First "smelt" "melt" or whatever you want to call it...pics

[davcar45]

So after months of reading and acquiring wheel weights and the other stuff needed I finally got some WW ingots made. Took about 3 hours but ended up pouring out 180 1 lb WW ingots. I have another 4 buckets of WW plus about 500+ lbs of pure lead sheet that came from an X-ray room demolition.

Anyway, here is the setup. And some of the product. Been a lot of work and haven't made the first bullet yet....LOL!!! I'm getting closer though. :cbpour:

http://home.fuse.net/blackrifle/Lead-Melting-1.jpg

http://home.fuse.net/blackrifle/Lead-Melting-2.jpg

[nametrux]

looking good. tell us about your burner table.

[Matt_G]

Took about 3 hours but ended up pouring out 180 1 lb WW ingots. I have another 4 buckets of WW plus about 500+ lbs of pure lead sheet that came from an X-ray room demolition.

Now that is what I call a very good start. :drinks:

[davcar45]

looking good. tell us about your burner table.

Well, it is stainless steel tubing for legs with a stainless steel plate for a top with a hole cut in it that the fryer pan drops in. The pan ledge and the steel fryer great holds it up. Basically the pan is holding it's weight and the fryer great holds up the lead pot. There are notches in the steel the great sits in. Everything on the fryer is/was steel except for the crappy aluminum legs and there were only three of them. The table as we made it works great and is very sturdy. My casting buddy (we are both new to it and learning together) made up the table.

[montana_charlie]

Your Rowell ladle...is it a #2?

CM

[davcar45]

Your Rowell ladle...is it a #2?

CM

Yes it is. Perfect for pouring the 1 lb ingots. Any bigger it would be to heavy. BTW, let me give Bill Ferguson, The Antimony Man a plug. Bought the ladle from him. Very fast service!

[montana_charlie]

Yes it is.
I'm glad you said that. I have been wanting to try a used #1, but I don't really know how big it is. If yours had turned out to be a #1, I know I wouldn't want to cast with it.

I have a #3 for ingots...and would like to find a 'cheap' #7 to use strictly for mixing alloys.
CM

[cast-n-blast]

Use that nice looking lid, it will cut your melt time in half. Took me a few years to figure this out.

[davcar45]

Use that nice looking lid, it will cut your melt time in half. Took me a few years to figure this out.

Yeah, we use it until the pot is hot. Figured that one out pretty quick. After the initial melt, pot stayed pretty hot. That propane can still has gas left after about 4 hours total on it. Kept melt temp as close to 650 as we could. Never exceeded 700.

[Gelandangan]

The lid would also sorta shield you from tinsel fairy,
should there be any water pocket in your WW or scrap lead.

[218bee]

Don't ya love turning "scrap" into something usable...I love it

[davcar45]

Don't ya love turning "scrap" into something usable...I love it

Indeed!

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

You'll love the Rowell ladle for casting Boolets!!!!!!!!!!!

With a big pot which helps to keep the metal temp at a good level as I add back the sprews etc. I can run 5 or 6 molds at one time.

When my partner and I get going the boolets really roll.

That operation is way faster then any bottom pour I've ever been around plus the fact that most botom pour pots just aren't big enough to keep up with the pace I like.

Tried one of the Lyman ladles with the side nipple awhile back as I was pouring with just one mold - a 2 cavity RCBS 405. 45/70 mold - but quickly went back to the Rowell.

Great ladles!

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot