Making ingots

2724 Views 32 Replies 11 Participants Last post by terryb, Mar 20, 2018

muddcatt54

Discussion Starter · Mar 9, 2018

I poured about 1050 45 200 grain bullets towards the last part of last week and Saturday I poured 520 175 grain 40 cal then I topped off my Lee bottom pour pot with the last of my ingots so I spent part of the next two days sorting wheel weights. I then had an assortment of all kinds of lead I even had some lead plumbing off an MRI machine anyway I finished up with 95 pounds of lead ingots. I've poured about 700 124 grain TC 99mm and I've pan lubed everything that I've poured today I'm decapping and set tumbling brass.
We've had some pretty nice weather this week I should have been at the range

Reactions: 5

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Bellows1

· #2 · Mar 10, 2018

Good work, it's nice to not have to depend on someone else for all reloading supplies.

I have 2-3 hundred pounds of range lead needing to be processed into ingots. I also have to sort the pure lead (for muzzle loading) from the alloy mixed lead. I'll wait for much warmer weather for that, still winter in my neighborhood.

Reactions: 1

Doctordeere

· #3 · Mar 10, 2018

I originally looked at the title of this post and saw "Making Idiots"
Now I have the unholy image of my sister-in-law having sex imprinted on my brain.
Thanks for that.

Reactions: 3

muddcatt54

Discussion Starter · #4 · Mar 11, 2018

You my friend are most welcome I hope your SIL don't read TA

Doctordeere

· #5 · Mar 11, 2018

I’m not 100% convinced that she can read at all...

Reactions: 3

muddcatt54

Discussion Starter · #6 · Mar 11, 2018 (Edited)

It is nice to be able to pour my own bullets I'd love to go down range and get some lead i don't think it's ever been touched lead is getting harder to find the last bucket of WW I went through over half was scrap i know where there is a four hundred pound forklift counter weight but I don't know if they will get rid of it and it's pure lead I believe.

Reactions: 2

Peacemakr40

· #7 · Mar 11, 2018

Winter is the best time to do casting; whether ingots or bullets. I mean you gotta stand over a pot of molten lead so would you rather do that when it's cold or when the temps are over 100 degrees?

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Lmstncwby

· #8 · Mar 11, 2018

Need to get my lead pot fired up and my moulds cleaned again. Got a bunch of wheel weights that need melting.

Reactions: 2

Bellows1

· #9 · Mar 11, 2018

Peacemakr40 said:
Winter is the best time to do casting; whether ingots or bullets. I mean you gotta stand over a pot of molten lead so would you rather do that when it's cold or when the temps are over 100 degrees?

Melting lead is something that needs a well ventilated area, even outside I use a fan to blow the fumes away.

Reactions: 2

mingaa

· #10 · Mar 11, 2018

Peacemakr40 said:
Winter is the best time to do casting; whether ingots or bullets. I mean you gotta stand over a pot of molten lead so would you rather do that when it's cold or when the temps are over 100 degrees?

In summer I wear a bandanna and a headband. No one wants a bead of sweat dropping in the pot!!!!

Reactions: 5

mingaa

· #11 · Mar 11, 2018

muddcatt54 said:
It is nice to be able to pour my own bullets I'd love to go down range and get some lead i don't think it's ever been touched lead is getting harder to find the last bucket of AS I went through over half was scrap i know where there is a four hundred pound forklift counter weight but I don't know if they will get rid of it and it's pure lead I believe.

Members can pick the berms at our club. I’m so backed up I stopped. I only do buck and slugs. I might go hard and sell some ingots - maybe start here vs eBay!

SO, you know where this 400 lb weight IS — but you don’t know if THEY will get rid of it, eh??

Reactions: 1

terryb

· #12 · Mar 11, 2018

is there any way to figure out the composition and hardness of lead when you melt scrap and range pick-up lead?I mean without spending money? if i wanted to spend money i wouldn't me scavenging lead!

>

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.452dia

· #13 · Mar 11, 2018

terryb said:
is there any way to figure out the composition and hardness of lead when you melt scrap and range pick-up lead?I mean without spending money? if i wanted to spend money i wouldn't me scavenging lead!>

I've used range scrap before and found most of it to be pure lead or soft lead that needs to be mixed with WW or some other metal to harden it if your going to use it for velocity over 1000 fps. I usually mix it 50/50 with WW then add a little tin to help fill out the mold.

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olfarhors

· #14 · Mar 12, 2018

mingaa said:
In summer I wear a bandanna and a headband. No one wants a bead of sweat dropping in the pot!!!!

BY chance back say about 1995-1998 did you hang out around Vine City or Dixie Hills or the Bluff??
do you drive a jacked up Cadilliac?
I might know you>
Did I ever perform CPR on you?

Reactions: 3

Sawfish

· #15 · Mar 12, 2018

Please exercise extra caution when melting lead. Even a small drop of moisture can cause explosive effects if it finds its way into a pot of molten lead. Protective clothing and a face shield are a must.

Reactions: 3

olfarhors

· #16 · Mar 13, 2018

A little off subject but all this talk reminds me of the time I was riding the Battalion Chief car and we caught a alarm to a place that recycled metals and the first in crew decided to but a hose line on a vat of Titanium that was burning!!
DIM WITS, its a wonder someone didn't get killed.
talk about sparks/explosions and a bunch of butts moving out of a building!

Reactions: 2

terryb

· #17 · Mar 13, 2018

olfarhors said:
A little off subject but all this talk reminds me of the time I was riding the Battalion Chief car and we caught a alarm to a place that recycled metals and the first in crew decided to but a hose line on a vat of Titanium that was burning!!
DIM WITS, its a wonder someone didn't get killed.
talk about sparks/explosions and a bunch of butts moving out of a building!

I knew magnesium burned, didn't know titanium would also! learn something every day.

Reactions: 2

olfarhors

· #18 · Mar 13, 2018

terryb said:
I knew magnesium burned, didn't know titanium would also! learn something every day.

well by burning I should have said that it was being melted and that was the cause of the fire, it was a metal processing plant and they handled many exotic metals turning them into shippable size ingots.
I don't really know IF Titanium will support combustion on its own or not, with heat applied to it constantly I imagine that it will.
Magnesium IF I remember correctly is an oxidizer so once it starts burning there is really no stopping it, we use to coat it in Purple K and bury the stuff.
Been to long away from the Haz mat books to say for sure.

muddcatt54

Discussion Starter · #19 · Mar 16, 2018

Yes it's in warehouse where I used to work at all it came off of an old Clark stand up all the crown form lifts we had 1 inch steel plates stacked and welded together. They shut down that part of the plant down dissing but I'm friends with the president of the company and may be able to work out a deal with him

terryb

· #20 · Mar 17, 2018

just curious, how do you break something like that down into manageable pieces that you can melt?

muddcatt54 said:
Yes it's in warehouse where I used to work at all it came off of an old Clark stand up all the crown form lifts we had 1 inch steel plates stacked and welded together. They shut down that part of the plant down dissing but I'm friends with the president of the company and may be able to work out a deal with him

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