Ordered my pot...I'm officially in the club

[Stopsign32v]

No turning back now. After the fiasco with the leading on the outside of the forcing cone and now having a box of bullets I can't use I figured I'd start casting my own. Not to mention currently I'll be doing 38 Special, 44-40, 45 Colt, and buckshot I figured its a smart move anyways.

So for my first purchase towards this I got the Lee pot 2nd from the right. I thought long and hard about which pot to get and I finally settled on the fact that I really do not care about speed or quantity so I do not want to deal with a bottom dropper and it's mess it creates. Once I saw Dualist1954 do some ladle pouring I knew that is what I wanted to do. Honestly I first ordered the smaller pot but then I figured I might as well get the larger one so I canceled and ordered the bigger one instead.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8__rd_cMkJI/maxresdefault.jpg













So it begins...

[Stopsign32v]

I guess my first and main question is where do I get good ingots and how do I know if they are good? I cannot and will not be sourcing wheel weights and scrap lead. So I will be buying ingots for this journey.

[DerekP Houston]

Looks like a good size choice, I've not done ladle casting but it can't be that hard. Grab yourself a hotplate to pre-heat your molds on, if the mold is already hot the lead will stay molten longer and have less defects/issues during casting. The Lee molds are cheap enough and decent quality to get you started with as well, have fun!

RE: Ingots - check the vendor section here on the forum and just get a 50lb box to start. I've had good success in my area watching craigslist sellers, checking the scrap yard for lead flashing/rolls of lead, and off the forum. Let someone else deal with cleaning and fluxing the lead for the first batch or 2, you can always look to berm mining yourself.

Factory ingots of known composition can be purchased from Rotometals.com

[RogerDat]

+1 on buy some lead from our swapping and selling forum. Might even want to post a WTB (wanted to buy) post stating what you want to use the lead to cast for. Will no doubt get several offers, some of which may provide a pre-mixed alloy or the ingredients to mix a good alloy for your use intended.

Scap yard and WW scrounging makes your money go further but has a learning curve to it and will add an extra process to get right on the way to getting the bullets cast right. Enough time later to get into that after you have a chance to enjoy sending some of your own down range.

Excellent choice of pot. I have cast at least 8 or 9 ammo cans full of stash from one of those pots, in addition to what has already been shot. Those would be .30 caliber cans not .50 because picking up a .50 caliber can full of lead is not pleasant. A .30 caliber can holds plenty.

You might want to pick up a Lyman Little Dipper ladle. https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Casting-Dipper-Multicolor-Size/dp/B001OPLJUU Good solid ladle with small spout that allows good control of pour as well as having a couple of "feet" so it can be set down without rolling. Handle can be mounted for left or right handed use if that matters to you. I like Lee molds fine, their ladle however is pretty pathetic. In a pinch a small metal salad dressing size ladle with the handle bent would work better.

Also +1 on get a hot plate. The solid surface ones are better for mold heating than the ones with exposed coils. If you find an exposed coil one you can set an old circular saw blade on it to spread out the heat so the mold heats evenly. Pre-heating mold really helps avoid "smiling" bullets from the hot lead solidifying as it hits the cooler mold wall. The lead flows around it and leaves a little curved "smile" in the side of the bullet.

You may also want a thermometer. Makes it easier to keep track of what temperature works best and avoid mostly used pot getting hotter, or adding material making the pot colder until it melts then comes up to temperature again. Not essential to getting started but useful addition and makes it so you have another data point to report if you have a problem you want help with. Lyman makes one but this one is a bit cheaper https://www.amazon.com/Tel-Tru-LT225R-Replacement-Thermometer-degrees/dp/B0055777EU/ and covers the range you need.

[country gent]

Roto metals, Buffalo Arms, offer lead ingot of a known alloy. That's a decent pot and should do fine. 10Lb capacity? Unless casting the big bullets 365 grn to 550grn then it empties pretty quick. Now a good RCBS or lyman ladle and some moulds. A thermometer is also handy. The rowel #1 is a good ladle but may be a little big for that pots dia. Also don't forget safety glasses gloves and hat. Long sleeved shirt and heavy jeans.

