Welcome a Newbe

[strahd_zarovich]

I am in the process of picking up everything I need to get started.

I have my: Muffin pan, a 90% full 5 gallan bucket, protection

Am I missing anything?

[Trey45]

Howdy noob. You need something to melt them in, you need something to flux the melt with, you need a slotted spoon to skim the clips out with. You need a solid spoon to skim the dross. You need a ladle to fill your ingot molds. You need an empty bucket, tupperware/rubbermaid box to store ingots in, you need a magic marker to mark the container what kind of ingots you have in there(if you decide to do something other than straight wheel weight) You need heavy gloves and leather boots. You need a heat source! Something gas fired and over 50K btu. Most importantly, you need a good spot OUTDOORS to smelt your WW. Stay out of the smoke. More to follow from others I'm sure.

Welcome to the forum, read all the stickies, loads of info already written.

[Trey45]

Here, I just dug this link up for you to read.

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

Everything a noob wants to know about smelting. With PICTURES!

[kbstenberg]

A: aheat source to melt the lead.
B: multipal muffin pans. Otherwise its going to take a long time to make your ingots.
C: garments to protect from the tinsal fairy.
D: ladel to scoop lead spoon to clean off clips, can to put clips in
E: pot to melt lead in
F: flux to clean your lead

[strahd_zarovich]

Talk about response time...

I have the spoons and ladles, I have a propane grill with a side burner I plan to use to see if I want to keep it up. If I do I will get a turkey cooker later. I do have a 5 qt stanless pot.

Flux is going to be either sawdust or candle wax.

[strahd_zarovich]

Here, I just dug this link up for you to read.

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

Everything a noob wants to know about smelting. With PICTURES!

OK this is a great website thanx

[Beerd]

wheel weights are heavy. make sure that side burner on your bar-b-q can take the strain.
..

[strahd_zarovich]

I plan to take it easy at first on the grill.

[Wayne Smith]

A 5qt pot will probably hold over 100 lbs of lead. A 1qt pot will hold 25-30 lbs. easily. Be very careful! You will have to reach deep into that pot to get the lead and steel out. A very long handled ladle will be necessary. You won't want to pick it up and pour!

I'd suggest you go to the thrift store and pick up a 1qt SS pot to start with.

[chazmatic]

I use a fish cooker and an iron skillet

[Trey45]

Something else you will need, a metal can or steel bucket to put the clips in, this might seem a trivial thing, until you have a good melt going, and a slotted spoon full of hot metal clips, and no place to put them. Ask me how I know this.

:killingpc

[RKJ]

I'm one of the new guys but I found (from the guys here) that Walgreen's has 1000W hot plates for $10.00. I then went to Goodwill and got some SS pots for $3.00/$2.00 each. Also, Goodwill or the Salvation Army always has kitchen utensils for less than a buck. At less than $20.00 I've got everything I need and it works great. Of course now I'm hooked and just bought a LEE casting pot and moulds and am looking to get a lubrisizer very soon. So much for going cheap. :)

[WHITETAIL]

strhd, Welcome to the forum!:drinks:
And now you will be on the path to good boolets.

[strahd_zarovich]

I am starting at a bad time. I am haveing problems finding a good source for lead. I have scored some small buckets here and there but nothing solid.

[spelunkerrn]

Welcome,
I'm new also. I second Trey 45: a good outdoors area with a sturdy workbench is essential.

[jlchucker]

A pair of work gloves (leather) and EYE PROTECTION. For the latter, one of those clear plastic full-face shields works well, especially if you wear eyeglasses like I do. Spatters happen to everyone to some degree at some point. Long-sleeved shirts and gloves are adequate protection for the occasional small splash--but you sure as h*ll don't want to risk a lead particle splashing up into your face--especially not into an eye. SAFETY FIRST AND FOREMOST!!!

[gray wolf]

Welcome to you friend and nice to have you. I won't tell you what you need cause I don't have it all myself, but then again I ain't never had it all. But I got great friend here and you will to.

[wills]

I am in the process of picking up everything I need to get started.

I have my: Muffin pan, a 90% full 5 gallan bucket, protection

Am I missing anything?

Do you have a boolit mold? It is good to have one of those. Also at some point, you may want a firearm from which to shoot your boolits. Then there is a bunch of stuff about brass, powder, primers, presses, it goes on and on.

I suppose also you have been warned not to believe everything you read here about sheep.

[strahd_zarovich]

Tale’s of a Newbe – Part II

Ok so I went and gave everything a try today.

First off, my little side burner is only a warmer and can go but so high. So, off to Walgreens I go to get a 1000W burner and give it a try. Hell yea that thing works great quick and easy.

Second I scored a bunch of range lead today, but there was a problem there too. The lead was put in a plastic bag and had brass and paper and everything else mixed in it. I cleaned out what I could by hand and put the rest in the pot. Holy **** that stuff stunk really bad burning off.

Third on to the scraping and collecting of the bad stuff off the top of the pot. Because the lead was nasty no mater what I tried I could not get all the **** off the top. I was cool with that since this is only a test run for me.

Last my pat and pan were crazy. The pot was way too small I used a 1 qt. one to start with but the top was to small to really move the spoon around in it. No big deal I have a bigger one. The muffin pan did some weird stuff on me. All the lead muffins come out with bubbles on the bottom not a big deal I guess just a little weird.

I am sure there are some questions in there some where but I am sure I will find the answers if I look a little.

[HangFireW8]

Strahd,

Welcome to the club, I was in your shoes just 1.5 years ago.



Second I scored a bunch of range lead today, but there was a problem there too. The lead was put in a plastic bag and had brass and paper and everything else mixed in it. I cleaned out what I could by hand and put the rest in the pot. Holy **** that stuff stunk really bad burning off.

You get used to it.

OK, that's a lie, it always stinks that bad and I always end up running away when the wind shifts. You come to expect it, that's a better description.



Third on to the scraping and collecting of the bad stuff off the top of the pot. Because the lead was nasty no mater what I tried I could not get all the **** off the top. I was cool with that since this is only a test run for me.

It takes flux and a lot of stirring and scraping to get most of the dross out. One good thing, you make ingots, whatever dross got into your ladle, is right there on top, lots of times you can scrape it off after it is cool.



Last my pat and pan were crazy. The pot was way too small I used a 1 qt. one to start with but the top was to small to really move the spoon around in it. No big deal I have a bigger one. The muffin pan did some weird stuff on me. All the lead muffins come out with bubbles on the bottom not a big deal I guess just a little weird.


Yeah mine did that. I think it is the "seasoning" (dried-up cooking oils) boiling off. After it is seasoned for its new use, you won't see the bubbles any more.



I am sure there are some questions in there some where but I am sure I will find the answers if I look a little.

Or just ask!

-HF

[strahd_zarovich]

Ok Update number three:

The little hot plate works for small pots but really doesnt like big ones. I got the lead to melt in the middle of my pot but the edges would not work out for me. Bought a propain outside cooker and what a difference that made.