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Tom-ADC
04-15-2010, 08:34 PM
Can I use a muffin pan to make ingots?

wills
04-15-2010, 08:42 PM
They work better if rusty.

Tom-ADC
04-15-2010, 08:51 PM
We have a couple of old ones laying around figured if usable I'd try them out they are well used.

deerslayer
04-15-2010, 09:17 PM
Tom, I like the mini muffins they go in my pot easy and drop the temp very little loading them from the hotplate as I cast. Just my thoughts

bbailey7821
04-15-2010, 09:29 PM
Yup, I like the minnie muffin pan, too. It's just about right to melt fast in my 20 lb pot.

Fugowii
04-15-2010, 10:06 PM
I have a cast iron mini muffin pan that makes eleven 1lb, 10oz (average) ingots at a time.
That's equivalent to almost 4.5 one pound four cavity ingot moulds. I use a Rowell # 3
ladle and it's fast and easy smelting. I am on the hunt for another one of these cast
iron muffin pans. Last smelt of around 400 pounds I never bothered with the one pound
ingot moulds since I only have a four quart pot and when I would get finished pouring it
would be time to fill the pot again. I had a good tempo going and got it done pretty
quickly. I love those muffin pans.

Bulltipper
04-15-2010, 10:32 PM
Muffin pans are great, I know a guy who uses those cornbread corn halves too...

KevMT
04-15-2010, 10:48 PM
Do you know the muffin pan????????:veryconfu:

Tom-ADC
04-15-2010, 10:54 PM
I had forgot about the cornbread pan, I have one we never use has seven cavities,
very heavy cast iron made in the USA!!

SciFiJim
04-15-2010, 11:00 PM
Tom, just remember that once you pour lead in it, it must NEVER be used for food again. I have told my wife that if anything ever happens to me to destroy my lead handling utensils and muffin pans.

Bkid
04-15-2010, 11:08 PM
How do you guys rust them up? Leavem outside with water and dirt?

SciFiJim
04-15-2010, 11:10 PM
Just put them outside and spray them with a hose once a day or so.

Bkid
04-15-2010, 11:19 PM
Does smoking them help drop the muffins?

Tom-ADC
04-16-2010, 12:01 AM
So you guys are serious about the rust?
I understand about the food once its used.

Bkid
04-16-2010, 12:03 AM
So you guys are serious about the rust?
I understand about the food once its used.

Yes they are , it helps release the ingots for some reason.

SciFiJim
04-16-2010, 12:04 AM
Absolutely about the rust. It helps the lead to not cling. Not sure if it creates a barrier or what, just that it works.

Smoking the muffin pans didn't work for me. I wound up with stuck ingots and had to use a torch to heat the pans upside down to get the ingots out. I then tossed them on my scrap pile and gave up on them til they rusted real good.

wistlepig1
04-16-2010, 12:50 AM
Absolutely about the rust. It helps the lead to not cling. Not sure if it creates a barrier or what, just that it works.

Smoking the muffin pans didn't work for me. I wound up with stuck ingots and had to use a torch to heat the pans upside down to get the ingots out. I then tossed them on my scrap pile and gave up on them til they rusted real good.

Thanks for your post on your "luck" with muffin pan. I had to use a 3 lb hammer to get the ingots out of the one I had and just figured that I had done something wrong.[smilie=1::holysheep

steg
04-16-2010, 10:26 AM
I use an aluminim cup cake pan, filling a little more than half ways, no sticking but the pan is very fragile, it flexes alot when pickin it up to turn over and empty, I plan on making some kind of a frame for it, but then again I plan on doing alot of things...............steg

Bkid
04-16-2010, 10:55 AM
How long do you guys wait to empty the pans? I would think the sooner the better.

Tom_et
04-16-2010, 01:01 PM
GUY PLEASE AS one poster said Never ever use the Pan again for food
I TAKE A DREMMEL ON CAST IRON that was used for Lead
scribble on it LEAD USED NO FOOD it ain't pretty but God forbid it gets Garage Sailed
after I sailed ,
The new owner I hope/Pray will read and Heed

Tommyt

montana_charlie
04-16-2010, 01:55 PM
After much waiting and watching, I have finally accumulated two castiron 'bread stick' pans, and two Wagner 1337 muffin pans...like this http://cgi.ebay.com/Wagner-popover-pan-chrome-plated-p-n-1337-cast-iron_W0QQitemZ260575534144QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_De faultDomain_0?hash=item3cab831c40
Added to my two Lyman ingot moulds (with backward 'N's) I feel I have enough different shapes to keep things separated.

Took a looong time to lock in a low price on the second Wagner...

For those who are questioning the need for rust...it is helpful in the thin steel muffin pans, but not required on castiron.

RKJ
04-16-2010, 05:23 PM
I took the advice of someone here (sorry I don't recall who) that used condiment cups from Walmart (4 for 97 cents). They're SS and when full (WW) weigh 1.2 lbs. The ingots drop out easy, are easy to handle and they also fit real nice in my LEE 20 lb pot.

SciFiJim
04-16-2010, 08:19 PM
How long do you guys wait to empty the pans? I would think the sooner the better

Actually, since my smelting pot will not completely fill all of the muffin cups before being empty, I wait until just before I need to use the muffin pan with the next pot. If you dump them too soon, they could still be liquid inside. Liquid lead running onto your shoes is not a good thing. The ingots also go through a cooling stage when they will be easily broken apart if dumped too soon.

Bkid
04-16-2010, 08:27 PM
Actually, since my smelting pot will not completely fill all of the muffin cups before being empty, I wait until just before I need to use the muffin pan with the next pot. If you dump them too soon, they could still be liquid inside. Liquid lead running onto your shoes is not a good thing. The ingots also go through a cooling stage when they will be easily broken apart if dumped too soon.

I just want to be sure,and hope this does not sound to dumb. You heat another batch of lead up and flux and clean. Then when your ready to pour more lead , you then empty the molds that where just poured? Is that correct?

wills
04-16-2010, 08:49 PM
So you guys are serious about the rust?
I understand about the food once its used.

We might joke about sheep, but not about ingot molds.

Regarding the virtues of rusty ingot molds.


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Fugowii
04-16-2010, 08:52 PM
I just want to be sure,and hope this does not sound to dumb. You heat another batch of lead up and flux and clean. Then when your ready to pour more lead , you then empty the molds that where just poured? Is that correct?

That's what I do. I might dump them before I start to flux (after the mix has melted) so
as to give the mould (muffin pan) a bit more time to cool. By the time I get to skimming
the melt (before fluxing) the ingots have hardened enough to dump out. I use a cast
iron muffin pan and a four quart dutch oven. I don't rush the melt because I don't sort
out most of the zinc and iron before it goes into the pot. My melt never goes above
650 either.

Daves1
04-16-2010, 09:13 PM
Just make sure they fit in you casting pot, Don't ask me how I know this...

SciFiJim
04-16-2010, 09:45 PM
I just want to be sure,and hope this does not sound to dumb. You heat another batch of lead up and flux and clean. Then when your ready to pour more lead , you then empty the molds that where just poured? Is that correct?

Yep, just like Fugowii. No exact sequence, just plenty of time for the ingots to cool and harden.

Bkid
04-16-2010, 09:51 PM
Yep, just like Fugowii. No exact sequence, just plenty of time for the ingots to cool and harden.
Ok I got it now.

Cowboy T
04-16-2010, 11:16 PM
Yep, they work great for making ingots. I've got two of 'em.

To make sure I never use them for food, I keep those two pans with the casting gear and never bring 'em into the main part of the house.

Elkins45
04-18-2010, 12:55 PM
I took the advice of someone here (sorry I don't recall who) that used condiment cups from Walmart (4 for 97 cents). They're SS and when full (WW) weigh 1.2 lbs. The ingots drop out easy, are easy to handle and they also fit real nice in my LEE 20 lb pot.

I think it might have been me. I think they make GREAT ingots, especially for folks who use bottom pour furnaces.

All my stamped steel muffin pans are missing the cups. When I flip them over to remove the ingots the cups ripped out of the sheet. Now I have a collection of muffin cups.

Bkid
04-18-2010, 07:48 PM
I rusted my muffin pans pretty fast. I had some steel weights on the ground,when I picked one up under it was a lot of rust in the dirt . I sprinkled it on all my pans. Then the rain came yesterday and today. I got rust now.

Curlymaple42
04-23-2010, 10:34 PM
I just scored a teflon coated aluminum muffin pan. Hope it works. We have a steel one here that is old and as soon as I get a new one, I will throw that one out in the rain to rust up (season it) for ingots. So hopefully I will have two ingot molds. I tried to score a nice cast iron muffin pan from my mominlaw, but she almost clobbered me when I attempted to walk off with it! Hahahaha!

saaman
04-23-2010, 10:49 PM
Picked up some fairly heavy aluminum muffin pans--two for a dollar at the flea market. Steel pans didn't work for me because my alloy stuck to them like silver solder and wouldn't drop out.

another gsxr 1k
04-24-2010, 01:22 PM
I use the Elkins45 and RJK method. The 97 cent stainless condiment cups work perfectly. The ingots nest and stack well too. Just flip them when the lead has solidified and they drop right out. No smoking, no drama, just tip em over and back to right side up for the next filling.

brad925
04-28-2010, 11:40 PM
I had some sticking problems until i gave the pans a shot of hi temp moly spray. No more problems.

Combat Diver
05-02-2010, 02:33 AM
Another related question here since I'm new to casting. I've got an old rust dutch oven that I throw my range scape lead into. Normally I use my #20 Lee pot for melting but when smelting would it be better to use the rusted dutch oven for ingots?

Thanks,
CD

skimmerhead
05-02-2010, 03:56 AM
hi C.D. use your 20# pot for casting only, as it might gum up the pour spout on your pot. what works for me is i smelt in a dutch oven on an outdoor burner, then ladlel into a muffin pan coated with Frankford Arsenal mold release spray i got from midway, 12 hole pan muffins fit good in 20#pot, you can dump pan after a couple minutes, i use a big ladle can fill a pan in short order, and they all fall out. i once smelted 225# of cleaned lead and they all fell. this way you only run cleaned lead in your pot. here is a little trick i learned when your smelting w w the zinc and steel one's float so instead of scooping the clips and other junk i made a 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch stainless steel mesh wire i got at the scrap yard, and made a basket that fits inside my dutch oven. just lift the basket, shake it once, flux and fill the pan works for me!

skimmerhead[smilie=f:

Combat Diver
05-02-2010, 06:15 AM
Good to know, thanks.

CD

JSAND
05-06-2010, 12:26 AM
I was also having problems with ingots sticking in the muffin pans, ruined a 12 cup pan my first time trying it. It was a brand new pan from Wmart. Read the sticky about Kroil in bullet molds and decided to try it on the muffin pan, wha la, they slid out everytime. Just squirted some on a rag and wiped inside the cups, only casted about 3 pans worth but no problems, if doing a bunch might have to recoat it. If your totally against just letting them rust or need to do a run before they can rust, that'll work.

rondog
05-06-2010, 01:18 AM
So, some of you use muffin pans, and some of you use homemade molds made from angle iron or channel, and I assume some of you use whatever you can scrounge?

I'm assuming here that the most important factors are.... get the lead as clean as possible, and don't pour your ingots too big? And rusty molds are a good thing?

Hmmm. I have a bunch of muffin pans I've picked up at various Goodwill stores, even one of those cast iron cornbread things (I was hoping they'd work for this). And I've been tossing around the idea of making some molds out of some scrap angle iron I have. Looks like the muffin pans win! I also have a beadblast cabinet, I'm sure that would encourage rapid onset of rusting.

Now I need to scrounge some more w/w's, I only have about 3 gallons of 'em. Got some pretty large blocks of solid lead though, some kind of counterweights I was told.

Crash_Corrigan
05-06-2010, 05:17 AM
Bass Pro Shops sell a cast iron skillet ash tray for about $5. I bought 8 of them.

It is about 3/4 " deep and three inches across. Makes the cutest little lead muffins. It has a nice handle for picking it up with a pair of channel lock pliers.

I set them on 2" x 4" boards on the lawn and fill them with a rowell Ladle. They having a large surface area cool down pretty fast and then I dump them on a few layers of newspaper on the lawn.

When I run out of ww's I put them away with the dutch oven and burner for another day. About six of them will completely fill my Lee 4-20 pot.

jr81452
05-06-2010, 06:22 AM
I prefer these http://www.shopworldkitchen.com/index.asp?pageid=231&upc=70950647235

I do large melts and with mini muffins i'd be at it all day. 8 of those mini loaf pans will empty a 500lb melt in 1 shot and about 25 minutes, with nice little 4lb ingots that fit easily into most casting pots. I use a 6oz flat bottom stainless serving ladle with a reinforced and bent handle that cost me about $5 on fleabay. every scoop fills a loaf of lead and the flat bottom means I only leave 1" of melt in the bottom of my pot :)

casterofboolits
05-07-2010, 08:50 AM
I use three cast iron muffin pans to cast ingots that weigh approx. 2.5 pounds each. When I first got the pans I smoothed the cavities with a dremmel tool. Perfect ingots for my RCBS 10 kilo pots!

dudel
05-08-2010, 09:55 PM
You could; but I found it to be not very stable. Lots of flex. I found the cast iron cornbread stick pans to work much better.. Also easier to stand it the pot than muffin ingots.

aziator
05-13-2010, 03:34 PM
Goodwill is my best friend when it comes to smelting. Everytime I go there they have an old rusty steel muffin pan for 50¢. I prefer csat iron but refuse to pay for a new one. I just keep looking at garage sales and goodwill.

When I first tried smelting I was using muffin pans from Walmart and they were sticking like crazy. Rust is defenitely your friend with steel muffin pans.

Edubya
05-13-2010, 08:02 PM
Another related question here since I'm new to casting. I've got an old rust dutch oven that I throw my range scape lead into. Normally I use my #20 Lee pot for melting but when smelting would it be better to use the rusted dutch oven for ingots?

Thanks,
CD
Combat Diver, by all means keep the lead that's going into that bottom pour pot as clean as possible. Use the old rusted dutch oven to clean and flux the ingots that you will be drawing lead directly to your moulds. You will develop the drippy bottom pour pot soon enough, don't let any dirt, grit, sand or zink into your Lee and you'll have a lot less problem. You might even want to clean the Lee out real good if you've already used it for melting down WW or other trash lead. If you do clean it with a wire brush, be sure to use a respirator, gloves, long sleeves and face shield. That lead dust is very toxic.
EW

Digger
05-13-2010, 08:28 PM
Hey there Tom ! , Click on my avatar , go to my profile and click on my pic's album ..
there you will see what can be done with the lowly muffin pan ....
Picked up a couple of the square muffin pans, they come out at two pounds each and stack pretty good .
Teflon coated but took a propane torch to them to bake off the teflon and went about business .
After cooling for a bit , flipped them over , let them hit pretty good and they fall out quit easily.
digger

Tom-ADC
05-13-2010, 08:37 PM
Digger you better start casting your going to run out of lead in no time!!
How many days to get all that together?

Digger
05-13-2010, 08:47 PM
Yeah Tom ! ... that little collection was about a couple days of casting all together....serious scrounging for about six month's
Has become a little bigger since by quite a few pounds..
Achieved my goal of at least a ton a couple months back....[smilie=w::drinks:
oops , should have said "smelting" ... my bad !

Combat Diver
05-16-2010, 02:00 AM
EW,

Thanks for the tips, I'll do that next time I get the chance.

CD

Echo
05-16-2010, 03:57 PM
Do you know the muffin pan????????:veryconfu:

Didn't Sammy D. ask that?