Which Ingot Molds do you use?

[blasternank]

I'm looking to get some but was wondering which ones everyone is using. Lee? RCBS? Lyman? Other?

I wish I could do a poll but I can't figure out how to do one here. What weight Ingots do you prefer making and why? 1/2 lb., 1 lb., 2 or 3 lb ones??

Thanks.

[chaos]

I use a couple of cast iron cornbread pans that I got from Academy for $8 a piece. The ingots stack real nice when you throw them in a 5 gallon bucket. Weight about 1 1/2 lbs each out of WW's.

As an added benifit, they come out looking like Half and ear of Corn, only shinyer

[geargnasher]

For general use, I use one I made that makes exactly one-pound ingots and I can get 18 in a Lee 20lb pot on a dry fill. For alloyed, ready-to-go boolit metal I use a couple of the Cast Boolit alumium 1-lb moulds that Blammer runs on a group buy from time to time.

Here's mine: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16205&d=1254796496


Here's on of Blammer's for sale right now: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=107424

A pic of the mould: http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Cast%20boolits/Ingot%20Mould/DSCF1429.jpg

Gear

[imashooter2]

Lyman, RCBS or SAECO. Whatever I could get cheap. Not much of a fan of muffin tins or cornbread pans though I have used them both. Angle iron molds are cheap and stack very well. Unfortunately, every one I've seen made by others is too long for my liking. If I had a welder of my own I'd have made some to suit me.

[ANeat]

Other

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h165/aneat/Lead/Smelt3.jpg

[skeet1]

I use cast iron muffin pans.

Ken

29630]

[white eagle]

I use Cast Boolits ingot molds
see above
they are sweeeeeeeeeeet

[mold maker]

I store all my ingots stacked in milk crates, and have found the regular name brand molds a good fit, as are the Cast Boolit molds.
The milk crates will stack, and contain way more than can be moved.
Crates are labeled with the alloy contained, and when full weigh, about 748 lbs. This means you have to plan where they are stored, to be convenient to where their used.

[Czech_too]

Started out on the CHEAP, so I used what I could find, namely muffin tins. I figure their about 1 1/2 lbs. each, but they don't stack as well as a bonafide ingot mould does.

[mooman76]

It really doesn't matter too much, they are just ingots. I use a Lyman because someone gave it too me otherwise I probably bought a Lee because I'm cheap. The bigger the ingots, the more it will change your pot temp when you add so if you have a small pot, smaller ingots will work better. You can always half fill the ingot mould to have smaller ones. I got some I made from soda cans and I just strip off the aluminum when needed and some I cast in a small cast iron pot because I got tired of making little ingots. Go to the thrift store and get created. By the way don't use a tin muffin pan or you'll be beating your ingots out of the pan.

[peerlesscowboy]

I have a couple of Lyman ingot moulds, approx 1 lb each.

[GLL]

Before he passed away jawjawboy made me eight of these 5-pound ingots moulds.

http://www.fototime.com/5A6777B8FA7EE62/orig.jpg

Muffin loaf pans are used for the 2-pound ingots.

http://www.fototime.com/FB02054454498D2/orig.jpg

I use this breadstick mould for tin and solder ingots. They can be cut into smaller size using large garden shears !

http://www.fototime.com/4BFECD999A11993/orig.jpg

Jerry

[evan price]

I have a stack of steel tart pan. They make a cake like a muffin tin but bigger. It's a nominal 4# ingot, and it just barely fits in my RCBS ProMelt as cast. I have about a dozen of them from clearance section at Meijer.

[Suo Gan]

Omelet makers and GI mess kits work pretty darn good, and they fit in a twenty pound pot.

