Finally Will Start Ordering Equipment - Help

[forrest-hunter]

Plan to start ordering my equipment - need advice.
I plan on ordering:
1-Lee pro 4 20 furnace + lee dipper or Lyman Big Dipper Furnace Starter Kit (which should work best for someone new) can I use the lubes with the Lee
lube sizer
2-Lee 2 and 6 cavity moulds
3-some fluxing material
4-lee bullet lube and sizer
Do I need the spray for the moulds to release properly?
Where can I order my lyman #2 lead?
Will regular working leather gloves give me enough hand protection?
'Am I forgetting anything?

[500MAG]

You don't need the spray, a good cleaning with Dawn & water or some comet will do. I use a pair of welder gloves from Home Depot, they go up higher on the arm and are thicker. Just use some sawdust to flux. Don't forget the mould handles if you order a Lee 6 cavity mold. Try to get a lead thermometer.

[country gent]

Also I would recomend the lymann or rcbs ladles over the lee dipper. An old spoon works for skiming. The lyman and rcbs are better ladles if you want to ladle cast. A thermometer is also a good investment as it allows repetive settings easier. Depending on where you cast a heat protective sheet for under the pot and set up. ( Can be as simple as a piece of sheet metal). Wood works good to flux.

[jmort]

The best deal on foundry #5 alloy in the form of Hardball 96/2/2 is from Missouri Bullets. Otherwise, buy some lead/alloy from one of the vendor/members here and add some tin.

http://www.missouribullet.com/results.php?category=12

[el34]

To flux the pot you can use the shaved pine chips for hamsters, $2.75 at Walmart. Some folks put in a small chunk of wax with the chips or sawdust and light it.

110888

I use heavy Home Depot welders gloves for smelting and much lighter leather Home Depot gloves for casting. The light ones are much more flexible but I can pick up just-hardened hot lead and be fine.

Are you planning to ladle cast from the bottom-pour pot?

[jmort]

^ Yes - pine pet whatever and bee's wax

[el34]

^ Yes - pine pet whatever and bee's wax

That under three dollar highly-compressed bag of pine chips and a box of Gulfwax canning parafin fluxed close to a ton of smelting and 10k cast boolits.

[Mk42gunner]

I would go with the Lee 4-20 and a Lyman or RCBS ladle. You get to try both worlds that way, since the 4-20 is easy to dip into with a ladle.

A thermometer is not absolutely necessary, but it sure is nice to know how hot the alloy is instead of guessing.

I use plain leather work or driving gloves, whichever are cheaper in the farm store when I need a new pair. I have tried using welding gauntlets, but I lose too much dexterity to be comfortable with them.

Robert

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Answers in red in the quote:


Plan to start ordering my equipment - need advice.
I plan on ordering:
1-Lee pro 4 20 furnace + lee dipper or Lyman Big Dipper Furnace Starter Kit (which should work best for someone new) can I use the lubes with the Lee get a Lee bottom pour and you won't need a dipper to start
lube sizer
2-Lee 2 and 6 cavity moulds Generally, their six gangers are the best quality. Get a couple handles for the six gangers, not one for each and save money there
3-some fluxing material sawdust works and is free
4-lee bullet lube and sizer works and is as good as any to start
Do I need the spray for the moulds to release properly? No, just wash and lube with some outboard motor two cycle oil
Where can I order my lyman #2 lead? Look to the top of the forum page You might also consider finding wheel weights and smeling your own lead, but don't use your lee pot to do this, you'll trash it up
Will regular working leather gloves give me enough hand protection? For the most part, wear long sleeve shirt and be careful. Do not wear synthetics when casting, they'll melt on you.
'Am I forgetting anything?