Lead dowel mold

[durango]

I need a few lead dowels 1/2" dia x 2"long. Any one know of a mold or an idea how to pour such an animal?--Or, does anyone have a mold and be willing to pour a few dowels for me? Thanks, Steve

[BK7saum]

Do they need to be smooth and perfectly round? If not drill some 1/2" holes in the side of a 2x4 and pour. If you drilled your holes near one end of a 2 or 3 foot board you could extract the lead like a kinetic boolit puller. Just a thought.

Brad

ETA. using a wood mold would not be a good idea unless using 100% dried wood as stated below. Even then charring the cavity might be advantageous in removing any residual moisture from the wood cavity walls.

[357maximum]

WARNING...if one is going to pour molten lead into wood...please be 100% sure the wood is 100% dry. I tried redneckineering some fishing sinkers as a kid using a wood block as a mould.....it was not pretty, burnt my face/chest/arm pretty good. If I had not had glasses on I would have very likely lost my left eye when the lead went POOOOOFT out of the "mould". I looked like I had herpes for several weeks. I would find a machinist/toolmaker to make you a simple 1 cavity mould out of anything but wood.

[2wheelDuke]

Wood would be sketchy unless it were properly dried. I suppose you could kiln dry it easy enough on the upper rack of a BBQ grill.

[Vinne]

What about a 2" piece of copper tubing?? Just spray a light coating of graphite to prevent sticking.

[Daddyfixit]

Does it need to be lead? I have lots of those in zinc as what they call pencil anodes. real common in the marine industry.

[blikseme300]

A plaster of paris block can be drilled and used as a mold. Dry the mold in the oven well before casting. Once cast and cooled break the mold.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I need a few lead dowels 1/2" dia x 2"long. Any one know of a mold or an idea how to pour such an animal?--Or, does anyone have a mold and be willing to pour a few dowels for me? Thanks, Steve
http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/leadwirebythefoot.htm
$9.99 a foot may not be cheap, But it beats monkeying around if you only need a few.

[durango]

WOW!!! Thanks for all the responses. Some food for thought--I like the copper tubing idea best, cheapest and safest. After I posted last night, I had a brain fart and thought of using the longest .45 or .50 cal boolits that I can find. Gun show this weekend, so I'll look around.

The intended use of these 'dowels' is to be used as weight in the forearm of my Savage Striker pistol in 6BR. I'm making a wood stock and plan to cross drill the forearm, epoxy the lead into the holes and cover it up with more walnut which I need to add to achieve a 3" wide forearm. Yes, this strictly a bench gun.

Thanks again to all, Steve

[country gent]

For what you want to do as wieghts in the stock epoxy mixed with lead shot would also work. A stop put in one side and the shot epoxy mix packed in from other side and allowed to cure. Use a long cure epoxy so you have time to get everything mixed and installed. Otherwise a mold will need to be made. 1/2" copper tubing is close to .530 id so check close before hand. For ease of removal from the mold 1/4* -1/2* taper should be in the solid mold to allow for easy release of the slug. If you use copper tubing polish inside and use a release agent (smoke, graphite, ect.) Its going to come out hard from the tubing and you will have very little shoulder with the tubing to push against. I would go with number 8 or 9 lead shotand enogh epoxy to ensure voids are filled between pellets. Then pack into forms or stock and let cure. If you could find them 1/2" round carbide inserts for a lathe or mill would give even slightly more wieght, and could simply be stacked into holes to fill.

[rr2241tx]

For that use you could just get a set of decoy keels at the local sporting goods store.

[Rich/WIS]

Have two fishing weight mold that cast 1/2in by about 3in, homemade of aluminum. How soon do you need the weights, am waiting for a call to go Mayo in Rochester MN, wife is being transferred from a local hospital. Expect to be several days to a week.

[MarkP]

What about making a tube from Al foil, wrap around a dowell rod.

[akajun]

use lead shot or decoy weights, secured with epoxy, lot less mess and effort.

[bangerjim]

What about a 2" piece of copper tubing?? Just spray a light coating of graphite to prevent sticking.

Last time I looked, you use LEAD solder to join copper pipe. Granted, spraying it with something MAY mitigate total sticking, but all's it takes is for one teeeeny little spot to "tin" and you will never get the lead out. Aluminum tubing would be much better. Spray it with something as a release agent. You can get Al tubing at any hobby store that sells trains/airplanes/ and models.

banger

[elwood4884]

I havent tried this but I have seen some people make metal molds out of molding sand. Basically you design your mold in the sand and pour your metal in. Then you can pull it right out after it cools. Can be reused a ton of times apparently. Should be some information on google.

[dragonrider]

What Elwood is talking about is known at Green sand or Casting sand. A google search should find some. I seriously doubt that you would get the lead out of a copper pipe. Epoxy and lead shot would be the best method.

[jsizemore]

Since it's not critical, why not leave the lead in the tubing you use?
Threaded nipples from the lighting dept at Lowe's will help you lock the weights in place if you use epoxy. Work pretty good as action pillars in a pinch.

[durango]

OK Folks--Lead shot is the answer. I have it, it's quick and easy and probably a lot less messy.

Thanks for your responses, Steve

[Shiloh]

A plaster of paris block can be drilled and used as a mold. Dry the mold in the oven well before casting. Once cast and cooled break the mold.

And pour while your plaster mold is hot. I'd take it to 250˚ Minimum. 300˚ would be better.

Shiloh

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

simple molds like that-
2 pieces of aluminum thick enough to accommodate
the dimensions, clamp them together and drill your hole
on the seam. Instant mold. Hold it in a vise or c-clamps
Makes good "slug molds" for sluggin' yer guns :)

[Walter Laich]

simple molds like that-
2 pieces of aluminum thick enough to accommodate
the dimensions, clamp them together and drill your hole
on the seam. Instant mold. Hold it in a vise or c-clamps
Makes good "slug molds" for sluggin' yer guns :)

Like this idea--may have to try it just to see how it works

[just bill]

I have been working on the same such mold device. There is a Company called "Do-it molds" which have mold blanks that are "4-5/8" long x 2-1/8" wide 1" Deep ( 1/2" per side ) and 7" long x 3" wide 2" Deep ( 1" per Side ).
http://www.barlowstackle.com/Do-It-Blank-Molds-P327.aspx I've tried Lee molds but you can only barely drill 1" long slugs.

Hope this helps,
Bill

[Tonto]

Craft stores sell a two part silicone putty that can be used to make one or two part moulds from a master. If you have a shape of a weight you need, you could make a mould and crank out a few before the mould lost its zip. If the cavity you wanted to fill had a specific shape you could replicate using clay then make the mould from that. I've replicated several different fishing jigs and lures this way.