This is how I spent MLK day, how about you?

deerslayer303 · January 21, 2013, 06:33 PM

Doin some SMELTING! And another successful operation without an unfortunate SMELTING ACCIDENT

Woody55 · January 21, 2013, 06:36 PM

That looks pretty awesome.

I just spent the day at work. One guy bought a new Benelli shotgun, and we talked about it. That's about it for gun stuff.

m&p45acp10+1 · January 21, 2013, 06:37 PM

I worked today. Though yesterday I spend the better part of the day shooting my cast lead.

gun-nut · January 21, 2013, 07:21 PM

Nice corn cob for them 'rich' folks

Seeing pic's like that really pull me in closer to casting my own.

deerslayer303 · January 21, 2013, 07:26 PM

Naw that pan see's double duty, I'll make corn bread in it tonight for dinner!

CS86 · January 21, 2013, 08:13 PM

Wow thats a lot of lead. I wish I had a good resource for lead. The tire shops are slim on lead and I'm not sure where else to check. I've thought about checking out at the recycle plant. just haven't done it yet.

Mike / Tx · January 22, 2013, 05:47 AM

Looks like a great day to me.

CS86,

There are some great folks here and there in the forums who put up wheel weight ingots for sale. Most times it is around $1 or so a pound delivered. IF you think about it, the cost of gas, time spent looking around, and possibly picking through a pile of weights to sort out the zinc and steel, it isn't a bad deal.

I have purchaserd most of what I have due to this, and because the area I live in already has plenty of older folks casting years before I got into it. THey seem to have the weight business sewed up. So if I wanted to pour my own, I had to do something.

Check the classifieds and vendors section on some of the forums and look for feedback on the sellers as well. The Castboolits site has several good vendors on it.

CS86 · January 22, 2013, 10:53 AM

Thanks Mike,

What about Tin. The only place I know of so far that supplies it is Midway. Are there some other good resources for tin that you have?

lee n. field · January 22, 2013, 01:40 PM

What setup are you using to melt that lead?

I've got a portable electric stovetop, and it just doesn't work fast enough for any significant production.

(Oh, yeah. My MLK day was spent trying to fix someone's spam problem with their Exchange server. I'd much rather be smelting or casting. But, it was also below 10 degrees F.)

deerslayer303 · January 22, 2013, 05:29 PM

Quote:

What setup are you using to melt that lead?

That is a "grillsmith" Outdoor fish fryer from wally world 39 bucks. Comes with a shallow stainless steel pot (not the big turkey size pot), basket, thermometer (<<for frying). Its pretty good though, steel stand and cast iron burner. It will GIT ER DONE too. The pot is a cast iron dutch oven I got from cracker barrel a while back and the corn cob pan came from Cracker Barrel too. The long handle stainless steel spoons and ladle came from Walmart over in the camping section.
And when I would get a pot full of melt skimmed I would throw a whole block of Gulf wax in and a big handful of sawdust and FLAME ON!!

reloader28 · January 25, 2013, 09:50 AM

Thats the exact same thing I was doing. Except I was melting WW.
Out of ingots, boolits to make, and it was a nice day. Now I have about half a 5 gallon bucket of 1/2lb mini muffin ingots. Its a good start.

TXGunNut · January 26, 2013, 12:08 PM

Day well spent! I've smelted a few hundred pounds in a 20# pot and it's time to move up. Cast iron cheaper at Wally World, BTW.
Good plan on the metal recyclers, CS86. They'll have lead and very likely tin as well.

January 21, 2013, 06:33 PM	#1
deerslayer303 Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2011 Location: Leesville SC Posts: 2,654	This is how I spent MLK day, how about you? Doin some SMELTING! And another successful operation without an unfortunate SMELTING ACCIDENT __________________ "I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery." - Thomas Jefferson

January 21, 2013, 06:37 PM	#3
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	I worked today. Though yesterday I spend the better part of the day shooting my cast lead. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

January 21, 2013, 07:26 PM	#5
deerslayer303 Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2011 Location: Leesville SC Posts: 2,654	Naw that pan see's double duty, I'll make corn bread in it tonight for dinner! __________________ "I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery." - Thomas Jefferson

January 22, 2013, 05:47 AM	#7
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	Looks like a great day to me. CS86, There are some great folks here and there in the forums who put up wheel weight ingots for sale. Most times it is around $1 or so a pound delivered. IF you think about it, the cost of gas, time spent looking around, and possibly picking through a pile of weights to sort out the zinc and steel, it isn't a bad deal. I have purchaserd most of what I have due to this, and because the area I live in already has plenty of older folks casting years before I got into it. THey seem to have the weight business sewed up. So if I wanted to pour my own, I had to do something. Check the classifieds and vendors section on some of the forums and look for feedback on the sellers as well. The Castboolits site has several good vendors on it. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

January 22, 2013, 01:40 PM	#9
lee n. field Senior Member Join Date: October 12, 2002 Location: The same state as Mordor. Posts: 5,569	What setup are you using to melt that lead? I've got a portable electric stovetop, and it just doesn't work fast enough for any significant production. (Oh, yeah. My MLK day was spent trying to fix someone's spam problem with their Exchange server. I'd much rather be smelting or casting. But, it was also below 10 degrees F.) __________________ "As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. "

January 21, 2013, 06:36 PM	#2
Woody55 Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2012 Location: East Texas Posts: 407	That looks pretty awesome. I just spent the day at work. One guy bought a new Benelli shotgun, and we talked about it. That's about it for gun stuff.

January 21, 2013, 07:21 PM	#4
gun-nut Member Join Date: December 15, 2008 Location: new hampshire Posts: 31	Nice corn cob for them 'rich' folks Seeing pic's like that really pull me in closer to casting my own.

January 21, 2013, 08:13 PM	#6
CS86 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2012 Location: South Dakota Posts: 224	Wow thats a lot of lead. I wish I had a good resource for lead. The tire shops are slim on lead and I'm not sure where else to check. I've thought about checking out at the recycle plant. just haven't done it yet.

January 22, 2013, 10:53 AM	#8
CS86 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2012 Location: South Dakota Posts: 224	Thanks Mike, What about Tin. The only place I know of so far that supplies it is Midway. Are there some other good resources for tin that you have?

January 25, 2013, 09:50 AM	#11
reloader28 Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2009 Location: nw wyoming Posts: 1,061	Thats the exact same thing I was doing. Except I was melting WW. Out of ingots, boolits to make, and it was a nice day. Now I have about half a 5 gallon bucket of 1/2lb mini muffin ingots. Its a good start.

January 26, 2013, 12:08 PM	#12
TXGunNut Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: If you have to ask... Posts: 2,860	Day well spent! I've smelted a few hundred pounds in a 20# pot and it's time to move up. Cast iron cheaper at Wally World, BTW. Good plan on the metal recyclers, CS86. They'll have lead and very likely tin as well. __________________ Life Member NRA, TSRA Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call Lonesome Dove My favorite recipes start out with a handful of used wheelweights.