Woohoo! I bit the bullet (so to speak).

[rattletrap1970]

Well, I finally did it!
I purchased what I believe to be what I need to start bullet casting. Man, I've always wanted to do this and thanks to a little bonus at work and the bills being paid, I'm doin it.

I picked up:

1. Lee Production Furnace
2. Lyman 4500 Bullet Sizer
3. .40 S&W Sizing Die
4. #43 Top Punch
5. A Lee .40 S&W 6-cavity bullet mold (TL401-175-SWC)
6. Mold Handle
7. 1lb Can of flux
8. 8oz Rawhide Mallet

Two very good friends own garages that do wheel mounting, so I decided this might be something to learn how to do. So, you may see me on here with some bush league questions in about 6 days :grin:

I reload with three Dillon 550RL presses with 16 Toolheads. So I have most common (and a few oddball) calibers covered.

Can anyone suggest any other casting related things I may need? I have a buddy who is a tin-knocker that will be making me a fume hood and I have fans to vent to outside. Are there any fume safety issues with adequate ventilation?

Anyway, thanks.

Rich

[cbrick]

Welcome to Castboolits rattletrap,

If your vented to the outside there shouldn't be any issues.

The only thing I noticed with your list is #7.

Can of flux? What might this be?

If it's borax it won't be very far down the road before your an unhappy camper. The borax will coat the inside of your pot with a hard as rock gunk that you will get to attempt to remove with a stiff wire brush mounted in your drill motor. It will also leave inclusions in your bullets. I went through this years ago before I smartened up and threw the Marvacrap in the trash.

Flux you should but I highly recommend plain ole sawdust. It is excellent at reducing Sb and Sn and removing what you don't want in your alloy and it will leave both your alloy and your pot clean.

Rick

[mike in co]

only sixteen tool heads..you on a budget or something ??




yes i have around 40 tool heads....



you will have to explain 3 550's tho....one in small primer. one in large primer and the third is ???


mike in co

[Daddyfixit]

Welcome to the form
While not an absolute, a thermometer might be helpful.
I wouldn't use the Lee pot to melt ww's down, pick up an old cast iron pot to do that with
Have fun!

[rattletrap1970]

Well the flux is Franklin Arsenal casting flux or something. The third press is dedicated to .223 for my Savage 12 BTCSS (and my AR when I finish building it). 40 toolheads, holy ****! I'm also looking forward to casting for some of my milsurp rifles. Also looking into a John Bodine .45-70 around tax time.

[SciFiJim]

+1 on using a different flux. I use sawdust when rendering WWs and old candle wax when casting.

Also +1 on using a different pot to render WWs. Save your Lee pot for casting and you will be much happier.

check out yard sales and thrift stores for:
old muffin pans to use for ingot molds
slotted spoon to skim WW clips
.
.
Heck, the list is endless, but you have enough to get started.
Soon you will be able to add :castmine: to your signature line.

[rattletrap1970]

I will have to find another rendering pot I guess. Anyone have a spare old pot that would be useful for that? I don't mind buying used. I should have got some ingot molds when I placed my order, didn't even think about it. I'll use muffin pans, I don't mind. Ginger bread man molds, that would be a hoot. What kind of sawdust? I have a woodshop in the basement, any particular type of sawdust?

[RP]

Something else you may want to look at is the mould you got a tl401-175-scw that is a tumble lube mould if your going to size you wont need that. The mould you need if your going to size will not have a TL in the number. Casting can be addiction your warned lol.

[SciFiJim]

I found a three quart stainless steel sauce pan at the thrift store for a buck. I use the side burner on an old BBQ grill.

Started casting with that setup and an old soup ladle to pour with.

I got a shopping bag of sawdust at Lowes for free. Just had to ask for it.

[fryboy]

as for sawdust opinions vary but none can deny that resinous woods work best , pine rosin is top in my book ( subject to change if i find something better ) one can add a lil piece of rosin cored solder to the melt and see the flux in action !! but almost any carbon will work ( and that list goes on forever !! )
+ 1 on the separate smelting pot , one great one is the cheap cast iron dutch oven from harbor/china frieght and it even comes with a lid !

