Pouring Ingots

[libertyman777]

I've finally found a couple of sources for wheel weights. Two are free and one I pay scrap prices for. I've got a small Lyman melting pot but I was thinking about melting the lead in a cast iron skillet over a fire and pouring ingots that way. Is this okay? What safety issues should I be concerned with?



Thanks,

Paul

[frankenfab]

A skillet full 'o lead will be quite unmanageable, even with both hands on the handle. Get a cheap dutch oven and dollar store souple ladle.

[Fire_stick]

frankenfab is right.

Get a cast iron dutch oven and dedicate it to lead. Go get you some cheap stainless steel utensils. I got a set from bed bath and beyond for around 4 or 5 dollars 2 years ago. Came with a ladle, solid spoon, slotted spoon and a spatula. Best investment yet.

[kbstenberg]

Hello Paul an welcome to the legal addiction.
You don't want to smelt WW in the same pot as you cast bullets with. If you cant find a cheap cast iron pot in secondhand stores. Lee makes a small cast pot Good for smelting. Very small but it will work. Find some old wax candles or sawdust to use to clean the melted WW. You will also have some sort of mold to cast into re-usable ingots.
This is only the tip of the casting iceberg.
Kevin

[lwknight]

Wal-Mart has Lodge brand cast iron 5 quart pots under $40.00
Lodge is good quality American made stuff.
Well at least the company is in America. Who knows where their stuff is actually made
but it is good stuff.

[libertyman777]

Thanks guys, that's what I needed to know. I've got an old dutch oven so I'm good in that regard.

Hello Paul an welcome to the legal addiction.
You don't want to smelt WW in the same pot as you cast bullets with. If you cant find a cheap cast iron pot in secondhand stores. Lee makes a small cast pot Good for smelting. Very small but it will work. Find some old wax candles or sawdust to use to clean the melted WW. You will also have some sort of mold to cast into re-usable ingots.
This is only the tip of the casting iceberg.
Kevin

Wax candles or sawdust to clean with? How does this work?

I have one ingot mold that will make 4 ingots. How should I clean it? How long should the ingots set up before I dump them out?

[2muchstuf]

[QUOTE=libertyman777; I've got an old dutch oven so I'm good in that regard.



Please check your old dutch oven out.
Don't take granny's Griswald or some worth while oven for a lead smelter.
Some of that old cast is worth some jingle.

I got mine at Commins tool sale for $10.00 ,I think Harbor Freight has the same thing.

2

[skeet1]

I got a dutch over called a Tex-Sport for around $20.00 from our local Farm & Ranch store called Attwoods. I think its made in China and it works fine. You might also look for a soup ladle and slotted spoon at you local thrift store, mine cost $0.50 each.

[white eagle]

I use a cast iron skillet to cast ingots in
been using it for ever
I just clamp a set of vise grips on the handle
and......... away we go !

[clodhopper]

If the ingot mould has large loose rust flakes just brush then out, other than that just turn it up side down and dump out any loose debris. A rusty surface will not be a problem.
When you pour the ingots you will be able to see them change from liquid to solid
Just let them cool a few minutes more and dump them.
If dumped to soon they will break, look ugly and be tough to stack, but really no loss as the peices will still fit in your casting pot.
The wax candles or saw dust is a flux. Most any thing that provides carbon will help seperate oxides and dross from the lead. Most people use what they have and can stand to smell burning.
Some times when the lead is real hot the smoke from the flux will ignite, you can light the smoke to make it burn cleaner, but do stand back.
I prefer dry saw dust, some use used motor oil. Put your flux in the pot of moulten lead stir, and skim the crud off the top to expose the beautiful silver alloy.
The crud, or dross will be hot and should be dumped in a metal container to avoid starting a fire. You do not want to keep the dross around.
Be sure to wear clothes that cover all your skin and will not melt. Leather, cotton. and wool are good choices.

[jsizemore]

Paul you can use old muffin tins or pans for ingot molds. The nastier the better. The burned on mess and rust helps them to release easier. They sell for $.50-1 each. Muffin ingots fit in most casting pots.
Mind your temp when you melt your WW so you don't end up with the dreaded ZINC in your ingots.
Fluxing is nothing more then adding a source of carbon to your melt.

A search of this site and lasc.us will educate alloy temp and fluxing.

Good Luck.

[RollerCam]

I'm all for saving cash, but after getting by with muffin tins and other substitutes, I finally broke down and got two used RCBS ingot molds for about $30 on e-bay.

Wish I would have done it from the start. It was money well spent.

[D Crockett]

I'm all for saving cash, but after getting by with muffin tins and other substitutes, I finally broke down and got two used RCBS ingot molds for about $30 on e-bay.

Wish I would have done it from the start. It was money well spent.

there are cheaper ways to get ingot moulds and smelting pot I make my own they are made out of angle and will drop the ingot every time I have had lyman RCBS sayko lee ingot moulds got a bunch of them and would rather use my homemade ones because I do not have to beat on them to get the ingot out just flip them over and the ingot just falls out and if I need more I just make them SMELTING POTS if you know what you are doing the best one I have ever used is made out of a 20lb propane tank ( DO NOT CUT A TANK OPEN IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO DO IT SAFELY I WENT TO SCHOOL TO LEARN HOW TO DO THIS )pm me if anyone need some D Crockett

[jsizemore]

I have 4-12 ingot, 5-6 ingot muffin tins that hold 2 lbs/ ingot. 2-12 ingot muffin tins that are 1 lb each. I never paid more then $1 for each one. If the aren't rusty and nasty when I get them, I sprinkle some salt on them and leave them out in the weather till the get a nice patina of rust. NEVER a stiuck ingot. If you pour 80 lbs of ingots from 1 pot you don't want to go hunting or waiting for ingots to cool.

My casting pot don't care where they come from.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

You can go to Bass Pro and get a complete setup for smelting very cheap. "They" call it a fish fryer but what do they know! I just recently got one and it works great It even comes with a red handled media sifter..
http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shop...15772/-1688344
I see they went up again. They had them on sale a few weeks ago.

[*Paladin*]

You can go to Bass Pro and get a complete setup for smelting very cheap. "They" call it a fish fryer but what do they know! I just recently got one and it works great It even comes with a red handled media sifter..
http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shop...15772/-1688344
I see they went up again. They had them on sale a few weeks ago.

Cabelas also has a similar fish fryer/smelter. That's where I got mine...

[hamour]

I made my laddle out of a 2" pipe cap and 3 foot peice of 1/2 inch SS tubing. Drilled and tapped 2 holes and attached the tubing to the cap. was great for pooring ingots.

[bigjake]

If you can cut 14 -16 guage sheet metal and weld, you can make a 7"x7"x7" or what ever size square smelting pot. for a handle, use some heavy election sign wire bent in half to make a long U shape.
With this type pot, you can pour right from the corner, it works great!
It doesnt have to be really thick material, mine have smelted many many lbs of WW's

[robertbank]

+1 for muffin tins. Like others said the nastier the better. I left mine out in the rain and wet to get it perfect. I use the rectangular tins and the ingots fit into my pots great.

Take Care

Bob

[fredj338]

I'm all for saving cash, but after getting by with muffin tins and other substitutes, I finally broke down and got two used RCBS ingot molds for about $30 on e-bay.

Wish I would have done it from the start. It was money well spent.

If you know a welder, for $30 of angle or channel iron scrap, you can make some great ingot molds.