Newbie

[arcticbreeze]

Hello everyone

I have been reading this board for a while and this is my first post. I have been reloading and shooting competitively for quite a few years now (USPSA and IDPA) but I have decided to give this casting thing a try. When I first started to consider this it was purely economical but since reading and reading and more reading I have a feeling it will become one more of my passionate and sometimes expensive hobbies. My better half thinks I need this like I need one more hole in my head, any way on to the question. So far I have on hand 50 lbs of lead ingots made from WW purchased from ebay (I did not want to invest the time into scrounging lead until I feel I will like this). I have ordered and received two Lee double cavity moulds (401-175-TC and 452-200-SWC), 1 #43 top punch, 1 #460 top punch, .452 sizing die, .401 sizing die and 1 Lyman 4500 Master Casting Kit . I have also ordered some white label BAC lube. I already have a turkey fryer so I will pick up a good size smelting pot.

Question one: Would you normally re-smelt ingots from an unknown source?

Question two: Does my list look like a pretty good starting point or have I left anything out?

[arcticbreeze]

I just remembered another question.

The area my Lyman 4500 will be set up is attached to my home office and rarely goes below 78 degrees. With BAC do you think i should get a heater?

[454PB]

Welcome to the forum!

Question one: I would not remelt the ingots. Be trusting and assume they are actually wheelweight alloy. There's little to be gained by re-smelting.....if it's a contaminated alloy, re-smelting won't change that. After you've cast some boolits, you may decide you need to add a percent or two of tin.

Question two: It sounds like you are ready to start the addiction. You may want to get an ingot mould for leftovers from the pot, and steal a large spoon from the kitchen for fluxing the melt.

Question three: BAC should work fine at temperatures above 70 degrees with no heating required.

[Shotgun Luckey]

Personally, I remelt unknown lead to make a large batch that will all be the same, but I'm a bit anal like that...Infact I re-melted 600 lbs of lead that I was given by a widow just so I know that the ingots are all the same alloy.

[dromia]

Welcome to Cast Boolits Articbreeze :-D :drinks:

[Sprue]

Welcome to the addiction....

..sounds like you are on your way. :arrow: Just keep water and moisture away from the melt.

[arcticbreeze]

Thank you everyone for the replies and all the great info on this forum

I am concerned about the moisture issue. I have a gazebo outside that will I use for smelting and casting but we get showers here just about every day and often they come abruptly with very little warning. The gazebo is covered but during yesterdays afternoon shower I observed that small amounts of spray blew under the gazebo roof and I am not sure I would have enough warning to allow the melt to cool sufficiently for safety.

[Wayne Smith]

Gazebo is not a problem. It is water in the melt that is the problem, not water on the melt. A light mist will hit the melt and evaporate. The major negative effect will be the cooling effect on the melt. What you want to avoid is any water that will penetrate the surface of the melt and create a steam explosion.

[Shotgun Luckey]

Put a lid over the melt if a storm kicks up, just make sure it is metal not plastic.