ingot mold or better idea?

[hhawkins]

Well, I was hoping on BPS to sell ingot molds but oh no, not likely! Kind of upsetting. The cheapest so far that I found was at Gander Mtn. for $15.00, Cabela's wanted $22.00 for their's. I want to go head and melt the scrap lead that I have and flux it like was instructed by Hawn and a few other friends here, but I'm going to need to put the melted lead into something and I haven't gotten my hooks yet, just preparing. Does anybody have an ingot mold or know of something else that I can use? Thanks Guys!

 

[CrappieHappy]

have any old cast iron cornbread pans?

 

[Ron Don]

Heather muffin pans work great and are cheap.

 

[Fatman]

Question First?? Do you use a bottom pour pot for casting your jigs?? or cast iron pan and a ladle???

If a bottom pour pot a cupcake style pan is a waste of time - they won't fit in your bottom pour pot. Get the Lee or Lyman - although even the 1 pound are a tight squeeze unless you only fill them halfway.

A cornstick bread pan that makes like an ear of corn are great if you can find them cheap. The ingots fit into the bottom pours fine.

If you're doing ladle pouring - any cast iron cornbread pan - sometimes you can find them cheap or cupcake pans heavy duty ones that lead won't melt are fine.

Gotta give you both ways as I don't know what you use.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Fatman's got a point - the ingots have to fit comfortably in your "Hot Pot" which probably melts and pours best if 1/2 full or less. A cheap used sinker mold castings could be used to feed your melter.

Altho cast iron is best for making ingots, I've used aluminum muffin pans in a pinch but you gotta be careful cause the thin metal will buckle and twist and might splash lead.

Same with a scrap melting pot, cast iron best but heavier gauge aluminum will work being very careful not to overheat - iron melts at 2,795*F but aluminum only at 1,221*F. Lead is 622*F so there is a good safety margin but I once melted an aluminum pot left untended on a propane burner. A pot with a pour spout would be ideal for ingots or larger sinkers. I've gotten a bunch of lead processing pots cheap at garage sales, thrift shops, and even an old dump.

OK, you're getting there - the real challenge is ahead actually making usable castings. Especially since shooting scrap might be too hard lead to pour with a tilt ladle.

 

[Ron Don]

Garage sales are always a good place to look for good cast iron!

I think the key to muffin pans is to only fill the muffin up 2/3 to 3/4 of the way up. It slips right in my Lee pot.

 

[hhawkins]

Heather muffin pans work great and are cheap.

View attachment 2

O.K. this is what I have, I did a magnet test on it and the magnet pulled like there was no tomorrow, of course everybody knows that aluminum has no magnetic pull. I alway buy good stuff to cook in (stainless steel), nothing aluminum unless there is holiday parties and I don't want to do the dishes after everyone has left. Hawn had me worried there about the aluminum muffin pans til I thought about this muffin pan that I don't use, kind of just sits and collects dust. So, how about this muffin pan? Will it do the trick? Or am I just going to have to bit the bullet? Oh the lead I was talking about is left over stuff when a friend casted bullets (doesn't do it anymore).

 

[Hawnjigs]

Wow, I've never seen a quality stainless muffin pan - that could work fine. Like Ron Don says, not filling the cavities to the brim is the ticket. I think the thin sheet stainless might still warp with the heat of molten lead, and partial filling might prevent slop over if the pan starts bucking.

Hopefully, your ex-bullet casting friend was doing black powder balls or slugs which are usually soft EZ to pour lead. On the other hand, high velocity rifle bullets usually require hard lead.

 

[Uncle Grump]

Heather

+1 on the muffin / cupcake pan idea. I found mine at stores like Salvation Army, etc. Usually a $1 or so, so wrecking one is no great loss. I've got both steel and aluminum pans - they have warped a bit from heat - but are still working after 2 years of use.

Something you might want to keep your eye out for is the 'mini' muffin pans - these would make smaller ingots for use in a electric melter. I've got one, but not used it for ingots (yet), as so far, I use a cast iron pot on a camp stove for melting my lead (not used my newly aquired electric pot yet ).

Good luck - and don't forget your safety gear.

UG

 

[Hawnjigs]

OK Heather, time to scrounge for scrap lead. Most of my lead comes from personal contacts - start asking around regularly so folks in your area get your need set in their minds. Eventually, you'll get called when something comes up. Myself, I just put out the word I pay $1 per lb., but that price is due to limited supply out here, and your area going rate might be a lot less. Find out what local junk yards pay and offer a little more. Don't be afraid to stockpile as the price of lead has been rising - when I started pouring in '98 I could get scrap for $.10 per lb.

Being a ladle pourer myself, think your Hot Pot setup is gonna require soft lead. Good sources of soft would be sticky tape wheel weights(metal clip is usually hard lead) roof flashing, telephone cable sheathing, and plumber's blocks. Good to establish connections with those tradesmen, even retired ones.

 

[hunter7711]

Getting the word out is the key. A couple of weeks ago a guy brought me 400 lbs that came out of xray room they were tearing apart. Pure lead out of the walls. A lot of machines used in a xray rooms are also full of lead. Just another place for you to look.

 

[hhawkins]

Thanks guys! I'll keep all this stuff in mind.
UG - the muffin pan is a mini muffin pan

 

[Hawnjigs]

X-ray lead is about as good as good as it gets. How much did you pay?

 

[hunter7711]

It was free Gave him a sack of fish.

 

[hhawkins]

Good news I asked my friend about the lead he gave me. It is all soft lead, which is a relief! "whew!"

 

[hhawkins]

Another question-----> Does the lead just pop out of the pan when cooled? Or do I need to use something to help it along?

 

[Fatman]

Just flip it over and they should fall right out, if not give em a little tap. That's a heck of a find on the lead!!!!!!!!! Don't count out the tire weights (if you can still find them) I can pour it down to 1/16th in a couple molds.