Home made stirring spoons

[Strtspdlx]

I had a spoon that I riveted the a piece of round stock with a wooden handle. It has since fallen apart and the spoon I use to flux and stir is way to big. I really can't stir the pot, pun intended. I was curious to see what everyone else was doIng. Short spoons get hot real quick. I was thinking something about 12" long with a teaspoon size spoon. I'm thinking about making one from scratch as my ways of securing them seem to never hold. First it was wire, then heat tape, then pop rivets. They all failed.

[TexasGrunt]

I buy long handled spoons a Walmart. A couple of bucks for three spoons.

[Dusty Bannister]

I visited the thrift store and picked out the longest handled tea spoon I could find. Took it home and drilled two holes in it. One in the bowl toward the front to allow the alloy to drain out while retaining most of the dross, and one toward the end of the handle to pass a small bolt through the spoon and through a wood dowel that closely matched the curve of the handle. That will provide a sturdy method of fastening the dowel to the spoon handle. I have also used a hose clamp. You do not need to be too concerned about the hose clamp being in the way because after the first use, you will find it gets hot enough to make you remember to use the end of the dowel handle, and stay back from the spoon. Ouch! HOT!

[Mk42gunner]

I use an old tablespoon. No holes or handle extensions. It gets hot, but that is why I wear gloves when casting, it gives you that little warning not to hold onto it for very long.

Robert

[OS OK]

Don't get any ideas!
This is NOT the missing ice tea spoon and that is not an insulator made from an extension cord...:bigsmyl2:


191464

[lightman]

I use long handled kitchen ware like you get at Walmart. I have a solid spoon and a slotted one. Buy the one piece ones or the ones that are riveted together. Not the soldered ones! A friend has some with a big U.S. on them that he got from an army surplus store that work well. After raking out about 3 gallons of wheelweight clips the other day, I am considering cutting some slots in an old ladle that I have.

[runfiverun]

I have a couple of tools I use.
the obligatory long handled tea spoon is one of them.
only I beat it flat with a hammer and ground the bottom and one side flat.
I use it to skim the top and press the gunk against the side of the pot and to work the sides of the smaller pots.
it's great in the shot maker and the LEE pots.

the other one I use and many have copied is a hacksaw blade I bent on the tip [1/2-3/4"] to get the corners and sides of the pot.
I also cut a slit in a piece of broom handle and JB welded the blade in place.
I can work the sides and bottom of my 40 lb magma pot with this one if I let it go down a bit first.

the third tool I keep right handy is a dental pick.
I straightened and then bent the last inch at a 90.
this one is for clearing the spout.
it will reach up in there enough to lift the rod slightly and clear any gunk away without any danger of burning my hands.


heck I'll keep going.
other tools I always have right there when casting.
a flat bladed screw driver.
a set of Allen wrenches.
a pair of needle nose pliers.
I also have a 1/2" wrench hanging right behind the master casters and the shot maker.

[OS OK]

the third tool I keep right handy is a dental pick.
I straightened and then bent the last inch at a 90.
this one is for clearing the spout.
it will reach up in there enough to lift the rod slightly and clear any gunk away without any danger of burning my hands.

Oh...just admit it r5r...you don't appreciate 'drip art'!

[Hardcast416taylor]

Quite a few years back I bought 6 long handles ice cream float spoons from a Salvation Army thrift store for a little over $1. Since I never threw away a broken wood hammer hickory handle I center drilled the handle then inserted a spoon and figured where the end of the spoon was drilled and pop rivited it in place. You can cut the hammer handle down to a shorter length if necessary and rasp it to a thinner diameter.Robert

[scattershot]

I've always used ice tea spoons with no problems. The handle gets hot sometimes, but I wear gloves. OS OK has a good idea, above.

[country gent]

I have made my own from .060 x 1" x 12" brass stock from the hobby store. Cut out the basic shape of the spoon with the handle left the remaining 12" long then on a shot bag or forming iron slowly form the bowl of the spoon then lightly form a radious down the handle to give it strength. a couple wood scales riveted to the handle makes a very nice long handled tool.

[tinsnips]

I take the fast track make them out of sheet metal. I cast on my layout bench so I have plenty of spoons laying under my shear.

[44deerslayer]

191503191504 I took a kitchen spoon and cut a slice in it with my cut off wheel let's it drain works well

[GhostHawk]

I have a small lee pot, dipper pot. And for the last 40 years I have used a fork for skimming dross and stirring. Regular silverware real sterling silver fork. Heck I just see where I may have been adding silver to my mix for all these years and never realized it.

Its short, but my pot is small. My big smelting pot I have a soup ladle that is not too bad. Might need a longer wooden handle next year.

[runfiverun]

I hate drip art.

if the lee pot drips it's usually right when I stick the mold under it then I get a funky spot on the nose.
or more likely I stop and empty the drip out of the cavity then my rhythm is all messed up.

it isn't that hard to fix a drippy pot.
I'm still using the original one I bought to melt down WW's in for my shot maker.
I use it to cast with now.
but only when I'm doing 22 boolits or rcbs 30-165 silh boolits because they use the same alloy.

[C.F.Plinker]

I just replaced the metal shaft on a Lyman dipper with an 11" length of No. 10 drill rod threaded to screw into the dipper. I don't remember what the threading was because it was over 40 years ago and hasn't come apart yet.

