Made a mold today!! [Archive]

468

05-29-2011, 05:25 PM

This is my first attempt at welding since I was a teenager. Made a mold using 1-1/4" angle. (I will NOT post a photo of the welded side...haha) My buddy gave me a small 110v stick welder to use. It workeed!!

Any hoo, I cast some pure lead ingots. They came out good. However, when I switched to wheel weights...not so good. The first batch or two broke in half when I flipped the mold over. I wasn't expecting that...had been pouring biscuits previously. Is this normal? Did I not let them cool long enough? I didn't expect the WW alloy to be that brittle...

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m153/gvanek/IMG_0190.jpg

high standard 40

05-29-2011, 05:57 PM

Let them cool a little longer and they will drop just fine with no breakage.

Good looking mold there.

JMtoolman

05-29-2011, 05:58 PM

You popped them out before they were finished cooling. Thats all. The toolman

Southern Son

05-30-2011, 05:06 AM

468,
Mate, how long are your ingots and what do they weigh in at with W/W?

theperfessor

05-30-2011, 10:36 AM

Nice job!

468

05-30-2011, 12:44 PM

Ingots are 5-3/4" on the pointy side, 5-7/8" on the flat. I cut at a 5 degree angle on the ends to promote easier release from the mold. Bought a blade from Home Depot and put it on my radial arm saw. Made sure to block of the dust collector. The cuts were close to perfect.

My only complaint is that it takes longer to cool than does the muffin pan. If I did it again, I think I would use a deeper angle(1-1/2"+) and make a bit shorter.

The WW alloy weighs 1.625 lbs each (my scale may be off a bit). Same for the pure...this isn't a digital scale, so ....

Mk42gunner

05-30-2011, 05:12 PM

I usually make my ingot molds longer, so they will set across the top of my Lee 4-20 for preheating (I don't use a hotplate).

As long as your mold doesn't leak lead, who cares what the weld looks like.

Just about every time I smelt the wily wheel weight, I get in a hurry and dump a mold too fast. If it really bothers you, you can remelt it. Personally, I never bother.

Robert

BigRix

05-30-2011, 06:04 PM

nanuk

05-30-2011, 07:51 PM

I usually make my ingot molds longer, so they will set across the top of my Lee 4-20 for preheating (I don't use a hotplate). A Very Good Idea!

Just about every time I smelt the wily wheel weight, I get in a hurry and dump a mold too fast. If it really bothers you, you can remelt it. Personally, I never bother.

Robert

Seeings as how he has access to a small welder, what Rod would you suggest to weld the broken ingot back together with?

468

05-30-2011, 08:48 PM

I made a set of those too.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=114873

They are working great so far I just wished I made more of them but I ran out of "free" angle iron.

Once they get hot it take a long time for the ingots to firm up. Last batch I smelted I sat the mold on the concrete floor and that helped a lot.

Yes. I totally stole your idea!(and everyone else's) Saw your post a week or so ago...(thanks for posting those photos). My welds aren't even close to what yours look like...LOL

Cranium

05-31-2011, 11:51 PM

I'd love to be able to do something like this. I used to be a welding inspector (CWI) but never was very good at welding. But I'd be good enough to not blow holes through angle iron and seal it good enough to hold back lead! ;)

I just don't want to invest in a welder until I have more projects to use it for. I've been looking for a good deal on Craigslist though. If nothing else, I can purchase a welder, make a few molds and perhaps a smelting pot and then sell it for what I bought it for.

Good job on you molds.

Mk42gunner

06-01-2011, 04:38 AM

Seeings as how he has access to a small welder, what Rod would you suggest to weld the broken ingot back together with?

I thought everybody used high temp silver solder to patch lead ingots with.:kidding:

I'd love to be able to do something like this. I used to be a welding inspector (CWI) but never was very good at welding. But I'd be good enough to not blow holes through angle iron and seal it good enough to hold back lead! ;)

I just don't want to invest in a welder until I have more projects to use it for. I've been looking for a good deal on Craigslist though. If nothing else, I can purchase a welder, make a few molds and perhaps a smelting pot and then sell it for what I bought it for.

Good job on you molds.

You might be able to find an old Lincoln buzzbox for around a $100, but Harbor Freight has sales every so often where they price their cheap 110 volt wire welder at $99.99. Once you get a welder, you find all sorts of stuff to play with... I mean repair. It takes very few small projects to pay for a cheap or used welder.

Robert

bumpo628

06-01-2011, 02:35 PM

+1 on the Harbor Freight welder.
I picked one up about a year ago. It's not bad and it runs on regular 110VAC.

I made an ingot mold similar to the OP's, but mine drops 1/2 lb ingots. I believe it is 3/4" angle about 4" long, IIRC.

Cranium

06-01-2011, 02:42 PM

BigRix

06-01-2011, 06:44 PM

Damn....it's tempting....just got a mailer from Harbor Freight on the $99 stick welder. Would need to get gloves, helmet, grinder, slag hammer...... :)

What's the easiest way to cut the angle iron if I don't have access to a chop saw or band saw? Hopefully not a hacksaw!

How about an abrasive blade for circular saw. I would just make sure it's clamped down well so it doesn't go shooting across the floor.

Mk42gunner

06-01-2011, 10:03 PM

I like the thin cutoff wheels for a 4 1/2" angle grinder. The hardest part when making an angle iron mold is getting the pieces an even length, even if it isn't exactly what you had in mind.

Robert

Daddyfixit

06-01-2011, 10:56 PM

Damn....it's tempting....just got a mailer from Harbor Freight on the $99 stick welder. Would need to get gloves, helmet, grinder, slag hammer...... :)

What's the easiest way to cut the angle iron if I don't have access to a chop saw or band saw? Hopefully not a hacksaw!

If you have a table saw or a circular saw you can get metal blades at Harbor Freight
cheep!