2 to 3 pound ingot moulds, anybody?

[Airman Basic]

I've got an RCBS one pound ingot mould and a cast iron cornstick that's about a pound each. They don't come close to keeping up with my smelting sessions. Anybody know of a source for heavier ingots that one could afford to buy in quantity? Maybe a vendor here. I'd like enough moulds to keep up with a hundred pound dutch oven without to much downtime waiting for them to cool down. Don't have access to welding equipment, so don't have that option. Just needs to fit a Promelt.

[bangerjim]

Do a search on here for ingot molds. They are here.

bangerjim

[mold maker]

I'd go for more molds instead of bigger ones. The aluminum Lyman molds have handles and aren't too expensive. I have over 30 molds of different makes that help keep the alloys separate.
You can most always get your money back when you don't need them.

[Sensai]

Aluminum soda cans work pretty well. Just peel them off when you're through. You might want to make sure that they're dry inside before pouring them full of lead, though![smilie=1:

[dragon813gt]

The miniloaf pans they sell at Walmart can come in at the range depending on how you fill them. I fill then almost completely and they average 3.5#s. I can't remember e brand name but it begins w/ a W.

[Jailer]

12 hole muffin pans from Wal Mart are $4/each ad pour 2 1/4 pound WW ingots for me. They are just about perfect size for a Lee 4-20.

[bwgdog]

I bought two of the 2.5 lb four cavity molds from Brandon Foundry when he made the first batch for the CB Forum. Great molds + the ingots fit in small flat rate box for shipping. I only do 200 lbs at a time so two molds are fine for me.

[el34]

12 hole muffin pans from Wal Mart are $4/each ad pour 2 1/4 pound WW ingots for me. They are just about perfect size for a Lee 4-20.

Just that simple.

I have a couple of mini-loaf pans too but the big ingots really bring down the pot temp while casting so I don't use them any more.

[jsizemore]

Cupcake size tins produce 2 lb ingots and I buy the old ones at the flea market and thrift store for about $1/. The nastier the better.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I had the same problem. I have 4 ingot molds that drop 1 lb. ingots. One day I needed more speed than I was getting this way. I have 3 cast iron 10 lb. pots from Lyman and RCBS. I started filling each pot about 1/2 full to make fewer ingots but heavier at the same time.Robert

[detox]

Aluminum soda cans work pretty well. Just peel them off when you're through. You might want to make sure that they're dry inside before pouring them full of lead, though![smilie=1:

Pepsi now has a new smaller 7oz size can. Maybe you can find smaller aluminum cans? You can take top off can by sanding top lip against sandpaper and flat surface

[Echo]

12 hole muffin pans from Wal Mart are $4/each ad pour 2 1/4 pound WW ingots for me. They are just about perfect size for a Lee 4-20.

I use a muffin pan for most of my smelting. I put down a large cookie sheet, then I fold a towel to fit in the cookie pan, soak it with water, and set the muffin pan on top. I use a large dipper to fill the cavities, By the time I get to the 12th cavity, the others are set, and it just takes a few seconds for the last one to set. I give it a few more seconds, then pick it up (Gloves, of course!) and dump on patio. Repeat.
For my special smelting (7-1 Pb/Mono, +1%Sn), I use regular 4-cavity molds, and flood them to make 5-lb ingits, again setting them on the soaking towel to speed the setting. And I have some angle-iron molds I use for ingots of WW+2%Sn.

[RoGrrr]

airman
Find someone with a welder and a chop saw to make up what you want. If your nick describes your line of employment, I'm sure someone on your installation will help you out. Some of us are always looking for "government projects"; if you were close by, I'd help you out.

I used corn bread moulds for my ingots until I built my 100 Lb smelter. I quickly realized I needed more capacity AND more moulds. Also, the cast iron moulds tend to crack so I lost 2 of the 9 cavities.
I had a scrap bed frame of 1-1/2" angle, so I cut some pieces of it and welded up a set of five cavity 3-pound moulds (5 inch long ingots). Works well but I quickly found that they don't stack all that well. My next project will be some 2 or 3 inch channel iron moulds yielding 3 or 4 Lb ingots. (once I shoot up the ton of these 3-pounders, that is....)

[blikseme300]

4" Channel iron is what I used to make my molds and the ingots stack very well. I don't sell & ship so I have not given this factor a thought. These are too large to fit in the small commercial bottom cast furnaces so plan ahead if you intend to sell ingots of this size.

[D Crockett]

Airman Basic I sent you a pm on some ingot molds D Crockett

[220swiftfn]

Pepsi now has a new smaller 7oz size can. Maybe you can find smaller aluminum cans? You can take top off can by sanding top lip against sandpaper and flat surface

Or just take the top off with a can opener........ Might be a little easier............. Just sayin'.........


:bigsmyl2:



Dan

[GLL]

Weld up the exact size you need !

I have eight of these are 5 pounders.
http://www.fototime.com/5A6777B8FA7EE62/orig.jpg

Jerry

[Airman Basic]

Airman Basic I sent you a pm on some ingot molds D Crockett
Thanks, but I hit the yard sales and thrift shops this weekend and bought enough cheap cookware that something ought to work. If not, I might get back with you.

[sierra1911]

Search for the thread 'Lodge divided rectangle mini server'. They're about $11 for a cast iron mold that makes 3 three pound ingots.

Sorry don't know how to paste the link to the thread with my phone....

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Aluminum beverage cans will work fine although a complete can when filled will produce a lead cylinder/ingot that weighs around 10 pounds. If and when added to a pot that will accept it, the melt may need up to one half hour to come back up to casting temp.Cutting the empty can off around 2 inches up from the bottom will give you a much lighter/smaller ingot. Wear gloves when you cut/peel the cold ingot; jagged edges can hurt you. If you are looking for 1.5 to 2 pound ingots (or less when partially filled) then check out stainless steel condiment cups that are sold by Walmart....a set of four for all of 90 cents. All you will need to turn them over is a set of ordinary pliers. No sticking, no rust, no fuss. Three or four sets for a total investment of 3-4 dollars and you can smelt huge numbers of ingots all day and night long. Several sets can when empty stack into a pile around the size of a pile of poker chips. LLS

[shadowcaster]

Lodge cast iron wedge pans work great.. stack well, fall right out, fit into the casting pots, and come in a approx 2 pounds each. Because they are flat, reheat time is minimal when adding more ingots to the pot. I only paid 9 bucks each, but I see they have gone up some. They are worth every penny.

Shad

[RoGrrr]

GLL
I do like how you cut your channel at an angle. I realized I should have done this after I poured my first set of ingots and had to literally beat them out. Those trapezoids stack nicely, as you mentioned.
Also, you did a really nice tig weld job.
My next set will be angled with my Bridgeport to allow for similar clearance, Clarence. (pun out of the movie AIRPLANE). I built 2 sets of 5-cavity molds and will build similar again even tho they empty the smelter fairly quickly.


Weld up the exact size you need !

I have eight of these are 5 pounders.
<IMAGE SNIPPED OUT TO SAVE BANDWIDTH>

Jerry

[GLL]

RoGrrr:

The molds were made for me by Jawjaboy and are beautifully crafted. Unfortunately he passed away a couple years ago ! :(
RIP !

Jerry

[Jon]

Cabelas has them.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Home-Cabin/Kitchen-Dining/Cookware|/pc/104798880/c/104739480/sc/104278680/Lodge-Cast-Iron-Mini-Servers/715208.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse.cmd%3FN %3D1101286%26WTz_l%3DSBC%253BBRprd715208&WTz_l=SBC%3BBRprd715208%3Bcat104278680

[shootinfox2]

Place a nail or a piece of wood under one end of the angle iron and cut on a chop saw. use the same thickness for all the cuts.

[grumman581]

Weld up the exact size you need !

