Pictures of your casting setup

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Figured since there is a thread for pictures of reloading benches, we may as well show off our casting setup. This includes melting pots, molds, lubrisizers, etc. Let's see what ya got! :D

[DiscoRacing]

Would have thought you would start us off with a pic of yours I C H.

[snuffy]

Mines spread all over the place, BUT I do have a few pics;

Smelting;

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/arrow/websize/P7210033.JPG

A mold I "altered" to make a .510 slug for a sabot 12 ga. load. Used a reamer to remove the lube grooves from a 500 S&W 440 lee mold and add .010 to the overall diameter.

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/arrow/websize/PC080099.JPG

Mold guide I made to alter that poor excuse for a mold guide that lee puts on their 4-20 pot. I've covered the wood with a sheet of thin aluminum since that was taken.

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/arrow/websize/PC280112.JPG


Here's the 4-20 with a 5 pound lee melter/ladle pot alongside it.

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/arrow/websize/PC280114.JPG

About half the range lead we processed last summer, at least a ton all told. Used the same smelter as the above pic.

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/arrow/websize/P4110001.JPG

I also have a 20 pound lee ladle pot I use for making the big bullets, like for 500 S&W, and my 45/70 bullets, but no pic yet.

[snuffy]

Here's a few more;

My PID temperature control,(proportional–integral–derivative controller) . Makes for precise control of the melt temp. That allows you to keep records at which temp a certain alloy and mold combo makes good bullets.

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/bullets/websize/PB080104.JPG

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/bullets/websize/PB080102.JPG

Thermocouple goes directly into the bottom of the pot.

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/bullets/websize/PB080110.JPG

Here it is in operation. I had to block the flash to get the LED digits to show up.

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/bullets/websize/Picture%20115.jpg

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Snuffy, that is just too "high tech" for me. I wouldn't even be able to turn it on! :D Here's mine...

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh119/kage1339/Castingpot002.jpg

[GP100man]

http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx110/GP100man/th_102_0031.jpgI have no fixed area for castin , so it`s on a table in the barn for now !http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx110/GP100man/th_102_0198.jpg

[The Rock]

Ooh, I should take pictures and post them.

Let me post as a placeholder for now.

[QBall45]

Here's my setup. Its nothing fancy. But it gets the job done.

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=56708&d=1265210027side burner on an old gas grill serve as heat source for melting wheel weights.

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=56706&d=1265210027http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=56707&d=12652100271x6 makeshift table top set on folding saw horse.


Someday I'll put together a nicer setup. But, this works for now.

[Ed_]

I cast in my workshop. Melt wheel weights outside, and reload in my house. I ordered a sizer lube thing but have not recieved it yet, I am not sure if that will be a in the house or shop operation. I did copy off of snuffys setup with the PID control...works good I dont have to mess with the LEE control anymore.:)

On a earlier post I was questioning the accuracy of my lyman thermometer
I even went so far as claiming it may be a POS. Well the thermometer is accurate and I would like to appoligize to Lyman for the bad press.:rolleyes:


http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad83/Ed_417/Casting.jpg
http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad83/Ed_417/Melting.jpg

[Elkins45]

Well, I would show you mine but who wants to see an old cooking pot sitting on top of a Coleman gas-fueled camping stove?

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Well, I would show you mine but who wants to see an old cooking pot sitting on top of a Coleman gas-fueled camping stove?

I do. :D

[GP100man]

Elkin

There`s 1 thing `bout this madness of ours , everybody has to start somewhere !!! & equipment does not make the caster , it helps but in the end it`s the casters call & skill !!!!:D:D

[Ed_]

I got my lubrisizer today! The site would not let me add this to my original post



http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad83/Ed_417/100_2602.jpg

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Nice star Ed! Is that a bullet I see stuck in sizer die?! ;) :D BTW, when you take your sizing die out to swap calibers, you will probably bind it up on the top o-ring in the die housing. It takes a combination of upward force and twisting to get the die out (you will shear the o-ring). Once this o-ring is out, don't worry about replacing it. The lubrisizer works fine without it...it just oozes a little lube out of the top...not enough to get worried about. If it bothers you, let me know because I have like 500 replacement o-rings for it. :D

[Ed_]

LOL... I am not telling. Right now I only have one mold for a 45 acp so I wont be removing the die for awhile unless the unthinkable happens again lol.
I have another handgun a GP-100, but It is kind of like an ex-wife since I got my 1911. Who knows over time I might start missing her and buy a 357 mold after slugging her bore of course. :D

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Ed, if you wanna try out a couple different style boolits for 38/357 let me know. I have a 148 grn wadcutter (Lee), 155 grn gas checked SWC (Lyman), 158 grn RFN (Lee), 75 grn wadcutter (Custom Lee), 170/180 grn WFN HP/FP gas checked or plain based (NOE Custom). All I ask is for some shipping $$$$.

