casting bullets

[K22]

Lots of good technical advice.

You probably already know this, but I thought I would nevertheless share it with you. Make sure you do not cast in an area without very good ventilation that removes the fumes, so that you don't inhale them. Back in the 80's there was a guy in Western PA that got severe lead poisoning from casting bullets in his basement with no ventilation. The Pittsburgh Press ran an extensive article on it.

 

[J_Hensley]

Lots of good technical advice.

You probably already know this, but I thought I would nevertheless share it with you. Make sure you do not cast in an area without very good ventilation that removes the fumes, so that you don't inhale them. Back in the 80's there was a guy in Western PA that got severe lead poisoning from casting bullets in his basement with no ventilation. The Pittsburgh Press ran an extensive article on it.

My wife is a stickler for health safety. I’ll be performing any smelting/casting outdoors.

 

[kelbro]

After casting bullets for 35 years I would give you this one piece of advice... sell the lead and buy some bullets.

I cast bullets when I had to do because I couldn't afford factory ammo. I got pretty good with it.

These days, the equipment required and the cost of materials make it quite expensive to get started and not as cool as it once was.

I was able to get wheel weights just for hauling them off from the tire shops. Zero $$. Molds and lead pots lasted forever.

The final straw was when my job required me to move across the country and I had over 2500# of metals that the movers refused to load. It took me years to accumulate all of that and I had to sell it all off. A guy in Phoenix got a GREAT deal on a huge casting/foundry setup.

It's just a different environment now. I wouldn't advise anybody to start casting these days.

 

[hoz53]

This seems like a lot of bullets.
View attachment 1760728

how many pounds of that do you have? 500 quantity 200 grain bullets takes 14 or 15 pounds so you need alot to make many bullets. ive got a little lead ect and thinking same as you. be careful and have good ventilation when casting. a few bullets arent worth lead poisoning. Im thinking id be better off just buying bullets but ill prob alloy the stuff i have at least.

 

[DShortt]

After casting bullets for 35 years I would give you this one piece of advice... sell the lead and buy some bullets.

I cast bullets when I had to do because I couldn't afford factory ammo. I got pretty good with it.

These days, the equipment required and the cost of materials make it quite expensive to get started and not as cool as it once was.

I was able to get wheel weights just for hauling them off from the tire shops. Zero $$. Molds and lead pots lasted forever.

The final straw was when my job required me to move across the country and I had over 2500# of metals that the movers refused to load. It took me years to accumulate all of that and I had to sell it all off. A guy in Phoenix got a GREAT deal on a huge casting/foundry setup.

It's just a different environment now. I wouldn't advise anybody to start casting these days.

Sage advice.

 

[Oldbloke]

Im no casting expert but I have cast and shot a lot of them. If these are just plinking bullets you can get away with bad alloy by hunning the mold hot. I used to use straight wheel weights and if I got the mold hot enough it would fill out and make good bulllets. They were frosted, but shot good.

Spot on.
It ain't rocket science. Not much required for plinking.

This is all i use;
Gas cooker
Alluminium pot
Mould
Spoon
Ladle
Wax for cleaning the lead
Plenty of ventilation.

Consider powder coating. Hmm
As mentioned have a look at castboolits.

 

[ELR LVR]

Spot on.
It ain't rocket science. Not much required for plinking.

This is all i use;
Gas cooker
Alluminium pot
Mould
Spoon
Ladle
Wax for cleaning the lead
Plenty of ventilation.

Consider powder coating. Hmm
As mentioned have a look at castboolits.

I've thought about casting at one time or another, pistol plinkers only
so would most likely use a simple setup like you described
IF......I decided to do so at all
I am still of the opinion it is a better use of time to
buy already cast and properly sized bullets from people who do this often but.....
----
let me ask, wax for cleaning the lead?
how does wax clean lead
---
I have never cast bullets so am asking just for info purposes

 

[tommeboy]

That pipe will be mostly near pure. It will have a little antimony in it to help it when it is extruded. And the joints will have a little tin in them. Make sure to melt it outside initially. It is not the lead itself that is dangerous. It is all the oxides on it and in it where you get in trouble. Keep the dust away that is the main one. The smoke will be contaminates on the lead. They can be just as bad.

Make sure to wash your hands and face. That is actually where you get the exposure from. But it is not that big of a deal anyways. You get more lead exposure from drinking water than you could get from smelting that lead down. It takes years of exposure to do do anything.

Rotometals you can get any alloy you want to make the lead you want. Just don't buy antimony. You will not be able to mix that in. If it is already in the mix then it will alloy into everything else. I would buy 10lbs of superhard and mix it with what you got. It will work for 90% of the pistols out there.

The black powder guys would probably trade you 2lbs for ea lb you have. That type of lead is getting extremly hard to find anymore

 

[Oldbloke]

The wax helps the impurities float to the surface and can be scraped off.

Add:
Eye protection.
Leather gloves

And yes, for most it's just easier to buy them.

 

[KMW 1954]

This is how I got started! The cast iron pan was worthless. Wouldn't generate enough heat to melt.

 

[KMW 1954]

This is what I use today. Yes those are mined pistol bullets.


This is what I end up with.

Also, linotype can still be found on ebay. cheap. My last purchase was for monotype which has a greater amount of antimony and tin. Also, pure lead will not quench harden.