The addiction has started

[klutz347]

I just got in from smelting my first batch of wheel weights and all I can say is that the addiction has started.

I've collected about 50 lbs of WW over the years, mostly from hanging around the outside of tire dealerships while waiting for my tires to get worked on. but hey, its a start.

Spent about a hour huddling around the stove, watching and waiting for the lead to melt and trying to keep warm (its about 20 right now), fluxing and skimming and whatnot.

The little cast iron pot, which holds about 5 lbs worked great and the tiny Lee dipper was adequate for skimming.

I did dip a dipper full of melt and let it harden just to see how much it held. I just weighed it and it was well over 500 grains, more than enough for the double 158 gr .38 mold I have.

The only bummer I've had today is the guy I was supposed to get about 200 lbs of WW told me that he sold them to someone else :(. Oh well, I guess I'll have to go around and see if I can find some more.

All in all its been a good day.

Now if this darn snow would just go away, I would be really happy.

Ron

[sniper7369]

Welcome to the sickness. :-D
I hear ya on the snow, I can't wait until I can cast and load ammo out in the shop without freezing my tail off.

[jforwel]

I know what you mean! I have cast two different types of boolits for the first time in the last two weeks but can't go out and shoot 'em.

[Gunslinger]

Shooting I can do in the snow, but smelting and casting = no thanks. I'll save that for when the weather is a little better and not annoyingly cold and windy.

But boy I do look forward to smelting all my many WWs...

[atr]

what a bunch of wimps !!!!....
casting in a unheated garage with 2 ft of snow on the ground....check !
walking down range on a snow covered day....check !


yea....the "addiction"......guess what, we are all a bunch of facilitators on this site....check !!!!

[bbs70]

klutz347, welcome to the addiction.
Yep, at 20 degrees it is mighty hard to keep warm.
I figure if someone casts at that temp they are truely addicted.
I've smelted outside at that temp, but then I have a heated garage to cast in, I guess I'm not as addicted as I thought.[smilie=1:
Well, maybe.:-D

[snaggdit]

Ok, I did my last smelting of WW outside in single digits, but stood inside the sliding glass door watching the pot much of the time (sue me, it was cold out!). I do all my smelting outside due to the odor. Casting is another story. I partially heat the garage to ~50-60. It is an addiction, though. I do my shooting outside in the snow and cold! Checked my last loads at 10 degrees...

[2muchstuf]

Last Sat. 10 AM, 14 degrees, 15 mph tailwind.
Could only take it for about 90 min.
It sure was fun though.
Didn't take long for the barrel to cool between strings.
2

[waco]

welcome aboard!
i agree.....whatever the temp out in my shop happens to be. when the sun goes down(after im home from work) its in the 20s.
huddeled over a warm stove cookin lead is MUCH better than being in the warm house hearing my wife nag at me...lol:mrgreen: