Casting Questions

[jlh]

I have cast pistol bullets in the past, using straight, wheel-weights, and Lee molds, but am not as experienced as most here......I just place the wheel-weights straight into my Lee Production Pot, and melt them.....As the clips and dirt rise to the top of the pot, I just take an old spoon and skim the surface, removing all the clips, and gunk, flux the mix with paraffin, and begin casting bullets. The bullets that I've cast have shot very well, and I certainly have no complaint.....My question is this: Is what I'm doing OK, or do I need to cast ingots first? 'Just seems much more simple to do it the way that I have done.

Thanks in advance.

[bangerjim]

I always add up to 2% Sn to my alloy. COWW's are only 0.5% Sn. Sn gives you better fill-out of your molds.

Most NEVER EVER re-melt dirty old WW's in their casting pots. YUCK! Too much dirt and gunk to foul your castings and pot. Always re-melt everything in a separate container! And ALL the dirt and gunk do NOT rise to the top!!!!!!

Wax is NOT a flux. It is a reducer. You should use pine sawdust 3X to flux all the garbage out of WW's....perhaps the dirtiest filthiest source of Pb you can find. Only use beeswax in your CASTING pot to REDUCE the Sn back in while casting from CLEAN ingots YOU made from ANOTHER pot.

We all use ingots. Just an easy way of storing and adding known amounts of "stuff" to your casting pot.

Your boolits may look OK, but you could have dirt inclusions you cannot see that can cause problems.

Good luck in you quest to rolling your own. Where 'ya been since 2008?

bangerjim

[jcren]

I started the same way, and discovered I was getting dirt in my cast. The surface tension of lead will trap particles against the pot and they turn up when stirring, casting. Btw, try borax as a flux for wheel weights (laundry isle of most stores) it turns to a soda ash that lifts clips and dirt above the surface for easier skimming with less lead loss.

[country gent]

Some other pluses to a seperate bigger smelting pot are, 1) a larger batch of ingots all the same 2) its easier to "skim" clips and crud of a bigger pot 3) when actually casting bullets pot comes up to temp faster and less things to do before your ready to cast, fill with clean ingots melt to temp lightly flux or reduce mix and start casting bullets. Makes after work or short sessions much more productive. A dutch oven will do about 100 lbs over a turkey frier or stand and other heat source. A big ladle ( 5 lbs or so) a couple 3 ingot moulds and a saturday can yield alot of clean lead for later use. In your set up now a little tin added 1% -2% will help with fill out and consistancy. Sawdust to smelt flux wax or paraffin to reduce in the casting pot.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

There is a lot of crud on wheel weights from the road, and other stuff that you don't want in your alloy. It is grouped in the term "inclusions"...that show up on and in your bullets and it is not good for your bore. As well, this grit and whatever else is a nuisance that cruds up your melting pot...sticks to the sides and worst of all gets into the valve assembly of a bottom pour pot...clogs it up and is a king size hassle to clean out. A universal recommendation is to Not smelt in the same vessel/pot that you cast in. Cast ingots first, flux and clean your metal...and your pot periodically. Following the advice of the previous posts above will give you better sharper bullets. If you can get 1-2% tin into your alloy it will help greatly. LLS

[scottfire1957]

Meh. It has worked for you so far. That may or may not change. Up to you I suppose.

[gray wolf]

Do it enough and that method will soon rise up and bite you in the buttocks.

[OptimusPanda]

At harbor freight they have cast iron dutch ovens and skillets. Go get one of those and clean the wheel weights in it. Your lee pot will thank you.

[bangerjim]

At harbor freight they have cast iron dutch ovens and skillets. Go get one of those and clean the wheel weights in it. Your lee pot will thank you.


Also get a propane turkey or fish fryer for heat. And watch the weight of the pot + lead.....do not overload the frame! You will then be re-melting with the best of us!

[OptimusPanda]

With my fryer setup for adding pewter to wheel weight ingots I try not to melt more than 50 pounds at a time. If I'm remembering the numbers right cooking oil is around 8 pounds a gallon. So say three and a half gallons of oil, and a 15ish pound bird weigh about 43 pounds. Just a realistic look at the vertical loads these stands are "designed" for.

[44man]

Always a chance to drop some dreaded zinc in without catching it.

[Tom W.]

An ingot mold could be one that Lee, Lyman or RCBS makes, or you can go to a consignment store and find a cast iron cornbread mold that will work just as well, and probably be a whole lot cheaper.

[fredj338]

IMO, fastest way to clog your bottom pour pot is to put dirty alloy in it. So I smelt either w/ a cat iron pot on a turkey fryer of smaller amounts in a 20# elec open top pot. Melt & then flux before removing clips & pouring into ingots. I am also a fan of sawdust for flux.
Then nothing but clean alloy goes in my casting pot. Ingot molds can be bought or made if you know a welder.