Ladle Question

[azcoyhunter]

Casters

I have a "old" cast iron ladle.

When I am pouring my bullets, sometime the lead will stick, sheet ect..

I think I need to reflux,skim, get it hotter.

Would another ladle be better?

Lee Ladle, seems too small?

I like to fill entire mold with one pour.

Any other ladles? Does it have to be Cast iron?

I do not own a furnace, so I cannot "bottom Pour".

Any Help would be greatly appreciated sp?

Thanks

Clint

[imashooter2]

I've poured with a Lyman ladle for many years. The RCBS unit seems near enough identical. Either is a huge improvement over the Lee.

[Maven]

az...., When the ladle is cold, clean it as best you can with a wire brush or motor driven wire wheel. (Wear eye protection!) Then spray the entire ladle, inside and out with dry graphite lube (NAPA's dgf 123, for ex.). When it dries (takes a few minutes at most), use it, but wipe the accumulated alloy from it periodically with a dry cotton rag. You'll need to recoat it ~every other time you use it. The other alternative is to coat the ladle inside & out with soot from a candle, but it is time-consuming and needs frequent reapplication.

[Maven]

az...., If you clean the ladle with a wire brush/wire wheel first and then spray it with dry graphite film, e.g., NAPA dgf 123, you can reduce the amount of alloy accumulation. Even so, you'll need to wipe the ladle clean every so often with a dry cotton rag. Also, the graphite coating will need to be reapplied ~every other casting session.

[StarMetal]

Wear a mask too! You don't want to be inhaling the dust created by the wire wheel.

Joe

[MGySgt]

With a ladel you need to flux more often. I only use a ladel as I can not control those new fangled bottom pour type things!

In a 2 cavity mold I flux about every 10 to 15 sets (20 to 30 boolits). I pour one cavity at a time, get another ladel of lead pour the first cavity and get another ladel of lead and pour the second cavity. The oxidation gets in the way and causes poor fills and poor boolits.

Sounds slow - but not really to keep me shooting. I have tried the Rowell bottom pour ladels and they do work, but I still only pour (most of the time anyway) one cavity at a time.

Works for me - hope this helps.

Drew

[azcoyhunter]

Thanks to all

I really appreciate the answers, I will try the cleaning, and the dry graphite spray.

When I cast, I am not doing it for speed, or to have pile of bullets, it is mostly to relax, and enjoy another part of my life.

Thanks again

Clint

[madcaster]

I always kinda tap the ladle against a wooden block i keep next to my lead pot.It works pretty good if you doit often and keep the impurities dipped out.
Jeff.

[azcoyhunter]

Today I spent some time cleaning up my loading area, cleaned my ladle, and got some birthday candles form my daughter, she had some leftover.

I wanted you to know that it worked great, the wax, let me flux, alot of the bigger stuff, and when I was casting I used the Marvelux, and it was alot better, not so much sheeting ect...

Thanks again

Clint

[nighthunter]

Another thing to try is to work the dross on top of the pot against the sides of the pot with the ladle. Doing this will seperate the dirt from the melt which is easily then scooped out with the ladle. Or work your melt and dross with a piece of oak lumber the same way and you will be again casting with clean shiney metal. The wood will get to smokeing so be prepared for it.
Nighthunter

[azcoyhunter]

Thanks to all,

A question though, when I skim, I seem to be getting lead with the dross dirt ect...

It seem like a waste?

Is there a good way around this, or am I not skimming right?

Clint

[joeb33050]

Thanks to all,

A question though, when I skim, I seem to be getting lead with the dross dirt ect...

It seem like a waste?

Is there a good way around this, or am I not skimming right?

Clint
A pot that's at proper temp to cast is generally at too low a temp to flux right. I save the skimmed stuff in a can. Now and then I set the pot on high temp., put in the skimmed stuff, let it all get hot, and flux. The result is black dense powder ?oxides? that I skim and throw away. Then lower temp., wait, cast.
If you're throwing away shiny stuff, it's lead/tin/antimony.
joe b.

[Maven]

Clint, I use Marvelux as I must cast indoors. I save the dross in a 40lb. plumbers pot that I use to melt wheelweights and thus incorporate it into the new melt. The only caution I observe is to make sure the hygroscopic dross is already in the pot when I fire it up. Trust me, you don't want to add it to the molten metal!