I have eight of these are 5 pounders.
http://www.fototime.com/5A6777B8FA7EE62/orig.jpg


That's what I welded up also. Except that my welding is not as good... :)

[gwpercle]

The miniloaf pans they sell at Walmart can come in at the range depending on how you fill them. I fill then almost completely and they average 3.5#s. I can't remember e brand name but it begins w/ a W.
If the pans were plain aluminum, not steel and not coated, they are Wilton. I saw them the other day and was thinking how nice an ingot they would make. I use the Wilton all aluminum mini-muffin pans for small ingots. The mini-loaf pans looked like they would be better for a little larger ingot. You don't find them in regular baking section....they are kept in the special party baking section and I have no idea why. My wife knew where they hid them and took me right to that section.
Gary

[taco650]

Just got started casting and did some smelting of range scrap the other day. I bought a 6-cavity muffin thing from Walmart and forgot to burn off the coating first . Was b**** getting the lead out the first time so took the propane torch to the thing and now it works fine. ;-)

[RoGrrr]

Fox
You completely miss the point here. :kidding:

I spent plenty of big bucks to buy and freight that big Bridgeport here and it's going to take lots of time to make a fixture so I can set it up to get molds all the same. I have to use it so I can justify having it. :bigsmyl2:

Besides, we call this a HOBBY !

But, yes, your point is well taken.:cool:


Place a nail or a piece of wood under one end of the angle iron and cut on a chop saw. use the same thickness for all the cuts.

[cbrick]

I had the same problem. I have 4 ingot molds that drop 1 lb. ingots. One day I needed more speed than I was getting this way. I have 3 cast iron 10 lb. pots from Lyman and RCBS. I started filling each pot about 1/2 full to make fewer ingots but heavier at the same time.Robert

Kinda like this? :mrgreen: I have 6 of the RCBS cast iron 10 pound pots that I use for ingot molds. A word of caution for anyone wishing to make ingots this way, filled full they do make 10 pound ingots BUT 10 pounders will NOT fit back into an RCBS 22 pound pot. Filled half full they are 5 pounds, flat top & bottom and they stack really great. These pots have gotten pretty pricey these days, about $18 I think. I bought mine back when they were like $6.00 each plus a couple of them I got used for next to nothing.

Rick

86523

[shootinfox2]

Rogrr, remember:

measure with a micrometer
mark it with chalk
cut it with a chain saw
assemble it with a sledge hammer.......

[grumman581]

Rogrr, remember:

measure with a micrometer
mark it with chalk
cut it with a chain saw
assemble it with a sledge hammer.......

And if it doesn't fit, use a bigger hammer...

[Dale53]

I use a mix of small (½ and 1.0 lb ingots) and large (the large ingot mould will cast 3.5-5.0 lb. ingots depending on how full they are poured):

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/QWinter2009andleadsmelting-1769.jpg (http://s269.photobucket.com/user/Dale53/media/QWinter2009andleadsmelting-1769.jpg.html)

Here is a close up of the large ingot mould. It is made from 2" angle iron (by a good friend who is a professional welder). The ends of the angle iron are slanted a bit to easily release the ingot. That also makes nice handles for the ingot mould. These will weigh from 3.5-5.0 lbs. depending on how full they are. Three or four of them will fit nicely, vertically in the RCBS Pro-Melts. They also stack just fine (just alternate them when placing). I normally just toss them in a plastic milk crate (AFTER it is in position) to store them in my casting barn.

FWIW
Dale53

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/QIngotmoulds031.jpg (http://s269.photobucket.com/user/Dale53/media/QIngotmoulds031.jpg.html)

[Hanzy4200]

Run by your local thrift stores and check out their kitchen stuff. I've been using a little aluminum cup, what it is I have no idea. Paid $.50 for it and being aluminum, it cools super fast and throws out about a 3 lb. ingot. Or just get a muffin pan for large muffins. They will be 3-4 lbs.

[waco]

Lucky for me, I work in a fab shop. I just make ingot molds out of scrap steel for whatever my needs are.

[creature]

I use the square shaped heavy duty muffin pans from walmart. They're for making little lemon squares and such i think. I like them because i can cast square ingots and they stack real well. IIRC they were like $8 but are sturdier than all the others and will probably last forever.

[detox]

The 5 lb Roto Metal bars are perfect size, but they do not sell moulds. You can look at Roto Metals ingot and see that their moulds are CNC cut.

I like the 1 lb RCBS and Lyman moulds also.