Sneakybuffalo
10-14-2014, 06:49 PM
Skip to Update:Round 4- Bullets...sorta
So, I tried casting for the first time today. I have about 20 lbs. of lead. I put it all in a pot on a Coleman single-burner propane stove outside for about an hour. It was gorgeous outside as we had a cold front come through, so I thought it would be a nice day to sit outside and cast. However, it was really windy and since it's a cold front, that means lower atmospheric pressure,but I live in south Louisiana so I doubt the pressure matters. I let it burn for nearly an hour and didn't even get any bottom melt. I know these things are more than capable of melting lead, so I'm trying to determine what factors led to failure to melt.
So some of my thoughts are:
-too thick pot
-too windy
-too much lead
Would putting a lid on the pot help or is that a bad idea?
Any input from the more experienced would be appreciated.
http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/af139/srh026/photo1_zpse1c3edf2.jpg (http://s1001.photobucket.com/user/srh026/media/photo1_zpse1c3edf2.jpg.html)
Update: Round 2
So, I was able to successfully melt my lead down today. Thanks for all the input everyone. However, I have now run into a new issue. I was pouring the lead into a 16 small muffin tin using a large spoon since I didn't have a ladle. It took way too long and now I have about 8 lead ingots stuck in the tin. How do I get them out?
I was thinking of cooking them in my toaster oven at max for about 15 mins.
Would that do the trick?
Also, the muffin tin can't handle the weight of all that lead so in the future I will only fill it halfway.
Update: Round 3
So, once I got home, I played around with the tin full of lead and it turns out that all I had to do was pry at it a bit and then they would make a little popping sound and slide right out.
Not the prettiest set of ingots, but they are mine. Now for the next adventure: boolits :)
http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/af139/srh026/photo2_zpse56b42bf.jpg (http://s1001.photobucket.com/user/srh026/media/photo2_zpse56b42bf.jpg.html)
Update:Round 4- Bullets...sorta
Right now I'm going with ladle as its cheaper and money is tight as I'm looking for a job post graduation atm. Plus, I like learning the hard way first.
I did try casting some boolits earlier today. They were pretty much all rejects. And i ruined the rest with a failed powder coat attempt lol. Ill post pics later. I need to work on my setup a bit.
I need a smaller pot so I can do small batches as that one is just too big if all I want to cast is a couple pounds at a time. I also need to work on ergonomics as kneeling/sitting on the ground is rough.
This seems to be some pretty good lead though. After water dropping, my fingernail doesn't make the slightest indention in the lead. Guess ill need to look up the pencil test and see if that would tell me more.
Also, after sizing the reject bullets, it seems I am getting drops anywhere from .307 to .310 with most being .308 or .309. I haven't slugged my bore, so I'm not even sure what I want to be shooting for, but that still sounds like a problem.
Is that a heat issue? Tin issue? Grip on the mold issue? Any ideas?
So, I tried casting for the first time today. I have about 20 lbs. of lead. I put it all in a pot on a Coleman single-burner propane stove outside for about an hour. It was gorgeous outside as we had a cold front come through, so I thought it would be a nice day to sit outside and cast. However, it was really windy and since it's a cold front, that means lower atmospheric pressure,but I live in south Louisiana so I doubt the pressure matters. I let it burn for nearly an hour and didn't even get any bottom melt. I know these things are more than capable of melting lead, so I'm trying to determine what factors led to failure to melt.
So some of my thoughts are:
-too thick pot
-too windy
-too much lead
Would putting a lid on the pot help or is that a bad idea?
Any input from the more experienced would be appreciated.
http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/af139/srh026/photo1_zpse1c3edf2.jpg (http://s1001.photobucket.com/user/srh026/media/photo1_zpse1c3edf2.jpg.html)
Update: Round 2
So, I was able to successfully melt my lead down today. Thanks for all the input everyone. However, I have now run into a new issue. I was pouring the lead into a 16 small muffin tin using a large spoon since I didn't have a ladle. It took way too long and now I have about 8 lead ingots stuck in the tin. How do I get them out?
I was thinking of cooking them in my toaster oven at max for about 15 mins.
Would that do the trick?
Also, the muffin tin can't handle the weight of all that lead so in the future I will only fill it halfway.
Update: Round 3
So, once I got home, I played around with the tin full of lead and it turns out that all I had to do was pry at it a bit and then they would make a little popping sound and slide right out.
Not the prettiest set of ingots, but they are mine. Now for the next adventure: boolits :)
http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/af139/srh026/photo2_zpse56b42bf.jpg (http://s1001.photobucket.com/user/srh026/media/photo2_zpse56b42bf.jpg.html)
Update:Round 4- Bullets...sorta
Right now I'm going with ladle as its cheaper and money is tight as I'm looking for a job post graduation atm. Plus, I like learning the hard way first.
I did try casting some boolits earlier today. They were pretty much all rejects. And i ruined the rest with a failed powder coat attempt lol. Ill post pics later. I need to work on my setup a bit.
I need a smaller pot so I can do small batches as that one is just too big if all I want to cast is a couple pounds at a time. I also need to work on ergonomics as kneeling/sitting on the ground is rough.
This seems to be some pretty good lead though. After water dropping, my fingernail doesn't make the slightest indention in the lead. Guess ill need to look up the pencil test and see if that would tell me more.
Also, after sizing the reject bullets, it seems I am getting drops anywhere from .307 to .310 with most being .308 or .309. I haven't slugged my bore, so I'm not even sure what I want to be shooting for, but that still sounds like a problem.
Is that a heat issue? Tin issue? Grip on the mold issue? Any ideas?