[LenH]

I still have that little Lee 4# pot and have cast hundreds of bullets with a Lyman ladle and 2 cavity molds. I still use it from time to time but to cast crappie jigs.
I have the 4-20 bottom pour pot also and have cast thousands with that pot and hooked up to a PID adds to the casting experience. I was able to get a used Pro Melt
and have moth balled the Lee pot.


I have had good luck with the lead I have bought on the Swappin & Selling page and also from the Vendor page. Good luck hunting.

[Mal Paso]

Sign up for the Rotometals emails and they will email you when they have a sale. Which seems like every month lately.

[mattw]

You just entered on of the most in interesting rabbit holes in the shooting world! Welcome. Read lots here and ask questions when you need to. You will get many good answers.

[Wheelguns 1961]

I got into casting because of the poor quality of some of the commercial bullets that I purchased. Then there were the guys that took 2 months and still sent me the wrong bullets. You can’t go wrong by spending your money on casting equipment.

[GregLaROCHE]

The pot is just the beginning. Get ready to start buying a lot of stuff. I started a year ago and still haven’t bought everything I think I need.

Before you start buying moulds, you should decide if you will want to use gas checks or not. I shoot big slugs in my .45-70 without them, but find I need them for smaller rounds. What calibers do you plan to start with? Hand gun or rifle?

An important thing to consider is a respirator. My blood lead level went pretty high so I now wear one when I am melting any lead. I know this is a controversial. Just do a little research and make your own decision.

Well good luck and keep posting about the adventure you are embarking on!

[Stopsign32v]

Before you start buying moulds, you should decide if you will want to use gas checks or not. I shoot big slugs in my .45-70 without them, but find I need them for smaller rounds. What calibers do you plan to start with? Hand gun or rifle?


45 Colt
44/40
357 Mag (6.3-7.5gr Unique)

All of these will also be sometimes black powder loads.

[44Blam]

I guess my first and main question is where do I get good ingots and how do I know if they are good? I cannot and will not be sourcing wheel weights and scrap lead. So I will be buying ingots for this journey.

IM Jetsfan-24 - he has nice lead and good prices. He also sends it nicely packaged. He'll pack a USPS box up to the max weight and REALLY piss off your mail delivery person. :)
To make the metal a little harder, I watch Ebay for Linotype. I scored 40 lbs at $1 / lb the other day but $2 is a little more common.

[Stopsign32v]

How do you know how much you've hardened the lead while it's melting and how do you know from pure lead to whatever hardness, which you will need?

[therealhitman]

So it begins...

225605


How do you know how much you've hardened the lead while it's melting and how do you know from pure lead to whatever hardness, which you will need?

Seriously though, check the Lead Alloy Calculator thread...

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105952-Lead-alloy-calculators

[DaveTNC]

I'm just getting started in this myself, so I don't have a lot to offer. I've only cast one little "test batch" so far and the main thing I have learned is that the mold needs to be plenty hot to get decent boolits out of it. Preheat your mold and keep a steady pace so it doesn't cool down too much. The first few pours I made I would dump the boolits and look them over before pouring another set, which I think let my mold cool down. They started getting better after I picked up the pace.

I will agree that the Lee ladle is pretty pitiful. You'll be a lot better off with a Lyman or RCBS ladle.

If you need lead to get started I'd check with Czech_too. I got 21+ pounds of clean range lead ingots and a pound or so of pewter in the box to get started.

Good Luck!
Dave

[Chad5005]

welcome to the addiction,plenty of good people on here to source lead ingots from and a lot of molds here for sale used or theirs always the group buys

[danmat]

Stay away from the group buy forum!!!!! LOL It will suck you into the money vortex.

[Stopsign32v]

So how important is lube vs lead hardness? I feel lube and hardness will be my biggest learning curves.

[gpidaho]

So how important is lube vs lead hardness? I feel lube and hardness will be my biggest learning curves.
With the calibers you mention above I would save the money spent on a lube sizer and go to powder coating first off. I rarely lube a bullet unless it's for a black powder round. PC is a very easy process just read up on the alternatives threads. Happy casting. Gp

[Stopsign32v]

With the calibers you mention above I would save the money spent on a lube sizer and go to powder coating first off. I rarely lube a bullet unless it's for a black powder round. PC is a very easy process just read up on the alternatives threads. Happy casting. Gp

You guys will laugh at this but I don't want to powder coat because I like the "old west" look of pure lead exposed bullets. So I'd like to use traditional lube. I know, dumb.

