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Thread: Help!!! lol Stuck ingots

  1. #81
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    Quote Originally Posted by 44magLeo View Post
    Just read this whole thread. The Sand casting sounds like an easy way. The town barn is just up the street.Take a half sheet of plywood, 2x4's around edge fill with damp sand. put in wedges of 2x4 in for forms, tamp in place. Remove the forms, let dry. Cast away.Easy clean up, just pour the sand out. Very slick Idea.Have to try when I get the next batch of ww's saved up.Leo
    Sandcasting scares me, get a piece or two of sand stuck in the alloy and scrape up a set of dies -- no thankyou, I'll stick with the angle iron ones I make, cut a slight taper at the ends for easy drop out . Stack well, ship well and load easily into the pot
    ingots
    storage
    molds
    stacked pre storage

  2. #82
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    Quote Originally Posted by Walks View Post
    I Just read this thread through for the 3rd time. I know that folks cast their own bullets to save money and/or shoot more.
    I grew up at a time when the only way to get bullets for loading was to cast your own.
    So forgive me if I don't understand the pennywise/poundfoolishness of many bullet casters.
    Cast Iron ingot molds from bullet mold manufacturer's came out sometime in the 1950's. Before that old cast iron cupcake pans and other shapes of cast iron that could by used. I keep my cast iron ingot molds clean and oiled, I never have any "release" problems. I have some ingot molds from SAECO & OHAUS that may even be older than me. (64 in March) I use the different brands of ingot molds to pour/store different alloys. I even have some blank one's and a triangle/scone pan to store unknown range lead, which differs in hardness with every batch. I've been buying these branded ingot molds at swapmeets,gun shows & garage sales.
    I guess what I'm trying to say is don't skimp on some thing that actually is an important aspect of our bullet
    casting techniques. Cast Iron is safest and easiest to use. Please use it. The few extra bucks will make life easier. After the pie shapes from the scone pan can even be labeled with a marksalot.
    I have been doing the same thing. Using different shapes for different alloys, and marking some with a magic marker until I got a punch set. I only have a couple CI ingot moulds but have used steel muffin pans with good success too. Steel might not last as long as cast iron but is ok for now. When mama wanted a new grill I got the old one for smelting. (I did learn the hard way to add extra support to the side burner, lol!)

    Almost everyone has an electrical Multi-Meter nowadays. They have zillions of attachments for them too. I picked up a K Type thermocouple probe for it that plugs into mine and lets me know exactly what the temp of my casting lead is. When I started paying attention to temperature my boolits all got a lot more consistent. If anyone casts and is not measuring temperatures of the melt...you're sorta casting in the dark.

  3. #83
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    The side burner on my old or new gas grill took too long to melt and never got hot enough to suit me.

    Having the use of a thermometer these past 25 yrs makes we wonder how did we survive in the "olden days" testing your melt by touching a rolled up sheet of newspaper to it to catch fire to test if it's hot enough to cast. Or the lead must be hot enough if the waxy stuff bursts into flame by its self. Now we have molds designed for a digital temp probe.
    How did our Dad's do it ?
    Last edited by Walks; 02-14-2018 at 01:39 PM.
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  4. #84
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    Our GGran Dads did it over a campfire with damp wood. And we think we're tough.
    Information not shared. is wasted.

  5. #85
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    Quote Originally Posted by mold maker View Post
    Our GGran Dads did it over a campfire with damp wood. And we think we're tough.
    They probably would laugh at us for being so picky, too.
    Warning: I know Judo. If you force me to prove it I'll shoot you.

  6. #86
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    i use aluminum muffin pans and flip ingots out less than a minute after pouring about 3/4"-1" thick ingots. gotta use a pot holder, though.-/

  7. #87
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    Does any one know the size/shape of the lead used by Buffalo Hunters. I've heard the term "bar lead" used to describe it. But what size/shape. I know about the bullet molds/loading tools they used. My Dad had an old SHARPS in .44-77, he used the bullet mold on the end of the loading to cast bullets for it. The caliber is so weird that I've always remembered it.

    RUST IS THE ENEMY. I was raised by a US NAVY vet, who was raised by a US NAVY vet. I joined the US NAVY. They teach you: "RUST IS THE ENEMY".

    RUST IS THE ENEMY. I set out the ingot molds that I'm going to use and pour in enough acetone to just cover the bottom of each ingot mold cavity. While casting bullets or melting down lead to create alloys, I tip the ingot molds to "swish" the acetone around to dissolve the oil. When ready to use the ingot molds I just pour off the acetone and stack the molds on the edge of the big burner when blending alloys or on the hotplate I use to preheat molds.
    When finished I slather on some cooking oil for rust protection.
    You do it your way, I'll do it mine.
    Last edited by Walks; 02-14-2018 at 01:55 PM.
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  8. #88
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    I remember buying a set of mini loaf pans mounted 6 (I think) in a wire frame. When I poured the lead in there was a funny creaking sound and the heat almost melted through the aluminum pans.
    I guess the weight was more than the thin HOT aluminum could stand because it expanded enough to entrap the ingot. I wound up tearing the thin distorted aluminum off the ingots. Yesterday I found another identical loaf pan and bought it to remind me not to do that again.
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  9. #89
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    Quote Originally Posted by mold maker View Post
    I remember buying a set of mini loaf pans mounted 6 (I think) in a wire frame. When I poured the lead in there was a funny creaking sound and the heat almost melted through the aluminum pans.
    I guess the weight was more than the thin HOT aluminum could stand because it expanded enough to entrap the ingot. I wound up tearing the thin distorted aluminum off the ingots. Yesterday I found another identical loaf pan and bought it to remind me not to do that again.
    I had some COWW ingots stick in my first aluminum muffin pan as you describe. I think it is the coating on them for baking or ?? Once burned off they work just great. The melting point of Al is 1220*F, so though the heat can weaken Al, I doubt the problem was it was melting. That coating on muffin pans, loaf pans, etc. is a bear to deal with. I need to replace my work-worn muffin pans (sic, ingot molds), but don't feel like going through the process again. Tearing the muffin cups off is not my idea of fun!!!! Been there, done that!

