Trying to Get Started

[HighRoad]

Hi Gents a newbie here.
Wanting to get started in casting. Thought all I had to do was melt some lead into a cast and then you’re done, but after reading a bit here I see it’s quite a bit more!
So here’s what I thought I had to do:

Smelt wheel weights into ingots
Melt ingots in a melter and cast bullets
Lube size Lube

Now I am wondering if I have to do this:

Smelt wheel weights into ingots
Test ingots for hardness (not sure how to do this)
Add tin as required and resmelt ingots (where do you get tin?)
Test hardness again
Melt ingots in a melter and cast bullets
Lube size Lube

If I can, I would really like to keep it simple.

[docone31]

For average shooting, just melt the wheel weights, keep the heat up, and cast away.
Pan lube, and size.
If some wheel weights look like they are riveted, they are zinc. If they take longer than usual to melt, they are zinc. Strip wheel weights are mostly soft lead. You can tell the steel ones easily.
Keep it simple.
Wrinkles are an indication of too little heat.
Clean the mold in Mineral spirits.

[Rangefinder]

1. Smelt wheel weights into ingots
2. Melt ingots in a melter and cast bullets
3. Lube size Lube


That really sizes it up for the most part, except you forgot a few steps at the end...

4: Load
5: Shoot
6: Go home and repeat steps 1 through 5 again... :))

[fryboy]

welcome to the forum amigo !

ummm there's always more to it lol no matter where one thinks they are at , the stickies here have alot of great info in them and the search feature will help in finding ur most current questions
as for smelting into ingots first ...most will recommend it ( and with good reason ) but while it isnt a "have to" it will save alot of future aggravation and headaches ( among other things like sanity ) IF ur casting tells u that u need tin it's easy enough to smelt and store the ingots ready to use in the casting pot , this helps keep alloy mostly the same and eliminates variables
as for hardness testing ... drop it on the concrete , if it thuds it should at least make muzzleloading boolits , if it rings it should make at least low velocity boolits , lasc's website has alot of great info for the advanced and new both

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

zinc ww's wont cut like a lead alloy one ( nor will a steel one ) try it and u'll instantly see ! ( either a knife or a pair if side cutters )

as for sizing ..... only if ur boolits are too big ( if too small something has to change )

and for lubing ...98% of us benefit immensely from it , a very few shoot naked boolits but that's more for the much more experienced ( than even i lolz )

[462]

HighRoad,
Welcome. You've come to THE premiere cast boolit forum, where members will treat you with respect and are extremely willing to help. Cast Boolit members have literally many tens-of-thousands of years of casting experience. You can always feel at ease about asking any question, even if it has nothing to do with any of the sub-forums...some member will know the answer.

Your first 1,2,3 steps pretty much have it covered. Unfortunately, there are the little annoyances and nuances that make it not quite as simple as we'd like. As you gain casting experience, they soon fall by the way side and before you know it you will be helping the new members.

Tin is usually added to improve the melt flow to aid mould fill out, and it will add a bit of hardness. I've not found a need for it. Lead-free solder is a readily available tin source, if you find it needed.

There is no need to test ignots for hardness, save that for the boolits.

Some states have banned the installation of lead wheel weights, and they will soon disappear. Clip-on wheel weights contain some antimony and tin, which makes them excellent for most shooting applications. For all practical purposes, stick-on weights can be considered all lead. Zinc and steel weights are getting more common and it will be imperative that you cull them. Check the stickies for pictures of the most common non-lead weights.

I encourage you to read all the sub-forum stickies and the archives. Write down your questions and post them in the appropriate sub-forum.

Buy the equipment you think will be necessary to get started, go through your first three steps, and critique the results. One of the positive aspects of casting boolits is that those that don't pass muster get tossed back into the pot and get another chance to redeem themselves.

As with reloading, make sure you follow all the safety precautions: Shop apron, heavy-duty gloves, safety glasses, and no shorts or sandles. Melted lead leaves deep burns that take a long time to heal. Some of us learned the hard way and have the scars to prove it.

Again, welcome. Now do some more reading, get your equipment, read some more, start casting, and let us know the results.

