First Step Accomplished

[straight-shooter]

Well I finally made my first ingots this evening. Only 12 because the propane tank I was given was almost empty but I couldn't get it filled this evening. Anticipation wouldn't let me wait so I casted some ingots anyway. I won't bore you with the details because it's old hat to alot of you but the pictures tell the story about my setup & how I accomplished the task.

It's only the first step towards greatness of making my own boolits but what a great feeling. I owe it all to many good people here. Thanks.... by next week the boolit photos shall follow.

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd56/straightshooter44/Casting/Smeltsetup_web.jpg

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd56/straightshooter44/Casting/Smelter_web.jpg

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd56/straightshooter44/Casting/Ingots_web.jpg

[docone31]

Lookin fine to me.
One ladle, one ingot?
Off to a good start.

[straight-shooter]

I should have had the molds in the picture but I am using two cast iron 6 hole muffin pans. The ladle is a 2 lb Rowell that I used to fill the muffin pans.

[Goatlips]

Only one suggestion, Straightshooter - you might want to work on a big piece of cardboard or plywood; pickin' tinsel out of a sidewalk with a knife point is slow work unless you like the way it looks, yep I learned the hard way. :mrgreen: :Fire:

Goatlips

[straight-shooter]

Great tip about the cardboard, I'll recycle some from work today.

One question I have is how do you guys get the last couple pounds of lead from the bottom of the pot ? I put a pair of vise grips on the pot handle and slightly tipped the pot to dip with the ladle but still couldn't get all of it.

[Calamity Jake]

Great tip about the cardboard, I'll recycle some from work today.

One question I have is how do you guys get the last couple pounds of lead from the bottom of the pot ? I put a pair of vise grips on the pot handle and slightly tipped the pot to dip with the ladle but still couldn't get all of it.


Not cardboard, plywood, it will last a lot longer and is safer. Also don't dump hot ingots on bare cold concrete, the hot ingots will cause the surface to crack and break out, don't ask me how I know!!!

Leave that last little bit of lead in the pot it will help heat the next batch.

[straight-shooter]

Not cardboard, plywood, it will last a lot longer and is safer. Also don't dump hot ingots on bare cold concrete, the hot ingots will cause the surface to crack and break out, don't ask me how I know!!!

Leave that last little bit of lead in the pot it will help heat the next batch.

Well by golly, plywood it is then! :) The muffin pans leave nice round burn marks in the plywood. I guess cardboard wouldn't hold up to that to long. Although cardboard would be great for the dross can to set on to catch the drippings. Calamity Jake, I heeded your advice and left some lead in the pot last night. I threw in more WW's on top and reheated today for more lead melting and your right! The lead melted quite a bit faster this time. Thanks for the tip.

I had the propane tank filled today and finished another 5/8th bucket of WW's. My boolit equipment is scheduled for tomorrow so I might get some boolit casting in thursday. If not then I'll have to wait for next week since were hitting the campground for the holiday.

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd56/straightshooter44/Casting/59smelted_web.jpg

[MT Gianni]

IME cardboard only works for about 3 months before you have to toss it. Not a large problem unless you dump your pot. Gianni

[mooman76]

Just tip the lead out like you did or leave it for the next time. If you have some in the pot it absorbs the heat quicker and the WWs start to melt quicker. At least I think so. Easier to work too when you have more lead to start skimming from. Especially on range lead, you need the extra.

[RustyFN]

Something else you might want to consider. Instead of plywood someone else on this forum told me about using the metal drip pan that you put under a car. I haven't got one yet but am thinking about it myself. Your ingots look good.
Rusty

[straight-shooter]

Thanks everyone for the encouragement and tips. My Lee Pro 4-20 pot and boolit molds showed up today. I just couldn't stand it and had to cast some boolits.

I lightly shaved the burrs on the molds. Then washed them with Casey Birchwood Gun Cleaner then scrubbed them in warm water and dish soap. I then dryed them and lubricated the pins. I used a bic lighter to smoke the mold and I was on my way. Fired up the furnace and watched the lead melt. I then preheated the mold on a hot plate and went to work. On the 3rd cast they started looking great! Only glich I found was that the Lee .358 SWC mold wasn't always closing without one side of the mold tilted. I found by setting the mold on the bench each time and then closing it the two sides matched up perfectly everytime. Is this a common thing or is there some adjustment I should look at ?

