kevbo
08-30-2009, 12:10 AM
First of all, a big THANK YOU for all the excellent advice on this site, as well as the info on personal sites of the members (I'm looking at you Goat Lips0)
That said, I'm Kevbo, a guy who likes to tinker with guns and shoot. I did some reloading in my teens using my dad's gear. What with the price of ammo, I decided I better drag dad's old gear out of storage and get to loading again....Bullets were dear back in the 70's but good heavens how proud they are of them these days...when you can even find them!
Due mostly to the inspiration from lurking here 'bouts, I set my self up to cast some boolits.
Being a beginner, being scots, and being cheap (I guess that's redundant) I decided I'd start out dipping lead out of a pot on the camp stove. Rather than spend weeks begging weights from tire shops, I bought some pre-ingoted pure lead from an ebay vendor y'all mentioned. (junkateer jerry) Muzzle loader projectiles were the most pressing need for me, and seemed the most overpriced at the stores as well.
This meant I needed a pot. The thrift stores here 'bouts didn't yield any iron pots, nor suitable looking stainless pots either.
I woke up in the middle of the night with a clear vision of some volcano shaped dog bowls I'd seen. The dollar store had a smallish one for $2.99.
http://kevbo.smugmug.com/photos/634073167_NHDFG-M.jpg
That is a 1950's vintage Coleman stove under there. They made them a lot smaller back then. The dog dish is good for about 15 # of lead with comfortable free-board, or 20# if you want to splash it all over when you flux like I did the first time.
It is hard to see in the photo, but I drilled a series of holes near the top of the outer wall. This allows hot gas from the flame to move up the sides of the inner wall, making for pretty decent fuel efficiency. There is about a 90 degree sector in the front with no holes so I have a place to rest my ladle without burning the handle.
I was a bit short on time, but really wanted to try out this whole casting business, so I took time to run off a couple dozen REAL maxi-balls, and round balls. About 6 rejects....not bad for a newb:
http://kevbo.smugmug.com/photos/634073072_Zo2V8-M.jpg
Ya'll didn't tell me how pretty they'd be! (in spite of the kevbo reflection on them).
That said, I'm Kevbo, a guy who likes to tinker with guns and shoot. I did some reloading in my teens using my dad's gear. What with the price of ammo, I decided I better drag dad's old gear out of storage and get to loading again....Bullets were dear back in the 70's but good heavens how proud they are of them these days...when you can even find them!
Due mostly to the inspiration from lurking here 'bouts, I set my self up to cast some boolits.
Being a beginner, being scots, and being cheap (I guess that's redundant) I decided I'd start out dipping lead out of a pot on the camp stove. Rather than spend weeks begging weights from tire shops, I bought some pre-ingoted pure lead from an ebay vendor y'all mentioned. (junkateer jerry) Muzzle loader projectiles were the most pressing need for me, and seemed the most overpriced at the stores as well.
This meant I needed a pot. The thrift stores here 'bouts didn't yield any iron pots, nor suitable looking stainless pots either.
I woke up in the middle of the night with a clear vision of some volcano shaped dog bowls I'd seen. The dollar store had a smallish one for $2.99.
http://kevbo.smugmug.com/photos/634073167_NHDFG-M.jpg
That is a 1950's vintage Coleman stove under there. They made them a lot smaller back then. The dog dish is good for about 15 # of lead with comfortable free-board, or 20# if you want to splash it all over when you flux like I did the first time.
It is hard to see in the photo, but I drilled a series of holes near the top of the outer wall. This allows hot gas from the flame to move up the sides of the inner wall, making for pretty decent fuel efficiency. There is about a 90 degree sector in the front with no holes so I have a place to rest my ladle without burning the handle.
I was a bit short on time, but really wanted to try out this whole casting business, so I took time to run off a couple dozen REAL maxi-balls, and round balls. About 6 rejects....not bad for a newb:
http://kevbo.smugmug.com/photos/634073072_Zo2V8-M.jpg
Ya'll didn't tell me how pretty they'd be! (in spite of the kevbo reflection on them).