bad screw up"s

[D Crockett]

this is what happens when you get Aluminum to the melting point this is another reason you do not melt lead in Aluminum pots D C rockett

[D Crockett]

here is 2 more pictures D Crockett

[leadmonkey]

I'm new around here, but I have cast some aluminum in the past. I can't help wonder why you had the lead up to over 1200 degrees? That took some doing.

[JSnover]

It's not quite like that. The temperature of the lead is much lower than the temperature of the burner flame. Aluminum pots can 'hot short' while casting but a lot of people will tell you they've never had a problem (I don't use them). I am surprised by the mold failure, though. Was the lead temp really that high, or was the ingot mold heated before it was filled? That should not have happened.

[JSnover]

What, was it dropped or struck, or what?

[catman81056]

Just a question, did you try to melt the lead in the mold?

[leeggen]

Looks like the corner had a fracture in it an was not melted out. My bet is the mould was banged on something to get an ingot out and fractured the corner, or it was dropped and hit on that corner. Then when you poured an ingot in it, it finished breaking out.
JMO
Cd

[thompsonm1a1]

I use the cast iron lyman and rcbs molds. you do not have to bang on the mold to get the bars out and they have not failed me yet and I have poured two thousand pounds with mine.

[Bored1]

Stories like that are why I never even tried those molds. Cast iron cornbread molds are easy to find cheaper and hold more.

[shredder]

I have filled my ingot mould more times than I can count and never seen anything like that. It looks like abuse from the twisted, fractured nature of the picure. How did the molten lead bend the side?

[sandman228]

I agree, looks like abuse, I have 2 of the same mold never had any trouble with them or any trouble with ingots falling out. the only trouble ive had with them is the handles come loose and had to put a small hose clamp on them .

[ShooterAZ]

All I ever use that ingot mold for is under the pot to catch the drips from the drip-o-matic. I use muffin tins for ingots.

[D Crockett]

ok this was a experiment I did this to show that melting lead in Aluminum is a BAD BAD BAD idea what I did was hold the mold over the fire on my turkey fryer and melt solder wire it the point of failure which I knew it would do. I did this is only to show what can happen if you use aluminum pots to melt lead in. I did not hit the mold on anything it did this on it's own I did this to show the new casters what you really do not want to do so they can stay on the safe side if casting and I thank everyone for there comments D Crockett

[JSnover]

That splains it. I melt in a cast iron Dutch oven but my ingot molds are aluminum. I have no reason to apply heat to them and no worries about them failing while pouring ingots.

[D Crockett]

this was not done to see if I could destroy the ingot mold I knew I could do that. this was done to show in a small way why you do not use aluminum pot to melt lead in and what can happen if you do. I have been melting lead for 45+years now I have made every thing from art work, fish sinkers to lead bullets. when I first started I had no computer to tell me not to do use aluminum pot which I did once but never again, or tell me not to hit the side of a Dutch oven with a ladle when hot to nock out crud build up in the ladle that there pot would crack which it did . all this was done to show the new guys what not to do. and how to be safe doing this thing of ours D Crockett

[dikman]

Mr. Crockett, that was very generous of you to sacrifice a perfectly good mold in order to make a point. I haven't smelted aluminium myself (well, not deliberately) but from what I've read the melting point is rather sudden. A burner is applying a lot more heat to the bottom of a pot than is needed just to melt the lead inside, and that heat can be very localized so the pot metal needs to be strong.

I use a portable coke forge (with a propane tank pot) and I'm quite sure that if I'd tried an aluminium pot I would have melted it in no time!! Steel, stainless steel or cast iron pot yes, aluminium no.

[D Crockett]

dikman that is the whole point of this experiment to teach the new guys and as far as ingot molds go I have more than I can use and if I do not have enough I can always make more D Crockett

[Char-Gar]

Many years ago, I once melted lead in an aluminum pot on the wife's kitchen range....ONCE! I had to cut out the lead sheet that ran into the stove through the hole in the bottom of the pot with tin snips.

[merlin101]

Many years ago, I once melted lead in an aluminum pot on the wife's kitchen range....ONCE! I had to cut out the lead sheet that ran into the stove through the hole in the bottom of the pot with tin snips.

I was smart enough not to do that! WHY?? Because so many of you guys have shared so much information that you learned the hard and have saved many of us newbies a LOT OF PAIN! THANK YOU ALL!!

[62chevy]

Many years ago, I once melted lead in an aluminum pot on the wife's kitchen range....ONCE! I had to cut out the lead sheet that ran into the stove through the hole in the bottom of the pot with tin snips.

I was smart enough not to do that! WHY?? Because so many of you guys have shared so much information that you learned the hard and have saved many of us newbies a LOT OF PAIN! THANK YOU ALL!!

I'll second that merlin101!!!! No aluminum pots for me.

See all your rants have paid off. Well not so much rants just good advice. Thanks Guys!!!