Cupcake molds disaster

[358429]

Thishttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211218/fb305f4ffb61a42b9af728a042969a8d.jpg is the first time I have used this ingot mold. [emoji85]

[hawkenhunter50]

Yep used what looks to be the same exact one myself when I started. You are lucky they didn't stick, all mine stuck and needed pounded out. And then they fell apart like yours. I had to get mine rusted up, then the sticking issue went away. Since switched to the Redneck Gold molds sold by a member here and haven't looked back.

Here's link to the thread I started back then, received lots of good advice.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?336925-Lead-Muffins-Fresh-Out-of-the-Oven&highlight=

[Buckshot]

..............Gee, I wonder if they'd honor the warranty if they knew what you were doing with it :-)?

..........Buckshot

[358429]

How do I get one of those molds?

[corey012778]

Been there, look for a one piece style. I have a 12ct square mini cake.

[hawkenhunter50]

How do I get one of those molds?

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?300-Aluminum-Moulds-by-Lakehouse

[358429]

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?300-Aluminum-Moulds-by-LakehouseThanks.

[G W Wade]

Thought I read somewhere you need an aluminum cupcake pan.. Picked one up at thrift shore but hanv't had a chance/time to try GW

[Winger Ed.]

I had a blow out with a thrift store 25 cent cup cake tin once.

After that I got some of the 50 cent cast iron corn bread molds.
They did OK . Later on, I made a ingot mold out of four, 6" pieces of angle stock closed on the ends.

I wonder:
There might be a trick to the cup cake tins.
Like not pouring Lead into them with a very much higher temp. than its melting point.

[The Dar]

I get my muffin pans from goodwill. I let 'em set out in the weather until their good and rusty. Never had an ingot stick. Rust is the key.

[dimaprok]

I have several maffin molds from thrift stores, large and small, they are steel and never had one stuck or cup fall out, no rust either, they just work.
I also have some square ones, they make much bigger ingots about 3.5lb

Made some also from angle iron but they stick out from the pot and take longer to melt when its cold and windy.

Also Redneck molds sold out long time ago and there is no more being made last I read. I decided I want some when it was too late :))

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211218/e4df71caecedd7ff23c27c5d863cdc68.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211218/1add6be1d96ea67e2fb11093fae593d5.jpg

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[Chaparral66]

So far my mini muffin tins have worked well. Now I've upgraded to the Lyman cast molds that make 4 1 pound ingots. And these ingots stack better than the mini muffins. The cast iron muffin tins should be fine if you can find the mini muffin size. Check Wally World.

[Chaparral66]

dimaprok, mini corn bread pans, hadn't thought of that. They should also be available in cast iron.

[imashooter2]

Yeah, I started with muffin tins. Wasn’t long before I became… dissatisfied. Over time I’ve acquired half a dozen Lyman ingot molds. Well worth the money.

[15meter]

I have 2 vintage stamped steel muffin pans, several hundred lead ingots later, I'm pretty sure they'll out last me.

1 piece I think.

[Petander]

Still using these steel measuring cups. No sticking. Here is what I cleaned and made yesterday , approx 50 lbs, 2 1/2 lbs each. Half is from my bullet trap.

https://i.postimg.cc/MKXPbM1y/IMG-20211218-120923-124.jpgk

[Doubles Shooter]

I'm surprised it failed. Looks like the same type of construction mine has.
I used mini muffin pans for several years without a problem, other than when the wife discovered I had taken her brand new pan. I cast over a ton of lead in it.
293232
However I scored a couple Lyman 4 cavity molds and haven't looked back. They are much easier to stack and store.
293233

[Rich/WIS]

I use muffin tins, but the one piece aluminum type. Have seen the type the OP has do the same thing.

[fastdadio]

I started out with the muffin tins also. Had sticking and found them to be more of a hassle. Bought the Lyman molds and have been on a roll ever since.

[Land Owner]

Some of the best and most useful experience comes from and as a result of a bad experience. Hopefully, we learn from our mistakes and in particular from our "near misses". Fortunately, most mistakes are forgiving. Nothing real bad happened - this time.