[captaint]

I started with an RCBS that came with my ProMelt. One pounders, nice. Then I got a Lee that has the half pounders (use those for pewter, aka tin). Then I got two CastBoolits molds. One with the one pounders, the others are about 2 lbs. And the CB ingot molds are most beautiful. enjoy Mike

[Le Loup Solitaire]

There are lots of solutions to this, but the easiest and cheapest one you will find is in Walmart. Go to the kitchen gadget/convenience section and you will find there a set of "condiment cups". A set of 4 nesting inside of one another sells for 97 cents. They are made out of stainless steel of substantial thickness. With the help of a set of pliers to turn them over when full, you will have 4 ingots. For less than $5 you will have a set of 20 that take up no more room than a stack of poker chip and you will be able to make all the ingots you need in short time. LLS

[Dale53]

My RCBS electric pots hold 22# (about 21# working capacity). I prefer angle iron ingot moulds that throw from 3½-5 lb ingots. Mine are made from 2" angle iron about 6" long. I also have a number of Lyman, Saeco, RCBS and Lee ingot moulds.

Keep in mind that if you do serious smelting (over 100 lbs a pot and 500-1000 lbs at a time) that the size of the ingot moulds becomes very important.

The difference in a 5 lb mould is that 100 lbs takes 20 pours vs 100 pours if they are 1 lb ingots. I like a mix of sizes to make it easier to mix alloys. 500 lbs takes me about a ½ day. That is 100 pours compared to 500 pours. Believe me, that is a substantial difference.

FWIW
Dale53

[badbob454]

It really doesn't matter too much, they are just ingots. I use a Lyman because someone gave it too me otherwise I probably bought a Lee because I'm cheap. The bigger the ingots, the more it will change your pot temp when you add so if you have a small pot, smaller ingots will work better. You can always half fill the ingot mould to have smaller ones. I got some I made from soda cans and I just strip off the aluminum when needed and some I cast in a small cast iron pot because I got tired of making little ingots. Go to the thrift store and get created. By the way don't use a tin muffin pan or you'll be beating your ingots out of the pan.

yeah done that !! dont understand what happened , they wouldnt release , did they solder in place ??now i use lyman,and dinosaur shaped cornbread cast iron molds ,too cute to melt

[geargnasher]

I think they do actually "solder" to the tin, they'll sure stick good unless you rust them first, even graphite won't help much, one of the reasons I gave up and went to properly designed angle iron and machined aluminum moulds. Now I save the muffin pans for lube muffins.

Gear

[Larry Gibson]

I also use the top of the GI mess kit. I have several lids and each half makes a nice 3 lber that fits int the Lyman mag20 quite nicely. I also have 2 of the Lyman 1 lb (4 each) that I also use.

Larry Gibson

[Von Gruff]

When I started casting I had next to no gear and used or adapted what was available. It has worked and I have seen no real need to up-grade.
I use a small SS bowel and with 4 dipper fills into it for 4 lb ingots, I put the base into a tray of water for a matter of 10-15 sec and it is ready to turn out onto the concrete. Change the water after 10 - 15 ingots to keep it cool. I may not smelt as much at a time as some of you so it does very well for my needs. A 25-30 ingot day is a good session for me.
Before any of you get on my case about water near the smelt, I have been doing it this way for many years, with great care as to placement of water and the alloy level in the bowel is less than 1/4 of its depth and there is no danger of spalsh over.
Anyway this is the ingot bowel (it also doubles as the sprue bowel when I am casting)
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/005-2.jpg

I store the ingots in nailboxes and can get 35x4lb ingots in each. Usually only half fill them as they easier to move round that way.
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/004-6.jpg

Von Gruff.

[casterofboolits]

RCBS, Lyman, Saeco, and Lee one pounders I use mainly for heat sinks when casting and for linotype/tin ingots. I always cast with three moulds and two RCBS 10 kilo pots and set the moulds on the one pound ingot molds turned upside down.

For smelting and casting alloy I use three cast iron muffin pans which make 2.5 pound ingots.

[fredj338]

I use three; Lyman for pure lead, Jawjaw channel mold exactly like GLL for ww & a little custom GLOCKPOST 2cav/2# each mold for range lead. That way I know at a glance what I am reaching for when blending alloys. If you weld or know a welder, scrap angle & channel iron is your friend.

[C1PNR]

I have a couple made up for me by my Brother from angle iron with flat bar ends. The design is from BurceB and they are about 2 1/2 lb each. They are just long enough that you can stack them in .30 caliber ammo cans and the length is such that you can just get your finger down one edge of the full can and pull them out, one at a time.

