Is there a casting season?

[Don1357]

Meaning, is there a time of the year people are more likely to be casting?

Me, I usually would be smelting wheel weights into clean ingots with an extra 4% of tin around December, boolits in January, and reloading throughout February, March, and April, in order to have stuff to shoot when the weather warms up. We have frozen ground well into May.

Is there a particular time folks are more likely to be smelting and casting?

[Winger Ed.]

I do it mostly in the cooler months.
It's more comfortable to wear heavy clothes before or after our summer, in case the tinsel fairy stops by.

[Castaway]

There is in Florida and it’s happening now. Finally cooled down enough for me to set up on my tailgate, backed into the garage. Last week, I cast around 26-28 lbs of lead, with plans for another session after Thanksgiving

[Gtrubicon]

It’s the season when I need them!

[bangerjim]

In the AZ desert, I do not cast from late June to late October. Not fun casting in 110F heat, even in the shade with the evap cooler blowing on me.

[dverna]

I do not cast indoors, so I will not cast in the winter in northern MI. I am not that l ill prepared.

Summers can be hot but not for extended periods.

My preference is 50-80 degrees. Plenty of days like that were I live.

[Don1357]

I didn't shoot that much this year so I may cast ingots out of habit but I may in fact be good for boolits.

I was surprised that I keep hearing ammo shortage and demand, but when I posted some linotype at pretty much the standard $2/pound I did not get much interest at all.

[Dusty Bannister]

While there are weather and temperature considerations, I do not really see a "season" for casting. I pay more attention when melting and cleaning alloy to the wind and weather. Wind direction and speed affects the efficiency of the burner. Rain or precipitation stops any thoughts of melting lead outside.

Casting is done in an unheated shed with an exhaust system. As long as the inside shed temp is above 40 the time of year does not really matter. If it gets too hot and sweaty, I do not cast. Casting is a year round process that I enjoy. Winter afternoons are warmer, summer mornings are cooler. It is all a good time.

[Don1357]

While there are weather and temperature considerations, I do not really see a "season" for casting. I pay more attention when melting and cleaning alloy to the wind and weather. Wind direction and speed affects the efficiency of the burner. Rain or precipitation stops any thoughts of melting lead outside.

Casting is done in an unheated shed with an exhaust system. As long as the inside shed temp is above 40 the time of year does not really matter. If it gets too hot and sweaty, I do not cast. Casting is a year round process that I enjoy. Winter afternoons are warmer, summer mornings are cooler. It is all a good time.

To me in the 20's with little wind is the sweet spot. Mid 20's mean warm enough I don't have to wear gloves

[Brass&Lead]

I second Castaways remark. It is no fun working with hot stuff in PPEs when it is 96F (35C). Welding, casting and other hot work is much better when it is cooler.

[longbow]

Is there a casting season?

For me... winter, spring, summer, fall or as mentioned above... when I need boolits!

I've cast in weather as hot as 100°F and as cold as 5°F. I prefer cool or cold weather but cast when I have time or need to.

Longbow

[Whole Bunches]

There is in Florida and it’s happening now. Finally cooled down enough for me to set up on my tailgate, backed into the garage. Last week, I cast around 26-28 lbs of lead, with plans for another session after Thanksgiving

Agree! My casting season started about 3 weeks ago here in the Panhandle. I also set goals for the season. This season it’s 8000 rifle bullets. Already at about 5300 done...may have to raise the goal.

[Hick]

November through February-- except when it gets warm enough to go to the range. In shooting season I go to the range about twice a week. When it gets too cold or snows I substitute a casting session. That way I am doing something or the other shooting related almost year round.

[kevin c]

Lead processing I do outdoors in an area my club lets me use, boolit casting is also outside, though it's on my deck.

It's nice to do the processing in relatively cool weather, with a slight breeze to help with any smoke. So fall and spring are good. Winters here aren't cold, but they can be wet, so no ingot pouring then. Summer's are possible too, being close to the shore makes it not too hot.

I cast boolits anytime of year, so long as it's not really cold, wet or windy (casting seems more sensitive to environmental conditions).

[1I-Jack]

Most of my casting gets done during my bi-annual plant (work) outage. I end up working 6-6 nights and it keeps me occupied on my night per week off when the wife is asleep and I can't run power tools in the shop. Anything I run out of I make when I need to.

[Teemu]

Yup can only cast Spring , Summer and some time in Fall... Winter is too cold to sit and cast. Do my casting on terrace. Well maybe someday I have place where I can cast in garage or like that. At this moment need to be satisfied that place what I got.

[Ban]

Smelt in the fall / nice winter days. Cast whenever i find time.

[dale2242]

I cast indoors year round if needed.
I am an early riser so I cast EARLY in the mornings in the hot weather months while it is still cool.
I heat my shop in the cool/cold months so cold is not an issue.

[AlHunt]

When I need bullets, it's casting season. I try to let a few months lapse sometimes just so any lead I absorb has a chance to leave my bloodstream.

[toallmy]

I try to do the bulk of casting in the cooler months filling up the coffee cans with ready to load boolits while it's cool , but I do small batches throughout the year . I cast in my basement but it gets hot in the summer . Bulk melting gets done in the fall & spring simply because my gas burner doesn't put out a lot of heat .