[HighRoad]

Thanks everyone for your comments; that helps a great deal. My head was starting to spin!

[atr]

yes, do keep it simple,,,you will learn alot along the way..
several other tips.....
FLUX OFTEN....
A WELL VENTILATED SPACE IS NECESSARY
WASH AFTER CASTING BECAUSE LEAD IS TOXIC......

[Rangefinder]

Oh, and one more thing...

Bullet casting is addictive. Be prepared to acquire things that you really have no use for at the moment based on the idea they might turn up handy later. Be prepared to look through your molds one day and find one or more that you don't remember buying--they tend to multiply even when you keep them segregated. Be prepared to buy doughnuts once a month and become a regular fixture at the local tire shops and junk yards. Be prepared to have several buckets of wheel weights, roofing or masonry flashing, and who knows what else kind on lead/alloy scrap stacked up in the corner of your garage from now until long after your grandkids are referring to you as the "crazy old coot", and if you decide to move in the next few years be prepared to make a special trip just for your casting/loading stuff because the accumulated lead is enough to bottom out your shocks all by itself...

You see where this is going, right?

[462]

"Thanks everyone for your comments; that helps a great deal. My head was starting to spin!"

A spinning head is a normal experience for a new caster. What you don't want is a head that is being banged against the casting or reloading bench, because of frustration. Be assured that your patience will expand to the next higher level.

[sqlbullet]

I cast my first bullets using a coleman camp stove, an old cast iron skillet, an ancient ladle and a lee mold. They were sized with push through sizer (lee) and lubed with LLA. They shot fine.

I added the rest as I went and decided to do things differently for my convenience or in pursuit of knowledge for my own gratification.

Don't over complicate it, guys did this in the woods 200 years ago and hit plenty of targets and game.

[gray wolf]

No one said the flux word------>

>>>> Do we not flux anymore ?

Welcome HIGHROAD nice to have you here.
Just thought I would add it to your mix--flux that is--The Sawdust works great.

Sam

[docone31]

I haven't used flux in a long time.

[fredj338]

It really can be that simple. WW alloy on it's own makes a fine hadngun bullet to 1250fps+. I rarely add tin to ww alloy, but it's available in bulk form Rotometals or bar solder @ a local hardware. You need very little to gain the metal flow you want, most say 1%. I add the tin to the casting pot, not while smelting. Many guys don't size either, I prefer it, but yo ucan get acceptable results pan or ALox lubing & shooting as is.

[44fanatic]

Welcome to the addiction...

Ive been casting for a less than a year and reloading for a few more months...very simple and easy

1. Collect the WW's and lead
1a. Volunteer at work to clean up the indoor range (lose sleep and take tylenol to keep the sore back to a minimum)
1b. cringe when I go by a tire store and dont have a bucket in the back of the truck
1c. look for tire stores when on road trips, get the "funny" look from the wife when I ask if we can stop (repeat step 1b).
2. Sort the WW's
3. Smelt the WW and pour ingots (I keep mine seperated by type of ingot I make: Clip on WW, Stick on WW, range scrap)
4. Fill casting pot, and cast
4a. Think about getting a new mold
4b. Think about swagging
5. Inspect boolits
6. Lube and size (rarely size), as long as it feeds and fires I go with it.
7. load
7a. Think about a new press
7b. Wonder if I have enough primers/powder/brass
8. Shoot
8a. Drool over someone elses gun at the range
8b. Talk to other shooters about boolits and casting
8c. pick up spent bullets when checking the target
8d. pick up spent brass (thankful that there is at least one person that does not reload/wonder what type of person leaves 357/3006 brass laying around)
8e. Consider moving to the country with acreage so that I can shoot on my own property
9. Clean guns
9a. Think about getting a another gun
9b. Think about getting a larger place so I can have more room to reload and cast
10. Start from 1

...well, it looks like it just became allot more complicated than I thought.

I have some tin but rarely use it, figure WW's are enough. I did add it to some WW, range scrap alloy that I plan on using for hunting.

I have found that smelting and casting has enriched my life as a healthy hobby (as long as I wash my hands) and enables me to shoot more as it has free'd up funds...course the money always seems to go to more things to support the addiction...powder, primers, molds, etc. I actually have two different molds for my 9mm and 44mag (considering a third) and and waiting on a second mold for my 30 Carbine (group buy)...yes they have started to multiply.