[gpidaho]

^^^^ Not a problem. Clear powder coat gives me the best coverage anyway. And yes, Alox will work fine. Look into 45-45-10 from White Label. And it's THIN coats not thick. Gp

[Wheelguns 1961]

You could use clear powdercoat. I frequently shoot at an indoor range, and the lube smoke will sometimes fog my glasses. I also think that it is cheaper to setup for powdercoating, unless you pan lube.

[sundog]

Just finished loading a bunch of 45 Colt with 454190s, [Smoke's] clear coat, and run through a Lee push thru sizer. Easy-peasy, and cannot tell the difference from inches away. They shoot clean and NO leading.

[GregLaROCHE]

You guys will laugh at this but I don't want to powder coat because I like the "old west" look of pure lead exposed bullets. So I'd like to use traditional lube. I know, dumb.

I powder coat mostly for my .45-70 rounds, works great. However, I know what you mean about the cool look of pure lead. I sometimes paper patch my .45-70’s just because I like the way they look.

[daloper]

One thing you might want to do is list your general location. You may find that there is someone close that may give you some hands on help.

[Stopsign32v]

One thing you might want to do is list your general location. You may find that there is someone close that may give you some hands on help.

Good idea, and done.


But guys regardless of how dumb and backwards it is I do not want to coat these bullets (at least in the beginning). I'd like them to be traditional.

[DaveTNC]

Good idea, and done.


But guys regardless of how dumb and backwards it is I do not want to coat these bullets (at least in the beginning). I'd like them to be traditional.

You might try tumble lubing in Lee Liquid Alox (https://leeprecision.com/1-bottle-lee-liq-alox.html) and see how that goes. Some people say it's sticky and gums up your seating die, others say that if you use a very, very thin coat it helps alleviate the issue. If you're not happy with that then try some 45/45/10 or Ben's Liquid Lube (Both look easy to make, search this forum for them).

(That's what I plan to do. I will most likely look into powder coating later on, but I want to concentrate on casting before I take on something else.)

Dave

[Yooper003]

There is a almost clear powder coat, which might be helpful if you have to increase size a .001 or so. Lee,s alox is also almost clear as is the 45/45/10 mix. Tumble lubing with that seems to work O K.

[bedbugbilly]

I've ladle cast for 55 years - for years over a propane hot plate. I bought one of the bigger Lee bottom pours - for me, I did' like it but a lot of folks love them. I think it has a lot to do on what you learn on. I ended up buying two of the Lee pots like you ordered. I keep one for range lead and one for pure lead for muzzleloading. I should have got one years ago - I love them. Small, take up less space than a hot plate, hose and tank. I think you'll really enjoy using it. You're going about it the right way IMHO . . . learn your alloys . . . I have a lot of respect for those who like to play with such things. I'm pretty "low tech" but it works for me and my shooting. Ladle casting isn't a slower process . . . one you get familiar with everything, you'll pick your cadence up and be dropping a lot of good boolits. I always cast with one and two cavity molds for many many years as I was hesitant about getting good pours with a higher capacity mold. I have several four cavity NOE molds in four cavity and they work great with a ladle and it's surprising how fast your pile of good boolits grows.

Best of luck to you . . . remember that we all have problems once in a while no matter how long we've cast so don't get frustrated along the way. When you have an issue or problem, there is lots of good help on this site. Enjoy!

[Stopsign32v]

. . . learn your alloys . . .

How?


Serious question here

[GregLaROCHE]

How?


Serious question here

This forum is probably the best place to start. Don’t forget you’re talking about boolits now. Search “ boolit alloys “ and start reading.

[redhawk0]

If you want to keep the traditional look....(as I do too for my 45-70)...I use pan lubing. Look up the recipe for Felix World Famous Lube and make a batch. I have an old cast iron skillet that I keep mine in. I just heat it up...stand up all my bullets so the lube grooves are covered then let it cool. I then took an un-sized 45-70 case drilled out the primer and dropped a nail in from the case mouth side. then added a small block of wood on the pointy side so I have something to push the bullets out of the case with. Its called a cookie cutter. This is pushed over the top of the bullets after the lube cools and it cuts the lube away from the bullet leaving the lube in the groove. I then run each bullet through a lube sizer and throw them in a plastic bag with a tiny amount of mica powder. This keeps them from being sticky. Store them in cans/jars/containers of your choice.

