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Thread: Need a protective finish for new casting bench

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy BrutalAB's Avatar
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    Need a protective finish for new casting bench

    So today I realized that my casting table is about a foot too small and have decided one of my spring projects will be to build a new one. I have always used polyurethane in the past but have absolutely zero knowledge about its ability to withstand heat from sprues and hot molds. Or if there is even a finish that can withstand the heat or if it will even protect the wood underneath. Does anyone have experience on this matter?

    Tldr; I want a clear coat to protect wood from hot molds.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master OS OK's Avatar
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    Get a piece of 3/16" sheet steel large enough to surface the casting area. Smooth all the edges and epoxy paint it or leave it raw but it'll absorb the heat and spilled lead.
    There's prolly a local welding shop near and they can shear the size you need.
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  3. #3
    Boolit Master Sasquatch-1's Avatar
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    Finish it in what ever you want. Then get a piece of sheetrock and place it on top. When it gets nasty with a lot of burn marks...flip it over. It is also cheap to replace.
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  4. #4
    Boolit Master


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    I use a piece of cement board (for under tile) in my casting area.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy BrutalAB's Avatar
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    Anything that will allow the wood to show? Or am I just wanting transparent aluminum?

  6. #6
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    I used floor tiles and grout that I had left over from a bathroom job. Works great.

  7. #7
    Boolit Mold
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    Had a sheet of thin aluminum from a trailer factory that I covered the plywood top with

  8. #8
    Boolit Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by BrutalAB View Post
    Anything that will allow the wood to show? Or am I just wanting transparent aluminum?
    I like the look of wood too. But for a workbench you just have to accept that it is going to get marred. This is especially so if you are going to be casting on it. Put something on top of it like metal (cookie sheets work) or cement board and you can prevent burns. Keep your fine finishes for your kitchen table.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master




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    I used inexpensive laminate flooring for a top on my reloading bench. I just use a large aluminum sheet pan to hold the furnace. A piece of cardboard works to sit molds on. I was going to go with a piece of sheet metal but once I priced it out decided that a $18 box of laminate was the ticket.
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  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy BrutalAB's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lloyd Smale View Post
    I used floor tiles and grout that I had left over from a bathroom job. Works great.
    That's awesome. The previous owners of my house left some floor tiles and I have been using it for this same purpose, though not secured in place. It was my fall back plan for casting table version 3.0 until everyone has set reality in for me. Not giving up just yet though, still got plenty of time before I want to start building.


    For anyone that wants a laugh first I used an old particle board desk that fell apart under the weight of all the lead. 2nd one was put together with scrap wood in a bit of a rush.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Wood Crafters has a 2 part epoxy bar finish that's pretty good its a hard solid coating that's pretty impervious to solvents and somewhat heat. Its kind of a pain to mix and use as its not 1-1 mix and goes on thick (like .030 - .060) and then a torch or heat source used to work out air bubbles and smooth. But its a hard very protective clear coating that may do what you want. I have used it for some wood projects and its a good solid finish. On flat surfaces I spread it with a spatula made for the job. A piece of plexi glass cut with a thin edge protruding the desired thickness of coating then used to spread it. This maintains the thickness and the thin score lines fill in with the flow of the epoxy. A couple layers of masking tape above height of coating around edges keeps it from running off the sides. If I remember working time is around an hour and cure time is 24 hours.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I believe for what you want a piece of 3/4" or 1" chip board would be strong enough with proper frame work under it. and with the above coating be a nice looking surface to see.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I think you'd have a bit of trouble finding "transparent aluminium". If you want a clear coat, to show the wood underneath, perhaps a couple coats of clear epoxy. Personally, I'd use a sheet of 10 gauge galvanized sheet metal.
    My Anchor is holding fast!

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by BrutalAB View Post
    Anything that will allow the wood to show? Or am I just wanting transparent aluminum?
    Unless you like the look of scorched wood, you need to use a material that can handle the heat bits of molten lead. I prefer a large metal cooking tray or the like, makes for easy cleanup.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master


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    I don't know of any wood finish that will protect wood from 700 degree lead. I have poly-urethane on plywood. I lay down a bath towel to drop my boolits and sprues on. I want to cushion my boolits when dropped from the mold when they are soft. A bread pan to cut the sprues into makes collecting them to put back into the pot a lot easier. Having a piece of sheet rock or tile makes a lot of sense to protect the wood.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master omgb's Avatar
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    I built my table with a plywood top. Originally I used discarded press plates from a local printer and epoxied them to the top. That was cheap and gave me a tough finish. After a couple of years it was too fugly to keep so I chiseled it off. I then belt sanded it smooth and covered it with a sheet of Formica. My furnace sits in a cookie sheet and all of the sprue cutting takes place there. Bullets are dropped onto a towel sitting in another cookie sheet. It's cheap and in the event of a pot leak, all of the lead is contained.
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  17. #17
    Boolit Master brassrat's Avatar
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    I load on the club picnic table and roll and unroll some sheet lead to protect and not lose boolits plus it stays cool.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    Easy, get a sheet of bullet proof glass 3/4'' thick!
    Aaron

  19. #19
    Boolit Master


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    https://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-N...eet+baking+pan

    Get a full sheet baking pan. The aluminum will absorb the heat and protect the bueatiful wood top and all the casting splatter and drips.

  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy BrutalAB's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by country gent View Post
    Wood Crafters has a 2 part epoxy bar finish that's pretty good its a hard solid coating that's pretty impervious to solvents and somewhat heat. Its kind of a pain to mix and use as its not 1-1 mix and goes on thick (like .030 - .060) and then a torch or heat source used to work out air bubbles and smooth. But its a hard very protective clear coating that may do what you want. I have used it for some wood projects and its a good solid finish. On flat surfaces I spread it with a spatula made for the job. A piece of plexi glass cut with a thin edge protruding the desired thickness of coating then used to spread it. This maintains the thickness and the thin score lines fill in with the flow of the epoxy. A couple layers of masking tape above height of coating around edges keeps it from running off the sides. If I remember working time is around an hour and cure time is 24 hours.
    Is the stuff you are talking about System Three Mirror Coat?

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check