[Gator 45/70]

I use a Roux spoon, Flat on the bottom

[Von Dingo]

A dollar store stainless steel frosting spatula, and ground the end to match the lower edge of the pot. A couple of secondhand spoons have been modded to suit other needs.

[reloader28]

Milkshake spoon. Nice long handle

[Walter Laich]

191503191504 I took a kitchen spoon and cut a slice in it with my cut off wheel let's it drain works well

I like the 'slot' idea--going to do that to one of mine

[OS OK]

A dollar store stainless steel frosting spatula, and ground the end to match the lower edge of the pot. A couple of secondhand spoons have been modded to suit other needs.

Terrific! I hope it ain't 'pat.pend.', consider that idea copied!

[WALLNUTT]

I too use a frosting spatula for scraping. Mine has a flat end so it scrapes the bottom and I ground a small radius notch in the end to scrape the rod.
I have a long SS float spoon with a old file handle for stirring and skimming.

[Baja_Traveler]

I stole one of my wifes ice tea spoons to skim the pot, but I stir and scrape the pot with a large wooden paint mixing stick - get them for free from Lowes or Home Depot - just ask for a couple in the paint dept...

[Engineer1911]

Big vise grips and large SS tablespoon -- been working fine since 1976!

[Traffer]

The best spoon I have is a socket holder from Harbor Freight Rules. It was laying handy one day so I grabbed it to stir with. Turned out that all the spoons I bought afterwards just sit there and I use the socket holder. Just a plain old socket wrench holder with the little clips slid off. It is long enough so the handle end never gets hot. It is strong and the contour is perfect for my lee pot. It scrapes in the bottom edges perfectly. Here is a picture of one with the clips on. Just slide them off and for $.99 you have the (in my opinion) stirring and utility spoon for lead that you will ever find.
192161
192764

[Strtspdlx]

I saw someone mention paint sticks. I have been using them for scraping and skimming but it bubbles and gurgles the pot when I try to reach the bottom. Always makes me tighten up a little bit when I try to reach the bottom. I was reading a lot about how stirring really helps mix your alloy and pull dross to the center. Up until now I've only stirred in my dirty pot for ingots. I have a huge spoon I've been using for my Lee pot because it takes the wax and pushes it below the surface when I dunk it so I've been using that but I can't stir with it. I suppose I need to see what my thrift store or Walmart has. I already have a stack of paint sticks, along with a stack of half burnt paint sticks.

[Sean357]

Oak handle made from cutting up a table leg and rounding on a belt sander, with a spoon from thrift store. Drilled a hole in handle and drove the spoon into it.

192179

[Shiloh]

My stirring spoons came from Goodwill.

SHiloh

[fredj338]

Cheap bamboo wooden spoons. You get fluxing as you stir. When it burns up, buy another. I use paint sticks too. Just put them on top of the pot for a bit before stirring to get rid of any moisture.

[BAGTIC]

I use a cheap stainless steel pierced ladle for everything. When melting WW it aids removing the clips and large trash while being self draining. For picking up the fine dross that floats on top I just use the edge as skimmer.

[OS1880]

Took one of the wifes old tablespoons bent it 90 deg. clamped in an old pair of needle nose vice grips .

[Grmps]

I use a small potato masher, it does a quick job of fluxing and mixing the lead, I use a gravy spoon to skim with though I usually leave 1/4 inch layer on top to stop oxidizing and keep the lead from splashing when dropping in sprues.

[Sasquatch-1]

I use a SS baby spoon and a pair of pliers to hold it. This is for my casting pots. Probably pick up the spoons at the local thrift store for next to nothing. For the smelting pot I use service industry serving spoons and a pair of welding gloves.

[OuchHot!]

SS Messkit spoon from whichever war, wrapped with rawhide. Grind so that one edge can scrape the pot walls.

[Moleman-]

Piece of 1/8"x1" aluminum strapping with one end hammered into a square spoon. Works well enough I've never tried to improve it. Lead doesn't stick to it but it could stand to be a bit longer or get some wood riveted to the handle as it gets hot if you leave it in the pot for a long time.

[David2011]

I use a Roux spoon, Flat on the bottom

I tink you said dat jes to make 'em look up what you talking about, Cher!

[Sasquatch-1]

I would rather melt lead on a hot day then make a proper Roux. Although if someone else wants to do the work I will gladly partake in the feast.:kidding:

[mold maker]

Like my roux a little on the dark side, like my Sunday shoe as opposed to my brogans. That, the trinity, and some cubes of deer make a fine meal. Shame we can't get Justian Wilson anymore. I dearly loved to see him cook with a special kind of humor.
For a casting spoon, I use the better grade of SS kitchen tools that Wally World sells. I also use a modified bakers spatula to scrape the sides and bottom.
I found that scraping the pot with paint sticks did flux the melt, but left too much carbon stuck in the pot.

[mozeppa]

i make my own spoons....i cast them out of wheel weight lead.

but i can never seem to find it when i'm casting....they'll turn up.

[Sasquatch-1]

Check out you tube. Lots of his old shows.


Shame we can't get Justian Wilson anymore. I dearly loved to see him cook with a special kind of humor.
For a casting spoon, I use the better grade of SS kitchen tools that Wally World sells.