Another newbie with a bunch of lead.

[F_L]

I have a 3000 lb sailboat keel that I have been cutting up. This thread (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?228471-What-should-I-do-with-this-lead) has been invaluable in getting me headed in the right direction. I intend to start casting my own for my .45 and 9mm and sell some of the lead. I have read all the stickys. But honestly, there is so much info here that my head is spinning. Help me get to the next step.
Your opinions please:
1) Bottom pour vs dipper pot - I built a bottom pour pot for the smelting operation and it works well. I can build another one easily. Any pros/cons to either one for casting?
2) Mold types - This is like asking if you like Chevy or Ford, Caddy or Kia. I am not a bulls eye or competition shooter. I just want to go to the range with out breaking the bank. A buddy suggested Lee molds. It looks like a cheap way to start casting. Tumble lube or not? I think for the .45 the tumble lube would work fine. But since I will end up with a lube sizer, go straight to the real lube? Same question for the 9mm. Tumble lube or real lube?

TIA
Fred

[sixshot]

Fred, welcome to the wonderful world of casting. Yes it can be a bit confusing at first but no one was born doing it, best to hook up with a friend a couple of times & see what they are using, it really speeds up the learning curve.
As far as smelting do what ever is safest & fasest. When I smelt I take a letter stamp & hammer & punch a "T" for linotype, an "L" for lead, a "W" for WW alloy & an "S" for scrap & store them in buckets.
Lee moulds will work but for me its either Lyman, LBT, Saeco, H&G, or Mihec, you get what you pay for. Also good a good lubrisizer, it will last a life time, you can go cheaper with tumble lube but there's a limit on how well it will work. Others will give different opinions, thats why they make chocolate & vanallia.....so you have a choice. Good luck! Gloves, long sleeve shirt, glasses & no moisture anywhere & you're off to a good start.

Dick

[JASON4X4]

I have a lee bottom pour 20 pot that works great and also use lee 6 cavity molds for 9mm and 45 acp. I powder coat all my bullets and have never had a problem with lead.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

The lee molds work a cheap way to find a boolit that you like if you dont know what you like.
Then you can move on to a better mold that you will love to cast with.
I have several lee molds & they do work, but nearly as well as the NOE's that I have

[propwashp47]

Fred + 1 on the stamps you will get different kinds at some point. the you have a bottom pour pot that will let you use 6 cavity molds for fast production ,too hard to be fast with a a dipper on a 6 cavity mold but you can dipper with 2 cavity molds. I wood start with some lee molds and tumble lube as they cost little and are easy to find. follow the mold prep and care info that comes with the molds- get some sprue plate lube don't hammer on the blocks to get a boolet that sticks to drop. learn by doing. reading only helps up to a point and you must take things in hand to get a full understanding of how it all fits together. if the lee molds and tumble lube don't work well for you and you took care of them resell them and buy molds that fit the needs that you will learn when you mold and load your own cast boolets I wood rather learn how not to take care of a cheep lee mold than a expensive mold or a rare or custom one. I hope this helps. donald

[mdi]

If you're caught up in today's "faster, more,more, faster" theory of bullet casting, a 20lb. bottom pour and a 6 cavity mold will get you started. I started with a stainless pot on a Coleman stove and a Lee 2 cavity mold and a Lyman dipper. I made enough .44 cal bullets for my Magnums to shoot two-three times a month for over a year before I got a Lee bottom pour. I started tumble lubing w/alox, then went to 45-45-10. I also pan lubed for a few years (saw no need for a $$$ lubersizer and $$ for each die and top punch). So far I have by-passed a lubersizer and am now experimenting with powder coating. I have Lee and Ideal/Lyman molds and each has it's own personality (best temp. and method of pouring differs for each mold).

I still cast in my 2 cavity molds and produce a lot of bullets (I cast more than once per year) and have a 6 cavity mold for a Ranch Dog bullet I really like.

[F_L]

Thanks everyone!
You convinced me to build another bottom pour pot for casting and get 6 cavity molds. I would like to try both tumble lube and real lube. To tumble lube, does the mold have to be the TL mold (with the tiny lube grooves). Or can you tumble lube any bullet?
Thanks,
Fred

[propwashp47]

Fred tumble lube will work on any style of lube groove mold .I bought from white label lube a qtr. of alox lube and its is enough to lube all of your sail boat lead I cut mine with a little mineral sprits. have not tried the 45-45-10 yet good casting donald

[Echo]

You can tumble loob any boolit - but you may find that rifle boolits, loaded up to fairly high power, run out of loob. I don't know - I haven't tried TL'ing rifle boolits, only pistol boolits, and they are quite content with the Recluse loob. Easy, doesn't take much time, so that's all I use for pistol boolits.
I got started TL'ing (been casting for over 40 years) when I cast up some little 92-gr 38 boolits for popcorn loads for teaching the ladies. Those little pills and my crude fingers had problems with the Lachmiller and Star, so in desperation I tried TL'ing, and Danged if it didn't work like a charm. Forty-five and 38 Special boolits love recluse!

[F_L]

Great info everyone - Thanks
I ordered 9mm and .45 6-cavity molds and handles. I am looking forward to start casting. I also need to sell some of this lead here to finance the new hobby. A couple more posts and I can post in the classified. I posted 4 boxes (~30 lbs) on another website for $36 shipped and sold them in about 15 min. Too cheap? I plan to sell 1000 lbs or so for $1/lb plus shipping and then reevaluate the price.
Fred