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Thread: Been racking my brain....

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy jeepvet's Avatar
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    Been racking my brain....

    I have been racking my brain for days and have run out of material.

    If you wanted to cast a lead cylinder 3/4" dia and 4" to 6" long, what would you use for a mold?
    "Nothing is more uncommon than common sense." Benjamin Franklin

  2. #2
    Boolit Master


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    Bamboo!

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    Rcmaveric's Avatar
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    3/4 inch inside diameter pipe of either steel or maybe copper with an end cap of the screw on kind. Cut to 7 or 8 inches. Dril an overfill hole at where you want the length to be for reference. Hold with vice grips or a pipe wrench. When you fill it just fill it over a catch pan. Then dunk the cylinder in water ti cool. Unscrew the bottom cap. Push out the lead rod. Recap ams let it warm up to make sure its dry. Then refill and repeat.

    That actually not a bad idea. I will have to make and try for my ingot storage.
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    copper will work but OIL inside . motor oil is fine . need to hold down on concrete and fill. will hard in about 3min

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    sand mold

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy jeepvet's Avatar
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    I thought about the pipe thing but did not think the lead would come out.

    Bamboo would work great but I only have a little wiggle room on the size and there is no bamboo that I know of in our little town.

    These lead cylinders are for another project I am building and need to slide freely inside a piece of 3/4" PVC pipe but be as heavy and short as possible.

    Any other ideas? If not I will try the pipe and see if the lead will come out.
    "Nothing is more uncommon than common sense." Benjamin Franklin

  7. #7
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    Before you try pipe, use a split stick and sandpaper to smooth out the inside. Then, coat with some oil before your pour. I believe that, even so treated, removing your slug is going to be a major hassle.

  8. #8
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    Mytmousemalibu's Avatar
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    Just an FYI, most pipe, like black pipe, galvanized, etc, has a pretty rough seam line in it. I think it would be very difficult getting the slug out. Something smooth like copper would be a much better bet but you would probably be best served using something sacrificial that can be easily split or broken.
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  9. #9
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    Wood works pretty well once or twice. You could clamp a pair of short 2x4s together and let a 3/4" bit follow the seam, to make a mold. Then roll the slug between a couple of plates to smooth it out, or use a fine file.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master

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    With that much surface and the different expansion rates of the materials I think it will take a press to push the slug out. Another issue is finding pipe with the of you need.3/4 black iron pipe may be as big as .800 inside Mechanical tubing would be better size wise. Copper and steel tubes are going to expand more than the lead when it heats when it cools and shrinks it will form a grip on the slug.

    A hardwood split mold held closed with a couple clamps will work short time. As would a plaster of paris mould ( make sure its completely dried ) Here a card board box with the forms suspended and poured to half way point cure and vasaline surface then pour top half and let set up. A couple pins for alighnment helps a lot also. Set this on top of the pot when heating and pour cavities full.

    The last way is to make wax pins of the size and length desired and coat in clay fire let dry heat on the pot to remove the wax you need to leave a fill hole and a drain hole for the wax Plud drain holes with a dowel and fill with the lead. chip the clay off when cooled.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    Worst case scenario you can split the copper pipe to get it out.

    As long as the copper is not clean and fluxed and reasonably smooth the lead should slide out. Light coat of oil should be perfect. Getting the size exactly right is going to be the hard part.

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy jeepvet's Avatar
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    Well, lots of great suggestions. I tried the copper pipe but did not have oil so I sprayed it good with Kroil. Everything went great until I tried to get the lead out. No joy. I ended up getting out the cutting torch and heating the pipe to salvage the lead.

    I am sure the wood would work but I am tired of fighting it. I think I will just get some 1/2" electrical conduit and cut it into 6" lengths and fill it with lead. It will be just a little undersize and a little underweight, but it should work, I hope.

    Thanks for helping me brainstorm this.
    "Nothing is more uncommon than common sense." Benjamin Franklin

  13. #13
    Boolit Master D Crockett's Avatar
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    if it were me I would take 1 inch x 4 inch x 8inchs long flat aluminum stock . have 2 of them clamp them togather and drill 2- 3/4 holes in them the length you want and put in 2 aliniment pins in oppisit corners and there is your mold all you would need for tools is a drill press and a 3/4 sharp drill bit and a C clamp that is how I would do it D Crockett

  14. #14
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    I'd use a Forstner bit to drill a suitably deep hole in the end grain of however many 2x4 blocks to make a bunch of single use molds. After casting split the 2x4 to get the slug out.

    Robert

  15. #15
    Boolit Master D Crockett's Avatar
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    I could not think of the name of that bit thanks Mk42gunner for the answer D Crockett

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    Coper pipe, thin blade zip-cut, split pipe wit zip cut, hose clamp the halves together, fill with lead, release clamps, repeat.
    R.D.M.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    Does the lead slug need to be exactly round?
    If not then split that copper tube in two and hold the halves together with a couple of hose clamps while casting/filling.

    Thats how i cast my lead hammer.

  18. #18
    Boolit Grand Master bedbugbilly's Avatar
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    If to was just for a single cast - or possibly a couple,I'd take two pieces of white oak, clamp together, bore though with a 3/4" bit and make a "split mold". I'd probably wax the inside with something like a good coat of paste wax and when poured and cool, separate the two equal halves and remove the casting - basically a mold like any bullet mold only out of white oak. Or, some good hard maple might even work better as the grain would be more closed than the white oak.

    Charring of the wood? Yes, you might get some after a number of pours - but I pour lead nose caps and have never had an isse with charring of the wood - maple, walnut, cherry.

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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