How do you inventory your lead stash?

[USSR]

I'm a little surprised that nobody has called me out for my bogus warehouse photo in my last post, but maybe I shouldn't be. I get the feeling that that's a normal sized stash for some on here.

Nah, it was too obvious, not worth the bandwidth to call you on it.

Don

[fatelk]

I don't know, I've seen some photo's of some pretty impressive stashes on here...

[lightman]

Lots of good ideas Guys!

Grmps ---That's a neat set up. I thought about building something along those lines. I even thought about buying a 12 inch deep pallet rack.

USSR----That's true, many of us are retired and our time is cheap! Stamping actually goes pretty quick. I rigged a ground rod clamp to hold 2 or 3 stamps together and one smack with a hammer per gets them marked. And it's permanent.

skeettx----I've seen pictures of that tool box before. Maybe in the "Lifetime Supply Thread"? It looks heavy!

Big Slug----I wish I had an affordable source for 30 cal ammo cans. I've seen them used for that purpose before.

fatelk----You're the Winner! I never doubted your word even a little bit!

OS OK----Ain't we all a little weird?

Springfield----Using different ingot molds is a good idea but I'm too far along to change now.

Keep the ideas coming Guys!

[Grmps]

the shelf unit is made out of 3/4 ply ( HD has some nice 3/4 zebra ply for under $30) and is 2 ingots deep.
Yes it is a PITA to reach the back ones on the bottom level

[MaryB]

30 cal ammo cans(I got 25 on sale for $3 each a few years ago.Cheap, I don't trust the handle when full of lead) that are currently under a 1500 pound stack of wood pellets... plus I use a cheap plastic drawer unit near where I cast that has a mix of lead in it. Enough to last me 4-5 months and by then the pellets should be used up. Plus I will be smelting more wheel weights this winter.

[JBinMN]

Amazing how all these pictures are so beautiful.

I'm weird huh?

No... I do not think so... But.. WHO am I to say.


-----------------------------------
My lead is turned into ingots as soon as I have enough to warrant the smelting. All are stamped.
Pb. , 50/50, COWW, SOWW, TIN, etc..

Stacked as to type in a corner of my garage.

I only have about 5-600lbs. But I recycle with boolit traps, so I am just fine with what I have..
Although, More is better, IMO.

[Retumbo]

I have a 55 gallon barrel behind the shed full of sorted ww

[blikseme300]

A few years ago using the Lee ingot molds got old quick so I made some molds from 3" stainless channel stock. These make 5# ingots and fit the width of 50cal ammo cans. On the cans I used stencils and paint to mark them as to what alloy it contains. The cans stack well but are a booger to move! Last count I have 44 full cans on hand as well as about half of a keel that weighs about 1,500#. I still buy and scrounge alloy as it has a good shelf life and you can never have too much, IMO.

[quail4jake]

I'm a little surprised that nobody has called me out for my bogus warehouse photo in my last post, but maybe I shouldn't be. I get the feeling that that's a normal sized stash for some on here.

I thought it OK for a petty operation, do you plan to expand to intermediate size?

[LenH]

I currently keep my alloys in bolt kegs with the lids and bands around the lids. They are roughly 7 gallon size metal buckets.

I can get these if they are not bent all to pieces.

[DerekP Houston]

I try to keep it scattered around the bench, garage, and casting area so my wife doesn't know they true amount on hand!

[runfiverun]

I made up a big angle iron ingot mold to go with my assortment or rcbs etc. molds.
the triangle ingots stack together tighter and the stack takes up much less room.
I have a 3'3'x4' opening right below my hand casting bench and I just keep it full of ingots.
next to that is a smaller 2'x3'x'2' area for linotype.
soft lead goes at the far end of the lube sizing bench to the left.
and the 4/6 alloy goes under and next to the master casters bench on the right.

[arlon]

My 2 coffee cans of wheel weights are pretty easy to inventory. (-:}

[TenTea]

I palletize mine, label the pallets, then stack them in my warehouse and track inventory with a cloud based IMS.

Here's a photo of me doing my monthly physical inventory count:

Attachment 208060

You win the innerwebs for yesterday!!! Fine job.
I'm so jelly...

[RogerDat]

I use a marker but I have started stamping awhile ago, at least on the larger ingots, using a cheap stamp set from Harbor Freight. I try to keep up an inventory list of lead in an Excel spread sheet I maintain with Open Office Calc (free software). I do the same for powder and primers. This helps me keep track of what type of lead I need, or what to purchase for powder and primers. I am not a beast about keeping it up to date. I tend to be sure I enter larger amounts, or count primers and powder to bring things up to date before ordering. I also keep my equipment wish list there, helps me prioritize the items. Avoids me being me and buying a sizer before and without a mold in that caliber. Or at least helps, I can see mold and sizer in same list.


I keep a bunch of angle iron bar ingots in SFRB's under my steel welding / casting bench. Along with some smaller loaf pan ingots. Those are all COWW or soft lead.


I store mixed alloys ready for casting in smaller ingots, angle iron bars, muffin tin pucks, on the left end, with raw alloys in ~10# slab ingots from bread loaf pans toward the right. On the floor I store buckets, crates and slabs stacked on those moving dolly's from Harbor Freight. This goes goes on one of these near pallet strength shelves. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gladiato...FQ6VAQod9O0FWA With some 5/8 wood added to help spread out the weight and make sliding lead easier than it would be on the wire shelves.


On another fairly heavy shelf (but smaller) with 3/4 oak flooring for a shelf to make the shelves not bend and bolts under the bottom one to support the middle at 3 points is where tin alloys are stored, as well as casting molds, some PC, candles etc. on the higher shelves.

[jeepvet]

I made some ingot molds form 2" channel iron some years back. My range lead is cast in those. My COWW is in Castboolit or Red Neck Gold ingots. My soft lead is in one lb Lyman or RCBS ingots.



These are the ingots from my last range lead smelting session. 499 approx. 2 - 2.5 # ingots.

[Traffer]

I palletize mine, label the pallets, then stack them in my warehouse and track inventory with a cloud based IMS.

Here's a photo of me doing my monthly physical inventory count:

Attachment 208060

Bwaaaahahaahahaha. You win the biggest chunk o' lead award. Unless there is someone here who owns a mine and smelting factory.
For you other guys, I admire your organization skills. I just pour mine into muffin tins and write the hardness on them with a cheap whiteout pen. Along with any other distinguishing characteristics like if they have a high tin concentration or something.

[WJP]

I'm still debating on what to do. For the past few years it's been in labeled ammo cans and 5 gallon buckets. Then there is the stuff I've picked up from other casters that I keep sorted to themselves. Most did a good job labeling their stuff but I still don't mix it with known stuff just in case.

[Digger]

Attachment 208175

Yep , milk crates , 2 pound ingots .... another half a crate since this pic was taken.

[RogerDat]

I put wood boards under the legs of the bigger shelf to avoid concentrated pressure on concrete floor by spreading out the weight a bit but I'm thinking some folks need to worry about just the total weight sitting on their floors.

"wow that is neat, you have a garage with an oil change pit. What is all that stuff stacked down there?"