Storing ignots

[weasel 21]

I have a bunch of smelted ignots in muffin form. These are the standard size. I have kept them in 5 gal buckets but they break {buckets} & are immposible to move because of the weight of the buckets. Any ideas on storage?

[btroj]

I bought some fair sized Rubbermaid containers that fit under my casting bench. With 3 of them it is pretty easy to keep different alloys organized. They are in a place where being moved isn't an issue.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I use the bottom 1" of a used USPS medium flat rate box, with a piece of plywood cut to fit inside. I stack two layers in each one...it about 50 lbs...all I want to carry...and they stack pretty well to about 8 to 10 high...as long as the floor doesn't give out.
Jon

[jimb16]

I have some old wooden machine tool boxes that I use. Plenty strong even for very large quantities of ingots.

[lightman]

I put mine in milk cartons. They seem to last longer than plastic buckets. Lightman

[mo_bio]

I put mine in wooden box with rope handles. I made 5 of them and they stack nicely. I have also used old wine crates.

[thegreatdane]

I made a small wooden crate with handles. It works great !

[alamogunr]

I made a small wooden crate with handles. It works great !

Before I retired, I accumulated a bunch of wooden boxes that a sister company in Sweden had shipped parts to us. They were too deep to fill with ingots so I cut them in half on the table saw and fitted a new bottom on the top half. Ended up with 2 for 1. Each holds about 100 lbs. I'm 70 now so they don't get moved very often. I write the source of the lead or the approximate alloy on the box with a Sharpie.

[Johnch]

I guess .....I do it the easy way

I have piles of ingots

I had to remove my side walk
So I used the 3' long slabs to stack the ingots on

Nothing fancy
But I can keep the concrete slabs from blowing away LOL

John

[10 ga]

I put mine in milk cartons. They seem to last longer than plastic buckets. Lightman I put mine in milk crates, have sturdy plastic and have a few of the old metal ones. Use real milk crates and not the light weight knock off ones from china mart. I'm really dubious of using the "milk cartons" as they don't hold much and the paper isn't very sturdy, lol, couldn't help myself lightman. 10 ga

[lightman]

Good catch, 10 ga! :) A fellow needs to say what he means. Lightman

[fredj338]

I use 3gal buckets but admit I don't move them around much. I also stack one shelf on my hvy steel utility shelves.

[Pb Burner]

I only have a fair ingot supply right now but I'm using old US ammo cans (boxes?). They hold enough to be worthwhile and I can still carry a full one. They are stackable and the handles are very strong. I just wish I had more of them. I will need more storage as soon smelt some more.

[Tatume]

My ingots are stacked on the shop floor, next to the wall. The stack has dwindled to about one foot high (2x2 ft square), so I'm ready to smelt more ingots.

[mold maker]

Determine where you really want to store them perminately. The commercial ingot mold shapes will allow over 700# in each MILK CRATE, but you wont move it even an inch. A piece of plywood in the bottom and on top will allow them to be stacked. Even the muffin ingots can be contained in them although not as much weight each crate.
This also allows for air to circulate and retards oxidation of the lead.

[williamwaco]

I stack'em on the floor.

I have tried storing them in containers but then - where do you put the containers?
I don't have a shelf strong enough to store them.

Stack'em on the floor.

[runfiverun]

i picked a spot and stacked them up.
that spot happens to be under the bench i built for casting.
i put some shelves under it too.
they hold the air compressor for the stars,my smelting scrap bucket,dutch ovens,my lube making stuff, and assorted other tools.
i put some drawers under the bench top for mold storage,sizer dies and assorted attatchments for the sizers.
i added in an electrical plug at the back for the casting pots and compressor.

[alamogunr]

My reloading bench is super heavy duty(Probably weighs 250 lbs before anything is put on it). The shelf it incorporates is supported by 2X6's and 2X4's. I had planned to slide the ingot boxes on the floor under the shelf. I missed it by 3/4". I had to jack(literally) up the bench and put 1' spacers under the legs in order to use this space.

[Raven_Darkcloud]

Store ingots? How do you keep enough to store? Mine keep turning into little projectile ingots and fly away.

[lwknight]

Cast bigger ingots.
I keep mine in 25 pounders stacked like bricks.

[Cherokee]

I stack the (lyman & RCBS) ingots on the bottom shelf of my 2x12 shelf units and under a work bench. About half my supply is stored in the barn in plastic buckets which I empty by hand, I don't move the buckets until they are nearly empty.

[SciFiJim]

I had my muffin ingots stacked in neat pyramids (very OCD) near the wall in my workshop. Then I had to move them once... They wound up in plastic cat litter buckets. I placed 75lbs in each bucket and the buckets nest well. I could have placed less, but 75lbs is still comfortable to move. The triangle angle iron ingots are stacked, nested in a milk crate. It is about 1/2 full and can still be drug around when needed.

I also use some of my muffin ingots in my powder storage box as heat sinks for temp control.

[mo_bio]

I also go get a bunch of small flat rate boxes. They hold a reasonable mount and can be marked on the end. I then stick them marked end up in my crate that is on the floor. If I need to ship a box to family or friends I can then grab one and go. I have a couple hundred pounds done up this way. I have a cast iron tube cornbread type mold that is the exact length of those boxes

[Doughty]

I store a lot of lead in the lower part of the cabinets/stands for my lathes, mill/drill, drill presses etc. Empty coffee cans are cheap, fairly strong and hold about 30 to 35 lbs. About right for easy moving. The cans can also be easily labeled for different alloys. Old steel toolboxes found at yard sales are strong, but sometimes the weight is too heavy to move easily.

[Chihuahua Floyd]

Store them in the old vanity I removed from the bathroom. Just placed a piece of plywood over the top and voila, storage. Keep it beside the tablesaw / casting table.
CF

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Determine where you really want to store them perminately. The commercial ingot mold shapes will allow over 700# in each MILK CRATE, but you wont move it even an inch. A piece of plywood in the bottom and on top will allow them to be stacked. Even the muffin ingots can be contained in them although not as much weight each crate.
This also allows for air to circulate and retards oxidation of the lead.

That was the thought I had when I built my new casting bench a few weeks ago. I had stacks all over the dang place. Time to consolidate.
The cubby on the right is all COWW ingots, left is range lead, and will be filling quickly when I get started on the 12 buckets I have to do,
the bottom center is pure or near pure, and the upper center is various stacks of different small alloy batches
There is over 700 pounds of lead in there now, filled up, I might be done with the search :)
I just pray to God I never move http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/James64/Smilies/yikes.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/James64/P2060001_zps8e961f53.jpg

[Ed_Shot]

+1 for milk crates. They are strong. I keep them on the floor. Too heavy to move but they keep everything in one place.