reccomend a new caster a good book that will teach me the fundamentals...

[par0thead151]

I have my lead(a whole lot of WW), am settled on the RCBS promelt 20# pot, and have 6 cavity aluminum 9 mm moulds ourdered up.
i need flux, some use sawdust or wax i hear?
i want to get a book that teaches me step by step what to do to be successful at casting boolits. what book is the best?
thanks

edited to add:
what is the most efficient way of smelting the lead to ingots? i will not be putting dirty lead into my lee pot, so is the turkey frier method the best?

[codgerville@zianet.com]

I suggest Lyman's cast bullet handbook.

[GP100man]

what got me intrested was Lymans 46th edition , got a suitable pot , a ladle , & one lee 2holer mold .
I LIKEY!!! , the rest is history , so to speak!!!

GP100man:castmine:

[docone31]

Me also. Great reading!
Most of the information is on here. A lot of "this happened to me" "what can I do?"
Lot of good folks here, with some valuable advice. They sure helped me.
That Lyman book is a great resource.
Keep the primary melt from the casting source!
That seems to be the major source of casting pot malfunction. Let the crud float to the top in the melting pot, less is transferred to the casting pot. There is always scale, or slag on top of the melt. Lead oxidizes rapidly. I used to use sawdust but I switched to Kitty litter. Just my way.
It is much simpler than most folks make it. At least from what I have read.
Watch the sprues. They tell you when to cut them. I like to cast with lots of heat in the mold. When the casting does not freeze in the mold, too hot!
Clean the mold!!! I use brake cleaner to do that. I have tried just for hars and giggles to cast with an uncleaned mold. It just takes longer to get quality castings. I also, if I get a mold that will not co operate, I cast through a 1/4-20 nut to fill the cavity, let the mold cool down, remove the casting and smear a little Clover Lapping compound. I gently rotate the casting.
Seems to be remarkeable with those hard to remove wrinkles.
With what you are casting for, wheel weights, water dropped. Good fillout, good shooting.
Sizing is KEY!
I size my 9mm to .356. The Lee mold drops that just about there anyway. I pan lube and size with the lube in place.
This forum has about everything you will need to know to start, your experience will help you with speed and comfort.
Welcome, and enjoy.

[Gunslinger]

+1 for the Lyman cast bullet handbook. I also have Veral's book which is very good. This is however for the more experienced caster, as the book skips the basics.

The turkey frier is the ONLY way to smelt into ingots. No matter what you smelt, it'll contain stuff you do not want near your casting furnace.

After I recieved the Lyman cast book manual I realized that after 3 months reading (okay, extensive reading) on this forum, I really have no need for it. Not as much as I would had I not found this place. I'm not saying don't get the book, I'm glad I got it. It was just to paint a picture of how much knowledge there's available here!

So before anybody else does it, I'll say these words: Welcome to the addiction :castmine:

[missionary5155]

Greetings and WELCOME parOthead151 !
There is not much to add... I have 2 books down here in Peru.. Lymans Cast and another I look at about 4 times a year.
And I read here everyday and am everyday writting something down I care not to forget.
Thanks EVERYONE for making this sight a Living Casting Encyclopedia.
Mike God Bless you.

[opentop]

cant go wrong with the Lyman cast hand book, but you'll learn much more from this site.

[par0thead151]

well looks like i might save the 20
$ and get the advanced casting book then, as i am a quick learner...
as far as fluxing, the purpose of doing that is to ensure proper fillout in the moulds and so the lead does not stick to the ingots and mould?
i have read some people flux when making ingots as well as when casting bulets as well.
what is the best flux material to use?
i live in a residential area and my neighbors are suburbanites who i do not want knowing i am casting. this means i will probably have to smelt somewhere besides my house, which is not that big of a deal, i have a friend who owns a rural home to do the dirty work.
howmuch smoke will i make with the casting furnace when making the finished boolits

[docone31]

I do all my primary melting on my kitchen stove. I open the windows, turn on the vent system, and clean up afterwards.
I find it helps to use some oil on top of the stove. It makes clean up real fast.
Fluxing does not insure proper fillout. Even with my gold and silver castings, fluxing does nothing except tighten the button.
Fluxing is used to blend materials, clean the melt, and prevent oxidation. Some folks sprinkle flux on ingots to make the surface shiney. However, it only stays shiney for a short time.
Wash you wheel weights in a bucket. When I do that, I keep filling the bucket and then let it sit, refill it, let it sit. The water floats a lot of stuff to the top.
Let them dry, then melt.
Caution!
Damp wheel weights are not good to put in the melt. They will go under the surface damp, and the steam will make a pop!. If you are lucky, no burns.
Water will turn into steam in lead. Steam expands rapidly. It produces what we call here, the infamous TINSEL FAIREY!!!!
Right up there with the **** FAIREY. They are brother and sister, both bad news. Not good to even play with them, let alone let them in the house.

[par0thead151]

ok, so i need to order the promelt. im going all in tonight, finding the best source for a 6 cavity 9 mm and 45 mould. and ordering the promelt after i scrounge around for the best deal
any chance a vendor will sell all the items i need for a reduced cost?
i need the furnace, 9 mm 6 cav, 45 cal 6 cav, handles for the 6 cav, ladle, and thermometer.

edited to add:
i would like to get the star luber/sizer as it is the most efficient hard lube available.
is there any drawbacks to going toe star luber/sizer i should know about, compared to say tumble lube?
thanks for all the info, this places is indeed invaluable resource.