[rattletrap1970]

Well I do have supplies from other addictions. I have a thermometer I use for Niter Bluing, Charcoal for Color Case Hardening, Assorted stainless pots with metal handles and clad bottoms. Wood dust I saved from sanding projects (Cherry, Walnut, maple, pine, oak) I keep it to make wood filler that matches. If I can use a turkey fryer, burner and a good stainless pan for rendering wheel weights, I'm ok with that. But eventually I'd like to get an old lead pot.

Not sure what you meant here:

"Something else you may want to look at is the mould you got a tl401-175-scw that is a tumble lube mould if your going to size you wont need that. The mould you need if your going to size will not have a TL in the number."

Not to Hi-jack my own thread but here is some color case work I did in my new Heat Treat Oven (well, new to me).

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac51/rattletrap1970/e8eff107.jpg
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac51/rattletrap1970/b66083ff.jpg
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac51/rattletrap1970/77c965c1.jpg

[SciFiJim]

The Lee tumble lube bullets are designed to be shot as cast. You only need to swirl (tumble) lube them in a bowl with Alox or Recluse's 45/45/10 mixture (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=67654). The 45/45/10 mixture works best for tumble lubing. The lyman 4500 sizes and lubes boolits with standard lube grooves.

For a 40S&W the Lee 6-Cavity Bullet Mold 401-175-TC 40 S&W (401 Diameter) 175 Grain Truncated Cone (http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=569185) is comparable to what you already have.

What you have will work, you just don't need to use the Lyman sizer to lube with. Don't worry, molds are like rabbits. They tend to multiply when you don't watch them.
Try the one you have and then try the other. Either may work best for you. You won't know until you try.

[rattletrap1970]

Is there any benefit over one or the other?

[SciFiJim]

Tumble lubing is an inexpensive way to get into casting without having to purchase a lubrisizer. Since you already have the lubrisizer, that doesn't really apply. It is also faster to lube large numbers of boolits. It also is messier.
I like having a nice colored lube on the boolit. Others don't care and would rather have the larger amount of boolits. I also prefer using a lubrisizer for rifle boolits.

[cbrick]

Well the flux is Franklin Arsenal casting flux or something.

Yep, borax.

Mucho problems with borax. 1, gunk up your pot and your tools something horrible. 2, will remove rather than reduce tin and antimony right along with the stuff you do want to remove (reduce and remove are opposites). 3, better at attracting water than a sponge. 4, water and molten lead DO NOT play together well and when they do come together the tinsel fairy also joins in on the fun. Well, not so much fun for you but they have good time. 5, the gunk will cause inclusions in your bullets.

I used Marvacrap for several years until I discovered Sunday afternoons were better spent at the range or the casting bench as opposed to spending the time with the drill motor and a stiff wire wheel. If you insist on using the borax once you get to the wire wheel stage . . . DO NOT BREATH THE DUST. Get under your table saw and collect some free, better flux.

Big +1 for the thermometer.

Rick

[rattletrap1970]

I just got word from a friend of mine who is a Autoshop instructor at a nearby High School that he has buckets of wheel weights. So I don't believe materials will be huge issue.

Thanks for the info on the tumble lube mold, I was wondering about those small grooves. I'll try it out and see how it works for me. I'm sure it will not be the last mold I get. I still have to get some for .32, .380/9mm, .38/.357, .44, and .45

That's not even delving into my milsurp rifles. I am rather intrigued by the thought of that.

So as far as the tumble in lube type bullets, How exactly is that done again? And with what type of lube?

[Freightman]

And the addiction begins!

[Moonie]

Great sticky on tumble lubing:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=67654

[rattletrap1970]

That was awesome, that's exactly what I needed.. Pictures.
I count about 13 molds that I'll eventually need. So 13 Top Punches and roughly 6 sizers.
Oh my god.. What have you people done to me? LOL

[Moonie]

rattletrap1970, I'm going to get you into a real addiction, check out our custom mold makers on here. Their molds are true works of art. Mihec makes some amazing molds, like Lays chips, you can't have just one.

fortunately for our budget SWMBO has decreed no more for awhile, I really need that 40 caliber HP one though...

[rattletrap1970]

You know it's a shame that I didn't get on the casting bandwagon earlier. I remember going to flea markets and seeing bullet molds many times. Now I'm going to keep my eyes open. 3 more days till my stuff gets here. It's actually a good thing that I started with the tumble lube bullets, the sizer is back ordered. So, I'll still get to do something.
I going to go to the thrift store and pick up a nice stainless steel pot and ladle and do my rendering on a turkey fryer out on my deck for now. At least I'll have everything all ready for when the main goodies arrive.
1. As far as release agents for the bullet molds, I do have some teflon spray mold release. Is there some other concoction that is the preferred method?
2. I've heard it's better to pre-warm the molds a bit prior to pouring. How warm should they be? Just above room, just shy of comfortable to hold?
3. How long to let the mold cool? Or is this a "trial and error, you get the feel for it" kind of thing?

