How do you inventory your lead stash?

[lightman]

Like the title says, looking for ideas. Since I joined the site in 09 I have seen pictures of your scores, your stashes in the old "Lifetime Supply Thread" and pictures on the loading bench thread. Do you have it displayed on shelves, a paper list, a computerized spreadsheet, ect?

I mainly only have 2 types of alloy, with a few other lesser amounts of other stuff. I use mostly wheel weights. I smelt in batches of between 350 and 400 pounds. I usually lightly blend any harder alloys into this. Then there is my soft stuff. Mostly cable sheathing with some roof flashing and stick-on weights. I also have several bars of linotype and a few buckets of mixed foundry and monotype that I keep separate.

Over the years I have used muffin tins, cornbread molds and finally settled on the 1# Lyman style molds. These are stacked in milk crates and the crate is labeled with the type of lead and the date it was smelted. I'm now marking the ingots with a metal stamp but I have too much not marked to ever go back and do them.

So, how do you keep up with what you have and what you need. Please feel free to post pictures if you want. Oh yeah, if you use milk crates, be sure its where you want it to stay when you load it. I estimate a crate weighs around 700 pounds.

[rancher1913]

I use a paint marker and write on the ingot what it is then all like kinds go in a five gallon bucket marked with what is in it. I fill the buckets only half full and then stack them 4 tall in a shed. I can see the number of buckets and type and know when I am getting short on any one type. have about 40 buckets like this so I think I am good for a little while.

[dragon813gt]

Mine are muffin ingots that are stamped w/ the alloy composition(96-3-1, 96-2-2......) and stored in foot lockers. I'm not to concerned w/ knowing how much I have on hand. When it looks like I'm low I will order another ton.

[Kraschenbirn]

All my raw materials such as Pb, Lino, COWW, etc, are poured into either 1# ingots or 2# muffins after smelting/fluxing and marked with a felt tip laundry pen. From these, I mix my 'shooting' alloys on an 'as needed' basis. Only exception is Lyman #2 which I mix in 30#-40# lots and store in 2# muffins...also marked with the laundry pen.

Bill

[Yodogsandman]

I stack the ingots and spray paint the ends real quick with a color that represents the alloy. Some day I'll get around to stamping them.

[NyFirefighter357]

I stamp mine like this and store in 5 gal. buckets https://i.imgur.com/5IPJHs7.jpg

[warpspeed]

cast into muffin tins, stored in 5 gal plastic buckets

[lightman]

Thanks for the replys everyone. I just made a list of my milk crates and their contents. I have a major smelt ahead of me, weather permitting, after hunting season. Just looking for a more efficient method than what I'm doing. I'm slowly moving my stash to the same location and trying to get better organized in my old age!

[Hardcast416taylor]

By how many knee high piles of ingots I must step around along with how many pails of both un- sorted and un- smelted. Then there are the 2 sorting tables with piles of unsorted WW`s on them. There are the tubs of different leads on casters under my casting table. In short I have now in excess of 1 ton +/- assorted types of lead and mixed alloys. Wonder how much they can put in my casket so I can `TAKE IT WITH ME`!Robert

[Grmps]

I built a storage unit for behind my casting area for everyday use
https://i.imgur.com/3dyLIRP.jpg

And some behind my :oops::groner: casting area that needs cleaned AGAIN :( (need to restock the COWW)
https://i.imgur.com/r3b4ckv.jpg


the rest are in milk crates, ammo cans and wooden boxes made for storing ingots

[USSR]

Seems like some of you guys got a lot of time on your hands.;-) I just put the ingots into the box with the appropriate label on it telling what the alloy is (Pure, COWW, etc.).

Don

[dverna]

I have about 3000 lbs on hand of casting lead. I keep it simple, but that is because I do not hunt with cast bullets. Cast bullets are just a way to shoot as inexpensively as possible.

