Cooling an ingot mold

[Walter Laich]

I've found six ingot moulds (four Lyman, two NOE) and a few concrete pavers give the ingots time to cool. I don't try to smelt around here in the summer time, I'd need another dozen moulds, lol.

10-4 on summer casting sessions. that's what our 2 week winter is for

I'll chime in with concrete floors as good heatsinks

[Lance Boyle]

32'by50' concrete heat sink. It's all in the ratio.

[William Yanda]

Well............ I do not spend money on:
boats
jet skis
snow skis
camping stuff
sports stuff
golf clubs
race cars
drinks in bars
women of the night

So why not spend it on my hobbies?!?!?!?!

Many use kitchen utencils with great success. I just prefer not to use them.

And "you can't take it with you"! I have yet to see a casket with side pockets. HA....ha

banger

Noticed you left out tobacco-is that significant?
Just askin'
Bill

[brassrat]

I use thrift store, kitchen bread pans or something that make 3lb-ers or so. I line up maybe 6 or 8 in a flat, short sided, tray and pour water in the pan from a gallon jug. It sounds angry but no problems so far.

[bangerjim]

Noticed you left out tobacco-is that significant?
Just askin'
Bill

I have never been addicted to the demon tobacco plant, so it did not even cross my mind.

banger

[SlowBurn]

I use thrift store, kitchen bread pans or something that make 3lb-ers or so. I line up maybe 6 or 8 in a flat, short sided, tray and pour water in the pan from a gallon jug. It sounds angry but no problems so far.

I do same, but with muffin tins in a tin serving tray - ladle in about 2 lbs lead in each pocket - then carefully flood the serving tray using the Mrs.'s plant watering spout - slide the tray full of boiling water away, tip out the lead muffins, dry and repeat

[country gent]

I made enough out of 2x2 angle I could pour 3-4 pound ingots and the first poured were in 4 ingot gangs would be cool well before the last was being poured. I could run 300 lbs of lead off dumping one and fill dump next and fill once all were filled. The angle iron ingot moulds were welded up on the outside then fine blasted with walnut hulls to give a fine smooth finish. My problem was getting all those ingots ID stamped before the next pot was ready to flux and start pouring. I used a 2 hand home made ladle that held enough to fill one gang in a full dip. The angle iron had large spaces between the vees and air circulation did fine. I would set them on a couple racks I had made that was basically 2 12" tall rails welded up from 1/4" X 1" flat stock these allowed alot of air circulation and hot air rising pulled cool air behind it to allow a vented spot under them. They cooled pretty well. I believe I had 10 of these made up. I would drop them on a garden wagon with a grated bottom. Allowed further cooling and made moving them around easier.

[Mica_Hiebert]

I've herd a ceramic tile works good as a heat sink but I've never tried it.

[MediumCore358]

Put your garden hose 20 ft away, walk over with the hot molds give them a 1-2 second shot of water, they will steam but remain hot enough to evaporate any water left over. Make sure handles stay tight!!

[rbuck351]

I set my molds in a cookie sheet full of water then fill the mold. They solidify real quick.

[Ed in North Texas]

10-4 on summer casting sessions. that's what our 2 week winter is for

I'll chime in with concrete floors as good heatsinks

Except this past winter didn't have many days where it wasn't raining (I cast outside. Maybe I should clean up the barn and cast there like I used to decades ago - before decades of stuff got stuffed in the barn?).

[bpatterson84]

+1 for having the cookie sheet full of water. I usually pour 60# of ingots at a time, and only have 1 Lyman mold. This is the only way to do it with reasonable quickness. Also....check your temperature, dialing down the flame quite a bit helps speed things up.

[Echo]

I use a cookie sheet with a towel, soaking wet, and can put 5 Lyman-type ingot molds on it. By the time I have topped off the 5th one (flooded, for 5 lb'er), the first one is ready to dump. Pick up (wearing cheap Costco leather gloves), bang on bench, repeat. Replace on towel, and cast about 4 more, and the dutch oven is empty.