bullet casting questions

[bobcat93]

Hi guys,
I'm just getting ready to start casting my own pistol bullets. I was able to get lead sheeting for free. I think it may have came from a doctors office..so if that's the case I assume its pretty pure lead from x- ray room. I want to melt it into lead ingots for bullet casting.
Does any know if this is good just how it is, or do I need to add stuff to it.
Thanks ..I know this isn't really rifle related, but seeing how were in general discussion I felt this topic might fly...
I would like to prep my lead, so when the time comes for me to start casting I can just melt down the ingots and cast away.

 

[jonbearman]

If you go to roto metals you can buy tin to add to it to make it harder. What you have is pure lead and extremely soft meaning you would have to drive them really slow and well lubed to even think about using them. If you go to: castboolits and join the blog , the guys over there have a ton of knowledge.

 

[XTR]

Hi guys,
I'm just getting ready to start casting my own pistol bullets. I was able to get lead sheeting for free. I think it may have came from a doctors office..so if that's the case I assume its pretty pure lead from x- ray room. I want to melt it into lead ingots for bullet casting.
Does any know if this is good just how it is, or do I need to add stuff to it.
Thanks ..I know this isn't really rifle related, but seeing how were in general discussion I felt this topic might fly...
I would like to prep my lead, so when the time comes for me to start casting I can just melt down the ingots and cast away.

Go to castbolits.com. What you have is probably pure lead. Don't let any BPCR guys know where you are, they may raid your stash

The short answer is that you'll probably want to harden it up a bit. You can get the tin you need to alloy with at the hardware store in the form of lead free solder. Most people run at least 20:1, some higher in the 10:1 range, the tin also helps it fill out the mould better.

 

[chkunz]

I did that in another lifetime but would not do it again. If you have no money and a lot of time you can learn to do this. You will not save money casting you own bullets unless you shoot many thousands of them even if you get pure lead free. If you must do this spend a lot of time studying the safety issues of casting lead. The old NRA publications have a lot of information. The old Lyman number two mixture is the default, ninety percent lead, five percent antimony and five percent tin. At one time I bought used wheel weights that were ten percent antimony and the bar solder that was fifty percent tin. Again, I would not recommend casting your own bullets but if you do be careful, it is with risks. Contact me if you have any questions and just must do this.

 

[5090sharps]

Definitely go to Castboolits....and be prepared to spend ALOT of time reading and learning. Don't hesitate to do it...pretty fun actually. I probably have 40-50 group buy molds from there now. Can't beat your own cast for Handguns for sure.

 

[wapiti25]

because of lead fumes you should cast outdoors. Use a face shield incase you add to the pot and moisture is on what you are adding. Moisture and hot lead will "blow up" so be very careful.

 

[Dans40X]

Any moisture has to be INSIDE the lead not ON the lead to create a steam explosion.
Same issues with a deep fryer!

 

[bheadboy]

CASTBOOLETS+++++

been casting for 70 years, you will need antimony, tin does not harden much it allows the lead to fillout the mold completely, usually for pistols under 1100fps you need a SAECO hardness tester reading of at least 6.

over hardening will often causing as much leading as soft.

Bob

 

[bobcat93]

I was reading an article and I could mix solder in with my lead I'm looking for about 10-12 hardness. Adding antomany would cost me about 60$ per 5 lbs. I have about 300lbs of lead..so I think I would need about 30lbs. Of the stuff.. That's to much money.. My second plan and I don't know if it would work would be to add wheel weights to my lead and melt it down. I'm not sure how consistent this method would be from batch to batch..
There just going to be shot at 25yrds. For steel target ammo. But I would like to do it right..

And ideas info help would be much appreciated.
I'm going to use a turkey fryer and a dutch oven to melt lead into ingots..just fyi

 

[XTR]

I was reading an article and I could mix solder in with my lead I'm looking for about 10-12 hardness. Adding antomany would cost me about 60$ per 5 lbs. I have about 300lbs of lead..so I think I would need about 30lbs. Of the stuff.. That's to much money.. My second plan and I don't know if it would work would be to add wheel weights to my lead and melt it down. I'm not sure how consistent this method would be from batch to batch..
There just going to be shot at 25yrds. For steel target ammo. But I would like to do it right..

And ideas info help would be much appreciated.
I'm going to use a turkey fryer and a dutch oven to melt lead into ingots..just fyi

Don't do it all at once. It takes a long time to shoot up that much lead. Cast it into pure ingots. If you make ingots the way I do in a #2 cast iron pot you can only melt about 50 lbs at a time. The make a pot of alloy ingots when you want to cast bullets.