[Ed_]

Thanks Coyote I sent you a PM

Ed

[rbf420]

Man there are sum very nice set ups... ill have to take some pics of my gheto set ups, to smelt i make a camp fire in the back... then to cast theres this old shack with no door in the back yard that i take out my small box of casting stuff to then hand cast out in the cold :( my lubesizers just next to my presses on my bench... if i had a nice set up like you guys id cast all day and night, but having to venture out in the snow for a couple hours is a large deterant lol

[reloader28]

:):D

[reloader28]

^^^^
This is where I cast. I can smelt either in here or outside depending on the wheather.
The lube sizer is in the reloading room.
Yes that is a furnace, but not for the house. This goes to my 30' x 30' personal bar/rec-room complete with everything including a spare bed-room for those that drank way too much.:D
Obviously if I'm casting, I'm not partying so the furnace aint on.
I used to blow the smoke out the window with a fan, but with the wheather one night, it would'nt go out. The next day I felt like I smoked 30 cigars.
I built the hood from a box fan and after fine tuning it, it sucks out probly 90% of the smoke.
Works great for BBQing and casting with the hinged bench behind the grill.
Thi is also the same room the becomes a cooler during hunting season. We can hang 6 deer / antalope or 3 halved elk and have plenty of room for butchering them. A cooler unit keeps the room cool while we're partying and staying warm in the other room.:D

No, the wall aint finished, but the rest of the room is and I needed bullets.

[Elkins45]

Here's my 20 year old Coleman stove melting down some gas meter innards. The old green gal is on her last legs, I'm afraid.

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm35/elkins_pix/DSC_4474.jpg

[chris in va]

That's great. Mine is really basic too, just a hotplate and small skillet. Not really enough heat, but can't afford anything more potent right now.:p

[TXGunNut]

So... a Coleman stove, a cast iron pot, a ladle, a few long spoons and some ingot molds will get me started smelting? Didn't realize a liquid fuel stove would put out enough heat for the job. How big a pot of lead can I smelt here? I realize even a small pot will hold 20# of lead so that should be enough, right?

[Elkins45]

So... a Coleman stove, a cast iron pot, a ladle, a few long spoons and some ingot molds will get me started smelting? Didn't realize a liquid fuel stove would put out enough heat for the job. How big a pot of lead can I smelt here? I realize even a small pot will hold 20# of lead so that should be enough, right?

The heat output really isn't an issue. A Coleman stove will put out plenty enough heat even in cold and windy weather. I cast with a ladle and after the pot gets melted I actually have to turn down the heat to keep my molds for overheating.

The problem with this setup is that the Coleman stove grate really isn't designed to hold 50-60 pounds of weight. If you do much more than 2/3 of a cookpot you will need to somehow reinforce the stove to transfer the weight off the grate. You can see the steel bar I have wedged under the grate in this picture.

As I said, this stove was bought in 1989 and has spent almost all of that time outdoors. I think I've gotten my money's worth out of it.

Muffin pans are all the ingot molds you will ever need, although I bought some stainless steel condiment cups from Wal-Mart (4 for $0.97) that make great truncated cones to help me differentiate between pure lead and the other stuff.

[TXGunNut]

No pics of my casting setup, looks like a bare stainless restaurant table at the moment...and it is! Toys all stowed neatly in a sturdy box waiting for a pretty day. Trying to decide between a hot plate and a Coleman stove for smelting tho.

[Elkins45]

I started with a hot plate. It took over an hour to get up to temp. I would use a hot plate only if I had no other option.

[CrustyFN]

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8db07b3127ccec460ae1ea36300000040O00DZOGblm4Yg9vPhI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d739b3127ccec571f8ebcf7700000040O00DZOGblm4Yg9vPhI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d739b3127ccec570bf10af7b00000040O00DZOGblm4Yg9vPhI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d834b3127ccec40aa52d077800000020O00DZOGblm4Yg9vPhI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d826b3127ccec41a2c0e7ef800000020O00DZOGblm4Yg9vPhI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/