You can stack enough of them in one .50 caliber ammo can that you want to hire someone to move the the can for you.:bigsmyl2:

[zxcvbob]

There are lots of solutions to this, but the easiest and cheapest one you will find is in Walmart. Go to the kitchen gadget/convenience section and you will find there a set of "condiment cups". A set of 4 nesting inside of one another sells for 97 cents. They are made out of stainless steel of substantial thickness. With the help of a set of pliers to turn them over when full, you will have 4 ingots. For less than $5 you will have a set of 20 that take up no more room than a stack of poker chip and you will be able to make all the ingots you need in short time. LLS

That's what I use. I set up a bunch of them on a stone floor tile when I'm ready to pour a batch of ingots, and I try not to tip any over. ;)

[pls1911]

Aluminum muffin ins work fine but ey do get bent up after several sessions.
Best I've found are iron ....muffins, breadsticks, BIG cornbread sticks, whatever you find free or very cheap. The advantage is tif you have more than one alloy you can segregate by shape....
Great idea... maybe I'll remelt all my lead and do that some day.....

[Bushrod]

Non stick cupcake pans from the dollar store!

[Centaur 1]

I use muffin pans. I use steel stamps on the bottom of the muffin pan to identify the alloy. I bought my wife a couple of new ones for baking and I took her old ones. You can stamp them wheel weights, range scrap, lino, 20-1 or whatever alloy you have and you'll never question what your adding to the pot.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk248/mlschmall/0323102102a.jpg

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk248/mlschmall/0323102103a.jpg

[geargnasher]

Centaur, that's really neat. One thing that's hard to do with angle iron moulds is make an ID mark in the mould.

Gear

[ia1727]

If you were to make your own molds out of channel iron and angle iron ends--you could always weld RL--range lead, WW--wheel weights, PL--pure lead and so forth on the inside of the bottom of the channel before welding the ends on so you could identify them later on. IMHO

Steve

[Mustangpalmer1911]

I was using a muffin pan, but I was inspired on youtube by the corn bread corn shaped mold and I stumbled across them yesterday for 7 bucks and "upgraded".

[wiljen]

More muffin pans here, along with a mini-loaf pan that casts about a 2.5lbs ingot. The loaf ingots are easier to stack and fit better in a box when trading so I am slowly converting to those.

[Bulletlube]

I have most of the above and use them all.

[Walter Laich]

I've got Lyman and Lee ingot molds. The ingots' size work well in my pot

[rattletrap1970]

Non stick cupcake pans from the dollar store!

Ummm. No. The breakdown temperature for non stick coatings is lower than the temperature of your melt. The non-stick coating can break down and release toxic fumes, it will also cook off and start coming off the pan. You want to use untreated pans.

[Doby45]

Any of your muffin/cupcake/loaf pans will work better after a nice hot ride in the outdoor grill. Burns all that junk off, then let them sit out in the weather a while and they will gather a glorious light rust patena. ;)

[clodhopper]

I use Lee, Seaco, corn cob muffin, fish shape muffin, channel iron mould, and angle iron moulds, Each shape is all from the same source, no offense to lyman, just have not found a lyman I'm willing to pay the price for. If its used, and selling for a buck or two, it's time to buy!
Round muffin pans must be for ladle cast guys, I have some lee bottom pours and can't see why anybody would mess with the muffin shape.
I have wheelweights, Indoor range scrap mostly .22s, outdoor range scrap, Lead from bogbore rifle bullets, and handgun cast bullets.
There is scrap from pellet traps, and cable sheathing. Pewter is poured into the 1/2 pound sections of the Lee mould, then stored in the same drawer that I keep my mould handles in

[fredj338]

If you were to make your own molds out of channel iron and angle iron ends--you could always weld RL--range lead, WW--wheel weights, PL--pure lead and so forth on the inside of the bottom of the channel before welding the ends on so you could identify them later on. IMHO

Steve
You can stamp them too, it will be reversed but readable.

[Fire_stick]

I use the Lyman.

[markshooter]

I read somewhere that coke and beer cans work, so gave them a try and seem to work great. Cut the top off with a can opener and fill with 12 oz, more or less. Just got to drink more beer is the only problem.

