By knowing the weight of each component when you alloy you will have more repeatable results. So I would try to find a scale that will let you weigh the heaviest ingot you will make.

I have shot a lot of 30:1 alloy and by knowing the weight of the lead ingots I know how much tin to add to get the ratio I want. I make up enough alloy to fill a 8 qt. or 14 qt. Dutch oven at each alloying session.