Need a Cheap Idea for Ingot Molds

[ACrowe25]

Hey guys, I'm getting ready to melt 100 lbs of wheel weight down here in the next day or so and am looking for some ideas to pour my lead into that won't break the bank. I commonly see cupcake pans but I don't think they will fit very well in my Lee Pro 10 lb pot. Any other ideas you can come up with? Maybe something at Walmart? I have a LEE ignot mold, but it has 2x 1lbs and 2x 1/2lbs. Thinking it will be a rough day using only 1 ignot mold (2lbs at a time lol).

Virtually any metal should be okay right? Or some that I should stay away from (don't think they make lead pans... :) ) Do some work bettter than others i.e. Al vs Fe?

What do you think?

[GMT210]

I use the mini-loaf pans from walmart, 8 cavities about 3lbs each, less wasted space than the round muffin pans or corn cob molds.

[Pmc]

Wal mart. Stainless steel condiment cups. 97 cents for a pack of 4. Each ingot is about 1.2 lbs. 5 bucks gets you 20.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Condiment-Cups/14964954

[ACrowe25]

I use the mini-loaf pans from walmart, 8 cavities about 3lbs each, less wasted space than the round muffin pans or corn cob molds.

I really like this idea. Thank you. Made of aluminum?

[detox]

I would make as many as i could using the Lee mould. Set hot mould on wet towel to cool and work faster. Be sure surface is level. About 34 fills using the Lee mould and 100 lbs of lead

When wet towel will starts to dry, just pour more water on towel

[ACrowe25]

Why do you say that detox? Preference or better?

[dbosman]

The Lee mold is small, but straight ingots fit electric pots fuller than muffins. It's available for $10.00 from Titan.

[Defcon-One]

...mini-loaf pans from walmart, 8 cavities about 3 lbs. each...

I second this!

Aluminum? No, They are coated steel. I sand blasted mine and no issues at all. They even look like an ingot should!

DC-1

[ACrowe25]

Sounds like a plan to me. Should fit nicely in my pot. Sand blasting allowing for easier fall out? Or just looks?

[GMT210]

I didn't bother sand blasting or letting them rust, I just washed them to get preservative off of them and started using. They are great, just make sure your ladle is big enough to fill them, at least a 6 oz ladle is needed..

[CountryBoy19]

I use the mini-loaf pans from walmart, 8 cavities about 3lbs each, less wasted space than the round muffin pans or corn cob molds.

I use a "micro" loaf pan that my wife didn't use anymore. Yields 1.5 lb rectangular ingots. If I were buying a new pan I'd look for something a bit larger because its a bit tedious with only 1.5lb/ingot. Lots of marking and handling and waiting for things to cool. Even when melting wheel-weight I "batch" and mark as batches just in case a batch is contaminated or different from another. It takes a while to empty a 75 lb batch from my melt pot at 18lb/pour.

[Any Cal.]

I use a corn cob cornbread pan. Set it in a shallow mud puddle and the first ingots are cool enough to flip out by the time you have poured the last one. They come out almost 1lb each. When smelting range scrap I usually smelt a pot, pull out the jackets, then do 3-4 rounds w/ the same pan, then reload the pot. You only need one pan if you keep water under it.

[ACrowe25]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I headed over to WalMart just now and found, what I think to be, the same 8 count mini loaf pan some of you were talking about. Taking it to a friends shop to sand blast it seems like it couldn't hurt and I have to go there anyways lol.

Looking forward to pouring some loaves this weekend lol.

[383]

I didn't bother sand blasting or letting them rust, I just washed them to get preservative off of them and started using. They are great, just make sure your ladle is big enough to fill them, at least a 6 oz ladle is needed..

Your ingots didn't stick? I used something similar on my first smelt and the ingots stuck so good I had to throw the molds in my next pot to melt the ingots in order to get them out.

[GMT210]

I have not had an ingot stick in the mold, that a light tap wouldn't knock out, in the last 2,000 lbs.

[00buck]

just a reminder.. I felt compelled to repeat. keep that water out of your smelting pot and your molds!

I hate the tinsel fairy :(

[jabo52521]

68401
WalMart condiment cups ingots. 2 sizes .

[Defcon-One]

I sand blasted them to remove the Teflon coating. It would "gas out" under the molten lead and leave large bubbles in the ingots surface. Not very good looking ingots. Obviously, my pans were Teflon coated. Also, the fumes from super hot Teflon are not good for you.

Tin coated pans will stick like they were soldered to your ingots, probably what you had if they stuck so bad!

[WILCO]

I use a corn cob cornbread pan. Set it in a shallow mud puddle and...

Greet the Tinsel Fairy:


The Tinsel Fairy

Beware The Tinsel Fairy
Or She will get you good
When you are tired and thinking not
As clearly as you should

One little drop of water
Your lead will go KABOOM
And so The Tinsel Fairy comes
To decorate your room

She's not the nicest Fairy
That you will chance to meet
And She'll appear too quick for you
To make a safe retreat

On the ceiling, on the walls
Faster than you can run
Your clothes and face She'll decorate
So you glitter in the sun

In the future there'll be scars
Reminding you how dumb
You acted then and now beware
Lest The Tinsel Fairy come

TJD 1/25/06, Conway, NH

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?4646-The-Tinsel-Fairy

[383]

I sand blasted them to remove the Teflon coating. It would "gas out" under the molten lead and leave large bubbles in the ingots surface. Not very good looking ingots. Obviously, my pans were Teflon coated. Also, the fumes from super hot Teflon are not good for you.