Most of it is 92-6-2 alloy from a foundry. Stacked as it comes from the foundry

Next is range lead and wheel weights. Dropped mostly from Lyman ingot molds. This is a mix of "stuff" for plinking pistol bullets - mostly .38 Spl. I use milk crates, old pots and pails to hold it.

Then there is Linotype. It is also from a foundry and is stored as shipped.

[skeettx]

Linotype here
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/MVC-055S1.JPG

Wheelweights here
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/MVC-049S.JPG

Waiting here
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/MVC-048S.JPG

[Bigslug]

Ammo cans.

.30 cals fit the 1# ingots better, and you can actually move one when it's full. .50 cals are more ubiquitous and are fine so long as they are thought of as stationary storage containers - rather than mobile ones - when full. The big 40mm's are good for what you have a lot of. Label the fronts of them with a marker in whatever code you deem appropriate for their pre-smelt source. Smaller dribs and drabs might go into baggies with a Post-It note, into a clear plastic dog treat container, or into the rejected bullet container to be smelted back down with the segregated range scrap pile I refer to as "Other People's Cast"

Stamping ingots? Life is too short.

[fatelk]

I palletize mine, label the pallets, then stack them in my warehouse and track inventory with a cloud based IMS.

Here's a photo of me doing my monthly physical inventory count:

208060

[dragon813gt]

Stamping ingots? Life is too short.

It doesn't take long. It took maybe two minutes to stamp these ingots. It's around 800#s.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4420/36458633732_86b2436eda_b.jpg

The ink from a sharpie will disappear over time so that's not a good method. Anything other then directly stamping has potential issues.

[OS OK]

Amazing how all these pictures are so beautiful.

I'm weird huh?

[Rcmaveric]

I got some wooden crates on sale at Michael's and glued a little black board placard to it. The placard has the type of lead that crate contains. I only have CWW, Range scrap, and soft lead. I have a couple hundred pounds of each.

[fatelk]

I'm a little surprised that nobody has called me out for my bogus warehouse photo in my last post, but maybe I shouldn't be. I get the feeling that that's a normal sized stash for some on here. :)

[Springfield]

I don't really keep an inventory but all alloys are in different ingot form, so I can tell with a quick look how much of everything I have. Main alloys are pure(triangular ingots), WW(Lyman ingots), Lino(smaller Castboolit ingots) and ready to use for Blackpowder cartridge guns(Redneck Gold ingots). Plus some small tin ingots in an ammo can.

[USSR]

I'm a little surprised that nobody has called me out for my bogus warehouse photo in my last post, but maybe I shouldn't be. I get the feeling that that's a normal sized stash for some on here. :)

Nah, it was too obvious, not worth the bandwidth to call you on it.

Don

[fatelk]

I don't know, I've seen some photo's of some pretty impressive stashes on here...

[lightman]

Lots of good ideas Guys!

Grmps ---That's a neat set up. I thought about building something along those lines. I even thought about buying a 12 inch deep pallet rack.

USSR----That's true, many of us are retired and our time is cheap! Stamping actually goes pretty quick. I rigged a ground rod clamp to hold 2 or 3 stamps together and one smack with a hammer per gets them marked. And it's permanent.

skeettx----I've seen pictures of that tool box before. Maybe in the "Lifetime Supply Thread"? It looks heavy!

Big Slug----I wish I had an affordable source for 30 cal ammo cans. I've seen them used for that purpose before.

fatelk----You're the Winner! I never doubted your word even a little bit!

OS OK----Ain't we all a little weird?

Springfield----Using different ingot molds is a good idea but I'm too far along to change now.

Keep the ideas coming Guys!

[Grmps]

the shelf unit is made out of 3/4 ply ( HD has some nice 3/4 zebra ply for under $30) and is 2 ingots deep.
Yes it is a PITA to reach the back ones on the bottom level

[MaryB]

30 cal ammo cans(I got 25 on sale for $3 each a few years ago.Cheap, I don't trust the handle when full of lead) that are currently under a 1500 pound stack of wood pellets... plus I use a cheap plastic drawer unit near where I cast that has a mix of lead in it. Enough to last me 4-5 months and by then the pellets should be used up. Plus I will be smelting more wheel weights this winter.

