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Thread: Question on lead weight ingot size.

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy Tazlaw's Avatar
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    Question on lead weight ingot size.

    I’m planning on making some ingot molds out of angle iron. I only have one inch angle and some flat stock. Being one inch angle, about how long should the mold cavities be to make 1 lb, or 2lb? Anyone got any advice?
    Just knowing enough to do it, is not enough to do it right! -Taz

  2. #2
    Boolit Bub
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    If it were me, I would probably make them about 3" longer than the height of my pot. Not sure what the weight would be, but it would be about a perfect length to work with.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
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    Lead is .409 lbs per cubic inch.
    One inch angle will give you ingots approximately .2 lbs per inch.
    Five inches will be about a pound.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy Tazlaw's Avatar
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    Thanks guys!
    Just knowing enough to do it, is not enough to do it right! -Taz

  5. #5
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    Minerat's Avatar
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    According to the attached link if you fill it 95% full, then 6 inch would give you 1.1 lbs 2.2 lbs would be 12 inches.

    https://ultraray.com/calculator
    Steve,

    Life Member NRA
    Colorado Rifle Club member
    Rocky Mtn Gun Owners member
    NAGR member

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
    Mal Paso's Avatar
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    Mine are 7 inches so they don't stick above the rim of the pot too far. I angled the ends 7 degrees so the ingots would fall out. I used 2 inch angle and 2 inch flat strap both 1/8 thick and get 5 pound ingots. 1 inch angle if it's 1/8 thick is going to be 7/8 inside dimension and only 5/8 deep on a 45 degree angle. They may be difficult to pour and I'm guessing under a pound.

    Here is what I did. They are welded from the bottom side. They don't need to be water tight but close. Say hello to lightman for me. Best of luck with your project.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IngotMolds.jpg  
    Mal

    Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    I made mine from 2" channel iron about 4" long. Ingots weigh just under 2#. Welded 4 pieces side by side with 2" angle on each end at a 5 or 6 degree anle they make really nice ingots. I made 4 of them and as soon as I'm done pouring the forth one. The first one gets dropped upside down to empty, then start over.
    1" angle just seems to be too small to me. YMMV.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master

    rancher1913's Avatar
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    another option is the cast boolit molds in the vendor sponsor section, they are made to fit in a flat rate box should you ever want to sell ingots.
    if you are ever being chased by a taxidermist, don't play dead

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mal Paso View Post
    Mine are 7 inches so they don't stick above the rim of the pot too far. I angled the ends 7 degrees so the ingots would fall out. I used 2 inch angle and 2 inch flat strap both 1/8 thick and get 5 pound ingots. 1 inch angle if it's 1/8 thick is going to be 7/8 inside dimension and only 5/8 deep on a 45 degree angle. They may be difficult to pour and I'm guessing under a pound.

    Here is what I did. They are welded from the bottom side. They don't need to be water tight but close. Say hello to lightman for me. Best of luck with your project.
    Those are nice looking ingot molds!

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master

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    A lot of guys make them the length that will fit a small flat rate box from the post office. Just in case they ever want to sell some.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master
    Mk42gunner's Avatar
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    When I made my first set of ingot molds, I used angle iron from an old bed frame. I do not recommend that, it was a PITA to weld. My next set was 1½" or 2" angle iron.

    BruceB (RIP) recommended 10½" for storage in .50 cal ammo cans. I don't store ingots in ammo cans, but the length works great for resting across the top of the pot to preheat.

    My driveway is not level so my ingots frequently go from full depth to less than half, I personally think one inch angle iron will make a spaghetti like ingot, more work than it is worth to produce.

    Good luck

    Robert

  12. #12
    Boolit Master

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    Storage of ~3# lead bars in ammo cans, or any equivalent, quickly adds weight before a can is too heavy, but not full. Nineteen to twenty bars, or ~60#'s per can, does not seem like "much" but is a LOT on the handle, the hand, the arm, and the legs.

    I have moved ~600#'s of alloy ingots (see picture: ~45 bars wide by ~4.5 tall) in a dozen cans more times than I want to remember with another 350#'s of pure lead distributed over another 7 cans at 50#'s per can.

    I have acquired double that much lead, WW's, lead shot, and #2(?) ingots since (and shot less than 1 can of ingots in various calibers). I was younger then and more aggressive too...so today more cans and less weight per can is in order.

    Last edited by Land Owner; 02-14-2020 at 09:28 PM.
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    I bet your ingots stay nice and shiney in those air tight cans, Land Owner. Unless high in tin, mine get dull and sometimes film coated with oxide, being stored in open stacks in my unheated basement that sometimes is a bit damp.

    ETA: You must have a surer and stronger grip than mine. Butter fingers here once dropped a one pounder on my unshod foot. Now I wear shoes when stacking ingots.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Land Owner View Post
    Storage of ~3# lead bars in ammo cans, or any equivalent, quickly adds weight before a can is too heavy, but not full. Nineteen to twenty bars, or ~60#'s per can, does not seem like "much" but is a LOT on the handle, the hand, the arm, and the legs.

    I have moved ~600#'s of alloy ingots (see picture: ~45 bars wide by ~4.5 tall) in a dozen cans more times than I want to remember with another 350#'s of pure lead distributed over another 7 cans at 50#'s per can.

    I have acquired double that much lead, WW's, lead shot, and #2(?) ingots since (and shot less than 1 can of ingots in various calibers). I was younger then and more aggressive too...so today more cans and less weight per can is in order.

    A 2 wheel dolly is your friend when it comes to moving buckets or ammo cans full of lead! I store mine in milk crates and they do get dull looking over time. Not a big deal to me but they also get a little dust on them. Being in a sealed container would be nice. A full milk crate weighs about 700# and is too heavy to move.

    Oh yeah, I wish I could keep my shop clean enough to walk around in bare footed!

  15. #15
    Boolit Master

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    That's the garage floor (doubles as a shop) with a good coat of epoxy green paint on it and the truck rolled out into the driveway! Doesn't look like that today though. Carp all over the place!

    AND this is Florida. We hardly own shoes. Most just wear flip flops and we call "Go Forwards" - cause you can't go backwards in 'em.

    Nice and shiny ingots, hmmmmmm. I guess you are correct in "no air" in the cans because I have not had the white oxide form on the ingots to date and there is no tin in those ingots except what may have come from the 50% by weight of WW's and 50% by weight of 100% pure lead (fissionable material shielding). Maybe the 50% that was irradiated prevents the oxide from forming, but I know that isn't how it works.

    700#'s in one milk crate! TOO MUCH. My back and legs feel your PAIN.
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    You might want to consider one of these ingot molds
    Click image for larger version. 

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    https://www.amazon.com/Melting-Casti...R6VZANXGQFRG5Y

    I sorted about 1200 lbs of different muffin tin ingots and spent a few days making ingots with this mold. 100oz = 6.25 lbs and 2 ingots fit in a 20lb pot
    Regards
    John

  17. #17
    Boolit Master 44magLeo's Avatar
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    Instead of using 50 caliber cans you could use 30 caliber cans. Not sure how muchyou can get in the 30 cal; can but would take up less space than a half full 50 cal can.
    Leo

  18. #18
    Boolit Buddy Tazlaw's Avatar
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    I made a couple molds out of a bed frame. 1” angle, 8.5” long. Ends cut at angle for draft. I made them to fit in SFRB. It will maximize the amount of lead able to go in said box. They have weighed out an a average of 1.75 lbs. I thought storing it in the boxes could allow for easy identification.
    Just knowing enough to do it, is not enough to do it right! -Taz

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
    Mal Paso's Avatar
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    Good for you! That's a heavier ingot than I would have thought.
    Mal

    Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.

  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy Tazlaw's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mal Paso View Post
    Good for you! That's a heavier ingot than I would have thought.
    It was a bed frame. Pretty thin but hold up well. I’ll try and post a pic tomorrow. I got 27 ingots from my first pot. It was slightly over 50 lbs.
    Just knowing enough to do it, is not enough to do it right! -Taz

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