Pure lead collection

[jlag19]

As a newb with his first collection of lead bars and lead flashing from a roofer, I need to begin my journey in casting with a melting session to create ingots for bullets to be shot in modern pistols. With that being said, how do I know what and how much tin and antimony to mix into the lead to achieve the correct hardness? While I do have a 100 lbs of wheel weights, I understand that those are already at the correct hardness. I also know that I will have to cut up the large bars into smaller sizes that will fit into a Dutch oven. Nonetheless, I probably have to go to Roto Metals to acquire some tin and antimony, correct? The feedback is much appreciated.

[BNE]

If you have Roofing lead and Clip on Wheel weights, you have every thing you need for good pistol bullets. Maybe need some Tin (pewter), but not much if you need it at all.


ALL of the info you need is on this forum and this topic has been written and re-written dozens of times.

Welcome aboard. Take some time and learn how to ask your questions in the search bar in the upper right of your screen first. (This will save you time and MONEY.)

You will find many discussions on this topic.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Try posting pics of the bars. They may be tin rich solder.

[40-82 hiker]

While the COWWs (clip on wheel weights) are a good hardness, you will want to add 2% tin so the alloy fills out the mold. The tin reduces the surface tension of the lead and it flows better into the intricacies of the mold, as well as overall diameter.

Do not mix the tin and/or antimony alloy into all 100 pounds after smelting. Do that in the casting pot so you can change those ratios as needed. The old story of having all of your eggs in one basket...

The antimony you add (if you do) will be included in an alloy with lead. Pure antimony itself has a melting point far in excess of what is used in casting. Some have played with adding pure antimony, but I think it is generally not done.

Ask to purchase tin here in S&S before you try Roto Metals.

Size of your boolits are going to be as/more important than the hardness of the alloy. There is a huge body of posts on CB that will educate you about this. A small boolit is going to lead, regardless of hardness.

Your velocity of your alloy will determine the composition, but your COWWs will take care of a very wide range of velocities, between air cooling and water quenching.

Pick a topic, search it on CB, and start learning. Others will chime in on this thread for sure.

For starters, tell us which cartridge and gun you want to cast for, and some other info, and we can give you some specific suggestions.

Good luck.

[EDG]

The Los Angles Silhouette Club has a good site with all the information you need to get a good foundation.

http://www.lasc.us/ArticleIndex.htm

First you need to decide what your cast bullets will be used for and the velocity range.
Then you can identify how hard the lead needs to be. Finally you can pick how you alloy your lead the most economical way.

I use lower velocity loads in rifles so I only need a couple of different alloys.
One alloy is the ready made clip on wheel weight alloy at 12 to 13 brinell.
The other is 16 parts lead 1 part tin for 10 brinell.
So you wonder what or how do you know the brinell? Well it does no have to be very scientific.
Your thumb nail will easily gouge pure lead. Your thumb nail will barely scuff COWW. If your thumb is tough it will groove 16-1 alloy.
I like the 2 part or binary alloys because they are easy to mix exactly the same every time and you do not have to worry about how hard they are because they are the same every time.



As a newb with his first collection of lead bars and lead flashing from a roofer, I need to begin my journey in casting with a melting session to create ingots for bullets to be shot in modern pistols. With that being said, how do I know what and how much tin and antimony to mix into the lead to achieve the correct hardness? While I do have a 100 lbs of wheel weights, I understand that those are already at the correct hardness. I also know that I will have to cut up the large bars into smaller sizes that will fit into a Dutch oven. Nonetheless, I probably have to go to Roto Metals to acquire some tin and antimony, correct? The feedback is much appreciated.

[jlag19]

Every time I try to post an image, I get a message that it failed to download. Must be something simple that I am doing wrong as a I go through the correct steps, and no go.

[jlag19]

Will do and thank you. Very excited as I have invested in all of the equipment (and safety gear) to melt lead.

[EDG]

The adavntage of the LASC information is it is all in one place and you do not have to search hundreds of threads.

A good place to start

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletAlloy.htm

[jlag19]

I did buy the Lee hardness tool for when I do produce a bullet. The bullets will be for shooting .45 ACP in 1911’s and then 9mm for CZ’s pistols. Not going to worry about rifle projectiles yet. Thanks much!

[jlag19]

Thanks very much! I am certainly eager to learn this very cool hobby. It definitely promotes a connection to how the early colonial folks lived and obtained our freedom from Britain. Sure, I could just buy bullets, but making my own freedom pills looks way more fun.

[40-82 hiker]

Every time I try to post an image, I get a message that it failed to download. Must be something simple that I am doing wrong as a I go through the correct steps, and no go.

What size are you images? I think there is a limit at or below 750 pixels in the longest dimension. I keep mine at or below 725 and I don't seem to have much trouble, though some time ago I was having trouble, even doing what I just suggested.

I hope this helps, but...

[40-82 hiker]

Thanks very much! I am certainly eager to learn this very cool hobby. It definitely promotes a connection to how the early colonial folks lived and obtained our freedom from Britain. Sure, I could just buy bullets, but making my own freedom pills looks way more fun.

