Is this set up OK?

[Juan Jose]

So far I've only smelted wheel weights to make ingots, but I plan on casting some bullets soon---
A cheap import cast iron sauce pan with lid (I used the lid as a place to deposit the junk---clips, rust, and stuff---skimmed off the wheel weights melt)
Coleman propane camp stove and fuel canisters
A Lee "spoon" (I'd guess that's what you call it)
A Lyman dipper (just ordered)
A pair of old welder's gloves
A face shield (left over from tiling the bathroom floor when I used a tile saw)
A piece of tin flashing to protect the wooden picnic table I work on.
An aluminum muffin pan for pouring ingots
A small electric fan to blow away fumes
A stainless steel ladle for pouring muffin ingots
I've collected a few molds with handles, mostly Lyman and Lee.
What do you think? What items do I overlook and need to add?
I'm thinking some kind of mold release and flux perhaps? Solder to add more tin to the melt? Any suggestions?

[engineer401]

A good thermometer and rawhide hammer to strike the handle hinge in case bullets stick.

[Juan Jose]

I have an old hickory hammer handle I was thinking of using to open the sprue plate or nock the hinge. Would that work OK?

[engineer401]

Many people use hammer handles. That should work fine. A vendor sponsor sells thermometers for a good price. He is Swede Nelson or NOE http://www.noebulletmolds.com/NV/.

[dsbock]

Juan,

There are several options for flux. The general concensus is that plain sawdust is a near perfect choice. Look for "From ingot to target" by Glen Fryxell on this site. Lots of good info there.

Engineer401,

Are you the mad bomber what bombs at midnight? ;-)

David

[Juan Jose]

Many people use hammer handles. That should work fine. A vendor sponsor sells thermometers for a good price. He is Swede Nelson or NOE http://www.noebulletmolds.com/NV/.
Thanks, I'll check it out.

[Juan Jose]

Juan,

There are several options for flux. The general concensus is that plain sawdust is a near perfect choice. Look for "From ingot to target" by Glen Fryxell on this site. Lots of good info there.

Engineer401,

Are you the mad bomber what bombs at midnight? ;-)

David
I used saw dust when I smelted the wheel weights---lots of black gnarly stuff floated to the top---I was concerned about maybe skimming off the tin with the goop!
I read the sticky about using AeroKroil as a mold release and it looked interesting. Any comments?

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Mold release usually isn't needed. Other choices in place of hammer handle could be rawhide hammer or plastic hammer; they don't harm mold in any way. Harbor Freight has welder set consisting of leather apron, gloves etc....reasonably priced...affords good all round protection against getting burned. A pair of pliers for picking up hot things...long handled channel lock type for adding ingots. LLs

[engineer401]

Engineer401,

Are you the mad bomber what bombs at midnight? ;-)

David

I don't know what bombs at midnight. I just like the character. Glad to know someone else appreciates The Tick.

[dikman]

You'll find some use Kroil (and other stuff) as a mold release, but if the mold is working properly you shouldn't need it. The hammer handle should be fine, it's what I've been using for a while. The only other thing is a soft cloth to drop the boolits on to.

Have fun.

[dsbock]

I don't know what bombs at midnight. I just like the character. Glad to know someone else appreciates The Tick.

That was the line he used throughout the episode. "I'm the Mad Bomber what bombs at midnight, see."

I've been a big fan of the tick since it was first aired. So many great lines. For the holiday season just past "Oh no, a yule tide!"

David

[country gent]

Your equipment list looks good You might consider the leather apron and make sure gloves cukks are inside shirt sleeves. Splatter cant fall inside gloves that way same with boots pants legs / cuffs over boot tops. I use a small no mar dead blow hammer of about 8 ounces and it works great. A tap with it becomes a push thru due to no bounce of dead blow. The hammer handle does work very good I used them for years. Several old towels to drop bullets on, one to start then another when one gets full of hot bullets. The full towel can be set aside and the second used while those are cooling completely. A few boxes containers for your production as they cool and need a temporary "home" till sorted lubed and sized. Medium sized cardboard boxes will work great for this. I store my bullets in MTM ammo boxes for pistol rounds when done and ready to use, but any container will work.

[dsbock]

I use an old cigar box with a towel folded inside as my catch tray. As it gets full, I layer the towel over the contents and keep going.

As you continue your education, look into water quenching and oven heat treating to adjust hardness with out making the bullets more brittle.

David

[mdi]

Be careful of cheap imported cast iron cookware. I've read of cast iron pots cracking when used for smelting, but I started with a 2 qt. stainless steel pan for smelting...

I'm a lifelong machinist/mechanic with all the shop safety deeply ingrained in my head. But I'm not a "chicken little" thinker either. I don't use gloves, as I feel safer with feeling the tools in my hands. I don't use an apron as I don't sit when smelting/casting and there's no place for lead to land, as in my lap, and I'm not restrained by heavy stiff clothing. But I do wear closed shoes, safety glasses (even shades or Rx glasses will do) and I practice common sense. When I'm casting indoors, I use a 6" fan to direct smoke/fumes away from my face (but I don't stand with my face over the pot doing deep breathing exercises either.) You will get burned. How bad depends on your thinking/common sense (once I was so excited when a "perfect" bullet fell outta my mold I picked it up. Ouch! Newly cast .44 caliber bullets are really hot).

So most of your tool choices are pretty good, but go slow, think about what yer doing, and above all have fun....

BTW, if you can find one, a Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook, 3rd Edition is a really good caster's text (if you can't find a 3rd Edition, a 4th Edition will help too).

[frkelly74]

I like Ove-Gloves, I do not like to pound on my molds with a stick or hammer handle. With Ove-gloves I can open the sprue by hand and dump the cut offs into my hand and put them back in the pot without getting burnt. They are good protection.

[dikman]

mdi Is right - applying commonsense (in short supply with some people!!) is most important along with keeping your mind on what you're doing. Melting lead is potentially dangerous, but not if you apply these two points.

[dragonrider]

I would lose the aluminum muffin pan get a steel one. If it has a coating bead blast it or burn it off, scape it out and let rust up some, muffins should drop out just fine.