Still new to casting

[mold maker]

You're not a noob any more. "Ya done got sperience."
Welcome and, come back often.

[w5pv]

w5pv ham since 1975 5

[popper]

I thought about the apron but as I sit (roller chair) to cast, I just use a thick cotton towel across the lap. It will protect against major dumps.

[beefie]

I just sit, somewhat hunched over, with a 5 gallon bucket of hot water between my feet. That's where the sprues and bullets get dumped. it serves as a fire and burn preventer, and it cushions the fall of the bullets. No more nicked or dented spots on the slugs, either. I use a 4' x 4' piece of 3/8" particle board to keep crud off of the floor, and as a protectant in case I somehow let a mold hit the deck. they can't tolerate such a fall onto concrete. At least, it certainly ruined one aluminium mold. When I used H and G molds, I'd quench the mold after filling it, but I'm a bit squeamish about doing that with aluminum blocks. So I just invert the mold onto a damp sponge. This solidifies the sprue and prevents dragging semi-liquid lead across the top of the blocks.

[markshere2]

Don't waste your time with the sawzall, it doesn't work. I am a contractor/carpenter and that was my first thought and attempt for cutting 25# pure lead ingots. I am currently using a hatchet and a 4# hand maul to cut them into pieces.... If anybody has a better method I'm sure a lot of us on here would like to know!

I chopped up big hunks of lead with a plain ole circular saw.

Go slow, wear eye protection, DO NOT let the blade get trapped!

My buddy had struggled with big hunks of elevator weights and didn't believe it would work ... until I did it.

[beefie]

As a kid, dealing with lead sheeting, I just used an axe. Modern day, given the same problem, I'd try an air-chisel.

[monmouth]

I bought the leather apron, gloves and face shield at Harbor Freight.

I am going to get a second apron from them and sew them together to make a wider apron. When sitting the single apron does not cover both legs. I did not have an issue with burns but I can see that my jeans would not protect me as good as leather.

Safety First!!

Thank you for the gear detail, will be heading over to harbor freight. I'm also new to casting.

[Tarkid]

Good ideas here for cutting lead ingots. I've never had to worry about this in many years of casting, until recently. A contractor friend gave me a 37 pound piece of lead. A circular saw. Kinda scary, but no reason it should not work!

[LuvMy1911]

Good Luck on your casting! I'm also a bit of a noobie, (less than 20 sessions of casting).

Each time you learn a little more and have fewer rejects! I made a lotta mistakes, but less than I would have without reading here and learning some very good tips.

However, the time I forgot to smoke the new mold... that was ALL my fault! Was tough getting those out of the mold. I won't do THAT again!

[tward]

Radioteacher, I am also a relative noobe. Used to get a metallic taste in my mouth after casting I found that using a different toothbrush than the one I cleaned the mold with helped a lot! As for rejects, would that all rejection was as easy to deal with as bad Boolits! Set up in the yard last week and cast about 1000 keepers. Lots of work, lots of fun. Really good idea about sewing 2 aprons together, I have the same problem with coverage. Welcome aboard, and good casting! Tim

[Mrupe]

I just started casting also, so thank you Radioteacher for the heads up on Harbor frieght. Picked up the leather apron and gloves, I also bought one of the welding blankets to cover my work bench with. Spent a couple hours melting my lead into 1 lb ingots for later. I have several types of lead to start with and want to match my alloy and hardness to the type of gun and shooting style? I am starting Cowboy action shooting and want this to be the main reason I cast and reload, but I also shoot old milsurps that are getting harder to find cheap ammo for them. So I'm here to learn and have fun.

[chief45]

bought my first set of molds from accurate molds for a 30/30....here I go head first..

[Buzz64]

Welcome Chief - now you get to try some of NOE's and MiHa's molds to "make sure you have the right one"!

