Chunky Monkey
10-19-2008, 09:22 PM
Well after skulking around here for about a year I have finally gained enough confidence and equipment to cast my first shiny batch of boolits!
Want to start off by thanking all of you who have helped me out along the way. Randyrat provided me with 50 lbs. of adhesive wheel weights and sheet lead. Got another 50 lbs. coming from fishawk. That’ll keep me in cap-n-ball boolitss for a while.
Got my turkey fry out yesterday so I could size up and cut my heat shield that is made from a piece of 24” steel pipe I got from the local plant as scrap for $8.00. Cut it to fit and allow for entry of the gas line. I had no intention to smelt and mold as I am currently digging out the back part of my basement so I can put in a workbench to cast boolits. Finally got my reloading area moved up stairs to the heat and air conditioning.
Figured what the hell, got out the 6 qt cast iron pot, my Rowell #1, my Lee 457 RB mold, my 44 - 250 conical mold, and some other items I have accumulated over the past year. Dropped in the lead that randyrat provided me and went to work.
Sort of casting ingots and boolits at the same time. Since I currently only have one ingot mold (searching high and low for steel or cast muffin pans) I would fill it and cast some boolits while I waited for it to set up. I was in no hurry just enjoying myself!
Things went good once I got a good rhythm going. I would fill one mold set it down, fill the other, then set it down. Pick up the first one cut the sprue, drop boolits onto a towel then they would roll into pan. Fill that mold and pick up the second mold. . . and so forth.
For my first time I think things turned out pretty damn good, let me know what I need to do to make ‘em a little better. I am posting my picks so that I may receive a little constructive criticism. Remember this was a temporary spur of the moment set up, especially the wheelbarrow table.
My biggest question is regarding the brown crap that kept forming on my lead. When I started I fluxed and stirred with wooden stick, scraping the sides and the bottom. I then skimmed of dark powdery crap. I thought that once this was done that was it for skimming. But I kept getting more brown crap and had to keep skimming it off. Is this normal or was this because the lead level kept getting lower and lower. I do not have a thermometer so I do not know the temperature. Help or info requested!
I also went yesterday morning to a local scrap yard and got 150 lbs. of wheel weights for $60.00 (about .40 lb). Went through the bucket last night and there was no steel or zinc (as far as I could tell), shot boolits, big truck WW, etc. There were some battery terminals (that go on the battery posts) in there, they appeared to be lead. Are they lead? Now just gotta get some ingot molds and get those puppies smelted. Now that I got some lead to get started I’m gonna start hittin my local garages and tires shops. This brass ***** is quickly turning into a lead *****. After casting I was out there picking little pieces of lead out of the grass that I dropped. Neighbors probably that I went nuts. What a sickness!!
Now as soon as I get my basement set-up ready I’ll start using my Lee Magnum Melter that I am dying to try out.
Sorry for the long drawn out post guys. Feel like a little kid who wants to show off what he did for his dad!
Again thanks for all the info and be ready for a new run of questions!
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee267/Metzy84/Casting/102_1513.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee267/Metzy84/Casting/102_1515.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee267/Metzy84/Casting/102_1514.jpg
This is the brown stuff that kept forming. Is this normal?
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee267/Metzy84/Casting/102_1516.jpg
This came out of 50 lbs. of adhesive WW and sheet lead.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee267/Metzy84/Casting/102_1518.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee267/Metzy84/Casting/102_1519.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee267/Metzy84/Casting/102_1531.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee267/Metzy84/Casting/102_1528.jpg
Want to start off by thanking all of you who have helped me out along the way. Randyrat provided me with 50 lbs. of adhesive wheel weights and sheet lead. Got another 50 lbs. coming from fishawk. That’ll keep me in cap-n-ball boolitss for a while.
Got my turkey fry out yesterday so I could size up and cut my heat shield that is made from a piece of 24” steel pipe I got from the local plant as scrap for $8.00. Cut it to fit and allow for entry of the gas line. I had no intention to smelt and mold as I am currently digging out the back part of my basement so I can put in a workbench to cast boolits. Finally got my reloading area moved up stairs to the heat and air conditioning.
Figured what the hell, got out the 6 qt cast iron pot, my Rowell #1, my Lee 457 RB mold, my 44 - 250 conical mold, and some other items I have accumulated over the past year. Dropped in the lead that randyrat provided me and went to work.
Sort of casting ingots and boolits at the same time. Since I currently only have one ingot mold (searching high and low for steel or cast muffin pans) I would fill it and cast some boolits while I waited for it to set up. I was in no hurry just enjoying myself!
Things went good once I got a good rhythm going. I would fill one mold set it down, fill the other, then set it down. Pick up the first one cut the sprue, drop boolits onto a towel then they would roll into pan. Fill that mold and pick up the second mold. . . and so forth.
For my first time I think things turned out pretty damn good, let me know what I need to do to make ‘em a little better. I am posting my picks so that I may receive a little constructive criticism. Remember this was a temporary spur of the moment set up, especially the wheelbarrow table.
My biggest question is regarding the brown crap that kept forming on my lead. When I started I fluxed and stirred with wooden stick, scraping the sides and the bottom. I then skimmed of dark powdery crap. I thought that once this was done that was it for skimming. But I kept getting more brown crap and had to keep skimming it off. Is this normal or was this because the lead level kept getting lower and lower. I do not have a thermometer so I do not know the temperature. Help or info requested!
I also went yesterday morning to a local scrap yard and got 150 lbs. of wheel weights for $60.00 (about .40 lb). Went through the bucket last night and there was no steel or zinc (as far as I could tell), shot boolits, big truck WW, etc. There were some battery terminals (that go on the battery posts) in there, they appeared to be lead. Are they lead? Now just gotta get some ingot molds and get those puppies smelted. Now that I got some lead to get started I’m gonna start hittin my local garages and tires shops. This brass ***** is quickly turning into a lead *****. After casting I was out there picking little pieces of lead out of the grass that I dropped. Neighbors probably that I went nuts. What a sickness!!
Now as soon as I get my basement set-up ready I’ll start using my Lee Magnum Melter that I am dying to try out.
Sorry for the long drawn out post guys. Feel like a little kid who wants to show off what he did for his dad!
Again thanks for all the info and be ready for a new run of questions!
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee267/Metzy84/Casting/102_1513.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee267/Metzy84/Casting/102_1515.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee267/Metzy84/Casting/102_1514.jpg
This is the brown stuff that kept forming. Is this normal?
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee267/Metzy84/Casting/102_1516.jpg
This came out of 50 lbs. of adhesive WW and sheet lead.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee267/Metzy84/Casting/102_1518.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee267/Metzy84/Casting/102_1519.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee267/Metzy84/Casting/102_1531.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee267/Metzy84/Casting/102_1528.jpg