Range Lead

[monadnock#5]

In winter I shoot on a local 4 position rifle team. One of my teammates is a bigwig at another range in the state. When I told him about my casting activities, he told me that there were two barrels of range lead all gathered up and waiting to be taken away!

I finally got over there yesterday and scored 9-1/2 five gallon buckets of scrap. Although I wish I had done it a couple of months ago when the gas prices were lower, I'm still pretty excited.

I've just come in from melting two pots worth. I haven't weighed the muffins yet, but what's left will pretty much get me through the summer.

I've found the best tool for transferring the scrap from barrel to bucket is a good ole' US GI WWII style entrenching tool. Once I got there it only took an hour to transfer the scrap from one 35 gal., and one 25 gal. steel can.

For rendering, flaming motor oil burned off anything flammable, but chimney creosote is what got the lead to separate and pool at the bottom of the pot. :-D

[monadnock#5]

I just weighed the proceeds of yesterdays efforts. 9.75 lbs. So at this juncture it looks like close to 300 lbs will be my ultimate goal. I'm in hopes of getting that done over the weekend. In the meantime I've got to get after my iron pot. The dang thing is filthy. I never cared much before, but having read various threads on the subject recently, it's no wonder my boolits look diseased.

If anyone would like to test my theories on creosote as a fluxing medium, let me know. I'll send out a small package for the price of shipping.

[Ken]

When I was a commercial caster and bought WW by the barrel, I would get help tipping the barrel over on a concrete slab and use a flatnose shovel to put them in a 5 gal bucket. Worked.

[imashooter2]

I turn my range scrap out into a wheel barrow and load the pot with a long handled garden shovel. Gives me one last chance to look over the scrap for dud .22s and if I miss one, I'm not standing right over top of the melt.

[monadnock#5]

When I was a commercial caster and bought WW by the barrel, I would get help tipping the barrel over on a concrete slab and use a flatnose shovel to put them in a 5 gal bucket. Worked.

The barrels that I had to dig through were galvanized garbage cans, that were full almost to the top. I was afraid that tipping them over onto the cement pad would permanently deform them to the point that I would earn myself a persona non grata title from the range. The cement pad was very handy for cleanup. I did my Boy Scout best to leave the place cleaner than I found it.

[monadnock#5]

I turn my range scrap out into a wheel barrow and load the pot with a long handled garden shovel. Gives me one last chance to look over the scrap for dud .22s and if I miss one, I'm not standing right over top of the melt.

An excellent idea, and I thank you. I also need a longer spoon. The heat that comes up between the pot and the wind screen is pretty intense, even with heavy gloves on.

[imashooter2]

An excellent idea, and I thank you. I also need a longer spoon. The heat that comes up between the pot and the wind screen is pretty intense, even with heavy gloves on.

It's also easier to load the pot with the long shovel working at waist height. I try not to lift and put down my lead any more than I have to.

Got a tough job? Give it to your laziest guy, he'll find an easier way to do it.[smilie=1:

I stir the pot with the same shovel until everything is melted. When I'm ready to flux, skim and pour, I turn the heat way down.

[monadnock#5]

GOT a tough job? Give it to your laziest guy, he'll find an easier way to do it.

I had a supervisor that used to say that all the time. Never could figure out why he was looking at me when he said it. Must have been one of those misdirection things. Yeah, that's the ticket!

[686]

ARE YOU saying you expect to get 300 lbs. out of the 9 1/2 5 gal buckets of scrap range lead? a 5 gal scrap with all the crap in it should be 125-175 lbs and should melt out to at lest 75lbs per 5 gal. that would be around 700 lbs. maybe i missunder stood it. grate score. keep it going in our sport.

[monadnock#5]

More than I need to know how many lbs of lead I brought home, I need to get those buckets emptied. If I can get the lead rendered over the weekend, I'll be ready to go off with another friend from the team in search of more range scrap. It will also be a good check of my math skills, or lack thereof. :mrgreen:

[mtgrs737]

I use a garden shovel to load my smelting pot also. I tip over a bucket of WW's so that I can sort out any zinc weights and other non lead items then use a shovel to load the pot. I have 4 1/2 buckets to do now but the weather is too windy here this time of year.

[cohutt]

With berm diggings that included pebbles, some dirt and misc stuff,

a 5 gallon bucket of this:

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m284/cohutt/misc079.jpg

Became around 140 lbs of this:

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m284/cohutt/bermining%202/misc021.jpg


plus about 3 gallons of scorched pebbles and empty jackets.

[686]

your ingets look like you have a mold like mine. i went to a local shop , had them to cut 3 in chanal iron into 6 in pieces. the cut is at an angle on the ends they then welded 1/4 in x 4 in on the ends. i have 6 of them. thet make about 5.5 lb ingets. i made some years ago with angel iron with out the angle and it was very hard to get the inget out. i have about 8 5gal buckets og range lead to melt. ww are easer to melt. nice work

[cohutt]

your ingets look like you have a mold like mine. i went to a local shop , had them to cut 3 in chanal iron into 6 in pieces. the cut is at an angle on the ends they then welded 1/4 in x 4 in on the ends. i have 6 of them. thet make about 5.5 lb ingets. i made some years ago with angel iron with out the angle and it was very hard to get the inget out. i have about 8 5gal buckets og range lead to melt. ww are easer to melt. nice work

Mine might be a little longer- drop 6-6.25lb bricks that stack nicely

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m284/cohutt/bermining%202/misc007.jpg