[cbrick]

1. Release agents? Yes, there is a prefered method. Nothing, clean your molds properly and keep them clean, add nothing. Do yourself a favor and don't even let that teflon spray in the same room as your bullet molds much less in your molds.

2. How warm should they be? About 400 degrees or so. You won't want to hold it very long even wearing a leather glove, only Crash Corrigan can do this and even he changed his ways. Yes, wearing leather gloves is suggested.

3. The mold is warm enough to cast when the sprue puddle takes 4-6 seconds to freeze. Yes, it is kind of a trial and error thing but it'll not take long to get the hang of it.

Rick

[AndyC]

1. As far as release agents for the bullet molds, I do have some teflon spray mold release. Is there some other concoction that is the preferred method?
2. I've heard it's better to pre-warm the molds a bit prior to pouring. How warm should they be? Just above room, just shy of comfortable to hold?
3. How long to let the mold cool? Or is this a "trial and error, you get the feel for it" kind of thing?
Look for threads here on Lee-menting - how to prepare your molds before starting to cast for the first time. Very easy and it works very well to help the boolits just drop free of the mold.

You'll also smoke your molds ie. use a long match or BBQ lighter to coat the inside faces of the mold with carbon - this also helps the boolits to release.

The mold heat is a trial-and-error thing, but doesn't take long nor is it hard - just cast a few times until the boolits are wrinkle-free. The earlier wrinkled boolits go back in the pot to recycle.

[Doby45]

You'll also smoke your molds ie. use a long match or BBQ lighter to coat the inside faces of the mold with carbon - this also helps the boolits to release.

Do NOT smoke your mold. Clean properly first, secondly Lee-Ment if necessary.

:popcorn:

[cbrick]

Smoking a mold will only serve to make a mess of a mold that you spent your time cleaning. IF it does help in casting (doubtful) it is simply covering up another problem. If your molds are properly cleaned and bur free smoking it is a waste of time.

Rick

[rattletrap1970]

Well I grabbed a stainless pot that I have used for niter bluing in the past and melted my first WW in it. I skimmed out the clips and any crud that floated up to the top. Then added some cherry wood dust and stirred it, let the crud and ash rise up and skimmed it off. The lead looked like a mirror on top. Then I poured it into two muffing tins (two muffins worth). My first ingots. Tomorrow I am going to see how many I can make with my turkey fryer and a slightly bigger pot (maybe 1 qt). Is there anything about my description of what I did that seems out of sorts?

[SciFiJim]

Then I poured it into two muffing tins (two muffins worth). My first ingots.

All is lost! The addiction is now firmly set! Abandon hope of ever looking at loaded ammunition on a store shelf the same way again.

[cbrick]

Is there anything about my description of what I did that seems out of sorts?

Sounds good and rest assured, that cherry tree gave it's all for a mighty fine cause.

Rick

[rattletrap1970]

Well, I spend a nice sunny afternoon rendering Wheel Weights. Very interesting. I went to a flea market and bought a cast iron fry pan and used that to do my melting. Then went to the Goodwill store and got (2) aluminum uncoated 6 muffin pans. I managed to make 78 ingots that I'm guessing are about 1.4 lbs each. I didn't have a scale to weigh them so I carefully measured a random sampling, averaged the measurements and modeled an ingot on Solidworks and had it calculate the weight based on the material. Interesting how many of those riveted zinc wights are being used nowadays. I also ran across a bunch marked "Fe" (steel). I noticed that if you keep your temperature just right, even if you throw a couple zinc ones in by mistake, they won't melt. I just scoop them out with the clips.

So here's today's haul. I'm guessing 109 lbs, 78 ingots. That's somewhere around 4360 175gr bullets.
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac51/rattletrap1970/9313379b.jpg

[SciFiJim]

Good job! You are on your way. I have just over a ton and my lead stash is small compared to some on this board. The rate I shoot at though, it is probably a lifetime supply. Not that I will stop collecting WWs however.

