$4.27 Ladle

[Ben]

I'm trying to help my friend Bryan " start from scratch " and get up on his feet to cast .30 cal. rifle.

I gave him a couple of molds, a lead pot, a propane burner , some alloy, a pan to lube his bullets in, a " Kake Cutter for .311" bullets , some Ben's Red along with a Lee Push Thru .311" dia. sizer.

Once his bullets are sized .311", he will place them in pan lube and cut them out with a " Kake Cutter ."

The one thing I didn't have to offer him was a decent ladle. I thought that with the current " madness " with ordering reloading supplies that it could be weeks before we could get one shipped ...........so................I thought that I'd just make him one.

The materials cost $4.27 from a local hardware store.
--A 3/4 " copper end cap
--A piece of cold rolled steel
--A short wooden dowel for a handle
--A few 1/8 " dia. steel rivets.

The rivets that hold the ladle to the cold rolled steel handle are steel rivets ( not aluminum rivets ). The wooden handle is attached with slow curing JB Weld.

Tell me what you think ?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/003-43.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/005-30.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/006-33.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/007-29.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/008-31.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/009-27.jpg

[w0fms]

So.. I made a ladle one out of a stainless steel "sauce cup" and used aluminum rivets. I only use it for pouring ingots, though.. but I've read "aluminum is bad".. but then I only have Lee molds.. so what's the problem with Aluminum rivets in this process again? I'm wondering.. no issues actually using that ladle.. but...

My lead pot is a cheap sauce pan that I cut a spout into and I pour right from there. I need to eventually trade up to something with some thermal mass though like a real lead pot or cast iron one eventually.. but I cast well with a hot plate and a $4 sauce pan...

The ladle does look nice though. How well does it work?

[Ben]

w0fms

My friend Bryan and I both agreed that we would feel much better if we attached it with steel rivets.

We have not cast with the ladle yet. Will report back soon with our progress.

Thanks,

Ben

[btroj]

Ben, what haven't you figured out how to make?

That is a nice little dipper you have there. Nicely done, great concept.

[kenyerian]

Well done sir.

[Ben]

Ben, what haven't you figured out how to make?

That is a nice little dipper you have there. Nicely done, great concept.

THANKS -btroj

What is that old saying......?

" A country boy can survive."

[Mk42gunner]

Ben,

My only concern is what happens when the center pin finally falls out of the pop rivets? I Like the concept, but i think you will be better off with a solid rivet. I started casting with a small SS ladle from Wallyworld that I bent a similar spout into.

It worked, but a real casting ladle from Lyman or RCBS (my choice, partly because it was on the shelf the Lyman wasn't) works better.

Robert

[Ben]

Robert :

I'm trying to get Bryan started casting as quickly as possible.

Today, the 2 of us made a ladle with what we had access to here locally.

I live in a small town with one red light.

Can't just run down to the corner and pick from 37 lead casting ladles in the little town that I live in.

If it works, we have a good ladle for $4.27.
If it doesn't work, I'm out $4.27.

[ACrowe25]

Hey Ben, doesn't look to bad to me! Like you said, when life gives you lemons... Times are tough so you just gota make things work and hopefully this is one of them. Let me know how it goes! Creative IMO.

[Spawn-Inc]

great idea! i will look into making the same setup, but with 3/8" or 1/2" copper tubing brazed with 15% silflos with a 1" or larger copper cap.

and a threaded or steel rod inside the copper line for strength.

[Ben]

great idea! i will look into making the same setup, but with 3/8" or 1/2" copper tubing brazed with 15% silflos with a 1" or larger copper cap.

and a threaded or steel rod inside the copper line for strength.

Sounds impressive, I'd like to see some
photos of the " end product " when
you are finished with it.

Thanks,
Ben

[possom813]

But, but, but, what if a left-handed person needs to use it? [smilie=1:

[Ben]

But, but, but, what if a left-handed person needs to use it? [smilie=1:

You are $4.27 away from your answer.

[Tinner_bob]

You are $4.27 away from your answer.



Nice job.
Twice
:)

[Spawn-Inc]

Sounds impressive, I'd like to see some
photos of the " end product " when
you are finished with it.

Thanks,
Ben

ahh, dammit. now i actually have to make it :)

i will buy the cap tomorrow at work and braze it up, just not sure about the steel rod in the copper. i guess my only issue is putting some kind of wooden handle on it. i'm sure i can find something around here!

[Von Gruff]

When I started casting I made my ladle from an old soup spoon. A small ball peen hammer and a bit of paitence, then a piece of split 3/8 rod and a bit of walnut and a couple of 1/8 in brass pins (from a brazing rod) had a ladle that I used for many years untill I got a lyman one but the old soupspoon is still in use ( albeit with a new handle) as a skim spoon and stirer.
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/Cast%20bullets/0012_zps39660998.jpg

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/Cast%20bullets/001-4_zpsc918aef6.jpg

[Ben]

Von Gruff

I bet an awful lot of bullets have been cast with your nice home made ladle.