[JBinMN]

Amazing how all these pictures are so beautiful.

I'm weird huh?

No... I do not think so... But.. WHO am I to say.
;)

-----------------------------------
My lead is turned into ingots as soon as I have enough to warrant the smelting. All are stamped.
Pb. , 50/50, COWW, SOWW, TIN, etc..

Stacked as to type in a corner of my garage.

I only have about 5-600lbs. But I recycle with boolit traps, so I am just fine with what I have..
Although, More is better, IMO.
;)

[Retumbo]

I have a 55 gallon barrel behind the shed full of sorted ww

[blikseme300]

A few years ago using the Lee ingot molds got old quick so I made some molds from 3" stainless channel stock. These make 5# ingots and fit the width of 50cal ammo cans. On the cans I used stencils and paint to mark them as to what alloy it contains. The cans stack well but are a booger to move! Last count I have 44 full cans on hand as well as about half of a keel that weighs about 1,500#. I still buy and scrounge alloy as it has a good shelf life and you can never have too much, IMO.

[quail4jake]

I'm a little surprised that nobody has called me out for my bogus warehouse photo in my last post, but maybe I shouldn't be. I get the feeling that that's a normal sized stash for some on here. :)

I thought it OK for a petty operation, do you plan to expand to intermediate size?:lol:

[LenH]

I currently keep my alloys in bolt kegs with the lids and bands around the lids. They are roughly 7 gallon size metal buckets.

I can get these if they are not bent all to pieces.

[DerekP Houston]

I try to keep it scattered around the bench, garage, and casting area so my wife doesn't know they true amount on hand!

[runfiverun]

I made up a big angle iron ingot mold to go with my assortment or rcbs etc. molds.
the triangle ingots stack together tighter and the stack takes up much less room.
I have a 3'3'x4' opening right below my hand casting bench and I just keep it full of ingots.
next to that is a smaller 2'x3'x'2' area for linotype.
soft lead goes at the far end of the lube sizing bench to the left.
and the 4/6 alloy goes under and next to the master casters bench on the right.

[arlon]

My 2 coffee cans of wheel weights are pretty easy to inventory. (-:}

[TenTea]

I palletize mine, label the pallets, then stack them in my warehouse and track inventory with a cloud based IMS.

Here's a photo of me doing my monthly physical inventory count:

208060

You win the innerwebs for yesterday!!! Fine job.
I'm so jelly... [smilie=l:

[RogerDat]

I use a marker but I have started stamping awhile ago, at least on the larger ingots, using a cheap stamp set from Harbor Freight. I try to keep up an inventory list of lead in an Excel spread sheet I maintain with Open Office Calc (free software). I do the same for powder and primers. This helps me keep track of what type of lead I need, or what to purchase for powder and primers. I am not a beast about keeping it up to date. I tend to be sure I enter larger amounts, or count primers and powder to bring things up to date before ordering. I also keep my equipment wish list there, helps me prioritize the items. Avoids me being me and buying a sizer before and without a mold in that caliber. Or at least helps, I can see mold and sizer in same list.


I keep a bunch of angle iron bar ingots in SFRB's under my steel welding / casting bench. Along with some smaller loaf pan ingots. Those are all COWW or soft lead.
208112

I store mixed alloys ready for casting in smaller ingots, angle iron bars, muffin tin pucks, on the left end, with raw alloys in ~10# slab ingots from bread loaf pans toward the right. On the floor I store buckets, crates and slabs stacked on those moving dolly's from Harbor Freight. This goes goes on one of these near pallet strength shelves. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gladiator-4-Shelf-60-in-W-x-72-in-H-x-18-in-D-Welded-Steel-Garage-Shelving-Unit-GARS604TEG/206688384?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-VF-PLA%7c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9cPZj_fN1wIVlIlpCh38RwtOEAYYAyAB EgKEevD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CPD9uZL3zdcCFQ6VAQod9O0FWA With some 5/8 wood added to help spread out the weight and make sliding lead easier than it would be on the wire shelves.
208114