[rattletrap1970]

Well, the goodies should be in tomorrow. The only thing on backorder is the sizer. So I can just mold for now. The only thing I neglected to pic up was ALOX. So I guess that will be one thing in the next order. I downloaded the instructions on tumble lubing. Is there a hardware store substitute for ALOX in the recipe in the mean time? Do the tumble lubed bullets need sizing at all? If they do, then I guess I'll just wait till the sizer comes in and order some ALOX as it will probably beat the sizer here anyway.

[cptinjeff]

rattletrap1970,

Man, you are well on your way to making some fine boolits.

I don't have the experience most of the guys you are dealing with on this thread do, but I want to add my $.02 as I'm still learning all the things these guys probably forgot years ago. Sometimes advice from someone closer to the beginning of a new hobby can be helpful.

First. You picked a relatively difficult caliber to learn with. Why? It is an autoloader (most likely) for one. These take a little more finesse then say a revolver. Sizing and OAL will be more critical to get proper feeding without leading. A second reason is the .40 works in a (again relatively) high pressure range and that adds to the difficulty of getting lube exactly correct. Don't despair however because you are doing all the right things...especially asking questions from these fine folks.

The advice I really wanted to give is this.....You load and shoot a lot of calibers (very cool) but I would try to stay focused on casting for one caliber (and one gun to start) until you get satisfactory results with it. You'll learn so much and it will cut down on the costs of getting a bunch of equipment ahead of time for the next project only to find out in the end you prefer a different way. You may have to try a few combos of molds and lubes ect to get things the way you want them. Don't give up and stay focused on one gun first, then the other guns of that caliber (if any) and then move on to your next caliber? Taking one gun at a time will teach you volumes and also keeps the confusion to minimum. Enjoy your new passion!!!!!

[rattletrap1970]

I just happened to pick the caliber that I used up all my store bought cast bullets. I will be getting .45, 9mm the soonest as these 3 calibers are the ones I use the most. I'm also going to get .32 for my 1903 Colt as well as my SACM M19525A that I am having rechambered to a custom caliber (Essentially a .30 carbine trimmed to .920 and reamed to take a .32 caliber bullet). Tomorrow is goodie delivery day, If I get to some molding I will put up a picture of my results. Some critiquing would be good.

[rattletrap1970]

Well, the goodies came in and I've been casting for the last couple hours. Definately works better once the mold temp has normalized.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac51/rattletrap1970/17e36eb2.jpg
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac51/rattletrap1970/289142b6.jpg

Now I just gotta tumble lube these once I get some Alox so I can whip up that Tumble Lubing Recipe.

[Dan Cash]

I will have to find another rendering pot I guess. Anyone have a spare old pot that would be useful for that? I don't mind buying used. I should have got some ingot molds when I placed my order, didn't even think about it. I'll use muffin pans, I don't mind. Ginger bread man molds, that would be a hoot. What kind of sawdust? I have a woodshop in the basement, any particular type of sawdust?

Sawdust from resinous lumber is best but any will work. Avoid exotic wood sawdust due to toxicity. Parifin works best but the flames---UFDAH!!!! vegitable oil of any sort, motor oil (stinks like crazy), bee's wax, all work. Don't use the Frankfort stuff.

[rattletrap1970]

I wish I had the money to make exotic sawdust, nah, most of my sawdust is garden variety; pine, white oak, maple, cherry (and top shelf for me, black walnut). I fluxed the cr@p out of it when I was rendering the lead into ingots. It's pretty darn clean. I had no more than a tablespoon of cr@p after 16 ingots worth of casting. The first bullets had some voids and wrinkles, then once the mold came up to temperature it was smooth sailing. Rather than wait for the mold to warm up on the top of the pot, I just kept molding bullets and throwing them back into the pot until the mold was warm enough. I actually got a lot of enjoyment out of doing this.

[Doby45]

Thats cause your new. ;) You will get to where you get MORE enjoyment out of casting nicely formed boolits and not cavity warmers.

