Range lead recovery

[Blackhawk357]

I am currently using a homemade sifting box consisting of 2x4's and hardware wire. I would like an electric dirt sifting setup. Please share your ideas or construction plans to build a portable one. Thank you in advance.

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[ole_270]

Powered would be nice, I built mine out of 1x4's so it's a bit lighter. Big problem here has been the weather, only been a couple times all summer that it was dry enough to use the sifter. That heavy clay bank just wads up around anything you dig.

[jdfoxinc]

I made a trammel out of 1/4" expanded metal, a H.F. small concr3at mixer and 3 16" bicycle rims. Use a 5000 wat peak inverter to power it.

[Blackhawk357]

I made a trammel out of 1/4" expanded metal, a H.F. small concr3at mixer and 3 16" bicycle rims. Use a 5000 wat peak inverter to power it.

Can you share a picture?

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[lightman]

When I last collected range lead I just picked it up by hand after a rain. This was back when Bullseye was still a big thing and most of these bullets were 45's and 38's. It was pretty easy to pick up more that you could carry in 30 minutes of so. A powered shaker/sifter would be nice!

[Sig556r]

Following...

[Alan in Vermont]

Can you share a picture?

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+1 for pics!

[Conditor22]

One range just drilled holes in a cement mixer, you'll have to use a screen later to get the rest of the debris out
https://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/...-ze0z1503zcwil


https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-ar...-15489705.html

How to Build a Motorized Trommel—And Why on Earth You Would Want To
https://www.popularmechanics.com/hom...t-to-17246926/

[Blackhawk357]

Wow thank you for sharing good information.

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[jdfoxinc]

Ok my cylinder from mesh looks just like the P.M. cylinder, just smaller. It fits within the back half of the H. F. mixer and has 3 all thread supports with adjustments spaced evenly around the circumference. It is 4 feet long by 16" in diameter. I didn't use the front half of the mixer.

[richhodg66]

One range just drilled holes in a cement mixer, you'll have to use a screen later to get the rest of the debris out
https://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/...-ze0z1503zcwil


https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-ar...-15489705.html

How to Build a Motorized Trommel—And Why on Earth You Would Want To
https://www.popularmechanics.com/hom...t-to-17246926/

When/if I ever mine my berm I shoot into (it's on my own place, so the lead isn't going anywhere) I plan to build something like the first picture next to the berm and a fire pit with a stack of wood for smelting it down right there.

Another idea I had was to buy one of these big tired wagons they sell with beds made of expanded steel. Figured I'd line that expanded steel bed with 1/4' hardware cloth, shovel the berm dirt into it and roll it back and forth.

I have regularly mined lead from a public range to keep me casting but I think I have enough to last a long time now, if I don't shoot it all up before I die, it's gonna stay there and the next guy who owns this place can worry about it.

[ThomR]

I'm thinking about buying one of these target stands to hang steel plates from.
I could also hang a sifting box from it after I get done shooting, or if I just feel like mining a berm.

[metricmonkeywrench]

I went a little simpler, 20x20 frame with expanded metal screen sandwiched in 1x3s and a pair of handles.

With my handy e-tool a couple of swipes across the surface of the berm at our private range fills the screen. I have not yet had to dig at all.

[ThomR]

I bought a small bucket with handle and drilled a bunch of 9/32 holes on the bottom. I should be able to scoop and sift with the bucket.
If I have a hard time scooping with it I'll go buy a small shovel. I'm heading to the range in a little bit to try it out.


UPDATE: I managed to pick up 66 pounds in half an hour with my bucket method.

[The Dar]

I use a vegetable basket designed for a grill. I have two of them that I picked up at Goodwill $3.00 each. I can fill a 50 cal ammo can in just a couple minutes. Something like this:

https://www.bbqgalore.com/stainless-...iABEgKMffD_BwE

[Alan in Vermont]

the best hand sifter I have come up with so far is a wire mesh minnow trap. The ones that are made in two pieces to form a tube with and inverted cone in the end. I bought ten of them for not much over $1 ea at a yard sale. Use one half, fold/crush the inner end of the cone to close it off. Fill it half full with berm dirt and shake it up and down. Being mostly open area, they are made from 1/4" hardware cloth they will sift FAST! I used to be able to sift out three, full, 5 gal. buckets in a couple hours. I would also fill a trap about as full as I could get it, using both halves put together and roll it back and forth on the ground while blasting it with a hose to get even more of the dirt off.

[dbosman]

I recommend the sifter be narrow enough to fit inside a 5 gallon bucket. That makes emptying it an easy slide and dump. With larger sifting boxes you end up holding things awkwardly and can twist parts of you not meant for that much twisting.

[dickgally83]

Although it is time consuming,doing it by hand is the safest method I have found.Especially if youre picking up a lot.Using a sifter is dangerous for a few reasons.First you wont see dud rounds that could cook off when you go to melt.second rocks explode when they come in contact with liquid metal.Taking your time is the way to go.I personally have picked up 300 lbs with one hand at night going casually.the idea of sifting is alluring but from my experience very risky.Molten lead exploding in your face when you go to pour or shake your metal pot is not worth it

[richhodg66]

Been sifting to salvage range lead for years, never found a live round in an impact berm yet, not sure why one would be there. Haven't hadn't any exploding rocks yet either.

There is kind of an implied task to look at whatever you're throwing into a melting pot before you throw it in, doesn't seem to be that difficult to do, plus a few other things, make sure your stuff is dry or heat it up gradually without a lid on the pot to dry it out gradually. It ain't rocket surgery.

Probably the biggest PITA for range salvage for me lately has been all the busted pieces of clay birds in it, never seem to get them all. Kinda wish that range would stop letting people use them as stationary targets on the pistol range.

[kevin c]

I find lots of unfired rounds in the (mostly pistol) berms at my range, so inspection after screening through my manually rocked 1/4" hardware cloth rectangular screen is a must. The berms are sand and the range surface is crushed stone, no river rock or gravel at all, so no exploding rocks (yet). +1 on the clay birds.

A fellow shooter is an archeologist, and commented that my screen looks like what she uses on her digs, minus handles and two support legs on one end that make it easy to rock/shake the screen. Mine is homemade (and cheaper).

https://www.forestry-suppliers.com/p...=53677&redir=Y