Seperate pot for melting lead?

AmigoDeLaPistola · September 28, 2008, 06:22 PM

I recently ordered a Lee pro 4-20 melting pot to cast my own boolits. My plan at the time was to gather wheel weights wherever I could get some for free, melt them down in the pot, take out all the impurities/clips and proceed with casting. Would it be a better idea to get a separate pot to melt the wheel weights down, produce ingots and re-melt those in my 4-20?
Also I've been reading it's harder and harder to get free WW's due to lead prices rising. If I can't find any for free I figured I'd order some ingots on Ebay. Is that my best alternative to free?

Thanks for your time!

mikenbarb · September 28, 2008, 06:26 PM

Check the local scrapyards and dental offices in your area. I get alot of lead from Dentist's and scrapyards. The dentist type is the 2x2 backing film lead squares and their glad to give it away because they normaly have to pay to dispose of it.

Hawg · September 28, 2008, 06:29 PM

By all means melt them down into ingots. WW's are getting harder to find for free but check every tire shop you come across. Don't talk to management. Talk to the workers. They'll be more likely to give them to you. BTW, the stick on weights are 99.5% pure lead with a BHN of 6. Clip on weights are harder with a BHN of 10-12 so take that into account. Also zinc weights are becoming more common so watch out for them.

jamaica · September 28, 2008, 07:07 PM

I guess it really doesn't matter. Either way works. It is kind of a pain getting the clamps and other crud out of the mix though. Some people get a dutch oven for melting down the wheel weights. You can do a large batch with a big kettle like that. For what few bullets I make I usually melt the weights, take out the crud, flux, then cast them. You only have to heat that lead once this way.

I know a feller who seems to get more kick out of making ingots than bullets.

Whatever turns your crank.

CrustyFN · September 28, 2008, 07:25 PM

Yes it's better to melt the WW's in a different pot than the one you are going to cast with. The WW's will be real dirty and you won't want that in your production pot. Here are a few links that I hope will help you.
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=264667
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=395096
http://www.glockpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2259
Rusty

Stumper · September 28, 2008, 11:48 PM

I've melted direct in the bottom pour pot. Fluxed about 3 times and started casting. it works.... BUT casting is actually a lot more fun if you drop clean ingots into the pot, fill it actually full, do a single flux and cast. I spent part of today smelting wheelweights in a castiron skillet on a camp stove. One of the advantages of presmelting besides the ease of casting when you decide to just fire up and spend an hour casting a pot full is that it allows you to mix ingots from various batches to get a more consistent alloy-WWs vary so it is possible to get one pot full that are a bit harder than the next, don't fill out as well etc.. Shuffling the ingots smooths out the variations.

zxcvbob · September 29, 2008, 12:38 AM

I cast ingots from a stainless steel Revereware pot on an electric hotplate. I flux just enough to pour almost-respectable-looking ingots (in 2.5 ounce stainless cups that look like mini muffins) with a few inclusions, and I flux/skim again when I melt them in the 4-20 pot for casting bullets.

I use waste motor oil as a flux when making ingots. I used to use candle wax and sawdust for flux when casting bullets, but lately I've started using grated soap (for bullets) because it doesn't smoke as much and it won't catch on fire.

My only source of WW's dried up, so I mostly scrounge lead from the outdoor pistol range. Last time I added a little tin (for the first time) when I cast the bullets and it helped tremendously.

I run the casting furnace hot, and I drop the bullets in water to harden them. If I get bullets with sharp corners and kind of a frosted finish, that's perfect.

AmigoDeLaPistola · September 29, 2008, 06:53 AM

Thank you all for a wealth of information

I love this forum, everyone is so informative and friendly. I think I'll check out my local sources and see what type of lead I can scrounge up and then put together a system for making ingots. When I get everything together I'll take some pics and post them.

Thanks again!

TEDDY · October 1, 2008, 11:49 AM

a lot of casters get a turkey burner and a cast iron kettle. some Me use cast muffin pans or corn stick pans to make ingots.

Pahoo · October 1, 2008, 01:19 PM

Quote:

TEDDY: a lot of casters get a turkey burner and a cast iron kettle. some Me use cast muffin pans or corn stick pans to make ingots.

This is exactly what I do for myself and others. The turkey pot will melt the lead quicker and you don't need the temp control for this smelting process. I flux with Frankfort Arsenal powder and a little goes a long way. I pour into s.s. cups used for poaching eggs. These are round and fit into my electric pot very well. I only handle lead outside about two to three times a year. I get my lead from a local steel mill as they have no use for it. I also pour sinkers and lead heads for my boys and they repay me with a fish fry.

Be Safe !!!