Tin coated pans will stick like they were soldered to your ingots, probably what you had if they stuck so bad!

They likely were tin coated. I now have some donated teflon coated steel pans the wife donated that I sanded down to bare metal.
So I don't need to allow then to rust before using?

[GMT210]

The teflon does gas out on the first pour, you'll hear it sizzle a little, pour slowly. You may get a small bubble or two on the first ingot, but it is only an ingot that is going to get melted down again, so it is no big deal.

[Defcon-One]

True, but that gas is strong enough to kill a pet canary (bird). Not outside of course, but it is not good for you.

Also, mine would bubble every time I used it. So, I sand blasted it and now I get perfect ingots every time.

Worth 10 minutes of effort? To me it was!

[acguy45]

I have been using aluminum beer/soda cans or sardine tins with pretty good success. I just cut the tops off the cans and make sure they're dry inside68451. once they cool off they are pretty easy to peel off with pliars. can't get to much cheaper than that.

[sargenv]

I still prefer my little corn cob ingots made from the cast iron pans.. I can put two on top of my warm pot to keep the pot full as I cast.. after about 40-50 bullets, I drop an ingot in, and replace it from my bucket..

[fredj338]

I have been using aluminum beer/soda cans or sardine tins with pretty good success. I just cut the tops off the cans and make sure they're dry inside once they cool off they are pretty easy to peel off with pliars. can't get to much cheaper than that.
No but way too much work peeling alum or tin off. If you have access to a welder, head to the scrap yard. A few $$ gets you a 24" section of 3" channel iron. Cut it into 4" lengths, weld 3-4 together & then the rest as a handle.

[Tomuchiron]

I've used about everything for moulds. You can spray anything with dry moly lube, and it will release the lead. I have used alot of teflon coated as is and they work fine for years,.
Mike

[jeepyj]

Check out you local antique shops I picked up these cast iron corn bread pans in the photos for eight dollars each.
Jeepyj
68651

[WHITETAIL]

I have used the cast iron corn
moulds and are very happy with them.:bigsmyl2:

[dgill99]

Love the poem

[dancingbear41]

I use the cavity in the side of a red brick. They cost me nothing and produce an ingot that weighs approximately four pounds.

[gbrown]

I use cast iron corn cob molds that were headed to the scrap yard. Have about 6 of them. That's what I use for my coww alloy. Then, I have stainless steel condiment cups from Walmart (mentioned above) for pewter and solder. I bought 2 cast iron muffin pans off Amazon for the pure lead and soww. As forgetful as I am (chronic CRS) it helps to have different shapes. I ladle cast from a 40 lb pot, so size of ingots works for me. RayinNH makes some nice molds. I have a ladle and skimmer from him and just love 'em.

[USMC87]

I am inthe process of making several molds out of channel for me and a few other close by members.

[Bzcraig]

I sand blasted them to remove the Teflon coating. It would "gas out" under the molten lead and leave large bubbles in the ingots surface. Not very good looking ingots. Obviously, my pans were Teflon coated. Also, the fumes from super hot Teflon are not good for you.

Tin coated pans will stick like they were soldered to your ingots, probably what you had if they stuck so bad!

I bought a dollar store cupcake pan tin coated like mentioned, what a mess! Luckily the cups pulled out of the 'frame' then I was able to clip the edges of the cups in about eight places and peel the cups off the lead. It was such a pain I started using a cast iron baking dish the wife no longer used. Search 'sissy mold' page 2 and you will see what it was.

[sparky45]

I am inthe process of making several molds out of channel for me and a few other close by members.

That's exactly what I did. Only cost $899. However, my Grandson taught me how to weld with my new toy and the channel (actually used an old bed frame) makes excellent 1.5 lb ingots.

[I'll Make Mine]

I've got some little "mini-loaf" pans that are seamless stamped stainless; they've got considerable draft, so the ingots should drop right out, and the size is just right to make three to five pounds (depending how deep you fill), and they're not joined together, so you don't have to lift twenty or thirty pounds to flip them over to drop the ingots. These particular ones are still in the kitchen waiting to do duty for individual bread loaves, but if you could find a set of these cheap at Big Lots or some such place, they'd make excellent ingot molds.

[Andrew Mason]

i cut soda and bear cans to fit under my bottom pour,
and then tear off the can when the ingots cool down.

i consider them to be esentialy free ingot molds,.

[BubbaJon]

Hey guys, I'm getting ready to melt 100 lbs of wheel weight down here in the next day or so and am looking for some ideas to pour my lead into that won't break the bank. I commonly see cupcake pans but I don't think they will fit very well in my Lee Pro 10 lb pot. Any other ideas you can come up with? Maybe something at Walmart? I have a LEE ignot mold, but it has 2x 1lbs and 2x 1/2lbs. Thinking it will be a rough day using only 1 ignot mold (2lbs at a time lol).

Virtually any metal should be okay right? Or some that I should stay away from (don't think they make lead pans... :) ) Do some work bettter than others i.e. Al vs Fe?

What do you think?

I used the mini-muffin tins for a while - they're cheep and each muffin is about 8 oz.

[zomby woof]

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/DSCN03361.JPG