Casting in cold weather?

[Woodwrkr]

Even though I live less than 150 miles from the Gulf of Mexico it still gets cold down here. Now you northern types probably won't appreciate this, but when I looked out the window Saturday mornin' there was an inch of snow on the ground. Haven't seen that around these parts in maybe 15 years or more!

Anyway, I wanted to cast some boolits and don't have anywhere outside to cast without freezin', so I decided to try something and I want to see if y'all think this idea is a good one or not.

I took my Lee Pro 4-20 pot outside, heated it up, added ingots to 'er until she was about full, fluxed 'er well, then unplugged 'er and let 'er cool off. I'm not quite crazy enough to try and carry a 20lb pot full of molten lead (well, almost, but not quite) so I wanted to carry the pot inside while the lead had cooled just enough to be solid, and when I got 'er inside on the bench, I plugged 'er back in, and when the pot and my mold were up to temp. I began castin'.

Questions:

1, Is it considered OK to flux the pot let it form a layer of oxidation on top of the lead, cool off until solid, and then reheat the pot and begin casting without fluxing again after reheating? I am trying to do the smoky, noxious, fluxing outdoors, then cast indoors where it's warm and comfortable.

2. Am I risking some sort of problems with my boolits if I don't flux again when I reheat the pot?

3. Am I risking undue exposure to lead casting indoors without ventilation even though I've done the smoky, noxious, fluxin' part outdoors?

[Cherokee]

Works for me. In fact, with clean ingots, I don't even do the outside bit, just melt and cast in the basement.

[454PB]

A lot of people on this forum don't flux at all. If it was me, I'd use Marvelux or the Frankford Arsenal smokeless flux. In fact, I did it that way for a lot of years and still do, but out in my shop instead of in the basement.

[stocker]

Marvelux keeps me casting all winter long in the basement. We have a couple of feet of snow and it's about zero this morning so outdoors would be out of the question. Even if I could stay warm out there working in one spot it would be a chore to keep sprue plate and blocks operating at temperature. Contrary to some other experiences I do not get rusting on any of the tools or the pot from using Marvelux although most of my skimmers etc. are stainless steel. Our humidity is quite low and I can store iron blocks in the basement for fairly long intervals with no protection and no rusting problem. YMMV according to your normal humidity levels.

[hammerhead357]

If you will place a layer of clean unscented cat litter about 1/3 inch thick on top of the melt to insulate the melted alloy you won't have to flux again. Also if you are using clean ingots and preheat them well you can add the ingot right thru the litter. I get fewer dross included bullets when using the cat litter than when I cast without it.....Wes

[mainiac]

Marvelux keeps me casting all winter long in the basement. We have a couple of feet of snow and it's about zero this morning so outdoors would be out of the question. Even if I could stay warm out there working in one spot it would be a chore to keep sprue plate and blocks operating at temperature. Contrary to some other experiences I do not get rusting on any of the tools or the pot from using Marvelux although most of my skimmers etc. are stainless steel. Our humidity is quite low and I can store iron blocks in the basement for fairly long intervals with no protection and no rusting problem. YMMV according to your normal humidity levels.

Casted a pile of 358466 yesterday, outdoors in the garage door way, it was 3 degress. Had no problem keeping mold hot,and made a nice pile of boolits.Never had any problems with the cold affecting my casting,but my toes are another story!!!

[dukenukum]

I cast boolits year round here in MI . today I cast a few hundred 452460 for the .45 auto in the garage used my lee melter , no real problems just got cold .

[stocker]

mainiac, dukenukum: yes, but I've avoided having to shovel a work space all winter, my feet are warm and I think I'll just continue in the basement.

[LeadThrower]

Hammerhead,
You flux the pot once and then layer with litter? Do you let alloy solidify in the pot at the end of the day and then dump off the litter, or what's your "shut down" method?

I certainly hope you don't "use" the litter to cool things off! :takinWiz: