Alloy storage suggestions

[gzig5]

I have finally gotten around to smelting all the big hunks and the bucket of wheel weights down and poured into corn cobs, Lyman blocks, and muffins. Everything is segregated. I have pure lead and near pure from x-ray shielding, wheelweights, Linotype, Range mix, and dive weights that are probably wheel weights. Now I'm trying to figure out how to store them. I was thinking about cutting down five gallon buckets for the strength but they don't stack well. I don't have any ammo cans and they are not cheap. All told I have somewhere between 300-400 pounds I think. Looking for suggestions. First it needs to go in containers and then the containers stacked or shelved. I'm pinched on space but could put up one of those small grey steel shelve units if I cut it to 3-4' high. I'd like to keep it in manageable sizes too, 25-30 pounds per container. How do you guys go about it? Pictures are helpful.

[mroliver77]

A lot of kitty litter comes in square or rectangle buckets and most are smaller than a 5 gallon bucket. Milk crates work well also.

[Rcmaveric]

I go to the hobby lobby and buy wooden crates. Even those plastic milk crates work well.

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[Dusty Bannister]

I like to use the 5 gallon buckets. Cut plywood circles to be a very loose fit inside the bucket. Put in up to 50 pounds of your sorted alloy and drop in a disc. Place the bucket in your chosen location. Pack the next bucket with the alloy of your choice. The smooth disc in the bucket below will prevent the sharp ingots from punching through the soft plastic. Mark the contents on the upper side of the bucket so you can see what each bucket contains without having to pull each bucket out and look. They will be relatively portable at a 50 pound max weight, and by "nesting" can stay fairly clean. Just put a lid on the top bucket.

[lightman]

I use plastic milk crates. They are not perfect and a full one will weigh about 700#. Way too heavy to move. I used to use 5 gallon buckets and learned that the weight in a full one will eventually crack it. It would be nice to have some heavy shelves to stack them on.

If you have not already done so, get a cheap set of steel stamps and put a permanent mark on them. They will eventually get mixed up and your memory will eventually fail.

[Winger Ed.]

5 gallon buckets will work, and last a few years.

Only fill them about 1/3 full, they aren't too heavy, and they stack fairly well.
I do that 2-3 deep, and have them at the back under the work bench.

[Goofy]

Maxwell House coffee containers.

[Bazoo]

I too use 1/3-1/2 full buckets.

[MrWolf]

Don't keep them in the plastic buckets when moving with Pods. When a fork truck punctures the bottom and spears one of the buckets, the guys kinda know you are a reloader when they bring what ingots they could find to your new place. No idea on how I know that.

[jsizemore]

I've had plastic buckets split and blow out the sides. Cardboard drums with metal bottoms and lids have worked well. I've gone over to 55 gallon steel drums to handle the volume and strength. Lids have the clamps so it cuts down on oxidation of the alloys.

[Soundguy]

Tyvek sand bags are very strong.

I also strike an identifier on my ingots. 2 for #2. L for lino. R for range scrap. W for wheel weight. H for hardball, T for tin. Virgin or near Virgin lead is not marked..

[gzig5]

Tyvek sand bags are very strong.

I also strike an identifier on my ingots. 2 for #2. L for lino. R for range scrap. W for wheel weight. H for hardball, T for tin. Virgin or near Virgin lead is not marked..

The marking info was helpful. I was wondering how to do it without multiple letters. I may put the BHN from the Lee tester on the finished mixes too.

[Soundguy]

Yup. Anything to I'd them helps. Once I dump a batch of ingot..while I wait for them to cool so I can stack I grab the stamps and just give a quick whack on each one.

[dbosman]

What I'm thinking about for me, is glued and screwed together plywood boxes on plywood feet that will allow me to get a hand truck blade in and under the box. I'm thinking six inch tall boxes for the bottom row and three inch high boxes for second and third tiers.

[poorman]

Flat rate boxes

[remy3424]

I use flat rate boxes cut down and taped-up and stacked for long term storage and also the 5 gal buckets with 50 pounds in each stacked...the plywood disks are a good idea. Shelves...not a great idea, keep them on the ground.

[hc18flyer]

I use 5 gallon square plastic cans from my Fire Dept. The get their Class A foam concentrate in them. Wash out good, cut a 6" square out of one side. Put about 50 # in. They are free, square and stackable. I am sure other common liquids come in the same cans. hc18flyer

[kevin c]

I have reused Acme Bullet's plywood crates that fit into MFR Priority Mail boxes, and made similar of my own. They hold 60+ pounds of bullets and should do the same for ingots of the right size, such as the 2 1/2# CB or Redneck Gold versions that member Lakehouse sells in the S&S.

ETA: I still stamp the ingots, using up to three letter and/or number stamps from Harbor Freight, taped together.

[Charlie Horse]

Speaking of storage, I have question. I was gifted a small wooden keg of ingots. There was straw mixed in with the ingots. Anyone know why someone would have done this? Would it keep down oxidation perhaps???

[cwlongshot]

Ammo cans for specail stuff

5/6 gal Buckets for pure/soft 1/3 MAX ful so can be moved. Also stack SUPER NICE if your careful to keep ingots mostly level. I have up to 7 pails stacked in corners. (Again only 1/4 to 1/3 full) they havent been moved in YEARS but stack and stay there very well. I keep buckets under casting bench with printing plates cht to be large "lid" to keep out dust. I cannot move but get help to fill works well with a "reacher" "grabber" for one ingot at a time.

CW