Isn't it interesting what can be done WITHOUT MidWay, Graff's, Natchez, etc. and the use of your credit card !

[Jim]

Good ol' American inginuity. Good job, Mr. Ben, well done, Sir!

[Gliden07]

Won't the lead stick to the copper? Just wondering I like the way the ladle looks!!

[RickinTN]

The ladle looks good and good job on the design. The only problem I can think of is......Copper has an affinity for Tin, or the other way around. You may find your copper cap slowly dissolving into your melt if your alloy has tin in it. According to a recent and ongoing thread in the alloy section it will "toughen" your bullets. I think I remember that copper "binds" to tin at a rate of between 5 and 7% at +/- 700 degrees (approximate casting temps). I would be curious to know if you experience this.
Rick

[Ben]

Interesting points...........Ummm, I guess we'll see ? ?

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

The ladle looks good and good job on the design. The only problem I can think of is......Copper has an affinity for Tin, or the other way around. You may find your copper cap slowly dissolving into your melt if your alloy has tin in it. According to a recent and ongoing thread in the alloy section it will "toughen" your bullets. I think I remember that copper "binds" to tin at a rate of between 5 and 7% at +/- 700 degrees (approximate casting temps). I would be curious to know if you experience this.
Rick

Being the perpetrator of one of the high copper alloy threads, I was thinking the same thing. Will be interesting to hear if ladle dissolved over time

[Hardcast416taylor]

Ben. Looks pretty good to me. The only change I would make would be the drop on the rod down to the copper cup, make it a straighter stem.Robert

[Jon]

I bet you could braze that copper to the steel. Then you wouldn't have to worry about the rivets. I suspect that it will work for awhile. Nice job!

[Von Gruff]

Von Gruff

I bet an awful lot of bullets have been cast with your nice home made ladle.

Isn't it interesting what can be done WITHOUT MidWay, Graff's, Natchez, etc. and the use of your credit card !

Yes, countless thousands and it would have still been the only ladle except that I wanted the bottom pour capability of the Lyman unit to take one more variable out of the equation when looking to cast uniform bullets for HV - accuracy tests.

[Spawn-Inc]

okay, not to hijack, but here is one that i just made at work, but not tested.

i was going to buy some 3/4" dowel and drill out a 3/8" hole to use as a handle, but haven't yet. as well i may remove the small opening to make it larger for quicker filling. i was going to drill a 1/2" hole in one side to fill and have it act like a bottom pour, but wanted to keep it left and right sided.

it didn't come out as pretty or exactly as i imagined it would, but that's no surprise. i also realized i could buy a bigger cap (2") and make a mini moon shine still :) i already have a bunsen burner from high school as the heat source.

cost was $10 for copper fittings.

http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/oo304/Spawn-Inc/Reloading/IMG_0538_zpsfdf2573d.jpg

http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/oo304/Spawn-Inc/Reloading/IMG_0539_zps7cd79538.jpg

http://i386.photobucket.com/albums/oo304/Spawn-Inc/Reloading/IMG_0540_zpsc6895788.jpg

[LuvMy1911]

Always give an idea a try! I've learned that sometimes you learn as much when the project doesn't work as when it works perfectly! Still using the great homemade skimming stirring spoon my friend made for me out of a yard sale stainless steel large serving spoon!

[w0fms]

I guess I'm flat out weird that I use a PID controlled hot plate (that I also use for other hobbies, it's disgustingly useful.. I can set it for 220 *F for example to make lube).. and then I pour out of a little "egg boiler" sauce pan that I made by cutting a spout out of with a Dremel and bending with pliers.

I'd admit that it's slower than a bottom pour, but I cant see how even a proper ladle would be faster.. It works pretty well. I asked about the rivets because I've actually read and heard in YouTube videos not to use them. I was simply wondering about the logic.. especially since I cast with Aluminum molds. (And yup my pan is a $4 Wallyworld teflon coated Aluminum pan) Cool though... I thought the ladle looks great...

[Ben]

The good news is the $4.27 ladle works just fine.

Here is Bryan ( in the link below ) using the ladle and casting some Lee .30 cal., 200 gr. plain base bullets out of a single cav. mold for his 06's and his .308 Win.

This was Bryan's very 1st day at casting his own bullets.

It has been about as much fun for me seeing Bryan get up on his feet and casting his own bullets. He certainly seemed to be enjoying himself today.

