New caster to be

[Stove_Pipe]

Hi all. Just got some casting stuff for free (except for the back pain) here
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=9&t=684371

I have been buying .45 200grn LSWC and love it in my 1911, and can't wait to make my own. I am a total newb to casting so I await any words of wisdom here to help me get started in this continuation to my reloading addiction.

[JIMinPHX]

It looks like you have enough good stuff there to make almost every member here on this board jealous. The one thing that I don’t see in that collection is a good book. I would recommend the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook. Get one, read it well, then come back here to the board with any questions that you may have. The friendly folks here are happy to help.

[Goatlips]

Your cup runneth over Stove Pipe. :drinks: As to your request, the wisdom is debatable but my playing with lead site might give you some usable information:

http://goatlipstips.cas-town.com/smelting.html

Goatlips

[45nut]

Welcome to CB,, great score there, I think you ought to drop off a couple dinner gift certificates to the kind lady that set you up though.

Read up in the classics and stickies and , yes, goatlips has a great site too!

[carpetman]

Stove Pipe--Welcome. You certainly dont want to look a gift horse in the mouth. Obviously the source did casting,so he did reloading---but there is no reloading equipment. I'm guessing maybe he did have a sizer. I'd check with the source to see if there is other associated equipment.

[garandsrus]

Stove Pipe,

You may want to get in on a Group Buy that is just about to close. It is for a 6 cavity Lee mold that will produce 200gr SWC. It should be a great mold and you would kick yourself later if you didn't get it since you shoot .45 :)

John

[Stove_Pipe]

Stove Pipe--Welcome. You certainly dont want to look a gift horse in the mouth. Obviously the source did casting,so he did reloading---but there is no reloading equipment. I'm guessing maybe he did have a sizer. I'd check with the source to see if there is other associated equipment.


Actually when I got it home I found a few RCBS and Lyman Sizing/lubing bushings in the mix, so there was at least at one time one there. I am not sure I want to ask for anything more as she has given me so much already.

[EMC45]

Welcome Sir! You did really good!!!!! I want to hang out with you!

[opentop]

Congrats! You hit paydirt big time!

[JIMinPHX]

Just watch out for any guys here on the board that offer to come over to your place & bring beer. They may be after your wheel weights. Beer is the preferred currency around here when negotiating for that precious raw material.
;-)

[454PB]

Good job!

Welcome to the forum.

It took me 20 years to gather what you got in one trip.

[Stove_Pipe]

Good job!

Welcome to the forum.

It took me 20 years to gather what you got in one trip.

I am sure the gentleman who hoarded it before me spent many years aquiring it (RIP). I don't even know his name but am glad to take it and use it for the same purpose, opposed to it being scrapped or thrown away. I will have many questions here so be patient.

I "lit" up the RCBS Pro Melt today (1983 vintage) and it still melts lead, but likes to trip my breakers. The pour spout doesn't work, after taking it apart the rod is not connected to anything in the spout. I need to find out parts so I can call RCBS.

[454PB]

I'm sure the previous owner would be pleased to know his "treasures" are in good hands and will be used and appreciated.....I know I will.

You may want to check to see what other load is on the circuit you used to fire up the RCBS pot. I believe they have an 800 watt element, which is a little over 6 amps. If there is other load on the circuit, it might trip the breaker. Try using a circuit that you know has no other load.

I don't own the RCBS pot, but on my Lee pots, the metering rod is not connected to the spout, simply guided into it. Someone that owns one will chime in and explain how it works.

[bigbird1]

Stove Pipe,

You may want to get in on a Group Buy that is just about to close. It is for a 6 cavity Lee mold that will produce 200gr SWC. It should be a great mold and you would kick yourself later if you didn't get it since you shoot .45 :)

John

where do we find out about this buy , thanks

[madcaster]

Great ideal Stove pipe,
I kinda copied your ideal inmy own area on Craig's List,and thank you!

[Leadforbrains]

Wow stovepipe that is a nice haul you got there. Welcome to the forum. I am a new caster as well and the guys in this forum are great. You should ask around and find out where the previous owner of all that casting equipment got his wheel weights from, so you can have a steady supply on hand.

[Wayne Smith]

Actually when I got it home I found a few RCBS and Lyman Sizing/lubing bushings in the mix, so there was at least at one time one there. I am not sure I want to ask for anything more as she has given me so much already.


Stovepipe, you will be doing her a favor. Unless she hated her husband's hobby she will want this stuff used. If there is more she will want it to go to a good home. You, obviously, offer that good home. You might ask if there are any guns laying around if you can offer a good price.

Your great need is a smelting arrangement. You do not want to smelt in a bottom pour pot. A simple heat source and a cast iron pot is your easiest way to do this.

Given the ladles he had I'd guess he disabled the bottom pour mechanism of the pot and ladel poured. You can certainly go that route or, as you say, rebuild the pot to it's original configuration.

[45nut]

where do we find out about this buy , thanks


Look in the group buy area for the thread. :drinks:

[Stove_Pipe]

Got the nozzle unclogged today after work, let it heat up and pounded a very small hex wrench up from the bottom. Decided to clean out the .45 mold and drop some boolits as practice. Once the mold heated up and I adjusted the lead temp up a few degrees, I was able to drop a handfull of SWC at 205 gr average.

I deffinately need a cheap setup to clean the alloy from dirty wheel weights and the dirty ingots I received. I would like to keep it electric if possible like a cheap hot plate, and a cheap pot would be cool. Any examples would be good.

The big ladle I got is GTG to fill an ingot in one scoop.

I have plenty of parafin wax on hand for fluxing, but I am open to better alternatives, it smokes a lot. Speaking of wich, since I've never done this before, how do I know what to skim off the top, and what to do with it? Bear with me guys, I don't want to throw away anything good.

[Stove_Pipe]

Was looking through the score today and found a bunch of bar solder 70/30, about 1 foot lengths. I am assuming this is 70 lead and 30 tin?

[KYCaster]

I have plenty of parafin wax on hand for fluxing, but I am open to better alternatives, it smokes a lot. Speaking of wich, since I've never done this before, how do I know what to skim off the top, and what to do with it? Bear with me guys, I don't want to throw away anything good.


Welcome aboard Stove_Pipe.

I haven't found a flux that doesn't smoke. It helps a lot to ignite the flux and let it burn while you stir it...cuts way down on the smoke.

The stuff you skim off and throw away should be a gray/black ashy looking light weight powder. The surface of the clean metal will form oxides of various colors...blue, violet, gold, brown... Fluxing will reduce this back to its metalic state and leave the oxidized flux floating on top of the clean metal. That's what you need to skim off and discard.

If the stuff you're skimming off looks metalic then you're throwing away good alloy. Flux and stir until there's nothing left floating but ash.

Jerry

[carpetman]

Stove Pipe--She gave you the stuff to begin with so I dont see that it would offend to tell her there are a few parts missing that you expect he had.

[dromia]

Welcome aboard Stove pipe and congratulations on your find. :drinks:

For fluxing I just stir the mix with dry dowel offcuts.:cbpour:

[Blammer]

only thing you're missing is a lubrisizer, probably a seaco :) (that's a joke but it may be true, as a saeco is top of the line....)

anyways, good haul!