Nice day today so I spent some time cleaning up my shed / casting shop and getting some smelting done, I love this time of year for smelting because it is not too warm and the breeze wafts away the noxious fumes. Had some old divers weights, roof flashing, a sash weight. sprues and some range lead. Got about 3 dozen ingots of clean alloy. I have a boat load of more raw materials (especially range lead), but only so much time today. My ingots are old muffin pans that I found in the trash. My pot is a rusty dutch oven that I also found in the trash.
My shop. It is a shed attached to my garage. Originally it was full of **** until I cleaned it out. I also built the entrance which was just open. Put in some framework and screening to keep the critters out.. Lots of air movement when casting especially if I use a fan. Gets cold in the winter, but I pick my days. Most of the year it is fine. It is nice to have a well ventilated spot outside of my house to cast. It is not visible in the picture, but I have shop lights over the work area. I keep my Lee molds there also, but my good molds are in the house in a plastic tub with a dessicant. Keeps them rust free without a preservative. I mostly ladle pour because I cast a lot of large caliber black powder bullets, but I have a large and small bottom pour furnace also (you can see them at the far end of the shelf). I feel very lucky to have such a good space. I smelt in the driveway on a large steel plate (under the leaves). That way the alloy droppings do not get on the driveway pavement. The bucket next to the chair with the leather apron on top is full of ingots of the mixed alloy described above. I use it for handgun bullets like .45 Colt and .455 Webley as well as .43 Mauser, .43 Beaumont, 45/70 and .577/450. The larger ingots on the shelf are from Rotometals and are specific alloys such as pure lead for .577 Snider and 1/20 and 1/40 for 50/90SS and 40/70SS.
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Originally Posted by el34
