Finally took the plunge

kmw1954 · October 10, 2019, 10:30 AM

Been at this for almost a month now and have had about 6 or 7 sessions at the pot, that's including rendering down 5 gal of wheel weights.

Equipment I'm using is very basic get started cheap stuff which consists of a 1500watt 2 burner electric hot plate and a 5.5" SS sauce pan with a lid. The alloy is straight COWW and the mold is a Lee 356-102-R1 aluminum 2 cavity mold. Dipping with a Lyman ladle.

It has been a steady improvement and learning curve and have had a lot of great advice from the folks over at Cast Boolits.

Yesterday I was able to drop 260 good keeper bullets before I got to the point tat I either had to add lead or quit. I decided to quit as I was getting tired. I am truly enjoying this so far and believe I will continue with this.

Weather is supposed to take a turn for the worst tomorrow so I'm going to go make one more run before it hits and I get shut down for awhile.

USSR · October 10, 2019, 03:04 PM

Congrats! Great hobby and saves you money besides.

Don

Beagle333 · October 12, 2019, 08:15 AM

Congratulations on making bullets! Have fun and be safe. I really enjoy casting my own.

Mike / Tx · October 12, 2019, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Congrats! Great hobby and saves you money besides.

Don

Well between at least me and Beagle, I CAN say it'll at least be fun. The savings part is all up to you. ��

Have fun, be safe, and enjoy. It is very satisfying to be more or less self sufficient.

USSR · October 12, 2019, 11:42 AM

Quote:
Congrats! Great hobby and saves you money besides.

Don

Quote:

Well between at least me and Beagle, I CAN say it'll at least be fun. The savings part is all up to you.

Well, Mike, you tell me where I can buy .38 and .45 caliber bullets for $.02 - $.03 each, and I will place an order today.

Don

Mike / Tx · October 12, 2019, 06:36 PM

Oh man I sure wished I could.

You know, well as I do, casting is just as slippery a slope as most any other hobby. It can be as simple as a camp stove, one mold, and some alox.

Orrr, it can involve custom brass HP molds, building PID temp controllers, lubesizers, and at least half a dozen molds per caliber.

USSR · October 12, 2019, 06:56 PM

Count me in the latter description.

However, even though my outlay in casting equipment is fairly significant, I can still produce bullets for significantly less than store bought. But, no matter the equipment you use, savings on bullet cost is a given.

Don

kmw1954 · October 12, 2019, 08:39 PM

I had 2 good sessions this week and now have a total of just short of 900 of these 102gr bullets. Did a weigh check on 500 of them and they are all within 1 grain from high to low so I must be learning and doing something right. They are also dropping at about 104.5gr.

As I said I am casting this bullet because I can't find anything close commercially.

So far I'm enjoying the experience and plan to continue.

Mike / Tx · October 13, 2019, 02:35 PM

kmw,

I hope that you find as much satisfaction in casting as I and several others here have. I have been at it now for a few years and got into it purely to feed the appetite of one revolver. Before long I had amassed around 500# of lead and several Lee 6 cavity molds.

I did study up on things for around a year before I started and had inquired about details from several members on Castboolits.com. It didn't take long before I started thinking about other calibers and other bullets. Then came more equipment.

Now I could honestly say I can provide for all of my needs no matter if shortages arise again. It is very satisfying and gratifying to shoot both target and game with rounds that I made and assembled with my own two hands.

I'm sure you will get the hang of it and should you need any assistance feel free to holler and I'm sure between the minds we have here and elsewhere we can get you on the right track.

Targa · October 13, 2019, 05:12 PM

Congrats! I do envy you guys that cast your own. I am looking forward to retiring on a bit of land in seven years and then I will take it up. Right now I live in a typical residential area and am not comfortable with casting in my garage or on the back patio.

kmw1954 · October 14, 2019, 12:11 AM

I do have plans to add a bullet for the 45acp just not sure which one yet. Also looking into a normal casting furnace only at this time I haven't determined which method I want to use, ladle pour or bottom pour.

I have asked this on another forum, Lee Loader, but will ask here also. As I am currently casting with a ladle and pouring over the pot the run off/overflow is going right back into the pot which is keeping things relatively clean. With the small 2C 102gr mold it fills pretty quickly, is this going to cause a problem or a mess under the pot?

