Homemade Casting Stuff

[Suo Gan]

I would like this thread to be dedicated to homemade items that we have made for casting and reloading. From some of the pictures I have seen made by this board, there are some fantastic and ingenious craftsmen out there. So please post a few lines about what you have made to help us new casters, and possibly add some pictures too, and just show off your stuff.

To start this off, I have a few (humble) items I have made recently, among those a 4-5 pound ladle I made from a mandarin orange can, all-thread, file handle, and its double nutted. I bent the can to suit pouring. It works great for pouring ingots, and I didnt have to plunk down the $50 bucks for a Rowell. The other new item is a sprue plate mallet. I made this from a broken 4 pound sledge hickory handle, I just formed it to fit my hand with a rasp. Both of these took about 20 minutes apiece to make from things laying around.

Heres my picture:

[Linstrum]

I'm visiting my sister out of state right now so I can't take any photos of my stuff.

Yeah! The alloy dipper and "sprue plate whacker" are nice tools that will give you a lot of use. I've done approximately the same thing. The recycled handle will probably last you a long time, I have been using the same piece of ash sledge hammer handle for 44 years. I found the handle while walking the railroad tracks, it was broken off from a spike driver sledge hammer.

I have made my own lead scouring wool for getting leading out of barrels. I have a short bar of type 303 stainless steel, which machines on the lathe into real nice coarse steel wool that is soft enough not to scratch out the rifling in a modern steel barrel.

I have a whole bunch of home-made powder dippers made from old cartridge casings. One guy recently made the suggestion to drill out and thread the flash hole to take a #8 or #10 screw so as to make the powder dipper volume adjustable - great idea - I need to go look up the guy's name to give him credit.

Like a few others here, I have made many of my own push through sizing dies and boolit moulds. Last mould I made was for 8mm Mauser with three holes for three different weights of boolits: 90 grains, 135 grains, and 180 grains for varmint, coyote, and deer.

rl490

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I took three rings containing ball bearings from the center of some discarded skate board wheels and slipped them over the round mold guide of my RCBS pro-Melt (between the screw-tightened retaining rings) so that they are side-by side. When using my 4 cav or 6 cav molds, they roll easily from front to back or vice-a-versa....so no dragging the bottoms of the blocks. Second item is a 2 inch pipecap made of cast iron; I had a machinist friend remove the internal threads at a slight taper. He then bored a 3/8" hole 90 degrees square to the ouside rim and he welded a piece of 3/8" rod with a wooden handle into the hole....and smoothed it flush with the inside. It makes little lead muffin ingots that weigh a pound apiece. They drop out easily and are stackable. LLS

[Suo Gan]

Thats what I'm talking about! I like the ss wool idea, and the skateboard bearings? Can you send a pic of that? I am interested. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

[454PB]

If you go to the "Special Projects" sub forum, you'll find all kinds of interesting home made stuff. I've even added a few myself.

[Suo Gan]

For some reason that area has escaped my attention so far...to bad, there are some great threads there. I guess I am not ready to take the training wheels off yet. I hope that does not kill this thread though. It's nice for new casters to see everything in one spot, and if they are like me and visual learners pictures are a huge help too.

[Suo Gan]

You know what, you are right. Could one of the mods so kindly move this to special projects?

[45nut]

Done!

[missionary5155]

Well here is some items I have made and use....
Misc. pots Hubcap off Nissan Pickup . Cover off Voltage regulator. Bearing Cap
Lemon Squizer base made into ladle. Ice cream dipper for 1-2 pound ingots. Broken hammer handle to open sprue plate.
Modified mold handles... Rapine on left. Lyman center. Vise grips right.
Modified Lee 90320 358 150 grain modified to 180 grain

[Junior1942]

..... One guy recently made the suggestion to drill out and thread the flash hole to take a #8 or #10 screw so as to make the powder dipper volume adjustable - great idea - I need to go look up the guy's name to give him credit. rl490It might be me. See: http://www.castbullet.com/makeit/dipper.htm

[smokemjoe]

To make ingot molds I use 2 in. angle iron or 2 in. channel iron. cut to lenght and weld ends on them. Preheat before you fill with lead.

[dbldblu]

I don't believe in beating on my moulds. I modify the sprue plates such that they can be cammed open with a wrench.

[Buckshot]

I don't believe in beating on my moulds. I modify the sprue plates such that they can be cammed open with a wrench.

............Now that's kinda neat!

...............Buckshot

[Dale53]

I've posted this before: This is an ingot mould made from 2" angle iron. It produces 5 lb ingots.

Dale53

[madcaster]

I have gotten a pair of slip joint pliers with a mould purchase before,kinda a different way to go.I just figure someone's hands got WARM![smilie=w:

[DanWalker]

I've posted this before: This is an ingot mould made from 2" angle iron. It produces 5 lb ingots.

Dale53

GREAT idea!
What are the dimensions? I realize it's 2" angle iron, but how long are the pieces?
Did you have to do any grinding or anything to keep the lead from sticking to the inside of the mould?
Thanks,
Dan

[copdills]

I must be Blind ok I am half Blind but I can't find the special projects sub form that one of you fellow were talking about , can you point me in the right direction Thanks :castmine: LOL:confused:

[Scrounger]

I must be Blind ok I am half Blind but I can't find the special projects sub form that one of you fellow were talking about , can you point me in the right direction Thanks :castmine: LOL:confused:


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?f=17

[copdills]

Thanks Scrounger, LOL Getting OLD really does SUCK lol

[Dale53]

Dan Walker;
My ingot moulds are out in the Utility Barn. However, as I remember they are about Six (6) inches long. That is each individual piece of angle iron that forms the mould for each ingot is about that length. I have a friend who is a professional welder who made these for me and he made pretty clean welds. He only found it necessary to just do a little "touch up" with a grinder in a place or two. The lead releases easily. I just flip them over and they fall out. They are VERY useful.

You can. of course, make them for as many ingots as you please. Three or four seems about right for me. That way, they are easy to handle (with a pair of pliers).

Dale53

[DanWalker]

Thanks Dale.
Looks like I've got another project for when i get home.

[Dale53]

Dan;
You'll like them, I guarantee!:mrgreen:

Dale

[fourarmed]

I made a fluxer out of 1/2 inch ID iron pipe. I took a piece about a foot long, and hacksawed 4 slits about a half inch in from one end. Then I found a short piece of rod the right size to drive in to plug it a half-inch deep. I stick a piece of wax into that end, and stir the pot. Keeps it down on the bottom of the pot, if that really matters.

[Bad Water Bill]

Copdills and Scrounger Think of the alternative to getting old. Trying to cast boolits while confined to a steel casket 6 feet under the dirt is even worser.

[Dale53]

>>>Think of the alternative to getting old. Trying to cast boolits while confined to a steel casket 6 feet under the dirt is even worser.<<<

Yeah, the ventilation is TERRIBLE!:mrgreen:

Dale53

[dbldblu]

Just got my boolit sizing dies and top punches organized.