Casting Course

[Echo]

It's in the works for me to be teaching some boolit casting courses. I have thought about using Glen F.'s book as a guide, but wonder if anyone out there has a better idea. Anyone with a syllabus they would like to share? I would rather use something that has worked before rather than coming up with my own, complete with all my own mistakes and dead ends.

[gabe123]

Echo,

Nice to see someone doing this, I wish I had been exposed to casting earlier in life. Just my opinion as a newbie, I think Glen's book is great but a little scary for a beginner. There is a book by Richard Boothroyd that is detailed and loaded with pictures that won't intimidate a beginner (Personal experience). You can find it at Castpics in a PDF format. The file is too large for me to upload it here. If you are trying to expose people to the hobby, I don't think you can go wrong with it. You could use Glen's book for your more advanced classes, that way you are presenting new reference material for those who would like to delve deeper into the art.

As an instructor, you have to be able to "hook" your audience without overwhelming them. By presenting the information in a easy to follow manner, you can build the student's confidence and keep them wanting more.


My 2 cents worth. :popcorn:

[deltaenterprizes]

Good to see new people interested in this art! Keep up the good work, I have not been able to get anybody in this area interested and I am willing to let them use my equipment!
Maybe I am just too ugly!

[Dannix]

On tip I've learned in teaching -- don't get off on rabbit trails, elaborating on this and that, exceptions et al. Give a good over view, then slowly, methodically dig in.

When preparing for every lesson, I would highly recommend recording yourself, and then listening to that recording and making any needed modifications before speaking before your audience.



There is a book by Richard Boothroyd that is detailed and loaded with pictures that won't intimidate a beginner (Personal experience). You can find it at Castpics in a PDF format. The file is too large for me to upload it here.
Couldn't find it over there. Got a link?

[Echo]

Thanks for the recommendations, guys. I wasn't going to actually use Glen's book in the course - rather, I thought I might just use the chapter titles for starting points, and give them a CD with the book in .pdf form, when they were leaving. I'm considering about a 4-hour class, with hands-on work, and limit it to maybe 6 students. Hit the high points, recommend this forum, and make myself available for any problems that they have. Do this every other week, alternating with an NRA reloading course. And charge a very nominal fee.

(I consider a student of mine a student for life, making myself available for whatever comes up. Done this for all courses I have taught, from Psych to Stat to BusMag to Research Design to Quality. See no reason to stop that now.)

[JIMinPHX]

I would recommend starting with safety - tinsel fairy, etc.

[Echo]

I would recommend starting with safety - tinsel fairy, etc.

Right, but NO DEMONSTRATIONS!

[gabe123]

Dannix,

I looked all over the Castpics site and couldn't find it to post a link. If you send me a PM with your email I can send it to you that way.

Thanks Gabe

[JIMinPHX]

Right, but NO DEMONSTRATIONS!


Maybe just a few pictures. That should get everyone's attention. :popcorn:

[BigRix]

And might I add if you are teaching this class in Tucson, I would like to go. I might even have someone else that would like to come along as well.

[Echo]

On tip I've learned in teaching -- don't get off on rabbit trails, elaborating on this and that, exceptions et al. Give a good over view, then slowly, methodically dig in.

When preparing for every lesson, I would highly recommend recording yourself, and then listening to that recording and making any needed modifications before speaking before your audience.



Couldn't find it over there. Got a link?

Thanks for the advice dannix - but I've been in front of various classes for over 50 years, from missile electronics to Abnormal Psych, and then some. I'm comfortable in front of a class...

[Echo]

And might I add if you are teaching this class in Tucson, I would like to go. I might even have someone else that would like to come along as well.

You will be most welcome, BR, plus any other who you might think will profit from the experience. The plan is to use the facilities at the SERPSR range. Not firm yet - up to the county.

[troy_mclure]

i gave a highly informal reloading class to a buddy and some of his coworkers.

the very first thing i went over was "is reloading for you". went over the amount they currently shoot, the amount they hope to shoot/save, can you ignore distractions, and follow recipes exactly, etc...

you might want to start there with casting.

[JIMinPHX]

I travel a lot for work, but if I'm in town when you give that class, I might like to sit in as well. It's been my experience that every caster has a slightly different way of doing things & I can always find something new to learn. Board members here with 1,000+ posts tend to be an unusually rich gold mine of good information. It sounds like quite the opportunity.

I'm not familiar with the "SERPSR" range. I'll need to find out about that.

[FISH4BUGS]

Somewhere along the line is found the "San Francisco Liberal with a Gun" video set. It is complete all the way from smelting to casting. As I recall, the sizing was not discussed. Perhaps you might copy them and give them to your attendees as a takeaway.
PM me with your email address and I will get them to you.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

I got taken under wing by an older feller at the range this winter who taught me what he knows about casting. I was thinking previously that it would be very good if our club could start doing some course on some of this stuff. We have many new younger members, who have no idea you can cast your own, that want to learn to reload etc. Unfortunately, most of the knowledge at the club is in the brain cavities of the "cranky old loners" that make up a lot of our club - you know, the ones that get pizzy when they don't have to entire range to themselves.

[Echo]

Somewhere along the line is found the "San Francisco Liberal with a Gun" video set. It is complete all the way from smelting to casting. As I recall, the sizing was not discussed. Perhaps you might copy them and give them to your attendees as a takeaway.
PM me with your email address and I will get them to you.

Thanks F4B (isn't that a Boeing Biplane?); I would like to integrate some video into the presentation. My lesson plan is up to 17 pages, but I look forward to this integration.

[jsizemore]

Might I suggest that you find 2 beginners and an intermediate caster and try your 'class' on them. You can pair up with one of the beginners and let the other 2 pair off so you don't have to worry about the lab portion going wrong. I only include the intermediate because the beginner doesn't know what to ask.

[Echo]

JS, that's a thought. A service test, so to speak. I'll work on that.

[Dannix]

Dannix,

I looked all over the Castpics site and couldn't find it to post a link. If you send me a PM with your email I can send it to you that way.

Thanks Gabe
Awesome, thanks. PM en route.

[Dannix]

Just my opinion as a newbie, I think Glen's book is great but a little scary for a beginner. There is a book by Richard Boothroyd that is detailed and loaded with pictures that won't intimidate a beginner (Personal experience). You can find it at Castpics in a PDF format. The file is too large for me to upload it here. If you are trying to expose people to the hobby, I don't think you can go wrong with it. You could use Glen's book for your more advanced classes, that way you are presenting new reference material for those who would like to delve deeper into the art.

Here's a download link for Bullet Casting For Beginners Boothroyd.pdf (http://www.datafilehost.com/download-c1be2d05.html).

If you read this thread in years to come and find the above link broken, let me know, and I can either reupload it or email it to you.

[Echo]

Thanks for the reference, Dannix. I dl'd the book, and read it. Some things I disagree with, but I think Boothroyd did a very good job in providing a beginner's casting book. I may include it on the CD I will give the students as they leave.