This thread explains it all...LOL
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=88838

[Rangefinder]

^^ I like the way you broke that down... It sounds VERY familiar! :D

[mold maker]

You'll know you have a full blown addiction when you buy molds in calibers that you have no gun to shoot them in. Then you have to fix the situation by buying another gun, or two.

[2wheelDuke]

Welcome to the addiction...

Ive been casting for a less than a year and reloading for a few more months...very simple and easy

1. Collect the WW's and lead
1a. Volunteer at work to clean up the indoor range (lose sleep and take tylenol to keep the sore back to a minimum)
1b. cringe when I go by a tire store and dont have a bucket in the back of the truck
1c. look for tire stores when on road trips, get the "funny" look from the wife when I ask if we can stop (repeat step 1b).
2. Sort the WW's
3. Smelt the WW and pour ingots (I keep mine seperated by type of ingot I make: Clip on WW, Stick on WW, range scrap)
4. Fill casting pot, and cast
4a. Think about getting a new mold
4b. Think about swagging
5. Inspect boolits
6. Lube and size (rarely size), as long as it feeds and fires I go with it.
7. load
7a. Think about a new press
7b. Wonder if I have enough primers/powder/brass
8. Shoot
8a. Drool over someone elses gun at the range
8b. Talk to other shooters about boolits and casting
8c. pick up spent bullets when checking the target
8d. pick up spent brass (thankful that there is at least one person that does not reload/wonder what type of person leaves 357/3006 brass laying around)
8e. Consider moving to the country with acreage so that I can shoot on my own property
9. Clean guns
9a. Think about getting a another gun
9b. Think about getting a larger place so I can have more room to reload and cast
10. Start from 1

...well, it looks like it just became allot more complicated than I thought.

I have some tin but rarely use it, figure WW's are enough. I did add it to some WW, range scrap alloy that I plan on using for hunting.

I have found that smelting and casting has enriched my life as a healthy hobby (as long as I wash my hands) and enables me to shoot more as it has free'd up funds...course the money always seems to go to more things to support the addiction...powder, primers, molds, etc. I actually have two different molds for my 9mm and 44mag (considering a third) and and waiting on a second mold for my 30 Carbine (group buy)...yes they have started to multiply.

This thread explains it all...LOL
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=88838

That sums things up pretty well.

[Rangefinder]

You'll know you have a full blown addiction when you buy molds in calibers that you have no gun to shoot them in. Then you have to fix the situation by buying another gun, or two.

Or..... When you have more buckets of WW's stacked up than a full month of sundays would give you time to smelt down, but you still hit the tire shop up like clock-work..... Kinda like I just did this morning, coming home with yet another 200 or so pounds to go along with the previous 6-700 pounds I haven't even sorted the zinc and stick-on's out of yet... :D I could probably cast and shoot for the rest of my life as it is without running short on alloy. But at this point, what's another bucket added to the stack gonna hurt? :D

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Hello HighRoad. I've only been doing this a short time myself. I bet I visited the site for a couple of months before I ever joined and started asking questions. It took quite awhile to just figure out what to ask. The guys here are great and have helped me out of more than one problem. It is fun.

[firefly1957]

Range finder you made me laugh I recently moved and My 03 impala did not like having that "little" pile of lead in the trunk it ended up taking to trips for the lead alone. I am also glade nothing went wrong when I moved powder and primers being on the news is embarrassing even if you are watching from beyond.

As far as melting the wheel weights a good part of casting them into ingots is it keeps a lot of dirt and other stuff out of your bullet pot. I have a nice Lyman electric lead pot but much prefer old cast iron pots on a gas Coleman stove. I use a separate pot to melt recovered range lead, wheel weights, ect. just to keep things cleaner.

:cbpour:

[a.squibload]

Also use caution, you might stay up WAY TOO LATE reading about casting!

[Rangefinder]

Also use caution, you might stay up WAY TOO LATE reading about casting!

Now that's a true gem of wisdom---and way too accurate. Just ask my wife!