They've been working for me for years from 30 cal on up. smaller pistol bullets I just tumble lube with Lee Liquid Alox cut down 60/40 with mineral spirits. I give two coats...then the same treatment with mica powder for storage.

redhawk

[Wayne Smith]

You guys will laugh at this but I don't want to powder coat because I like the "old west" look of pure lead exposed bullets. So I'd like to use traditional lube. I know, dumb.
I'm not laughing - I shoot my 44-40's with BP and cast lead for the same reason - even though the guns are replicas!

[mdi]

http://www.lasc.us/castbulletnotes.htm This should answer a lot of your questions. I cast for several years before I got a hardness tester as bullet to gun fit is way more important then BHN. K.I.S.S. I would suggest starting with a Lee bullet sizing kit and either dip lubing, or pan lubing (you'll have to research these as there's a lot of info on these subjects, too much for posting here). There are sub forums on alloys and lubes which will give you a lot of answers. I started casting in '90 and still don't own a lubersizer and I have PCed a couple thousand bullets (in 4 calibers), but I have gone back to plain old pan lubing and Lee sizers. Been working for me for about 25 years...

[DerekP Houston]

Good idea, and done.


But guys regardless of how dumb and backwards it is I do not want to coat these bullets (at least in the beginning). I'd like them to be traditional.

No biggy, you can use the lee push thru sizer and tumble lube or pan lube them. Pan lubing will probably be the cheapest option depending on how many you want to shoot on average. I'm a fan of the traditional look as well, with a light coat of alox and wiping the nose off after loading they look exactly like plain lead bullets.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

. . . learn your alloys . . .

How?

Serious question here

My recomendation (besides reading the forum), is the Lyman castbullet handbook 4th Ed.
https://www.cabelas.com/product/Lyman-Cast-Bullet-Handbook-th-Edition/1250064.uts?productVariantId=2901658&WT.tsrc=PPC&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=03166314&rid=20&ds_rl=1252079&gclid=Cj0KCQjwquTbBRCSARIsADzW88ynjeAc8H1JYhHGMIRG nGtMckTEk552cWLgPPIWWwD42InbJNIGvosaApHtEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Besides learning all the basics to casting, metalurgy, and loading cast...You'll get a heap of cast loading data.
When I first decided I was going to start casting, this book was recomended to me. I read the first half of the book through...a couple times, It will also give you the technical vocabulary to ask the right questions...because there will be lots of questions...at Least I sure did.
Good Luck.

[murf205]

You guys will laugh at this but I don't want to powder coat because I like the "old west" look of pure lead exposed bullets. So I'd like to use traditional lube. I know, dumb.
Quite the contrary, we don't laugh at anyone getting started in the hobby/addiction. Don't hesitate to ask anything. Every one here had a learning curve when we started. If you like the traditional look, the go for it. The clear powder that Smoke4320 sells on this site will probably be my next purchase also.

[Stopsign32v]

What’s the difference in tumble lube and pan lube?

[44Blam]

What’s the difference in tumble lube and pan lube?

Spending a little while in the Boolit Lube! forum will help clear all this up.

[murf205]

What’s the difference in tumble lube and pan lube?
A good place to answer some questions is the search window at the top of the page. It is a go-to spot for specifics when you are searching for answers. Tumble lube is just what it implies, a bit of alox liquid in a small tub of boolits that are shook and swirled until coated with lube, then allowed to dry overnight. Pan lubing requires standing the boolits on their based in a pan and melting the lube all around them up to the lube grooves and letting it cool or harden. then you "cookie cut" the boolits out with a proper sized case, just like redhawko said in post # 32.
If you decide that you need to size to a specific diameter, powder coating and a Lee push through sizer is hard to beat for simplicity and takes up less benchtop space than a lube/sizer. I still size some in my old Lyman 450 'cause sometimes I just need to smell that smoke that bees wax lube produces. Man, it brings back memories!

[robg]

Tumble lube is the simplest method works for me 308/357/30-30/45-70 .if you need to seat gas checks or size your boolits the Lee push through sizers work well .think of the money your going to save haha.