So It Begins

[perimedik]

Well, I got my pot and ingot mould.
I melting a few pounds of sinkers today to get a "feel" for the pot and mould.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/100_4236.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/100_4237.jpg

I noticed a few "frosty" areas on the ingots?
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/100_4240.jpg

Looking to do 40# or so tomorrow and then MOnday melt the wheel weights and scrape the crud off and make some ingots.

We'll see...

[Ole]

Cool beans. Congrats!

If I had one of those Lee molds, I'd fill it all the way to the brim and consider it one large ingot.

[lwknight]

I like overfilling the Lee ingot molds too.
I will make one large ingot with the 9-27-64 alloy and it will break easily with a sharp hammer wrap. Soft stuff just kinda bends though.

[gray wolf]

Looking to do 40# or so tomorrow and then MOnday melt the wheel weights and scrape the crud off and make some ingots.

I hope you don't do all that smelting in that nice clean, new pot.

[RobS]

I hope you don't do all that smelting in that nice clean, new pot.

Smelting in your bottom pour can create issues with plugging the nipple full of crude. If you only have the pot to smelt with then you'll need to spend time taking the handle/valve rod out and thoroughly cleaning the pot between each session or at least every other. I use a drill bit the same size as the hole in the nipple and clean mine out even though I only use my pot for casting boolits. If you can spare a 1200 watt hot plate it's another option or even an old Coleman stove with a cast iron pot.

[mtgrs737]

You have a good start! This hobby starts out slow and then accellerates at the speed of light, of course by then it is too late to turn back! :)

Good luck and welcome to the addiction!

[perimedik]

In a previous thread I got started with WW -
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/100_4203.jpg
Going to do a bunch as soon as weather permits - this will be dedicated to ingots from WW.

These are from sinkers and duck decoy weights with next to no dross. (I did 12 pounds and had less than 1/2 a teaspoon of dross/crud and fluxed with wax). It was clean. Thank you for the feedback though.

I made these today until it started getting overcast and didn't want to have a faceful of lead from rain so I stopped early.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/IMG00579.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/IMG00578.jpg

[RobS]

That will work out............what kind of skillet do you have there??? I would try and find a cast iron pot. Some fella on here had two of them for sale in the swappin and sellin section.

[perimedik]

That will work out............what kind of skillet do you have there??? I would try and find a cast iron pot. Some fella on here had two of them for sale in the swappin and sellin section.

It is a ceramic coated - cast iron.
The ceramic was chipping away (it cooled to qiuickly one day after cooking) so It's been sitting around doing nothing because I can't cook food with it. So now it will be used for smelting wheels weights and dirt and crud and make ingots. Then when it comes time to make the bullets, I'll melt the ingots in the Lee Pot and flux a little more as needed and cast.

[RobS]

Sounds like a good plan and well on your way now!!!!

[a.squibload]

That's how I started, Coleman and an enameled pot, works pretty good!
Nice pile of ingots.
Never wanted a bottom-pour, friend had one, nothing more aggravating than
getting spattered by hot drips.
Not to mention when the valve sticks open!
But that doesn't happen much...

[songdog53]

Like so many of us ..I see bigger pot and better heat source for you have taken the first step into casting and it is so addictive and it grows.

[perimedik]

Well,
Still in the test phase.
here is my pan of WW
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/100_4242.jpg

rendered
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/100_4243.jpg

removed the dross/slagg/crud
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/100_4245.jpg

shiney bright lead
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/100_4244.jpg

A full pan yeilded 6 pounds.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/100_4246.jpg

So - I have to give it some thought, figured out some ways to make it easier on myself.
Ingots and Pan are cooling. I will sharpie these with WW so I know what they are from.

I did get 2 pounds of soldering rod (one is 50/50 and the other is just tin rod) from a yard sale among tool. Got it for .25 cents, I will inhgot these in the Lee Pot so when I become more proficiant in the "metalurgic arts" I can blend as needed.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/100_4241.jpg

[bumpo628]

I did get 2 pounds of soldering rod (one is 50/50 and the other is just tin rod) from a yard sale among tool. Got it for .25 cents, I will inhgot these in the Lee Pot so when I become more proficiant in the "metalurgic arts" I can blend as needed.


If you do melt these down, do it in a smaller mold or a different shape. That way you can tell the difference easily and you can add small amounts to the mix later.

Using the same mold, you could tip one end up a bit and then pour small amounts into the corner. You'll make small triangle shapes that should only be an ounce or two. With a little practice, you can make them whatever size you want.

Or you can just pour directly on a piece of metal with no mold. Just a spoonful at a time will make little discs or coin shaped pieces.

[a.squibload]

Two pounds for 25¢? SCORE!

You can also pour into the bottom of an upside-down beer can but it might be
a little too heavy for tin or solder ingots.
'Course you don't have to fill it up.