[rattletrap1970]

I went to the local gunshop today and asked the owner if he had any used bullet molds as I was learning how to do casting. He sold me a box containing the following:
311403 / 308403 - 167gr FP - .30 cal - Lyman Pope
490349 - Round Ball
375806 - Round Ball
311414 - 150gr SP - .30 cal
311359 - 115gr SP (GC) - .30 cal
308329 - 186gr SP - .30 cal
358430 - 200gr RN - .357 cal
311413 - 169gr SP (GC) - .30 cal
311465 - 122gr OG (GC) - .30 cal - H.Guy Loverin
257418 - 98gr SP (GC) - .257 cal
440B - Round Ball (2 cavity)
45-255-KT - 255gr FN - .44 cal (2 cavity)
311316 - 112gr FN (GC) - .30 cal (2 Cavity)
429244 - 250gr FN (GC) - .44 cal - Keith Style (2 Cavity)
311284 - 210gr OG (GC) - .30 cal - Bore Ride (2 Cavity)
454190HX - 256gr FN - .45 cal (2 Cavity)
J03046 45M - Maxi Ball
Also got 2 Sets of Lyman Small Mold Handles
I tested every mold when I got them home and they all work great. I am very psyched.
I just have to get my hands on a set of lyman large handles. The two sets I got are just a tad small for the 2 cavity molds.

[cbrick]

So 17 molds . . . How much does 17 used molds in one box cost?

Rick

[rattletrap1970]

Oh, geez, I forgot that part. It was $100
The only one a can't use is the .257

[cbrick]

17 molds. $100.00? Geez, that's $5.882352941176471 dollars each.

I hate you.

Jealousy does strange things to a man. :veryconfu

Rick

[rattletrap1970]

The interesting thing is, I've found that molds are apparently like coins. Some are actually kind of sought after and some are more valuable than others. I would be very interested to hear what folks think of the molds I came across. I know the 311403 is an odd one and I've read a bit about it. I'm just wondering about the others. Not that I was planning on unloading any of them necessarily, just wondering what I found.

Oh, as a side note. The wheel weight metal seems to cast pretty good, but they aren't as mirror shiny as some I have seen on this site. Is there more of a particular metal I need to add? Or does this not matter and it's normal?

Can't actually find any info on the J03056 45M (Looks like a Maxi Ball mold, single cavity, black anodized aluminum)
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac51/rattletrap1970/Guns/Cast%20Bullets/J03046-45M.jpg

Oh, I suppose I get the "I cast mine" logo now huh?

[rattletrap1970]

So I took some time and cast 100 Rounds of each of the following (except the maxi ball show above). All in all I think they look pretty OK. I just have to get me some of those flexable silicone baking pans, sizers, gas checks and top punches.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac51/rattletrap1970/Guns/Cast%20Bullets/358430.jpg
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac51/rattletrap1970/Guns/Cast%20Bullets/311465.jpg
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac51/rattletrap1970/Guns/Cast%20Bullets/311414.jpg
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac51/rattletrap1970/Guns/Cast%20Bullets/311413.jpg
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac51/rattletrap1970/Guns/Cast%20Bullets/311413.jpg
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac51/rattletrap1970/Guns/Cast%20Bullets/308329.jpg

[HORNET]

You got some very good molds at an absurdly low price.
Lets see: the 311413 & 308329 work very well in lots of .30 cal. rifles as long as you keep the velocity down around 1500 or so but usually go astray if pushed much faster.The 311414 is probably about the same, but I haven't tried one. The 311316, 311359, 311465, & 311284 are all very good designs in lots of 30 cal. rifles. If you want to part with that 311403/308403 for a moderate profit, let me know, I'd like to play with it sometime.
The 429244 is a good gas check design for the .44, if you feel the need for a GC, like maybe in a carbine.
The 45-255-KT and 454190 are hard to beat in .45 Colt or .454.
That J03046 45M sounds and looks like the Thompson-Center .45 Maxi-Ball. I heard that Shiloh made the aluminum versions and Lyman made the steel ones but can't verify.
I'd say you did REAL good..how come I never find deals like that? I'd tell you to buy a lottery ticket but you'd probably win and find more neat stuff for gloat posts...
It does look like you're starting to get the hang of this casting stuff. The pictures look fair, the bands are getting close to correct. A little more practice and you should be doing good.

[rattletrap1970]

Thanks for the info. I'm really not that lucky. For once things just went my way.I could buy EVERY lottery ticket and not win. What do you think would help fill out the bands a little sharper? Hotter pour in hotter mold or cooler pour in hotter mold. These are Wheel weight bullets.