September 28, 2008, 06:22 PM	#1
AmigoDeLaPistola Junior Member Join Date: September 26, 2008 Posts: 9	Seperate pot for melting lead? I recently ordered a Lee pro 4-20 melting pot to cast my own boolits. My plan at the time was to gather wheel weights wherever I could get some for free, melt them down in the pot, take out all the impurities/clips and proceed with casting. Would it be a better idea to get a separate pot to melt the wheel weights down, produce ingots and re-melt those in my 4-20? Also I've been reading it's harder and harder to get free WW's due to lead prices rising. If I can't find any for free I figured I'd order some ingots on Ebay. Is that my best alternative to free? Thanks for your time!

September 28, 2008, 06:26 PM	#2
mikenbarb Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2007 Location: N.J. Posts: 1,111	Check the local scrapyards and dental offices in your area. I get alot of lead from Dentist's and scrapyards. The dentist type is the 2x2 backing film lead squares and their glad to give it away because they normaly have to pay to dispose of it. __________________ Mike B. Gun control= Being able to hit your target. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pifinnercircle

September 28, 2008, 07:07 PM	#4
jamaica Senior Member Join Date: March 24, 2006 Location: Northern Utah Posts: 705	I guess it really doesn't matter. Either way works. It is kind of a pain getting the clamps and other crud out of the mix though. Some people get a dutch oven for melting down the wheel weights. You can do a large batch with a big kettle like that. For what few bullets I make I usually melt the weights, take out the crud, flux, then cast them. You only have to heat that lead once this way. I know a feller who seems to get more kick out of making ingots than bullets. Whatever turns your crank. Last edited by jamaica; September 28, 2008 at 07:09 PM. Reason: change a word for clarity

September 28, 2008, 07:25 PM	#5
CrustyFN Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,258	Yes it's better to melt the WW's in a different pot than the one you are going to cast with. The WW's will be real dirty and you won't want that in your production pot. Here are a few links that I hope will help you. http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=264667 http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=395096 http://www.glockpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2259 Rusty __________________ I don't ever remember being absent minded.

September 28, 2008, 11:48 PM	#6
Stumper Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 438	I've melted direct in the bottom pour pot. Fluxed about 3 times and started casting. it works.... BUT casting is actually a lot more fun if you drop clean ingots into the pot, fill it actually full, do a single flux and cast. I spent part of today smelting wheelweights in a castiron skillet on a camp stove. One of the advantages of presmelting besides the ease of casting when you decide to just fire up and spend an hour casting a pot full is that it allows you to mix ingots from various batches to get a more consistent alloy-WWs vary so it is possible to get one pot full that are a bit harder than the next, don't fill out as well etc.. Shuffling the ingots smooths out the variations. __________________ "Let us speak courteously, deal fairly, and keep ourselves armed and ready." Theodore Roosevelt "If only God has magic, how does Santa get down the chimney?" Natalie Peters age 4

September 28, 2008, 06:29 PM	#3
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,189	By all means melt them down into ingots. WW's are getting harder to find for free but check every tire shop you come across. Don't talk to management. Talk to the workers. They'll be more likely to give them to you. BTW, the stick on weights are 99.5% pure lead with a BHN of 6. Clip on weights are harder with a BHN of 10-12 so take that into account. Also zinc weights are becoming more common so watch out for them.

September 29, 2008, 12:38 AM	#7
zxcvbob Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Location: S.E. Minnesota Posts: 4,720	I cast ingots from a stainless steel Revereware pot on an electric hotplate. I flux just enough to pour almost-respectable-looking ingots (in 2.5 ounce stainless cups that look like mini muffins) with a few inclusions, and I flux/skim again when I melt them in the 4-20 pot for casting bullets. I use waste motor oil as a flux when making ingots. I used to use candle wax and sawdust for flux when casting bullets, but lately I've started using grated soap (for bullets) because it doesn't smoke as much and it won't catch on fire. My only source of WW's dried up, so I mostly scrounge lead from the outdoor pistol range. Last time I added a little tin (for the first time) when I cast the bullets and it helped tremendously. I run the casting furnace hot, and I drop the bullets in water to harden them. If I get bullets with sharp corners and kind of a frosted finish, that's perfect. __________________ "Everything they do is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire!" —Lucille Bluth

September 29, 2008, 06:53 AM	#8
AmigoDeLaPistola Junior Member Join Date: September 26, 2008 Posts: 9	Thank you all for a wealth of information I love this forum, everyone is so informative and friendly. I think I'll check out my local sources and see what type of lead I can scrounge up and then put together a system for making ingots. When I get everything together I'll take some pics and post them. Thanks again!

October 1, 2008, 11:49 AM	#9
TEDDY Junior member Join Date: December 10, 2006 Location: MANNING SC Posts: 837	smelting a lot of casters get a turkey burner and a cast iron kettle. some Me use cast muffin pans or corn stick pans to make ingots.