Several Castboolit members make (some sell) "V" shaped molds, using steel angle from bed frame rail, that form ingots about 3 pounds each. You won't wear one of these "gang molds" out any time soon.

https://i.postimg.cc/gj4R0vtd/Ingots_002.jpg

[William Yanda]

An aluminum cupcake mold won't do that, but beware if they get dings in the cups that make the ingots tend to hang. DAMHIKT.

[Finster101]

Some of the best and most useful experience comes from and as a result of a bad experience. Hopefully, we learn from our mistakes and in particular from our "near misses". Fortunately, most mistakes are forgiving. Nothing real bad happened - this time.

Several Castboolit members make (some sell) "V" shaped molds, using steel angle from bed frame rail, that form ingots about 3 pounds each. You won't wear one of these "gang molds" out any time soon.

https://i.postimg.cc/gj4R0vtd/Ingots_002.jpg



Those molds are very easy to make using 2" angle iron. A hobbyist welder should be able to make them. Cut them with a bevel on the ends and I ground out the welds on the inside to allow the ingots to drop out easier. As you can see they stack nicely too.

[Rickf1985]

I want to see you pick up the full ammo box!:kidding::lol:

[Mk42gunner]

I converted to using angle iron ingot molds on the advice of BruceB. As I recall from memory, he said you could get over a hundred pounds in a .50 cal ammo can. Those tall ones probably close to 150.

I don't store them in ammo cans, but they do sit neatly across my casting pots to preheat. When I stand them in the pot, they tend to self feed as they melt.

I didn't really like the muffin ingots, they were a bit awkward for the Lee 4-20 I was using then, and the second or third time I used them they stuck and basically fell apart.

I tried a cast iron cornbread triangle pan. The handle broke off when I dumped it the third time.

If you make your own from angle iron, anything from 1 1/4 to 2 inch will work. Cut the pieces with a slight draft angle on the ends, and weld the outside joint.

Ingots don't have to be pretty, just clean. Which is a good thing, my driveway doesn't have a level square foot anywhere.

Robert

[Land Owner]

I want to see you pick up the full ammo box!:kidding::lol:

I know, "jk, jk", but there's no chance! That's a hernia at best and a heart attack at worst waiting to happen. At about 3 pounds per ingot, 19 ingots per box (slightly less than 60 total pounds) is all that a palm can tolerate from the 3/4" wide handle. I moved 80 similar boxes, about half of them up stairs. More than half were ingots that stayed in the garage, the rest were reloading components. The 2nd floor is LOAD TESTED holding five (5) four-drawer filing cabinets, one drawer per caliber. It is not surprising that cast lead boolits (incl. jacketed) quickly equal 60 pounds (EX.: 2,692 each of 156 grain 357 Mag's).

[hc18flyer]

While not a disaster, I have had to beat them out of an aluminium cupcake mold. Now I have 3 angle iron molds and 'corn fritter' pan that casts perfect 1# ingot. Reminds me, I have some smelting to finish this winter. I should blend 30#'s of common pistol alloy for the .38 and .45 Colt too. hc18flyer

[oley55]

Land Owner, two comments: 1. your garage floor is way too smooth and clean to be practical. 2. You wouldn't dare go barefoot in my shop.

[Patrick L]

I'm not seeing the pic, but I'm guessing either they stuck, OR you used the cupcake psns where the cake part is a separate part and they separated from the tray?? Been there, done that.

I have a variety of ingot molds, all home made of appropriated from other intended uses. Years ago I got three 1 piece formed aluminum mini cupcake tins. I've never seen them again anywhere, so they're priceless. I have cast iron cornbread pans, they rock. I made log triangular ones out of aluminum stock, and round ones out of condiment cups.

[John Boy]

Wish I had found these loaf pans before I spent the money for a cast iron 6 lb ingot mold …

https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2044975/fox-run-nonstick-linked-loaf-pan.jsp?skuid=98767935&CID=shopping15&utm_campaign=FOOD%20PREP&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=google&utm_product=98767935&utm_campaignid=9733267189&gclid=Cj0KCQiAzfuNBhCGARIsAD1nu--r7AsUw9FE6hCQIgQqwlhkd2jlMInFY-ilvePqAq7ZUtsThxNJ1MsaAsCEEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Green Frog]

I like to use my several Lyman ingot moulds routinely, then sometimes use a couple of Lee moulds that showed up here when I want to mix up a specific alloy. When I was shooting a lot of Schuetzen for instance the pure 20-1 lead tin was identified this way.