On another fairly heavy shelf (but smaller) with 3/4 oak flooring for a shelf to make the shelves not bend and bolts under the bottom one to support the middle at 3 points is where tin alloys are stored, as well as casting molds, some PC, candles etc. on the higher shelves.
208115

[jeepvet]

I made some ingot molds form 2" channel iron some years back. My range lead is cast in those. My COWW is in Castboolit or Red Neck Gold ingots. My soft lead is in one lb Lyman or RCBS ingots.

208121

These are the ingots from my last range lead smelting session. 499 approx. 2 - 2.5 # ingots.

[Traffer]

I palletize mine, label the pallets, then stack them in my warehouse and track inventory with a cloud based IMS.

Here's a photo of me doing my monthly physical inventory count:

208060

Bwaaaahahaahahaha. You win the biggest chunk o' lead award. Unless there is someone here who owns a mine and smelting factory.
For you other guys, I admire your organization skills. I just pour mine into muffin tins and write the hardness on them with a cheap whiteout pen. Along with any other distinguishing characteristics like if they have a high tin concentration or something.

[WJP]

I'm still debating on what to do. For the past few years it's been in labeled ammo cans and 5 gallon buckets. Then there is the stuff I've picked up from other casters that I keep sorted to themselves. Most did a good job labeling their stuff but I still don't mix it with known stuff just in case.

[Digger]

208175

Yep , milk crates , 2 pound ingots .... another half a crate since this pic was taken.

[RogerDat]

I put wood boards under the legs of the bigger shelf to avoid concentrated pressure on concrete floor by spreading out the weight a bit but I'm thinking some folks need to worry about just the total weight sitting on their floors.

"wow that is neat, you have a garage with an oil change pit. What is all that stuff stacked down there?"

[Digger]

All the coffee cans have cast boolits of different sorts in them ...
on he left is soda/iced tea that I trade for the lead at tire shops.

[kevin c]

A buddy here showed me his casting shed: it's tilting from all the lead he has stashed on the downhill side but he knows what everything is, where it is in the shed and how much he's got.

Right now most of my alloys are in ~3 pound mini loaf ingots that are marked with a Sharpie for weight and type. These are stacked in my basement between the studs over the foundation, segregated by type, with an inventory sheet over each pile. Eventually I plan on stamping content or type on each ingot. That's practically speaking as precise as I need to be.

I am running out of space between the studs (I live in earthquake country, and don't fancy stacking all that metal too high) and plan on laying some concrete pavers over a gravel and sand base next to the concrete foundation beams to give me more dry storage area.

[rmark]

Box made out of scrap 4x4

[lightman]

I put wood boards under the legs of the bigger shelf to avoid concentrated pressure on concrete floor by spreading out the weight a bit but I'm thinking some folks need to worry about just the total weight sitting on their floors.

"wow that is neat, you have a garage with an oil change pit. What is all that stuff stacked down there?"

The boards are a good idea! My shop floor is only 3-1/2 inch thick. I wanted an 8 inch floor with wire and rebar but they poured it when I was out of town on a storm! Ah, the life of a Lineman! 😀

[MaryB]

There is a reason I had them pour a 6" slab when I built my garage! Besides lead I want to put in a lift down the road...

[quail4jake]

Wow, I'm amazed at some of the methods outlined here. Cast Boolit folks are really smart! I'm taking notes...

