I really can do it!

[jforwel]

Well I finally made my first ingot and a couple dozen more today. I still have more WW and them some scrap on top of that. Then I'll start worrying about casting bullets. I also had very few WW that were zinc. I kept the temp below 700 and only a few zinc weights showed themselves. I figure I converted about 200lbs of junk into a nice organized pile in the garage.

Some good news though, I picked up some more scrap lead and the price had gone down by 50%. It used to be .10 lb and now is .05 lb.
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i11/jforwel/Ingots.jpg

[No_1]

Those sure are pretty. Makes you feel good doesn't it?


Robert

[kamikaze1a]

Nice ingots...You know, I soon realized what a PITA it is when you have to separate individual ingots when it comes time to melt them for casting. I no longer pour too full when casting ingots. I simply pour each ingot full and then dribble just enough lead between each to keep them attached. When I need just one or two or three, I can break them apart easily...

[Russel Nash]

Just curious... what are the length on those ingots (long point to long point)?

And what weight are those too?

Do the rest of you guys ever worry about getting your ingot mould(s?) level both directions before you fill them with molten lead?

[j20owner]

Russel, you should see some of my ignots. They're what you could almost call round. They don't stack very well, but they'll remelt just fine.:) BTW, I store them in plastic coffee cans and i've got just over 30lbs worth in one '2lb' coffee can.

[par0thead151]

nuts, i overpaid when i bought my wheel weights from a local scrap yard. i paid 20 cents a pound for 500#
what is the going rate these days?
im going to buy more if it is 5 cents a pound.

[Boerrancher]

Those sure are perty ingots. I am too cheap to buy an ingot mould. So I use an old corn muffin pan that looks like ears of corn and so does my ingots. I keep my pure and my WW in separate containers (Milk crates) Maybe one of these days I will buy an ingot mould, but right now all my extra money has been going to primers powder and brass.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[jforwel]

Russell those ingots are supposed to be 1lb each, so I am guessing that by filling the entire mold to keep them together they are about 5lbs total. I think the "4 pack" is about 6" in length. I got the idea to keep them together from others on the forum and the web between the ingots is thin enough for me to break for a smaller casting pot. Some broke when I turned the mold over and knocked them out.

Par0, the .05 lb is for pure scrap lead. The last bucket of WW that I got was $27 for 3/4 of a bucket. WW will cost more but maybe they will come down in price too. I have better luck these days going to mom and pop tire shops than to the national chains. The big chains seem to be getting more into the recycling program.