Stupid question of the day

[35isit]

I already have lots of straight clip on wheel weight ingots. "No" stick on or other soft lead mixed in with it. I also have lots of "50-50" clip on wheel weight and stick on alloyed together. I have been gifted lots of type letters. I believe them to be linotype. I do have some of the spacers with the holes running the length of them. My question is how do I go about adding this to the pot to add the tin? X lbs of ingots to Y lbs of my type metal? Any direction would be helpful. The boolits I now cast shoot wonderfully. The edges are just not as crisp as they could be.

[redhawk0]

Check this out...its in this forum's stickies.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...oy-calculators

redhawk

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

not a stupid question.

"I have been gifted lots of type letters"
are they single letters? or are they in the form of "Lines of type".

lines of type are typically linotype.
single letters are typically monotype.
they are different alloys, but if you are just looking to sweeten COWW alloy, it doesn't really matter that much ...if that is the case, adding 10% to 20% type metal to COWW will be more than enough to make your boolits more crisp looking.

If you do want to get technical, the alloy calculator is an awesome tool.

[Grmps]

If you just want "crisper" ie better fill out I suggest sourcing some pewter (tin) or casting a little hotter.
Sometimes the vent lines in your mold just need scrubbed out

I generally like to cast around 700-720° I have a jar of 1/2 oz pewter (tin) boolits sitting on my bench. if the mold is up to temp and the pot is 720° (controlled by PID) I just throw a pewtr boolit or 2 in the pot and mix it in. I don't get overly scientific for plinking alloy.

You said you have a lot of type letters, I'd separate the types of print metal (if you have a lot of each or in my case mine were mostly monotype (single letters) so I just smelted them all together and sent samples to BNE to have them tested for content now I know exactly what I'mm dealing with) smelt them and cast them in 1 and 1/2 pound ingot and check the alloy calculator for your desired ingredients

[35isit]

Thanks for the replies. I use my "alloy" for different boolits. I want to keep the base the same and add my sweetener as I go. They are in single letters. So I believe they are Monotype. So i will add about 10% or so and experiment how they work out. My boolits shoot fine as I said. Just not crisp as they can be.

The people here are the best.

[Larry Gibson]

As mentioned if you are just wanting to add tin you would be better off sourcing the tin from solder, pewter or pure tin. Adding the linotype/monotype is going to also add antimony. Your alloy will then have a greater % of antimony than tin. By adding 2 % tin or lead/tin (solder or pewter so there is 2% tin added) to your COWW alloy you will have basically a 95/2.5/2.5 alloy. It will cast very well. Adding 1 to 1.5% tin to your 50/50 alloy will give and excellent softer alloy that also will cast much better.

The linotype/monotype can be used with lead (stick-ons work fine) and tin to make #2 alloy or 95/2.5/2.5.....either of which are excellent alloys.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Having been a plumber for the last job that I retired from after 35 years I had more than just a few partial `lead free` solder rolls laying in my shop. When I`m casting and want to add some tin to the alloy I unwind 2 or 3 wraps around my hand of the solder and add it to the pot. I bring it up to temp again and watch the results, I either add more solder or merrily cast away with what I`ve got. Not exactly `Rocket Science` with what I do - but it works for me!Robert

[lightman]

The above suggestions of using tin are good ones. If you choose to go with the type I would start at 5% and work up. The alloy calculator is a great tool.

[georgerkahn]

I have been casting bullets for -- hard for me to believe -- roughly 42 years -- and still have not gotten a handle on really making an alloy. Early in the game, I reckoned there is a difference between, say, making a cake, and making bullets. If the cake flops, you need to procure new eggs, butter, flour, sugar -- and shortening, etc. -- but, if I'm not happy with the bullets, NO WORRIES! -- they just get gently placed back in the pot for tuning and hopefully recast into a better rendition. (Chalk up the few pennies for electricity consumed, and time, to "education"). A wonderful outfit called RotoMetals -- https://www.rotometals.com/bullet-casting-alloys/ -- sells tin, and, an alloy they call Superhard. I purchased several lead hardness testers through the years to complement my thumbnail, and the one I use most is that purveyed by Cabine Tree. My thought -- which may be way off base -- is for my revolver bullets I want soft alloy; hi velocity, generally with gas check, I want a stouter alloy; and -- for the rifles I cast for, a still harder alloy. So, I start with COWW, to which I add a wee amount of tin, and that takes care of mid-range revolver and semi-auto stuff. For harder needs, I mix in some SuperHard. If you really wish to pursue, the Los Angeles Silhouette Club has a free guide on line, as well the entire Glenn Fryxall book on casting -- worth your read, perhaps? The URL is http://www.lasc.us/ArticleIndex.htm
I've never gotten tooooo excited vis alloys, but two caveats need mentioning: 1st, I ONLY cast bullets for ME -- so, I'm the only critic. And 2, most of my firearms surely would be considered of not the highest quality -- e.g., my interest is shooting a Remington Model 14 in .32 Remington, made in 1919, getting holes in paper at a reasonable (I usually shoot 75 yards) range. No African Safaris, 600-yard shoots, or the like for me....
Good luck!
geo