[RogerDat]

Wow, I'm amazed at some of the methods outlined here. Cast Boolit folks are really smart! I'm taking notes... Smart, I like that. Most of the time we have to make do with obsessed, weird, and the most charitable "different". Often accompanied by a sympathetic look toward our spouses. :bigsmyl2:

[lwknight]

I keep my bulk storage in the field under a tree in the form of #25 bricks. It is easy to count up that way. I use the smaller 3X5 bread pans to make casting alloy ingots. Just put 2 pounds or so in each that way it fits easily into the casting pot. A full 3X5 will make about 10 pound bars.

[lightman]

Thanks for the replys everyone. Lots of good ideas here. For now I'm probably going to stick with the plastic milk crates with tags attached to them. I have started stamping the ingots but I doubt I'll ever go back and stamp the older ones. There is a material handling place near me that sells used industrial shelving and I may try to buy a set of pallet racks that are 12 inches deep. I feel fortunate to have a shop that is roomy enough to keep my stash indoors and under lock and key!

[Reverend Al]

Well, I hate to say that my lead is strewn around my shop in wooden ammo crates, metal ammo cans, and a few plastic milk cartons. When I "inventory" them I'm afraid it's a bit like a Newfie counting fish ... "One ingot" ... "Two ingots" ... "Three ingots" ... "Nother ingot" ... "Nother ingot" ... "Nother ingot" ...

:oops:

[Geezer in NH]

Inventory?? Why I am not a business. I get low as I go along I will obtain more and usually get more when it comes along. It is not a fetish or lifestyle some make it. I get it mould it shoot it get more start over.

[Drew P]

I want all my Lead to be in the same inventory I want for all my reloading stuff, powder, brass bullets etc. along with casting notes for each alloy. I want this in an app that saves the data. This app also needs to have load info.

[johnho]

All of my lead is from range lead from one range. Mostly lead shooters were at that range at the time. I cast the lead into "fish" and "corn" from the cast iron molds on hand at the range. I threw them all into a wooden box on a dolly. When I moved the movers couldn't move it so I unloaded it and when I put it back in the box I counted all the fish and corn. Took 10 of each and weighed it and found out fish weighed 1.6 pounds and corn was 1.1. Set up a spread sheet and ended up with just over 3000 pounds. When I cast bullets I simply count how many of each I use and keep a running total of pounds remaining. Still have enough to last my shooting lifetime. I think.

That range was so full of lead one time I loaded 6 5 gallon buckets about 1/2 to 3/4 full (all I could lift then) of screened lead in about 30 minutes. Almost no jacketed bullets. Those were the days.

[lightman]

That range was so full of lead one time I loaded 6 5 gallon buckets about 1/2 to 3/4 full (all I could lift then) of screened lead in about 30 minutes. Almost no jacketed bullets. Those were the days.

I used to belong to a range where Bullseye was still a big thing and it had a lot of older shooters. They were old enough that their bullets were often cast with Lino or Lyman #2. Like you, I could pick up several gallons of lead swc's in a few minutes. It made for a sweet alloy!

[jsizemore]

55 gallon drums with the lids. Each drum is tagged. A drum will only contain one alloy type and each ingot is marked with a Sharpie. All are cast in muffin tins. Each drum holds about 2400lbs of ingots. Drums are set on scrap or reclaimed 4x4's spaced to allow air to circulate and slow rusting.

[quail4jake]

55 gallon drums with the lids. Each drum is tagged. A drum will only contain one alloy type and each ingot is marked with a Sharpie. All are cast in muffin tins. Each drum holds about 2400lbs of ingots. Drums are set on scrap or reclaimed 4x4's spaced to allow air to circulate and slow rusting.
Whoa, you're a big time operator! When lead becomes scarce, we'll all be coming to you.:mrgreen:

[jsizemore]

Between 38 and 45 I shot an 8lb jug of Promo which is about 50grs of Pb to each grain of powder. That's not the only guns I shot this past year. My search for scrap lead has slowed down from what I used to find. Glad I was able to stash what I could since I like to shoot.

[Tripplebeards]

I have mine all coasted in lee ingots and separated in ccow boxes set in totes on gladiator shelves.