Good luck, but it sounds like you will fall into the trap we are mostly in, those of us on the site:

I think I shoot so I can smelt, or is that I cast so I can smelt, or is that I cast so I can shoot, or is that I mine Pb so I can smelt, cast, lube, and shoot. Or, do I smelt so I can shoot? I think we enjoy them all, one at a time when my back injuries allow me. One thing I know, you WILL shoot more, but we will look forward to you trying to tell us you are saving money. :bigsmyl2:

[jlag19]

Good luck, but it sounds like you will fall into the trap we are mostly in, those of us on the site:

I think I shoot so I can smelt, or is that I cast so I can smelt, or is that I cast so I can shoot, or is that I mine Pb so I can smelt, cast, lube, and shoot. Or, do I smelt so I can shoot? I think we enjoy them all, one at a time when my back injuries allow me. One thing I know, you WILL shoot more, but we will look forward to you trying to tell us you are saving money. :bigsmyl2:
I know, I know. I have already spent a small fortune on NOE dies, handles, RCBS Pro Melt, Dutch oven, molds, safety gear, etc.... not to mention the Hi Tek coating and equipment. I never expect a hobby to save money, but compared to boating and golfing, this hobby is downright affordable.

[LenH]

Welcome aboard and it sounds like you are already down the rabbit hole of casting and reloading.

[jlag19]

Yes, sir. Guilty as charged.
Welcome aboard and it sounds like you are already down the rabbit hole of casting and reloading.

[daloper]

Welcome to the madness. You will fall farther down the rabbit hole once you decide to try PC on your boolits. Don't let people tell you that you won't save money, you will depending on what you shoot. I have a Ruger 480 that a box of 20 rounds cost $35.00 this is what got me started into casting. I made the mistake of thinking that I was saving so much money that I started buying molds for my other guns also. Yes I do shoot much more so no savings there. Yes more money on mold so no savings there. Yes more money on PC and convection ovens and all that is necessary to PC so no savings there. Dies for the Star sizer so no saving there. As you see you can really fall deep down the rabbit hole. I have even started to buy guns and molds and what ever for calibers I don't have. NO SAVINGS THERE!!!! But my wife has not complained to much yet. Nothing that taking her on a couple of cruises and year doesn't cure. No savings there. Read alot. I found that I started out making things to hard and now as I recover my lead from my back stop , I add pure to soften it up. Make sure every thing plunks good before you load to many up. Ask others what molds work in their guns. If you what to try some before purchasing the mold somebody may send you some that they have on hand so that you can try them.

[Sig556r]

Every time I try to post an image, I get a message that it failed to download. Must be something simple that I am doing wrong as a I go through the correct steps, and no go.

Try reducing the image (lesser memory) & retry...

[Conditor22]

Many use IMGUR to post http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?375622-Posting-Pictures-using-IMGUR
it's easy and free.

[RogerDat]

Every time I try to post an image, I get a message that it failed to download. Must be something simple that I am doing wrong as a I go through the correct steps, and no go. There are size limits on the image file. Dimensions and file size. I usually open in the windows picture viewer, then email the image to myself. Email the image gives me a chance to select a "size" I go with 1024 x 768 and the file is a good size for display and doesn't use much of my allowance for image storage.

Once the email with image as attachment arrives I "Save As" and add "-small" to the file name. Then upload that small image. Works and after doing it once or twice it becomes easy.

[RogerDat]

You want to download the lead alloy calculator created by bumpo here on the forum. It is a sticky in the lead and lead alloy forum you are posting in.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105952-Lead-alloy-calculators

Essentially an Excel spreadsheet that allows you to enter amounts next to common lead ingredients such as plain lead or COWW's and it will total up the final alloy composition and approx. BHN to be expected. Neatest thing since twist off caps on beer. If you do not have Microsoft Excel available then download the free Apache Open Office Suite during installation you can choose to install just the Calc program from the suite if you are low on disk space. This is a well established open source project that provides the same or at least similar functionality to the Microsoft Office suite. I use Open Office Calc application for the calculator spread sheet and it works fine. Free is a good price eh? Several governments have gone to using it since MS Office is so expensive and for most uses has more features than one needs.

Link to the free download. Google Apache Open Office and check out further if you want. Oh and they have versions for Windows, Mac, and Linux which is nice.
https://www.openoffice.org/download/index.html

[gwpercle]

You can blend the clip on wheel weights and soft lead in a 50-50 mix. and have a very useful alloy .
When I had a free unlimited WW supply I cast everything of straight WW's , it is actually a little too hard for general handgun use ..the 50-50 mix works better and makes a dandy hunting boolit in a rifle load .
The softer boolit of the proper size works better for general use.
Gary

[jlag19]

You want to download the lead alloy calculator created by bumpo here on the forum. It is a sticky in the lead and lead alloy forum you are posting in.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105952-Lead-alloy-calculators

Essentially an Excel spreadsheet that allows you to enter amounts next to common lead ingredients such as plain lead or COWW's and it will total up the final alloy composition and approx. BHN to be expected. Neatest thing since twist off caps on beer. If you do not have Microsoft Excel available then download the free Apache Open Office Suite during installation you can choose to install just the Calc program from the suite if you are low on disk space. This is a well established open source project that provides the same or at least similar functionality to the Microsoft Office suite. I use Open Office Calc application for the calculator spread sheet and it works fine. Free is a good price eh? Several governments have gone to using it since MS Office is so expensive and for most uses has more features than one needs.

Link to the free download. Google Apache Open Office and check out further if you want. Oh and they have versions for Windows, Mac, and Linux which is nice.
https://www.openoffice.org/download/index.html
I will do that. Thanks!