Grey_Lion · October 14, 2019, 12:13 AM

Temps here in Dallas finally dropped to the mid 60's for a couple days and I did some hollow-point casting last Saturday. Next step will be powder-coating them in the toaster oven. I think my ALOX lube days are well and firmly behind me now that I have started down the powder-coating path.

Grey_Lion · October 14, 2019, 12:24 AM

Come casting pointers for you.

Reduce you wheel weights and other scrap in that stainless pot of yours and use a small muffin tin to make ingots. I use a large stainless steel spoon with a few holes drilled in it to scoop out the scrap iron and crap. I never go directly COWW to mold as there is always too much crap mixed in. Clean sawdust is a cheap flux to leech out the grime and junk. Borax detergent from Walmart works as well.

Your best source of pots, spoons and muffin tins will be your local goodwill or thrift store. $10 goes a LONG way.

Don't cast projectiles when it's raining. The humidity will cause steam voids.

I keep a propane torch handy to get the first melt up to temp faster - call me impatient.....

Some heat their bullet mold up on an electric burner to reduce the wait time for the mold to get warm.

Some smoke their molds to aid in bullet separation, but some don't. I use some spare church candles for this and usually only have to smoke a mold once at the beginning of the casting season.

Some water quench their cast bullets - I do not.

Some dump their cast bullets onto a towel, I just use an old aluminum loaf pan.

To harden your alloy, you can add tin. The on the cheap source of this would be that old coil of solder sitting in your work bench.

Enjoy.

kmw1954 · October 14, 2019, 10:56 AM

Grey Lion. thanks!

I did render all the COWW's at one time and cleaned it pretty good I believe and did pour it all off into a muffin tin for ingots. Worked well. The pots I have were bought at a flea market. Got a 9" cast iron skillet which won't get hot enough on my hot plate and a 5.5" sSS sauce pan with lid and the 12 hole muffin pan for $10.00, most of the coat was for the skillet.

The hot plate I am using at present has two burners so while the alloy is melting I preheat the ladle and mold. I also place ingots around the burner to preheat them as well.

Right now I an fluxing with paraffin wax but will be picking up some pine saw dust. While casting I am fluxing once everything is liquid and I am not finding a lot to remove and then after a bit I flux again because I am seeing a lot of oxidation on the surface and I think that is because the pot is so wide. The wax helps restore the oxidation back into the alloy.

So far I am enjoying the experience!

USSR · October 14, 2019, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Also looking into a normal casting furnace only at this time I haven't determined which method I want to use, ladle pour or bottom pour.

I'll make a prediction: If you are serious about this, you will soon move on to a bottom pour furnace.

Quote:

While casting I am fluxing once everything is liquid and I am not finding a lot to remove and then after a bit I flux again because I am seeing a lot of oxidation on the surface and I think that is because the pot is so wide.

Once you get the saw dust, put enough in the pot so that after stirring it you have enough charred saw dust to cover the entire surface. With no lead contact with the air above the pot, oxidation will not take place and no further stirring will be necessary. Of course, this applies to a bottom pour furnace hence my previous prediction.

Don

Grey_Lion · October 14, 2019, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by USSR

I'll make a prediction: If you are serious about this, you will soon move on to a bottom pour furnace.

I can't say I've ever once been tempted to get a bottom pour. I've seen a lot of complaints about leaks and flow rates.

I think one reason is that I don't use those tiny lil ladles sold by lee or lyman. I have a couple ladles from an old military figure casting set which are 3 times the size that are enough to fill the 4 and 6 cavity molds I use.

Another reason I avoid bottom pour is that invariably you will end up with something at the bottom of your furnace. If you ladle from the top it won't ever matter.

But I know bottom pour has a following out there - to each his own.

