6-8" cannon ball mold as "ingots"

[filthygovmploye]

figure a buncha cannon balls rollin around would be fun.. anyone done anything like this? have any pointers?

[Dan Cash]

There is a whole bunch of difference between a 6 inch and an 8 inch cannon ball. Are they any good as an ingot mould, ????. Depends; either one will have a whole lot of lead in its vollume.

[Epd230]

That would be neat, and a conversation piece. But, in reality, you would then have your ingot supply rolling all over your shop.

[filthygovmploye]

ingot supply rolling all over your shop

thats half the fun!!!

[Blammer]

would they fit in the pot to cast with? is the real question.

[SciFiJim]

An 8" lead sphere would weigh more than 100 lbs. A 6" sphere would weigh about 45 lbs.

Might work well for long term storage (they could be stacked like cannon balls), but would be hard to handle for regular casting needs.

[Bullshop Junior]

Seems like then would be hard to handle and break down to get ito your pot.

[gmsharps]

I have several 6in containers that are flat on top and bottom that weigh at about 45lbs each and stack very well and they just happen to be 1-20 alloy which I use for my BPCR rifles.

gmsharps

[Blammer]

You'll need a brass monkey to keep your balls on.

[MUSTANG]

You'll need a brass monkey to keep your balls on.

Once you get your brass monkey for storing your cannon balls; you will have to keep it indoors in a warm place or risk the winters extreme (It's 14 degrees outside this morning) and the old sailors warning "Cold Enough to Freeze the Balls Off a Brass Monkey"). You don't want the neighbors to know your balls are rolling around the shop.

Mustang

[Jeffrey]

You're joking, right? There are so many reasons not to do this. 1) As Bullshop Jr said "Seems like then would be hard to handle and break down to get into your pot." You're talking about a 50 to 100 lb sphere (no handle) you will be trying to handle safely. Imagine trying to pick it up off the floor, and lowering it into a pot of molten lead, without dropping it in and splashing molten lead all over you and your casting area or dropping it on your foot. 2) A sphere is the most efficient shape for maximum volume / minimum surface area. A cold sphere will take the longest time to absorb heat and come up to melting point. On the plus side, if you do decide to do this, set up a video camera outside of the splash zone. Once you are out of the burn unit put the video up on You Tube. Or make arrangements to have a buddy put it up with an appeal for funds to pay your medical bills.

[paul h]

It would be a neat conversation piece, but not to practical.

If you want a smaller cannon ball shaped mold that would be practical Hilts makes round fishing sinker molds in weights up to 3#'s. Actually I could probable use one of those as I sold my cod sinker mold and am running low on halibut sinkers. Kinda nice to put my ingots to use in the summer and then melt em down and make boolits in the winter.

[bearcove]

I have a 2&3# Doit mold and a 2# cod sinker mold. Like the cod sinkers cause they are square cross section. IE. Don't roll. I make extra sinkers out of my pure lead. Need some to add to WW just drop them in, and fish out the brass eye.

[btroj]

would they fit in the pot to cast with? is the real question.

If it won't fit in the casting pot then what good is it?

I will stick with immobile, reasonable weight, traditional ingots, thank you very much.

As for a "conversation piece", I keep my ingots in a Rubbermaid tub under the casting bench. They don't belong in my living room and guests don't usually peruse my garage, not sure how the conversation is going to get started.

No thank you.

[filthygovmploye]

ya i didnt do the math on the weihgt....

i guess the smaller diameters are what i should be going for.

http://www.amazon.com/Do-It-Cannon-B...d_sim_sbs_sg_2

i still want to go with a cannon barrel size, just because if i am molding, i might as well mold into something useful right?! thats what i told my buddy at work. he says, i made some ingots to day, and i say, well why didnt you make some bullets while you had already spent the money to get the lead hot????

[bearcove]

That is a good reason to use sinker molds

[hithard]

best chance to find that mold is to look in the commercial salmon fishing forums, the six inch is not a problem. I haven't seen an eight. I will tell you they are a heck of a lot harder to hold onto than you think. When they get rolling they will go through a wall...!