[RogerDat]

My problem is... there is more to be had, but the money could be spent on so many other things, and I have a fair amount already stashed. Not in the jsizemore range but then I don't shoot as much as he does either. I'm not sure if I have a lifetime supply, or merely enough to annoy the wife for at least the next decade. After 1 ton I sort of slowed down but I'm seeing some "keeper" COWW's of late and.... Arrrgh!

[GhostHawk]

Inventory? Are you kidding? I'm retired, I don't work for nobody, no not even myself.

I have 5 gallon buckets of lead in at least 3 different locations. 150 lbs of COWW in ingots in one pile. Various other stuff in other locations.

Come spring yes I plan on a smelting day, going to make up some stuff. Might even weight the range scrap and COWW so I can figure how much pewter I want to add, but then again I may not, might just wing it, live dangerously. Potential for mishaps and mayhem is sweet anticipation! Grin

Inventory. LOL.

Say you would not be interested in a nice 2 lane one owner bridge would you?

[bstone5]

Keep in plastic buckets, have over 20 buckets of cast lead in the garage each with the cast ingots made from the Lyman mold. Will use up the lead in about 10 years if I live that long. Have collected and smelted lead for a few years and now have enough for my life time. Use a lot of lead when the automated MasterbCaster is in operation. Keep several thousand powder coated bullets ready for reloading for my family.

[lightman]

55 gallon drums with the lids. Each drum is tagged. A drum will only contain one alloy type and each ingot is marked with a Sharpie. All are cast in muffin tins. Each drum holds about 2400lbs of ingots. Drums are set on scrap or reclaimed 4x4's spaced to allow air to circulate and slow rusting.

I would have expected them to weigh more than that. A milk crate holds around 700 # when the ingots are neatly stacked. The drums are a good idea though!

[jsizemore]

I would have expected them to weigh more than that. A milk crate holds around 700 # when the ingots are neatly stacked. The drums are a good idea though!

Mine were free. I bought enough lead from the scrapyard that they gave them to me. They're from DOT lane marking paint.

[mtgrs737]

I smelt and cast mine in 1 lb. ingots then stack them on wooden skids so I can move them around with a pallet mover. When the pallet gets hard to pull at around 3000 lbs. I start another one. Check my Avitar for a picture of some of my pallets.

[parkerhale1200]

I just stack mine under the floor.
Ready to use ingots are 10 pound ~16bhn water dropped!
Harder alloys in 5 pound ingots ~25-30bhn
Softer alloys in 5 pound ingots with a differend shape than the harder alloys.
Dead soft in round
Pure pewter 0,2 pound ingots.
Antimony lino etc into 0,5 pound ingots
Pure antimony, i whack with a hammer in a towel.
I write with a permanent marker on it, what is what, or what was what.
Stays on for years
So if want a harder alloy for the 44 or 308 i can just take what i must have.
Or softer for black powder.

For every ingot that i am poring, i poor a small ingot extra.
I let them air cool with the small one on the big one, for one week, then a bhn test and thats on the bar.
After that i stack them under the floor space.
I have approx 5000-5500 pound ready to use.

I use sand casting technique, and for the moulds i just use timber 4x2 2x2 1x2 and for tin i stack 35 (empty) beer cans upside down in a cradle, and poor a ladle into the bottom.
For every ingot is a small 1x1x1" cube extra, after checking/writing down they are back into the big pot.

@fatelk....get out of my basement, next time you will be casting, if i see you again

I dont know how to post pictures, or else i would done it, sorry or pm me how to do it.

Best regards

[Eddie Southgate]

Mine is just stacked where ever I unloaded it . Mostly in 5 gallon buckets of ingots , wheel weights , or range scrap . Lino pigs are stacked in the middle of the floor in the reloading shed . Soft lead is stacked on the carport . Hopefully another large chunk will eventually be found in my monster in law's sailboat that's still setting in her back yard cause I ain't had time to move it yet . A stack of Tin is in the living room cause I ain't moved it since I got this last batch . Have several of the blue recycle bins that the city of Madison Alabama donated for my use setting behind the shed with the downspout running rain water into it to remove as much dirt as it can from the range scrap they contain . Cuts my clean up time on that by a good bit .