[azcoyhunter]

A pot that's at proper temp to cast is generally at too low a temp to flux right. I save the skimmed stuff in a can. Now and then I set the pot on high temp., put in the skimmed stuff, let it all get hot, and flux. The result is black dense powder ?oxides? that I skim and throw away. Then lower temp., wait, cast.
If you're throwing away shiny stuff, it's lead/tin/antimony.
joe b.


Thanks
I will try that, It does seem like a waste, I have heard different things,

Hotter the better, and like what you are saying, the right temp for casting.

Does the mold make the difference?

Sometimes it seems like the casting is different, dry day, cold day ect...


Clint

[azcoyhunter]

Clint, I use Marvelux as I must cast indoors. I save the dross in a 40lb. plumbers pot that I use to melt wheelweights and thus incorporate it into the new melt. The only caution I observe is to make sure the hygroscopic dross is already in the pot when I fire it up. Trust me, you don't want to add it to the molten metal!

Maven

When you cast indoors, Do you get fumed out?

I have tried to cast in my garage, and the fumes were pretty bad.

I assume you are taking about the splashes, yea that can be a painful thing, I try to use gloves, but not all the time.

Thanks Again

Clint

[Maven]

Clint, With Marvelux there are no fumes at all. However, the stuff draws water from the air and will form a solid, sometimes wet, lump, as will the dross. That's why I add it to the 40lb. pot before I add wheelweights and turn on the gas. Btw, Marvelux also hastens the deposition of metal oxides on the walls of your pot/furnace, but they can easily be removed by adding boiling water to an empty, cold pot and scrubbing with a steel brush. Method #2 is to fill (to 1/2" of the top) a cold, empty pot with water, bring it to a boil and scrub with steel brush. If fumes weren't a problem, I'd revert to candle wax in an instant though.

[44man]

I think azcoyhunter was talking about one of those regular ladles with a little spout at both sides like I use to make ingots, not a boolit casting ladle that runs lead from under the dross. Very hard to make boolits with. The Lyman and RCBS are the ones he wants.
Never skim with the casting ladle. Take an old stainless tablespoon and rivit a wooden handle to it. Use this for stirring and skimming.
Here is a picture of what I think he is talking about.

[azcoyhunter]

Clint, With Marvelux there are no fumes at all. However, the stuff draws water from the air and will form a solid, sometimes wet, lump, as will the dross. That's why I add it to the 40lb. pot before I add wheelweights and turn on the gas. Btw, Marvelux also hastens the deposition of metal oxides on the walls of your pot/furnace, but they can easily be removed by adding boiling water to an empty, cold pot and scrubbing with a steel brush. Method #2 is to fill (to 1/2" of the top) a cold, empty pot with water, bring it to a boil and scrub with steel brush. If fumes weren't a problem, I'd revert to candle wax in an instant though.

Maven

So if casting outside you would use candle wax?
Does it work just as good?

I have noticed the oxydiaxzation sp? on the sides of my cast iron melting pot...

What I think the fumes were, was dirty WW, in the beginning of my casting career.

Now I make my Ingots outside, over a cedar fire.... Who cares about dirty WW outside!


I just got done casting in the LEAD SHED.

I used Marvelux and the fumes were minimal.

I think I need to try the water scrubbing idea!

Thanks

Clint

[azcoyhunter]

I think azcoyhunter was talking about one of those regular ladles with a little spout at both sides like I use to make ingots, not a boolit casting ladle that runs lead from under the dross. Very hard to make boolits with. The Lyman and RCBS are the ones he wants.
Never skim with the casting ladle. Take an old stainless tablespoon and rivit a wooden handle to it. Use this for stirring and skimming.
Here is a picture of what I think he is talking about.

Runs lead from under the dross?


Were you in my LEAD SHED taking pictures of my ladle?

It is EXAXCTLY like mine. (mine is dirty, though)

So the Lyman and or RCBS will work better?

I stir/skim with my spoon I stole from wife, It is the same spoon I use to put Marvelux in the pot.

Thanks

Clint

[44man]

Yes, you should get a boolit casting ladle. I don't know, maybe I was in your shed! These big ladles are great for ingots though, aren't they?

[slughammer]

Yes, you should get a boolit casting ladle. I don't know, maybe I was in your shed! These big ladles are great for ingots though, aren't they?

BIG?? That tiny little thing in the picture? For a guy who shoots a 45-70 revolver, I was expecting a paint can on piece of angle iron.