[HORNET]

The front band on that 311465 looks more like a ding from another boolit now that I look at again. The one just below it (311414?) shows a little rounding on the edges of the bands and looks borderline on wrinkling. It might benefit from running a little faster to build up the mold temperature a bit. Except for the fuzziness on the bottom picture, the others look pretty good: sharp edges on the bands and good replication of the tool marks in the cavities. If the bases are well filled out, you should be good to go.

[rattletrap1970]

Ok, I'm curious.

What Top Punch is used with the 308329 - 186gr boolet (This one looks impossible to find, I may lathe turn a blank with a cavity in it, then fill it with Devcon 10110 that I use for glass bedding and press a bullet into it).

What Top Punch is used with the 311414 - 122gr Loverin Bullet

Thanks

[HORNET]

Lyman #329 top punch for both the 308329 and 311414. I don't think they've made that top punch for a decade or so. You might be able to get forum member 38-55 to make you one if you don't want to make your own. The 122 gr. Loverin was the 311465 and uses the Lyman #465 top punch but several others will work as well. I use a #413 for a lot of .30 rifle boolits.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
A good supply of sticks to stir the pot with.. I use any foot long stick up to about 3 quarter inch... they do burn down but leave aeromatic smells the wife does not object to.

[rattletrap1970]

So, you are saying to flux the pot by stirring with wooden sticks?

[HORNET]

Yep, stir with DRY sticks (wooden paint stirring sticks from the hardware store are good) and flux with dry sawdust. More details on it in other threads, try a search or it might be in the Lead & Alloys forum. Try here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=94826

[rattletrap1970]

Well today I loaded some 7.62x25 tokarev with the 311316 - 112gr FN (GC) - .30 cal boolets I made. Used 4.5gr of Scot 453 and seated to 1.275 COAL. Shot from a mint condition CZ-52 at 30 feet. I have to say I am pleased and impressed. That high shot was my first shot. Always a little nervous with new loads and I flinched. The loob was one stick of moly lube that came with the Lyman sizer melted with 3 sticks of that red rooster loob. Then poured into the lyman (had nothing to cast hollow sticks in). Sized to .308. Was going to chrono but I have to find my lighting kit cause it doesn't work under the range lighting. Recoil was a bit lighter than the factory commercial S&B ammo, much less "snappy" The scot powder burns dead clean, no fireball out the end.

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac51/rattletrap1970/CZ52-01.jpg
http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac51/rattletrap1970/CZ52-02.jpg

[rattletrap1970]

Now that I see the CZ is capable of such accuracy, I wouldn't mind trying wadcutters for nice neat holes. Is there a .30 caliber wadcutter mold? In the 90 to 115gr range?

[lwknight]

Oh, as a side note. The wheel weight metal seems to cast pretty good, but they aren't as mirror shiny as some I have seen on this site. Is there more of a particular metal I need to add? Or does this not matter and it's normal?
Adding a little tin to the mix will make the cast look better and be more consistant.

[rattletrap1970]

How much tin would you add to a lee production pot full of wheel weights?

[SciFiJim]

How much tin would you add to a lee production pot full of wheel weights?

Anything more that about 4oz would be waste. That would get you up to about 3%.

[Swede44mag]

I use a hot plate to heat my molds up while waiting for the RCBS Pro melt a pot of Wheel-Weights.

I use a propane fish fryer with a large cast iron pot to melt wheel-weights and other scrap lead in.
I have a large ladle with holes in it I use to remove the slag and clips.

I save the pop cans and cut the tops off then rinse them out, turn them upside down and let them dry. They make great ingots for the Pro-Melt. You have to pour the lead outside or the coating on the cans will stink up your house/garage then after they cool down and peal the aluminum off.

Good luck and welcome to the world of bullet casting.

[rattletrap1970]

If I'm not mistaken, aren't the metal wrappers on wine bottles (I believe they are called capsules) made of pure tin?

[lwknight]

My wife likes the cheaper ( under $10.00 per bottle ) wine. All I ever found was aluminum wrappers on them.

[rattletrap1970]

I have the local package store wine guru saving them for me. I also went to a flea market and bought some dented and damaged pewter. Then I went to a thrift store and bought two mini muffin pans. They are about 1/4 the size of the muffins pans that I do my lead in. My Lee Production pot holds about 4 lead muffins then I drop one mini muffin in. so the ratio is about 16:1 wheel weights to pewter. The frosting has gone away the bullets are harder and they seem to fill better detail from the molds. Gonna try some 311316 today with the CZ52.