My first casting ... what lead?

[thunderheart]

My first mold, a Lee 7/8 oz key slug arrived today and I'm eager to cast some up. However I'm not set up with either a supply of w.w. or really the means to smelt them. Wondered if it might be advisable to just bite the bullet (pun a happy coincidence) and buy a small quantity off ebay to start with. Any advice?

Also I wondered if it is cool to melt lead in an old aluminum sauce pan. I retired a couple of old Calphalon sauteuses recently. I have a good propane "turkey fryer" burner that gets hotter than Hades so that should be a sufficient heat source. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Dallas

[Powellcole5490]

I ran into some of the same issues finding lead so I posted a wanted ad on Craig's and boom my email filled with responses. You might try there. If not you may have to buy from eBay or some people on this site. I would probably buy from someone from cast boolits just because they may actually care about their product and their customers... Just my 2 cents. Happy casting!

Coleman

[slim1836]

While tire shops may not give you their lead, they almost always let you walk the parking lot area and I have found a handful or more each time I looked. You can also look after hours. Check by their dumpster area also.

Never got run off for that yet.

Slim

[lylejb]

If your going to buy lead, buy it from someone here.

Fellow casters know what we need, people on fleebay may or may not know, or care.

Often cheeper here too.

please see swappin and sellin section.

No, don't use an aluminium pan.

Aluminium is soft to begin with, and softens further when heated. You might get away with it in a small pot, but smelting a larger batch in aluminium is asking for trouble.

Just think what would happen if the pot gave way, and splashed and spilled molten lead. Not a risk I want to take.

You might look at goodwill / thrift stores for a cast iron or stainless pot.

[Moonman]

Check here first, Good Casters, Good Service, Good Product, Fast Service Too. They have Dead Soft Ingots, Wheel Weight Ingots, Premixed Alloy Ingots, just ask. Rotometals a sponsor can service your needs also.

[Defcon-One]

Heavy Aluminum like Calphalon will work in a pinch, but I'm not sure what the coating will do.

I'd do as lylejb says and find a cast iron or stainless pot. They are pretty cheap and will last a lifetime. Or, if you have the propane fryer base already, just buy a Dutch oven at Wall-Mart or somewhere else, they are inexpensive, large batch capable and hard to beat.

For casting, get a bottom pour electric pot.

Buy lead here! I have many times in a pinch and I always got what I expected, packaged well and with great communication and service. For your slugs, I'd use SOWW or dead soft lead.

[JSnover]

While tire shops may not give you their lead, they almost always let you walk the parking lot area and I have found a handful or more each time I looked. You can also look after hours. Check by their dumpster area also.

Never got run off for that yet.

Slim

+1. Big parking lots filled with bad drivers (there has to be a WalMart or Target near you) are a good source. I filled two coffee cans last spring and found very few zinc/steel weights.

[Suo Gan]

No aluminum, use stainless steel.

[para45lda]

JSnover: your avatar is awesome. ^^

Wes

[thunderheart]

Hey guys,

Thanx for the advice. Did get a 50# box of lead from a fellow forum member. $1.21/lb in ingots is worth it to get me rollin'. Need a bottom pour pot now ...

[SkookumJeff]

When I was collecting my equipment I became a regular patron of St. Vincent de Paul's and Goodwill looking for used muffin pans to use for ingot moulds. I was getting them for a dollar or two each, most were new if you can believe that. I even managed to pick up a cast iron pot for smelting. Also got a stainless steel strainer spoon for skimming dross from my melt. I bought large muffin pan moulds for lead ingots and small muffin pan moulds for lino ingots...

[Moonman]

Always keep your eye out for things to use or convert for use in your casting.