Most people add tin, you can get that in lead free solder. You can get tin (usually 99.*% Sn/.*% copper or silver) in bars from solder supplies for around $20/lb.

If you are casting 230gr bullets 50 lbs of ingots will make about 1500 of them.



Another option is to sell off some of the lead. There is a market out there for pure lead.

It's not a free hobby.

 

[bheadboy]

if you use wheel weight to mix with the lead, as I often do, get you a SAECO hardness tester, melt a 20lb load of lead then add in wheel weights until the mix after fluxing, will sample cast a bullet with a 6 reading on the tester.

the wheel weights vary widely and often have arsenic in them as well as antimony and very litte tin.

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

read the article on this sight.

Bob

 

[bobcat93]

if you use wheel weight to mix with the lead, as I often do, get you a SAECO hardness tester, melt a 20lb load of lead then add in wheel weights until the mix after fluxing, will sample cast a bullet with a 6 reading on the tester.

the wheel weights vary widely and often have arsenic in them as well as antimony and very litte tin.

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

Thanks Bob, and all you guys for the info. So here is my new plan.
I will take the lead not add anything to it but flux and melt is down into ingots.
Only because I have never done it before and practice makes perfect.
I will keep some and then sell or trade the rest off.
The whole thing started because the lead was free, and my uncle has a box of bullet casting tools and the bullet lube/ sizer in an old box in his basement that has been there for 14 years. He said every thing looks to be in good shape. And was all excited to hear some one will get some use out of it.
I kind of feel obligated to give it a try..plus I enjoy learning new things like this, or anything to do with shooting for that matter.

read the article on this sight.

Bob

 

[bheadboy]

Bobcat93,
take a look at the molds, if you find Hensley and Gibbs you have a treasure, Lyman are good and others too but H& G are the rolls,

also, if your sizer is Lyman fine if it happens to be a Star, buy insurance on it.

Bob

 

[Ggmac]

amazon even sells lead , Tin , antiomony ingots .

 

[bobcat93]

I do not have bullet molds yet and my uncle has his old gear to give me. He has a saeco sizer/ lube press and dies. I will be making .357 & .32 cal bullets. I also have no oven yet.
Just the lead, ingot molds a turkey fryer. I will pick up a dutch oven, welding gloves , face mask , flux , and scoup of some sort this weekend

 

[bheadboy]

be sure you do all melting outside, lead vapor will kill you in time, never indoors.

Bob

 

[JohnW...ski]

To harden your lead try buying linotype, monotype or foundrytype on e-bay. Linotype is 4% tin, 12% antimony, 84% lead, monotype is 9% tin, 19% antimony, 72% lead, foundrytype is 15% tin, 23% antimony 62% lead. You will still need to add a little tin. So if you mixed 50 lbs. of linotype with 48 lbs. lead and 2 lbs. tin you should be pretty close to what used to be called Lyman #2 metal which was 5% tin, 5% antimony and 90% lead with a BHN 0f 15.

Casting bullets can be very frustrating without the right equipment, with the right equipment, while not my first choice for recreation, is at least worthwhile. With the setup I now use, a 20 lb. Lee pot hooked up to a PID control to regulate temperature, and a 4 cavity mold I can easily cast 300 to 400 perfect bullets per hour.

Good luck,

John

 

[5090sharps]

Melt it down into ingots and keep it pure. You never know what you may want to do with it. You indicate you have wheel weights. Use it and have fun.

 

[Baddog0302]

Lead alloy weighs about 23.5 Lbs/Qt. search flea markets, garage sales, ect. looking for the largest dutch oven steel pot you can find, maybe an old pressure cooker, also muffin pans.
On the cast boolit forum there is mixing program so you can get your alloy close to the BHN you want. Also keep an eye on the classifieds, sometimes someone will be selling smelted clip on WW, and the type metals which should be bought in their original form.
Molds, just starting off I would suggest a Lee 6 cavity for your pistol shooting.
I'm going to be doing some house cleaning I'll PM you with what I have for sale.

 

[bheadboy]

I politely disagree on the number of cavities for a strating caster,

it is important to get the entire mold up to heat to allow the metel to fill out the cavities and 6 cavitiy molds are more difficult to manage for a beginner,

take a look at what you have access to and start with the 2 or 4 cavity molds, they will be easier to learn with.

Bob