[the_ursus]

I posted the same question a month ago and ended up with the Lyman handbook. Seems like I pick it up, on the average, once a day to reference something. A great book to have in the library.

[docone31]

Save your money, go Lee. Get the double cavities instead of the six bangers to start with. Since this is the first foray into casting for you, make it easy on yourself. I still use my first 20lb Lee Pot.
I can really crank out with the two holers.
Pan lubeing and the Push Thru Sizers are a very simple system.

[snaggdit]

I can't speak to the 6 holers myself, but find as a relative beginner that 2 cavs do fine for me. I get good production vs time and it is easy to get into a rythm. I bought a Lee bottom pour pot that works very well (and the price at Wideners was good). I also use the Lee push through sizers with Lee Liquid Alox and they shoot fine. As Docone31 says, you can always pan lube. Again, can't speak to the star luber/sizer, but the way I am doing it works and cost less to begin. Who knows, will probably upgrade somewhere down the line, but for starters there is enough expense... I always tell myself after the first 200ish boolits I just paid for the new mold!

[targetshootr]

Imo, the best reference for the basics is Goatlips site:

http://goatlipstips.cas-town.com/smelting.html

[snaggdit]

+1 Goatlips. Well done site.

[booboo1000]

Dacone's post scares me to death. Washing W/W... Oh my god, if you do be sure you get them dry, and I mean dry, any water into a pot of melted lead is not only dangerous it is deadly. Use a little bit of pure bees wax to flux the melted lead, both in your smelting pot and your pouring pot, just put a little bit on top, a bit smaller than your little finger, light it with a wooden match, if you want you can leave the match on top of the lead, as it will turn into pure charcoal. Wheel Weights are usually dirty, some have rubber backing, some grease gets into the mixture, so I always smelt my wheel weights, linotype, ect, in my garage with the doors open, if you do a good job of fluxing, by that I mean scrape the sided of the pot during smelting, also the bottom, get all of tht gunk to floating, then burn it off, you will have very little fluxing to do in your basement when running bullets. Stay away from that water.

[docone31]

Did you miss post #9?

[snaggdit]

With washing, I think the emphasis needs to be repeated on DRY them before smelting. If you choose to wash, fine. Make sure they are DRY. I, personally would set them by the woodstove for a day or 2. If you choose not to wash, smelt outside or with GOOD ventilation. I prefer the 2nd route, since it does not involve waiting. I hate waiting...

[Larry Gibson]

Did anyone mention Lyman's Cast Bullet handbook? Just want to mention it again because it has all the basics plus much more. Lyman has been "into" casting bullets longer than anyone else. If you start with the Lyman you will be much better off than with any of the others. They ok to get too, down the road but the Lyman is the only way to begin.

Larry Gibson

[par0thead151]

Dacone's post scares me to death. Washing W/W... Oh my god, if you do be sure you get them dry, and I mean dry, any water into a pot of melted lead is not only dangerous it is deadly. Use a little bit of pure bees wax to flux the melted lead, both in your smelting pot and your pouring pot, just put a little bit on top, a bit smaller than your little finger, light it with a wooden match, if you want you can leave the match on top of the lead, as it will turn into pure charcoal. Wheel Weights are usually dirty, some have rubber backing, some grease gets into the mixture, so I always smelt my wheel weights, linotype, ect, in my garage with the doors open, if you do a good job of fluxing, by that I mean scrape the sided of the pot during smelting, also the bottom, get all of tht gunk to floating, then burn it off, you will have very little fluxing to do in your basement when running bullets. Stay away from that water.

is it safe to cast ingots into bullets indoors?

[Hang Fire]

Starting to feel a bit ancient, still going by my old dog-eared Third Edition Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook I bought new back in 1980.

[snaggdit]

Once I have converted WW to ingots outside, I do not smell any odors casting into boolits in my garage, other than some flux odors. We don't smoke in the house, so my wife will join me occasionally as I cast and she does not notice an odor either. I cannot speak to safety, but I am under the assumption that the real bad stuff is the oxidized lead (the aging patina of the WW) and once you have that smelted and skimmed off, the remaining lead is pretty clean. Don't lick your fingers...

[dromia]

If you want a book then the Lyman is the only show in town at present, there are others all with interesting takes on the job and their own nuggets of information but the Lyman is the most comprehensive.

The American NRA publication Cast Bullets by Col E.H.Harrison is very good if you can get a copy it being out of print.

Joe Brennan's assimilation of cast boolit practice is also a useful source and is free for download.

[booboo1000]

I have my lead(a whole lot of WW), am settled on the RCBS promelt 20# pot, and have 6 cavity aluminum 9 mm moulds ourdered up.
i need flux, some use sawdust or wax i hear?
i want to get a book that teaches me step by step what to do to be successful at casting boolits. what book is the best?
thanks

edited to add:
what is the most efficient way of smelting the lead to ingots? i will not be putting dirty lead into my lee pot, so is the turkey frier method the best?

You might want to consider a 1 or 2 cavity mold to start, as bullet running is a matter of timing, and setting up a routine. To flux slag off of the top of your 20# pot try a little bit of bees wax and then when it has melted, light with an old wooden kitchen match, and let the match stick drop into the slag, as it will turn into charcoal and pull out more slag, after lighting stir the devil out of it, both walls and bottom, and get that slag up on top.