[D Crockett]

I have about 30 ingot moulds that I made I have lee RCBS LYMAN SAKO moulds but don't use them any more I found that the ingot moulds that I make out of angle work much better than than the store bought ones I have them in 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 cavity now I just flip them over when the lead get hard and the ingot just falls out D Crockett

[mooman76]

Another thing you can do with the beer cans if you want smaller ingots id to fill the cans part way and let cool, then add another layer and keep doing this until it is full. Then they can be seperated when you tear the can down. As a side note the more you let the lead cool, the easier they are to sperate later on. I just use pliers to tear off the aluminum. Once started it comes off easy.

[Bushrod]

Ummm. No. The breakdown temperature for non stick coatings is lower than the temperature of your melt. The non-stick coating can break down and release toxic fumes, it will also cook off and start coming off the pan. You want to use untreated pans.

There are many non-stick surfaces out there. The ones I use don't give off anything. They are not like teflon etc. I've used them for years!

[geargnasher]

I read somewhere that coke and beer cans work, so gave them a try and seem to work great. Cut the top off with a can opener and fill with 12 oz, more or less. Just got to drink more beer is the only problem.

You can do that, or split them lengthwise to make troughs. Fosters' cans make huge half-can ingots. Place little "chocks" against the sides to keep them from rolling when pouring the lead. Soup cans work too.

Gear

[rattletrap1970]

The problem is you don't know what kind of non-stick it is. I mean, heck, you can use whatever you want. Even if not for the safety's sake, some kinds of non stick will cook off and deposit non-stick material in your lead, which will then most definitely cook off in the pot. Also, cheap muffin pans can be had for .50 cents to a buck at consignment stores and the like. I got two sizes, regular aluminum muffin pans for WW and mini muffins for tin (I buy bashed up pewter) I put one mini muffin for every 4 regular muffins.

[mooman76]

I recently got a pan, similar to a aluminum muffin pan except it real shallow. Like 1/4-1/3" deep. Works good for my little 4# pot where a full size ingot really cools it down. I didn't think much about the pan because I had never recalled seeing on but saw one again only cast iron.

[Echo]

I use coke cans (as mentioned above) for my pure Pb. Muffin tins for WW or range lead, and use these as feedstock for final alloying. I use angle iron molds for my WW+2% Sn, and stack those inside under my bench. I use standard Lyman/RCBS/SAECO 4-cavity molds, and flood them for 5-lb bricks, for other alloys such as range + 2%Sn, coded R+ on each brick, or 50/50 Pb/Lino, coded M, for Magnum. I also use the 4-bangers for individual 1-lb ingots of other alloys.

[waco]

i made some at work out of 2" channel. i then welded backwards letters in the bottom of them so i marks my ingots. WW (wheel weights), RL (range lead), and P (pure)
they are about 14" long and have handles on each end. they work great.

[bamacisa]

I have Lyman, RCBS and Saeco ingot molds. I got them back in the 1970's...no need to use anything else.

[JIMinPHX]

This is my favorite. It was made out of 1.5"x1.5"x1/8" angle iron. I welded the bottom side only. I left a little draft angle on it for easy ingot removal. As-is it gives me an ingot that weighs about 1.8 pounds. If I was going to make another ingot mold, I'd make it a little longer so that it drops 2 pound ingots. these ingots fit nicely in .30 cal ammo boxes. I get about 70# per box. They also fit well in a Lee 4-20 pot.

[mold maker]

Over the last 40 yr, I have collected over 20 ingot molds of all the named. I cast a different alloy or grade in each brand. With 4-6 of each, I can empty a large dutch oven pretty quick.
The ingots (nest) stack tightly in a milk crate so that on a 13X13" sq of floor I can contain 2-3 cubic ft (ton +) of lead With over 3 tons I guess you can call me a hoarder. It's taken me since 1964 to gain that much.
In case of a nuclear attack I guess I'll be protected, or be inside of a lead mold.

