Jumping in.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Got a 20# Lee pot, TL 358-158 SWC mold and handle and sundries coming from Midway. Also 40# of 16/1 alloy coming from Roto. Have the makings for Ben's new tumble lube recipie. Hoping for the mold to drop the boolits @ .359 for my 4" SP 101. May size them to .358 for my 5" SW 27.

Planning on loads around 1000 fps for plinking fun. Have some t-post mounts for steel targets when the ground thaws in the Spring, shooting paper for now. Did a bunch of reading on this site in preparation for casting.

[tdoor4570]

You need to send all of the stuff that is coming in to me then get help as that will become a dreaded addiction you can not get rid of .
welcome to the nut house .

[OS OK]

You might consider building a lead scavenger backstop to recycle all that expensive RotoMetals bullet metal too...

With Pb getting more expensive or more difficult to acquire it is difficult for me to shoot steel targets and let my Pb splatter in all directions.

If interested, here's one I built recently...
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?342719-Building-a-gt-gt-gt-LEAD-MISER-BACKSTOP-lt-lt-lt-for-Practice-Load-Workups

[marek313]

My advice is start looking for lead locally. That 40lbs isnt going to be enough. Not because your going to shoot it all right away but because I found casting very addicting and if your anything like the rest of us here so will you. It relaxes me so i find myself doing it even when i dont need to. I just finished powder coating and sizing around 750 Lee 356-125s which I should load but last weekend I was bored so I ended up casting about 1.5K more. It is winter time though so everyone is reloading now for spring. I put away about 300lbs for this winters reloading session but then again I went through 50lbs in one night casting 230gr 45s so it goes quick.

[OS OK]

Good point marek...Cosmic_Charlie is going to get 44 casts/boolits per pound, he can expect to cast about 1,772 158 grain boolits before he is scrounging for more Pb.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Yeah, that's about 7 cents a boolit. But those bullets will be just like I want them, taylored to my pistols and cheaper than I can buy hardcast for. I don't reload for 9mm, 223 or 7.62 x 39 because those calibers can be purchased for pretty cheap again.

I think I can still get lead water service pipe from some contractors I know. I used to give it for free to a guy who casted years ago. Not sure how that would smelt up but it is for sure an outdoor summer type activity.

[OS OK]

Charlie...every time you re-cast the first boolit you shot you can divide the cost to shoot the Pb by 1/2. The second casting is 3 1/2 cents and so on.

Caution...about smelting Pb pipe...that's one of the best ways there is to get a 'steam explosion' from trapped moisture within the pipe.
Make sure that you do this pipe one batch at a time, bringing a 'cold' pot full of pipe to melt temp each pot full...never push that pipe into a pot full of melt. You prolly already know that but I thought I'd mention this in case you didn't.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Yeah, I thought about that. Cutting it into small segments with a bolt cutter might help. But putting a piece into a melted pot would be unwise. Fill the pot with smaller pieces and stay away until it all melted I guess.

[OS OK]

It's that bolt cutter that'll get you in trouble...it will pinch the ends of the pipe as it mashes them off...sorta like sealed up little containers.

[marek313]

It's that bolt cutter that'll get you in trouble...it will pinch the ends of the pipe as it mashes them off...sorta like sealed up little containers.

Very true. Also let me be the first to admit that I have in the past added lead pipe to already hot alloy without any issues. Cmon nobody else is going to admit it lol I know there are others doing it because there is no way to get a full pot of lead when you are smelting bunch of it without adding more. I dont care how small pieces you add and how high you stack it over the rim you will never get more then half after it melts and nobody is going to stop at half , cast ingots and cool pot again for next batch right?
To make this safe though I always make sure I have open ends when I add and i let it heat up on top for a min and then down it goes. I do make it a point to stay far away with common sense protective gear on but so far I havent had any problems with this. I've seen more action and popping from range lead then lead pipe.

[OS OK]

Very true. Also let me be the first to admit that I have in the past added lead pipe to already hot alloy without any issues. Cmon nobody else is going to admit it lol I know there are others doing it because there is no way to get a full pot of lead when you are smelting bunch of it without adding more. I dont care how small pieces you add and how high you stack it over the rim you will never get more then half after it melts and nobody is going to stop at half , cast ingots and cool pot again for next batch right?
To make this safe though I always make sure I have open ends when I add and i let it heat up on top for a min and then down it goes. I do make it a point to stay far away with common sense protective gear on but so far I havent had any problems with this. I've seen more action and popping from range lead then lead pipe.

If you stack you pot right...high enough and tight enough to prevent it from falling out you can end up with a pot 2/3'rds full. In this little pot, 2/3'rds is about 48 pounds and that's a big enough batch to get many little muffin ingots before having to load it again.
Yeah sometimes one will fall out but I put it back in, by that time all the Pb is hot enough to evaporate any water that's trapped within.
Here I'm using old lead flashing that has paint and roofing sealer on it...I don't trust that stuff not to pop but mainly it just stinks.
You have the right idea by putting pre-warmed open ended pipe in the melt as it only takes a couple hundred degrees to evaporate the water. Some of the fellas just want to rush this part of Pb recovery and I think getting into a rush will only get you into trouble!


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[marek313]

I think we are on the same page OS OK. My setup is very similar except I added wind shield to help preserve heat. Sometimes I even lay pieces next to the pot since you have a large burner like me there is enough residual heat to remove any moisture. My only rule is to never add any cold pieces no matter how dry you think they are. Thats the only time I've seen my lead pot rumble and boil up so i heat everything first now.

[Boolseye]

Welcome to the pleasant addiction. Good first mold, that was mine, too. You can’t go wrong with that one.
-BE