No inventory .

Eddie

[lightman]

Thanks for the replys and ideas everyone. I was not only interested in how you kept up with your supply but also how you stored it. As long as I don't have to move it, my milk crates with tags seem to be about as efficient as any other method. I have also started stamping the ingots. One of the reasons for this thread is that I have a big smelt in my future.

[dragon813gt]

Starting to fill the foot locker back up. Once I get my profit sharing check in February I should have close to a ton in it. Pictured is around 500#s.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4693/27601665719_372de06a68_b.jpg

[RP]

I was marking mine but got lazy so I now cast my alloys in different ingot types or shapes I put one of each style on the shelf letting anyone know which is which. I keep the bulk in milk crates stored in my shop with a slap the other I store in the reloading casting area and just go get what I need when I need it.

[FISH4BUGS]

Mine are stored in 5 gallon buckets (raw ww's) and more 5 gallon buckets (linotype spacers and letters) and 6 linotype pigs under the casting bench @ about 25 lbs each. When taken from the buckets and stored on the bench, they are marked with a Sharpie as to W or L. I alloy "on the fly" at 5:1 ratio.
I tend to do everything manic sessions - I'll smelt for a number of sessions and get a bunch of ww's smelted into ingots. I use ingot moulds from Lyman and others scrounged up from this board and other places. I have enough ingot moulds to make about 24 ingots at a pouring, let them cool then dump them on the concrete on the driveway, then do another batch. I do the same for the linotype. I discovered the key to productivity on the smelting is to have a BUNCH of ingot moulds.
The smelted ingots get stored in 5 gallon buckets. I am so anal those buckets still have their snap on lids used. WW ingots on one side of the barn and linotype ingots on the other side. I mark the lids as to what is inside.
For quick access, I store 50 lbs or so of ww ingots right on the bench (taken from the 5 gallon buckets) and 50 lbs or so of lino ingots in ammo cans. I am running low on ww ingots but it will have to wait till spring to do more. I just did a run of some 4000 9mm bullets and 2000 H&G #51 38 bullets so that put a dent in the ingot stash...not to mention the stash of Magma lube. Thank God for the Star sizer!
I am one lucky guy. 8 years ago I had a friend sell his tire shop and called me and told me to take as many wheel weights as I wanted. I took some 2500 lbs. I never really counted but it was over 30 almost full 5 gallon buckets worth.
I have my lifetime supply. I am one happy camper and feel grateful for the friend that gave them to me. I am so grateful I sometimes will go gaze at my stash. I guess that brings a sense of contentment.

[lightman]

Mine are stored in 5 gallon buckets (raw ww's) and more 5 gallon buckets (linotype spacers and letters) and 6 linotype pigs under the casting bench @ about 25 lbs each. When taken from the buckets and stored on the bench, they are marked with a Sharpie as to W or L. I alloy "on the fly" at 5:1 ratio.
I tend to do everything manic sessions - I'll smelt for a number of sessions and get a bunch of ww's smelted into ingots. I use ingot moulds from Lyman and others scrounged up from this board and other places. I have enough ingot moulds to make about 24 ingots at a pouring, let them cool then dump them on the concrete on the driveway, then do another batch. I do the same for the linotype. I discovered the key to productivity on the smelting is to have a BUNCH of ingot moulds.
The smelted ingots get stored in 5 gallon buckets. I am so anal those buckets still have their snap on lids used. WW ingots on one side of the barn and linotype ingots on the other side. I mark the lids as to what is inside.
For quick access, I store 50 lbs or so of ww ingots right on the bench (taken from the 5 gallon buckets) and 50 lbs or so of lino ingots in ammo cans. I am running low on ww ingots but it will have to wait till spring to do more. I just did a run of some 4000 9mm bullets and 2000 H&G #51 38 bullets so that put a dent in the ingot stash...not to mention the stask of Magma lube. Thank God for the Star sizer!
I am one lucky guy. 8 years ago I had a friend sell his tire shop and called me and told me to take as many wheel weights as I wanted. I took some 2500 lbs. I never really counted but it was over 30 almost full 5 gallon buckets worth.
I have my lifetime supply. I am one happy camper and feel grateful for the friend that gave them to me. I am so grateful I sometimes will go gaze at my stash. I guess that brings a sense of contentment.

