As most of you are aware, I cast my own bullets. I collect wheel weights from a couple local tire stores for this purpose and with the eventual demise, as it were, of lead wheel weights they are becoming a pretty hot commodity.



Monday I picked up another two 5 gallon buckets full (about 250 pounds) for $20. This makes 5 buckets full I have to "smelt"

I use my home-made coal fired forge and an old sauce pan to melt the wheel weights.



After the slag and other "stuff" is skimmed off I ladle the nice clean lead into my home-made ingot molds.



A five gallon bucket  of wheel weights yields about 90-100 pounds of ingots, so I should have nearly 500 pounds of ingots when I'm done. Enough to last quite a while I would think.



I used to just put the wheel weights in my Lee production pot and skim of the "ick" as I cast bullets, but the little missus complained about the smoke and fumes so I started to "smelt" the weights outside. Got me out of the house AND the doghouse at the same time

RJ

I REALLY want to get into casting bullets for my handguns. My grandfather used to do it, and I wish I'd had the opportunity to do it with him while he was still alive (he passed in 1983). I have a bunch of "ingots" that he cast using some heavy duty muffin tins (I think they're cast iron), and in fact I have those, too.
 
All of it's in a huge cast iron pot of some sort that measures about a foot deep, 14" wide, and maybe 20 inches long. It's mostly full, and I have no idea what it weighs. It's all I can do to slide it across the floor to a new spot if I "rearrange" the garage.
 
I need to buy a lead melting pot, and intend to the next time I get to Tucson.
 
Than I'll need some instruction. Might be a good "How-to" for the Reference Library"?
 
*grin*
 
Daryl

I agree Daryl. I'm sure there are more than a few "casters" on board here that would be willing to participate. hint hint hint.

Dad started me casting when I was about ten and showed an interest in shooting his S&W Trooper (?) in 44 special, 358 Win. 45-70 and 30-06. I still use the molds for the 44, 45-70 and the 358 so they never "wear out".

When I was heavy into muzzle loaders, I cast my own round balls and maxi balls.

If you are looking for a lead melting pot, may I suggest Lee's Production Pot IV. I've had mine for about 30 years.

RJ

Thanks RJ.  I'm looking for one, and I'll definitely look that one over.
 
The price of bullets, even lead bullets, is getting rediculous.  Trying to find them is even more "fun".
 
Wheel weights are far easier to locate, and they're cheaper to buy...for now.
 
Daryl

Good thread RJ.

Wheel weights are getting harder to find around here lately. I bought some Lyman #2 from LeadandBrass.com on a special group buy. Shipped it through the Post Office on their special 70lbs per box rate. I bet the mail carriers loved that!

With the warmer weather 'tis the time to start casting. I do mine outside (back porch) where there's plenty of air and little consequence if I have a spill.

Nels

Love those ingot molds, RJ.
 
I bought a "cornbread" cast-iron skillet that has 6 pie-shaped wedges.
 
For "smelting" wheel weights, I use a cast-iron skillet and pour the cleaned lead either into the "cornbread" wedges or a couple of Lee ingot moulds I have.
 
I have four 5-gal buckets full of wheel weights, so I figure I have a life-time's supply of wheel-weight-lead. However, there is something to be said for pure lead. Unfortunately, it's really hard to "find". It is available from Midway for about $2/lb if I remember correctly. You can also get "lino-type" from Midway. I don't recall it's price.
 
Be REALLY careful of buying "pure" lead from local gun stores. I bought about 20 lbs a few years back. When I got home, I applied Don's hardness measurer to it, and it had a BHN of about 18! I'm pretty sure it's wheel-weight lead. Pure lead is VERY soft - about BHN 9-10.
 
I enjoy casting, but the truth is that with one or two exceptions, I have not been able to get my cast bullets to shoot as straight as other people's cast bullets. Especially Oregon Trail Silver Bullets and Drinksgin's. I still have some of Nels' that I have to shoot out of my k-31s. I'll be getting to that this spring.
 
I just ordered a .62 cal flintlock pistol from Track of the Wolf. http://www.trackofthewolf.com/?p= AAI-301 (It's coming via Sakorick because of ToW's "attitude" about shipping. :frown ) I'm pretty sure I'll be shooting pure lead outta that thing. Which reminds me... I need to order a LEE mould for .62 cal balls. :D
 
Paul
 
PS - Done. Now I'm "ready" for this thing.
 
Paul

I won't say it is cheap but you can find pure/soft lead at a commercial plumber supply store. My friendly plumber just gave me a 25 lbs in five cupcake ingots.
 
I have found the cornbread long oval cast iron pans leave ingots that do fit my melting pot. I have switched to cast iron muffin pan which produces an ingot that neatly drops into my pot.
 