Anyway here is what I ended up with!! These are from the Lee .358 swc tumble lube mold. I measured the boolits after casting them and they all are exactly .358 and weigh approximately 160 - 164 grains each. :castmine:

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd56/straightshooter44/Casting/38calBullets_web.jpg

[dwtim]

...On the 3rd cast they started looking great! Only glich I found was that the Lee .358 SWC mold wasn't always closing without one side of the mold tilted. I found by setting the mold on the bench each time and then closing it the two sides matched up perfectly everytime. Is this a common thing or is there some adjustment I should look at ?

Every Lee mold (two-cavity) I have does this. I had previously read about the flat-surface trick here on CB, so I was prepared to deal with it. Only once did I forget to check, and after I had to clean off the mess, I will never do that again.

[straight-shooter]

Every Lee mold (two-cavity) I have does this. I had previously read about the flat-surface trick here on CB, so I was prepared to deal with it. Only once did I forget to check, and after I had to clean off the mess, I will never do that again.

Ok thanks dwtim... I was wondering about it and haven't read it before. It's really no extra hassle, just a good thing to know.

I just returned back from the garage after applying a thin coat of alox to the boolits. I mixed a small amount of thinner to the alox and shook the bottle before applying it in a small tub and tumbling it. I then stood them up on their bottoms for the night on wax paper. I'm also kicking around the idea of JPW & Alox mixed but not till I get results from this one thin coat.

[GLOCKENNBOOMER]

It looks like you are not using just a real big pot but if you do anything bigger you probaly want to make sure that stand is reinforced good with bricks or something......JUST IN CASE....good looking stuff though. TOO MUCH is better than not enough.

[straight-shooter]

It looks like you are not using just a real big pot but if you do anything bigger you probaly want to make sure that stand is reinforced good with bricks or something......JUST IN CASE....good looking stuff though.

Good eye there GB, I was thinking the same thing but your right. The pot I'm using I only put about 30 pounds at a time when smelting. I have a couple of welders in the family so I probably should get that reinforced anyhow.

[cobbmtmac]

I bought three cookie sheets at K-mart or Wally World about 3-4 years ago. I screwed them to my plywood. They do a great job and show no ware/heat fatigue. :Fire:

[Bigjohn]

G'day straight-shooter,
I've included a pic of my casting stand, the pot on the ring is the melting pot which has detachable handles for lift & tilt/pour. The pot holds about thirty pounds of metal and I always leave a little in the bottom to speed up the next melt. Occassionaly spend a whole day melting WW's, sheet lead or range salvage and pouring them into ingots for stacking.

I intend to use a pot simular to yours for the next casting session; wider and easier to scoup the metal out of with the ladel.
8558

8559

8560

A couple of the photo's show how the handles work; this makes it easy for me me, straight from pot to mold. The pot is easy to make; a length of pipe, base plate welded on, three chain links as lifter/tilter loops and a pressed spout.

John.

[rigmarol]

I like to put my muffin tins on a wet towel on the patio. As you pour or ladle your ingots you get a cool sauna effect and the pans are ready to flip in just a minute or two.

[straight-shooter]

I gotta say, it's a great feeling taking something that's beyond being of any use and making something of value with it again. :drinks:

Great bunch of folks here to learn from too!! :-D

[Fleataxi]

SS: Don't you use Mold Release on your boolit mold?

I've watched CFI cast, and also cast .45acp boolits, and he always sprays cold molds liberally with Mold Release prior to heating molds over casting pot, and casting.

He uses a 20# Lee bottom pour melter for casting, and it works great.

Fleataxi

[straight-shooter]

I will use mold release only if I start to have trouble but so far the smoking the mold trick works great and the boolits drop easily.

[straight-shooter]

Ladies and Gentlemen!! The final product we've all been waiting for! Casted, Lubed, Loaded and ready .38 special

TADA !!! :lovebooli

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd56/straightshooter44/Casting/Finsihed38_web.jpg
4.6gr Unique under a 158gr SWC - approximately 860 fps

[straight-shooter]

I took two batches of these 38's out today. One batch with one thin coat of alox and the other batch with a combo alox first coat and JPW the second coat. I fired these from a S&W 686 with a 6" barrel. I'm happy to report that neither batch leaded the barrel. The bullets were cast at exactly .358 and not sized. One thing I noticed is the JPW certainly does aid in a cleaner and shinier barrel :)

I think I'm on to a new addiction here :cbpour:

You people keep talkin' cause I'm still learnin' !