Froggie

[Mal Paso]

After spending hours getting stuck lead out of muffin tins I made these. Weld from the back and slant the ends.

[Dsltech1]

I’m using a couple cheap aluminum mini muffin tins I bought on Amazon for pure lead. They were warehouse returns. First use I had some sticking. I’ve since sprayed with graphite and haven’t had an issue since. With pure lead they produce a little over a pound.
I use lodge cast iron mini muffins for other alloys those are about 1.5 pounds.

[imashooter2]

http://imashooter2.com/pictures/serving600.jpg
http://imashooter2.com/pictures/smelt10-12-600.jpg

[bangerjim]

I simply use LEE, SAECO, and RCBS commercial molds. They make perfect 1 and 2# trapezoid stackable ingots perfectly single every time. I have 7 of them now and just keep filling and dumping them during a re-melt session with no problems.

And those ingots are the perfect size to fee directly into my casting pots with no cutting or messing around.

I leave the kitchen-ware to the cook.

[Chill Wills]

Cast iron is great. Any cast iron cookware you can find cheap will be good and last forever.

[TyGuy]

I use the Lyman ingot mold for lead but muffin pans for aluminum. The molten AL is hot enough to burn out any coating on the pan and the metal muffins drop out nicely. I did try molten copper in a steel muffin pan once. That was a mistake. The copper fused to the steel and I tried to knock them out from the back side but ended up knocking out the whole cup out with it. I had to grind the steel off of the copper. Next time I’ll just pour pigs into the sand or pick up a graphite mold.

[358429]

I have been gentle with this mold https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211219/c985cb370552ee912825326638fc9e84.jpgdo you notice the hammer marks?

This is the third time I have gently used this mold.

A hammer has never touched this mold.

I am not interested in lowering my expectations[emoji848]

(Brainstorming about metal scrap bits laying around that could be cut and migwelded[emoji41])

[osage]

I used mini muffin pans and aluminum corn bread pan because I had them on hand. I have purchased Lee and Lyman ingot molds years ago. If I was doing it over I'd go with making angle iron molds.

[gwpercle]

Wilton Bakeware ... they are the only company that makes a line of All Aluminum muffin , mini-muffin and mini-loaf pans that are perfect fot ingot moulds . Lead doesn't stick to them ... BUT you have to look hard for them and make dang sure to get the Aluminum Pans not the steel ones .
www.wilton.com You can order exactly what you want from Wilton ... Aluminum bakeware is hard to find in the stores and usually in Special Cake Baking and Decorating Sections of a store ...
Wally Mart probably doesn't carry them any longer ... it's a Specialty Baking Item .
My first mini-muffin pan was stamped from one solid sheet of aluminum and doesn't stick .
Gary

[oley55]

After spending hours getting stuck lead out of muffin tins I made these. Weld from the back and slant the ends.

What size angle iron are those (1.5", 1.75" or 2") and what length?

[popper]

You have to dump the 'muffin' before the tin cools. And don't fill all the way up. Steel expands/contracts more than lead.

[Mal Paso]

What size angle iron are those (1.5", 1.75" or 2") and what length?

The angle iron is 2X2X1/8, the sides are 1 1/2X1/8, the handles are 5/16 rod. The ingots are 7 inches long and weigh 5 pounds. The ends have a 7 degree slant for easy release.

[oley55]

Many boo-coo thanks

[Walks]

I collected bullet makers ingot molds from gunshows back when they were a buck each.
Now I use them to separate alloys.
Ohaus - Linotype
Lyman - #2
Saeco - 20/1
RCBS - coww
Lee 1lb - pure
Lee 1/2lb - mono/foundry
Blank* - unknown, I can write on the blank top.
Triangle** - range scrap.