Not much different than me. I smelt in batches of 350-400# and usually do all that I have on hand during the same day or over a few days. In place of your buckets I use milk crates. I've had buckets split and fail. The milk crates may fail too, but seem to be holding up ok for now.

Now that the Holidays are nearly over, me and Biggin have 30 something buckets of sorted weights to melt down. We'll be watching the weather for a nice weekend or two. I'm somewhere between looking forward to it and dreading it.

[parkerhale1200]

anyone know how to do some brick laying?(:(:

[parkerhale1200]

Finally, i know how to get a picture.
Just like RP i was getting lazy and use differend sizes.
Here is mine:
210895
For the softer ones that i not often shoot.

210896
210897
16-18 bhn range and ww

210898
50 pound bar of pure pewter

210899
To pour the pewter in the bottems of the cans, give a perfect ~0,2 pound disc

I hope this is of any help

[dragon813gt]

How do you the lead out of the sand. At a foundry they break the sand away. It won't speed up my production if I have to mold the sand each time. I like the idea, just find it impractical for my needs. Two mini loaf pans isn't enough when I'm trying to process 500# plus. I need to buy two more.

[parkerhale1200]

@ dragon813gt: yes you have to mold the sand every time again, and put some moister back into it.
Not make it wet.
I think, I am not the only one that has a mother that was saying to me: dont play the with mud, just stick to sand.

The temperature of lead is not high enough to let the sand stick together, what is more important:
The sand i use for ingots is w a y different then the sand that i use for other castings.
That other sand has some oil in it, to let you make finer detail, and w a y smaller grain.
So that sticks together, this sand for ingots just falls apart.
Anyway, you still have to let it cool down, till its hard enough to lift it out, with the use of some grips!!!still hot.
After I top up the pot, I take out the ingots, put them aside, put moister back into it, if needed, and set up again.
I takes no longer than 4-5 minutes.

You also have to fill up your pot and wait before you can start pouring again, but this is indoor small casting ingots.
About every two years we clean the range, and i do way more outside then inside.
Even more then 500, my "sand bucket" is a lot bigger and i can cast up to 25 ingots every time, 250 pounds.

My "vacation inside ingot casting" is every thing that I have accumulated/bought/trade the last year from the scrapheap.
It is really everything, if it contains pb/sb and or sn babbitt ect, just fun to experiment with it!
That way, why it suits me very well, every pot, max ~45 pounds clean, has its own smaller ingot for testing to bhn

My "workout, outside casting" is not so exiting, just range lead.
This suits my needs, and it works for me.
Just give it a try, it sounds to me you got the most of the stuff, buy a bag of playsand (50 pound)cost around here, 3 euro ~4 dollar.

I hope this was helpfull, best regards

[Rooster]

Such an awesome thread. I'm going to give the sand casting a try the next time I fire things up. Thanks everyone and especially PH1200!

[parkerhale1200]

I am glad to be of assistance, rooster.
But this is way off topic, MY mistake, sorry to all.
I will start a new thread on this,

[fcvan]

I look at my stash and always say "I need more!"

[parkerhale1200]

If you are interested, i have made a new thread on "sand casting" on this forum,
Casting & Reloading......Casting Equipment.

[kmrra]

mine is all boxed up in batches and marked, I use the Lead Alloy Calculator that is avaliable
here on this forum that way I can track it by alloy and weight