[Gmangh15]

trial and error is all it takes

[rick173]

Radioteacher,
I live about 60 miles to your north. Have a good friend up here who is a Collins collector. A few years back I built him a museum for all his stuff. Pretty neat hobby.
On the subject at hand, I use 20lb ingots in a Lee pot. Never measured but they're about a foot long. I just stand them on end and they self feed as they melt. No problems with the method.
Anyone thinking about the saws-all or hacksaw Don.t! This is where you get into problems. Along with the chips and shavings you also are making finite breathable particles. All this stuff about the fumes is just that, stuff. Lead not washed from your hands and ingested or dusted into the air your breathing is where the lead poison stories come from.
Is there anyone on this forum over sixty who didn't chew the lead paint of their wooden toys? God only knows how we are still here.
Anyway Radioteacher welcome and happy casting.

[Walstr]

Thanks everyone for the pointers, tips and tricks.

Melted fifteen pounds of lead on May 26. I used two molds. The first is my new Lee Tumble Lube 124gr 9mm six place mold. (TL356-124-2R 9mm Luger). The second is the two place 230gr .309 300 Blackout Lee Tumble Lube mold. (TL309-230-5R) I think that Midway has an exclusive on this mold.

I made about 300 124 grain 9mm and about 300 230 grain .309 boolits. I had very few issues and did very well.

I added a box fan to do a better job controlling lead fumes and to keep me cooler.

This time I really did a good job cleaning and fluxing the pot. I had very few drips. The lead flowed very well from the bottom spout.

I cleaned the molds in the sink with Dawn soap, used toothbrush and toothpaste to polish the new molds. After that I washed the toothpaste off with Dawn and dried the molds completely. I smoked the molds with a lighter and heated them up on the pot.

Bullets dropped free most of the time. Had to tap the handles a few times but not very often.

I took all of the boolits that did not pass inspection from the first run and remelted them. I had a really good run. Very few rejects and remelts this time.

I did not grip the 9mm mold very well once and created bullets with wings.....they flew back into the pot.

Did not have to use the big ingots this run. I am ready to melt them down in a cast iron pan and pour them into a one pound mold with a ladle.

I know that Tumble Lube Boolits are not favored here...but it is what I have.

Liquid ALOX is a bit sticky....so, I use 1 part Liquid ALOX to 1 part Johnston (floor) paste wax with a 1/2 part of mineral spirits.

Does anyone have a different Tumble Lube recipes I could try?

Here are two photos from the run.
My wife said "You look like the Walter White character from Breaking Bad with that gear on!", then she giggled and walked away. Certain jobs require safety equipment what can I say.

Attachment 72842

Heating up the 9mm mold.

Attachment 72841

White Label Lube offers a Delux Xlox which is 45/45/10, with the "10" parts being mineral spirits. Yes, this dries much faster & little or no sticky issues. I use 2 applications for my 45-70-405 tumble boolits.

[capt.hollis]

yes,,, an Oxygen/Acetylene torch. not necessarily to cut with, but melting them to more of a desirable size very quickly

Don't waste your time with the sawzall, it doesn't work. I am a contractor/carpenter and that was my first thought and attempt for cutting 25# pure lead ingots. I am currently using a hatchet and a 4# hand maul to cut them into pieces.... If anybody has a better method I'm sure a lot of us on here would like to know!

[dsundberg]

I am new to casting and am trying to learn the techniques for getting a very small spread in drop weights. My goal is to get less than a one grain total variability out of 100 .358 wadcutters from a Lee mold. What are the critical variables that I have to control?

[Del-Ray]

Alloy consistency.
Alloy temperature.

Hard to get good weights if you lead is made differently every time.

And temp is a big one. This can make good weights in the same alloy impossible as well.


There's a guide on here somewhere to make a great PID for an electric pot that holds the melt temps dead nuts.

I'm not that concerned. I cut the heat when the thermometer hits about 50 degrees over the temp where the mold drops good. And fire it up again after it gets about 10 degrees away from it (while still above it) at the temp will float before rising.

[longrifle]

casting is a very green hobby, you are always recycling your bad ones