[fredj338]

Over the last 40 yr, I have collected over 20 ingot molds of all the named. I cast a different alloy or grade in each brand. With 4-6 of each, I can empty a large dutch oven pretty quick.
The ingots (nest) stack tightly in a milk crate so that on a 13X13" sq of floor I can contain 2-3 cubic ft (ton +) of lead With over 3 tons I guess you can call me a hoarder. It's taken me since 1964 to gain that much.
In case of a nuclear attack I guess I'll be protected, or be inside of a lead mold.

Wow, if you have 3 tons sitting in 1cuft of conc slab, you might want to mov ethat into two piles a tleas. Most conc slabs won support that type of point load over the long duration (slab cracks).

[Dman4321]

Started with a Lee, but didnt like the 1/2 pound ingots in the middle, and t was taking me too long at 2, 1 pound ingots per pour, so I uncheapened myself momentarily and bought a Lyman cast iron mould, drops 4 ingots at approx 1.25 pounds apiece, which stack very nicely.

[nanuk]

I read somewhere that coke and beer cans work, so gave them a try and seem to work great. Cut the top off with a can opener and fill with 12 oz, more or less. Just got to drink more beer is the only problem.


And that is a problem how?

[SciFiJim]

i made some at work out of 2" channel. i then welded backwards letters in the bottom of them so i marks my ingots. WW (wheel weights), RL (range lead), and P (pure)
they are about 14" long and have handles on each end. they work great.

Waco, What does a backward WW look like?:kidding:

Something to think about guys. If you are using food prep items as molds, please make sure someone knows to destroy them when you pass away so that they aren't used for food prep again.

[JIMinPHX]

The problem is you don't know what kind of non-stick it is.

Good point.

When Teflon gets over heated it goes clear, turns to a liquid, then turns into a very poisonous gas.

[songdog53]

Use cornbread mold when wife replaced her's cause bread was sticking and they work well for me, plus being caster we are known for being cheap.

[oscarflytyer]

3 cast iron six cavity small muffin pans. Got them for $10 ea. With WWs - Fill out to nearly 1 lb ea. About 12 or 13 = 10 lbs.

[jsizemore]

I poured ingots on saturday. I used my 12 quart dutch oven which yielded about 100 lbs of clean alloy after each fill. I poured 18-1lb ingots between 2 muffin tins and the rest was poured in 2lb ingots between 6 muffin tins. I poured all the ingots and refilled the dutch oven before I dumped the cooled ingots. That's a lot of muffin tins. I bought them all over the past couple of years and never paid more then $1 for each tin. When I buy them i look for the rusty, nasty ones that nobody else wants. If they ain't nasty then I sprinkle a little salt on 'em and set them outside in the weather so they get nasty. I've only had to do 2 that way. They all release their ingots with no problems. So, that's $8 to do 100lbs of alloy or ...... Of course I have extras.

[frankenfab]

Waco, What does a backward WW look like?:kidding:

:bigsmyl2::CastBoolitsisbest::2_high5::lovebooli

[waco]

:bigsmyl2::CastBoolitsisbest::2_high5::lovebooli

lol! my bad!:oops:

[Huntducks]

I use your standard RCBS and corn bread but if i'm melting say 95/5 or 50/50 solder, lino or tin. I want a small ingot so I use the Alum chain link fence connectors they have a ear with a hole in them that I put them on some all thread rod and hold in place w/nuts and put between wood blocks they drop out a nice sm ingot about a 1/2lb.

[Thinktwicez71]

saeco mold

[michiganvet]

The ingot molds I see here made from angle iron look very good and very easy. I don't like the Lee because sometimes the ingots stick and the aluminum is too fragile. The SAECO's are ok but you have to use pliers to turn them over. I really like the one that geargnasher has.

[Ausglock]

G'day All. I use the Lee ingot molds for initial ingots when smelting. Then when I an mixing bullet alloy, I drop them into a Lyman ingot mold.
All ingots get written on with a Felt pit marker for ID.

[cbrick]

I use the RCBS 10 pound cast iron pot to make 5 pound ingots. This pot will of course make 10 pound ingots but the 10 pounders WILL NOT fit back into an RCBS 22 pound pot. This used to be an economical ingot mold system, they were about $9 new and I picked up a few used at gun shows even cheaper. Last I checked they are about $22 new. They do make a great ingot, flat on top and bottom and stack very well.

Rick