All done on a coleman stove.

The best place to find soft lead is at a salvage yard, valley flashing, chimney flashing and vent jacks are usually very soft.
Of course, you can find a cgm building and pop the lead seals off the nails, just don't get caught!
Joe Brennan has a CD for sale at $6, pp, that has the equal of 450-500 pages if info on cast bullets, I have sent them to a number of people and it was helpful.
His address is;
11 Sombrero Blvd., #16
Marathon, FL  33050.
Well worth your while and $6.

Quoteyou can find pure/soft lead at a commercial plumber supply store

Not in Alaska, you can't.
 

QuoteThe best place to find soft lead is at a salvage yard, valley flashing, chimney flashing and vent jacks are usually very soft.
 

Again, there ain't no such place in AK. Alaska is too 'young' to have those sorts of things. Even the typical lead flashings used around various parts of roofing is taboo in AK.
 
The best 'stash' of pure lead I've been able to "find" was some pure lead wire used for "pencil" fishing weights. A local store bought a bunch of it and got sent the wrong size, so they sold it to me for what it cost them wholesale. Seems I bought a couple of cases of 1-lb spools. 25lbs per case if I remember correctly.
 
I'm one of the people Don sent Brennan's CD to. It does have a world of info.
 
I like the muffin mold better than the pie-shaped wedges. The wedges are just a skosh too big for my Lee pot. But in the end, the Lee ingots are easy to use and fit easily in Lee's pot.
 
Paul

I used a few of my new ingots today as I'm in the casting mood. I think they are smaller than the Lee ingots. If I get to carried away and don't "refill" often enough, the lead "sets up" and I have to "rest" for a while.

Oh well, that gave me a few minutes to try the new 358421 bullets in the.357. All I can report is "at this time, they go bang" (they were still warm to the touch) So far I really like the double cavity mold. (it's my first) I cast about 200 of the 358124's in an hour and a half.

Back to the dungeon to cast some 458124's!!

RJ

This is really an eye opener. You guys are mean.....really mean. I need a tutorial on the entire process......what to buy, where to get molds, safety tips etc. This thread is a prime candidate for the RL. Regards, Rick.

Rick I thought you were a casting guru

I think gitano should take this project HINT HINT HINT. I'll be right there with plenty of editorial support

The worst thing is the underabundance of casting material. If you are going to get started, I'd suggest heading down to the local tire shops and glomming onto any wheel weights they have. I'd also hit up the salvage yards for casting material as well.

I've got an "in" at the tire shop the mine does business with, so they treat me "nice".  Plus it's on the way home so I stop in and remind them to save me wheel weights periodically.

Our machinist "found out" that I cast bullets and now he's hounding me about casting him some for his 45-70 and .357. I told him my "price" and he didn't flinch, so it looks like I have a side business now. RATS At least what he buys will pay for bullet lube and materials.

RJ

QuoteI think gitano should take this project HINT HINT HINT. I'll be right there with plenty of editorial support

I heard that...
 
Actually, for me to undertake that particular subject would be an excellent example of the blind leading the blind. There are too many folks here at THL that have forgotten more about casting boolits than I will ever know.
 
I think a basic turorial on how to get started would be fairly straight-forward. However, one of the reasons I don't frequent the regular cast boolit web sites, is that boolit casting can turn into voodoo faster than you can say "Bob's your uncle". (ESPECIALY regarding lubes and alloy recipes.)
 
My mentors have been Drinksgin and Jay Edwards. Nels sent me some boolits to try in my K-31s, and based on what I've seen of his targets, he's doing something right. I think 22Hornet is also a caster. So besides those that have already posted in this thread, there is plenty of experience to draw upon here at THL.
 
As I've said before, my efforts have for the most part been mediocre. I can cast boolits for my Collath Drilling that shoot very straight, and since my standards for my revolvers are low, the boolits I cast for them are 'fine'. But I've not been able to get good boolits for either my .45-70 Gov't or my .50 Alaskan. Standing off-hand, I can hit a 3' circle at 300 yds every shot, but that's not really "good" by my standards for a rifle. I haven't found a 'suitable substitute' for the .50, but Oregon Trail's 405-grain "Silver Bullets" shoot 'like a house-afire' out of my .45-70 Gov't. I think I might have a life-time's supply of those on hand.
 
Anyway, I think a thread on how to get started in casting boolits is a good idea for the Reference Library, and I'm willing to get that started - with editorial help from RJ, of course.
 
Paul

I have all the stuff to do it, I just haven't tried it yet. I've got some lead, a pot, a dipper and a double mold for a 38/357. I might have to drag myself out next weekend and make some up. Then you gotta lube them too.

I put a start up in the Work In Progress at the Reference Library site. Have a look and comment.
 
Paul