*These are Lachmiller/RCBS that have RCBS on the "flipping" tab

**Lodge scone pan that I Paid $10 for.

[kevin c]

Like William Yanda said, dents in the sidewall of the cup can make the ingot hang up. That’s a reason real ingot molds use more rigid and durable cast aluminum and iron instead of stamped sheet aluminum or steel. Before I gave up on them, I had to mark no go cups in the pans I used, or only fill to below the dent.

It’s still possible to find thrift store muffin and loaf pans that are tin plated (guess why they’re called “tins”?). To be avoided at all cost: the lead alloy will literally bond to the surface of the cup, making ingot removal nigh on impossible unless reheated to the alloy melting point.

[Sixgun Symphony]

Yeah, I started with muffin tins. Wasn’t long before I became… dissatisfied. Over time I’ve acquired half a dozen Lyman ingot molds. Well worth the money.

Agreed :goodpost:

[358429]

I found a stainless steel cup and the ingots look good. [emoji3]

[rondog]

I use the Lyman 1lb ingot molds with great success. Then I store the ingots in steel .30cal USGI ammo cans, 65 per can. That's about 67lbs per can, and I have 10 of them stashed. Plus a big pile of loose ones, ran out of cans.

Now my back is too buggered up to lift one - what to do, what to do.....

[Leading]

I had the same experience with stuck ingots in the muffin pan years ago. I then started putting a small piece of beeswax in each before filling with lead, have not had one stick since.

[alamogunr]

Cast iron is great. Any cast iron cookware you can find cheap will be good and last forever.

Many years ago on a trip to Yellowstone, we stopped at a Cabela's outlet. I found several Lodge cast iron muffin pans on closeout. I bought all six that they had. Spouse didn't appreciate all that cast iron to carry for the next two weeks.

Don't use them much any more since I have more lead stash than I will ever use but they come in handy when I decide to try my hand at a different alloy. Those little muffins are just right for the pot.

Early on I had the same experience as others with the ingots sticking in the pans. Learned my lesson. Tin plate doesn't work well. I've also got a bunch of RCBS and SAECO ingot molds. Just seems that it is more work to make smaller ingots. BTW, rust is your friend.

[remy3424]

I am not sure what the allure of ingots in the muffin shape are desired. Anyone care to share the benefit of that shape?

[popper]

They easily fit in a Lee pot and weigh ~ 2# each. Corncob ingots are long and tend to fall over the edge of the pot.

[imashooter2]

I am not sure what the allure of ingots in the muffin shape are desired. Anyone care to share the benefit of that shape?

The shape? Very little other than reasonable size. The allure of muffins is the low cost and general availability of the "molds."

[oley55]

I am not sure what the allure of ingots in the muffin shape are desired. Anyone care to share the benefit of that shape?

Allure???? How about just plain inexpensive and sold almost everywhere. They served me well initially, but when stored there is a lot of wasted space.

The mini bread pans are a bit more expensive and more functional (stackable), but not generally sold in many retail stores. I had to order mine on line.

[QuackAttack24]

293952
Hard to beat a good cast iron cornbread pan or muffin pan from Goodwill. The cornbread pan makes 2.5 pound ingots that just fall out. Perfect size for the melting pot. Cost $8.

[Mal Paso]

I could have saved $100 in gas if I gave up on thrift stores the first trip. I have never seen a single cast iron cornbread or muffin pan or hotplate. Bread machines or skis, no problem. Must be the area. LOL

[TyGuy]

I could have saved $100 in gas if I gave up on thrift stores the first trip. I have never seen a single cast iron cornbread or muffin pan or hotplate. Bread machines or skis, no problem. Must be the area. LOL

I have struck out a lot at thrift stores too but every now and then there is something worth while. I also only go to them when I’m already passing by. I figure it only costs me a few minutes of my time at that point.

[QuackAttack24]

I have struck out a lot at thrift stores too but every now and then there is something worth while. I also only go to them when I’m already passing by. I figure it only costs me a few minutes of my time at that point.Same here. It's been awhile since I've run across anything good, but there's a goodwill store about a half mile from my house. Right on the way home from work. If it weren't close, I doubt I'd bother any more.

[megasupermagnum]

I am not sure what the allure of ingots in the muffin shape are desired. Anyone care to share the benefit of that shape?