    Sending PM...

  10. #90
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    Quote Originally Posted by mold maker View Post
    I remember buying a set of mini loaf pans mounted 6 (I think) in a wire frame. When I poured the lead in there was a funny creaking sound and the heat almost melted through the aluminum pans.
    I guess the weight was more than the thin HOT aluminum could stand because it expanded enough to entrap the ingot. I wound up tearing the thin distorted aluminum off the ingots. Yesterday I found another identical loaf pan and bought it to remind me not to do that again.

    we should clarify that "aluminum muffin pan" is not in reference to the thin disposable one-use pans you buy for a buck in the grocery. go to a thrift shop and buy an aluminum pan of sheet aluminum that is about 1/16 or 3/32" thick and designed for paper cups. maybe you can't get new ones anymore. i use pans that my mother bought in 1970 or so, i suppose.

  11. #91
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    Quote Originally Posted by justashooter View Post
    we should clarify that "aluminum muffin pan" is not in reference to the thin disposable one-use pans you buy for a buck in the grocery. go to a thrift shop and buy an aluminum pan of sheet aluminum that is about 1/16 or 3/32" thick and designed for paper cups. maybe you can't get new ones anymore. i use pans that my mother bought in 1970 or so, i suppose.
    These mini loaf pans were the heavier aluminum (not the thin disposable) and at the time I never gave thought to them not being capeable of handeling the heat and weight. They were just another mold size to add to my arsonal of ingot molds. The sound I heard was the aluminum expanding in contact with the hot lead as oposed to the non contacted area which didn't expand.
    At any rate I won't be fooled again.
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  12. #92
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    How to get the ingot out of the aluminum muffin tin

    After the muffin tin has cooled to your body temp, hold the offending tin in the palm of your hand, strike the ingot a sharp blow with a 16 to 26 ounce hammer in the center of the ingot. You are trying to drive the ingot into the muffin tin. The aluminum tin will stretch just a tiny bit and the ingot falls out when you turn it over. I had a 12 count muffin tin that had 3 cavities that stuck. Hitting the bottom of the cavity didn't work. One angry blow to the ingot and it fell right out ! !

    End of the frustration.

  13. #93
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    I learned this lesson do not use cheap tins the 1$ ones are junk and I had to hit them with a torch to get the lead out. Pay the extra 3$ and get a good one

  14. #94
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    I started with the cheap wall Mart tins and had to peel them out like a can of sardines!
    Had a can of spray graphite from Lowe's, can said it was good to 80 degrees, sprayed the pans and the ingots would just drop out.

  15. #95
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    Aluminum gets soft before it melts down.
    Thats the alloy which can sometimes have a melting point as low as lead.
    Used in cheaper things like funnels, beverage cans and by China in making pots and pans for cooking exported to the US.
    Quit using anything aluminum for melted lead. It can soften before it loses its shape and dump hot lead everywhere.
    Seen it happen. Its the alloy that helps soft aluminum hold its shape . Cheap alloy is used to cheapen the manufacturing.
    Who makes everything used in the US now days. China.
    When an aluminum utensil melts , its the alloy that melts first.Then heavy lead melt makes it look like the dam burst.
    For safety sake don't use it for hot lead.How many times you can do a thing and nothing happens. It only takes one time for something to go wrong and kill you or hurt you.

  16. #96
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    Sounds like overheated lead to me. I use Al muffin pans-the 12 bangers. To hasten cooling I set them on a damp towel.
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  17. #97
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    I'm just shaking my head in amusement. Obviously there's still some as doesn't know that aluminum containers are a no-no when dealing with hot lead. This has been obvious since aluminum became cheap enough to make pans out of.

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  18. #98
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ricochet View Post
    Black oil-seasoned cast iron corn stick moulds have worked very well.
    I see those in thrift stores pretty cheap. I've heard they work well.
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  19. #99
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ricochet View Post
    I tried plated steel muffin pans. Ended up with ingots soldered to the plated steel firmly, and the pan was ruined. Black oil-seasoned cast iron corn stick moulds have worked very well.
    Hope that’s true, because the 4 I have won’t release cornbread no matter what I do to them. Seasoned many times, even floating the cornbread in butter or oil or lard and the dang things stick. Maybe they need to go to the lead pile.

  20. #100
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    The cast aluminum Lee ingot molds are inexpensive and work well. We recycle our range scrap and the molds have cast 5000 lbs of ingots so far. Best trick I learned is to pour the ingot, then set the mold on a wet towel to cool it and then dump the lead as soon as it sets. If you don't cool them the molds get so hot in production the wood handles begin smoking.

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BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
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