He is running a propane burner right now with a 25 lb. steel pot but he plans on getting a Lee 20 lb. elect. ladle casting pot soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=oSdGlGiDjYA

[Bad Water Bill]

When you insert the rivet in the hole it bottoms on the rivet head on the outside. By squeezing on your riveting tool you expand the piece of the rivet on the other side of your material making it larger than the hole it entered.

If the expander pin falls out, the expanded part of the rivet will NOT shrink back to its original size.

Stop worrying.

Nice ( I would say YANKEE ingenuity BUT ??)CREATIVITY.:)

[Ben]

Bad Water Bill

Stop worrying.

I'm not worried in the least about the rivets , it is others that were concerned about the rivets......................

If I'd been worried about them , I wouldn't have used them in the 1st place.

[TopHat]

All of my ladles have come from goodwill. 2 are bigger serving style, a smaller gravy, and several large spoons that were heated with a propane torch and pounded in to shape with a ball peen hammer. None cost me more then $1.

To everyone that put up pics, nice work. I got some stainless condiment cups from walmart that were 4 for a $1, but was leery of using pop rivets to attach a handle. I may try the pop rivets now.

[Bad Water Bill]

BEN I was referring to post #7 by Mk42gunner and aluminum pop rivets.

Never ever ever going to pick on a guy with one of them GOLDEN BOOLITS above his name.:kidding:

[Mk42gunner]

Ben and Bad Water Bill,

I understand how pop rivets work, and Ben stated that he used steel rivets, (which I have never used as pop rivets). I wasn't thinking the ladle would fall apart, I was thinking that if the center pin fell out as is common with the aluminum ones that there could be a sudden unexpected leak pointing towards the user.

Might not ever happen, but I spent a lot of time looking for potential problems in a past life.

Robert

[David2011]

Ben and Bad Water Bill,

I understand how pop rivets work, and Ben stated that he used steel rivets, (which I have never used as pop rivets). I wasn't thinking the ladle would fall apart, I was thinking that if the center pin fell out as is common with the aluminum ones that there could be a sudden unexpected leak pointing towards the user.

Might not ever happen, but I spent a lot of time looking for potential problems in a past life.

Robert

This is probably a legitimate concern considering the number of heating and cooling cycles a dipper will endure and was my first thought when I saw the pop rivets as well. Real rivets that are peened would be a better choice IMO. They're cheap and easy to set, too.

David

[Cane_man]

The good news is the $4.27 ladle works just fine.

Here is Bryan ( in the link below ) using the ladle and casting some Lee .30 cal., 200 gr. plain base bullets out of a single cav. mold for his 06's and his .308 Win.

This was Bryan's very 1st day at casting his own bullets.

It has been about as much fun for me seeing Bryan get up on his feet and casting his own bullets. He certainly seemed to be enjoying himself today.

He is running a propane burner right now with a 25 lb. steel pot but he plans on getting a Lee 20 lb. elect. ladle casting pot soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=oSdGlGiDjYA

great job Ben, way to pass on the craft to some else... :awesome:

[PULSARNC]

I to made my own ladle awhile back I took a bronze 1 inch diameter piece of pipe and brazed a base to it and then a handle .Heated and bent a spout into one side works like a champ and I have about one dollar in the whole setup . I like cheap !

[Ben]

I to made my own ladle awhile back I took a bronze 1 inch diameter piece of pipe and brazed a base to it and then a handle .Heated and bent a spout into one side works like a champ and I have about one dollar in the whole setup . I like cheap !

I think what you've just described has baffled our Russian counterparts during the cold war. We seem to find ways to get things done ( and for some of us , it might be a way that might be different and new.....BUT IT WORKS. )

[Malpratice]

Those are very nice.. I spent 64 on the lee casting pot.. I cheated

[rbuck351]

Well I cheated too but as it was some time back it was $29.95 for the 10# drip-o-matic.

[Shiloh]

Looks good. Show the results.

Shiloh

[psychicrhino]

Very nice pics. May have to make one now too.

[TheGrimReaper]

Hey, at least it looks good and useful.

[Raven_Darkcloud]

If the rivets fail use allen screws with button head and nuts with high temp perm locktite. The other way to go is washers and round stock. Put the round stock in a vice so that with the washer on it you have 1.5 to 2 times the thickness of the round stock above the washer. Peen it to the washer then stick it in as rivet put another washer on and peen it. I have used this method many times to make copper rivets for leather work. works in steel too. Get the copper washers in plumbing department.

[Relsom]

I wouldn't worry about the rivet pins. If you are concerned go ahead and push them out and peen the rivet. Of course then you would have two leaker holes. Better to peen or squish the rivet around the pin so it can't come out. Then you, and the others on this thread (myself included) will be able to sleep well at night.