I'm sure most people buy them simply because they are the first thing they find that works. I've tried them, I don't want to go back to them. Besides the durability problem, muffin pans ingots are inconvenient. They just barely fit into a Lee 20 pound pot, they may or may not go in the 10 pound at all. Their puck shape is horrible for adding, they take forever to melt, and you had better be absolutely sure on how much you want to add.

A long and skinny ingot is 100x better than a puck. Even at the same weight, a long ingot you can add to an already melted pot without ruining the whole process, and on top of that, you can melt down as far as you need. If you only need 1/2 an ingot, you simply melt it down that far, and set the other half aside. The Lee ingots are nice, but are a bit small if you are smelting any large amount. I made my own molds, a lot like Mal Paso's. All you need is about 2' of scrap angle iron, and a welder, and you too can make these molds that are superior to anything you can buy. They don't have to be pretty, anyone could make them.

[Land Owner]

Shape matters. Bed frame ingot mold. Triangle cross section. Eight inch (8") length. About 3#'s each ingot. Stack well. Less than twenty (20) per ammo can or it is too heavy to carry. Also doubles for pouring small amounts of tin less than 1 pound per bar.

https://i.postimg.cc/gj4R0vtd/Ingots_002.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/bvGq5ghF/DSCN1872.jpg

[imashooter2]

If what you want is to store your lead in the most compact area possible, long angle iron molds are the ticket. They stack with very little air space.

I want to cast continuously preheating ingots on the rim of the pot and adding them as space permits without impacting melt temperature much. The Lyman bricks are perfect for that. Angle iron about the same length would be good too.

I will agree that you need to have a few of the smaller molds available to keep moving if you are smelting in 100+ pound pots. Of course, bigger molds take longer to cool, so I guess you need a few of them too.

[Mal Paso]

I chose a 7 inch length so the ingots are mostly inside the casting pot when you add them.

Here is the ingot casting setup.

[imashooter2]

I guess that’s why ice cream comes in chocolate and vanilla. :drinks::drinks:

[guzma393]

Good read on why not to use cupcake pans. Told a buddy about this mishap. The angle iron mold concept is something new to me. I currently use a cornbread cast iron mold which seems to do a great job in making thin ingots that readily drop into a meltpot. Time to hit up the scrap pile with a grinder and a welder

[Chaparral66]

I started with one piece stamped mini muffin tins. They worked well and made small "ingots" that fit perfectly into my old melting pot. I have a pair of the Lyman molds and now that I'm smelting in bulk and pouring with a large ladle rather than out of a frying pan my ingots are uniform in size and stack nicely.294028

[alamogunr]

The ingots I pour in the Lodge muffin pans weigh about 1# each. That would be an average since it is hard to maintain a consistent weight when pouring from a #5 ladle. They store well in some boxes I cut down from wood crates I rescued from the trash before I retired. Each box holds 100# + or - 2#. These same boxes, when filled with Lyman, SAECO or RCBS ingots weigh about 200#. More than I care to try to lift. I might lift it but I might end up with back problems too. They stack fairly well too.

[6mm win lee]

I bought a couple of these for when I return from overseas but it looks like I may just have to use them for blueberry muffins. Lead. Blueberries. Win-win either way.

https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/cast-iron-muffin-pan?sku=L5P3

[rintinglen]

I guess that’s why ice cream comes in chocolate and vanilla. :drinks::drinks:

Don't try to use Ice cream containers for your ingots, they're too big to fit in the pot.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I need to make a plywood box with a handle to tote ingots in from the garage. One that can hold about 30 1# ingots. A 30 cal ammo box would probably work too. I use the Lymann ingot molds, they make it easy to batch up an alloy.

[imashooter2]

I need to make a plywood box with a handle to tote ingots in from the garage. One that can hold about 30 1# ingots. A 30 cal ammo box would probably work too. I use the Lymann ingot molds, they make it easy to batch up an alloy.

A three or five gallon bucket would do that easily and these days probably cost less than the plywood.

[somedude]

I have used the cupcake mold method for a while they have worked well but don't stack as well as the lee ingot mold I recently aquired