October 10, 2019, 10:30 AM	#1
kmw1954 Senior Member Join Date: June 11, 2016 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 1,524	Finally took the plunge Been at this for almost a month now and have had about 6 or 7 sessions at the pot, that's including rendering down 5 gal of wheel weights. Equipment I'm using is very basic get started cheap stuff which consists of a 1500watt 2 burner electric hot plate and a 5.5" SS sauce pan with a lid. The alloy is straight COWW and the mold is a Lee 356-102-R1 aluminum 2 cavity mold. Dipping with a Lyman ladle. It has been a steady improvement and learning curve and have had a lot of great advice from the folks over at Cast Boolits. Yesterday I was able to drop 260 good keeper bullets before I got to the point tat I either had to add lead or quit. I decided to quit as I was getting tired. I am truly enjoying this so far and believe I will continue with this. Weather is supposed to take a turn for the worst tomorrow so I'm going to go make one more run before it hits and I get shut down for awhile.

October 10, 2019, 03:04 PM	#2
USSR Senior Member Join Date: November 14, 2017 Location: Finger Lakes Region of NY Posts: 1,442	Congrats! Great hobby and saves you money besides. Don __________________ NRA Life Member NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor

October 12, 2019, 08:15 AM	#3
Beagle333 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: Auburn, AL. Posts: 2,332	Congratulations on making bullets! Have fun and be safe. I really enjoy casting my own. __________________ . . . Have a Colt and a smile.

October 12, 2019, 06:36 PM	#6
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	Oh man I sure wished I could. You know, well as I do, casting is just as slippery a slope as most any other hobby. It can be as simple as a camp stove, one mold, and some alox. Orrr, it can involve custom brass HP molds, building PID temp controllers, lubesizers, and at least half a dozen molds per caliber. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

October 12, 2019, 06:56 PM	#7
USSR Senior Member Join Date: November 14, 2017 Location: Finger Lakes Region of NY Posts: 1,442	Count me in the latter description. However, even though my outlay in casting equipment is fairly significant, I can still produce bullets for significantly less than store bought. But, no matter the equipment you use, savings on bullet cost is a given. Don __________________ NRA Life Member NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor

October 12, 2019, 08:39 PM	#8
kmw1954 Senior Member Join Date: June 11, 2016 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 1,524	I had 2 good sessions this week and now have a total of just short of 900 of these 102gr bullets. Did a weigh check on 500 of them and they are all within 1 grain from high to low so I must be learning and doing something right. They are also dropping at about 104.5gr. As I said I am casting this bullet because I can't find anything close commercially. So far I'm enjoying the experience and plan to continue.

October 13, 2019, 02:35 PM	#9
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	kmw, I hope that you find as much satisfaction in casting as I and several others here have. I have been at it now for a few years and got into it purely to feed the appetite of one revolver. Before long I had amassed around 500# of lead and several Lee 6 cavity molds. I did study up on things for around a year before I started and had inquired about details from several members on Castboolits.com. It didn't take long before I started thinking about other calibers and other bullets. Then came more equipment. Now I could honestly say I can provide for all of my needs no matter if shortages arise again. It is very satisfying and gratifying to shoot both target and game with rounds that I made and assembled with my own two hands. I'm sure you will get the hang of it and should you need any assistance feel free to holler and I'm sure between the minds we have here and elsewhere we can get you on the right track. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

October 13, 2019, 05:12 PM	#10
Targa Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2014 Posts: 2,084	Congrats! I do envy you guys that cast your own. I am looking forward to retiring on a bit of land in seven years and then I will take it up. Right now I live in a typical residential area and am not comfortable with casting in my garage or on the back patio.

October 14, 2019, 12:11 AM	#11
kmw1954 Senior Member Join Date: June 11, 2016 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 1,524	I do have plans to add a bullet for the 45acp just not sure which one yet. Also looking into a normal casting furnace only at this time I haven't determined which method I want to use, ladle pour or bottom pour. I have asked this on another forum, Lee Loader, but will ask here also. As I am currently casting with a ladle and pouring over the pot the run off/overflow is going right back into the pot which is keeping things relatively clean. With the small 2C 102gr mold it fills pretty quickly, is this going to cause a problem or a mess under the pot?

October 14, 2019, 12:13 AM	#12
Grey_Lion Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2018 Location: Baton Rouge - Louisiana Posts: 407	Temps here in Dallas finally dropped to the mid 60's for a couple days and I did some hollow-point casting last Saturday. Next step will be powder-coating them in the toaster oven. I think my ALOX lube days are well and firmly behind me now that I have started down the powder-coating path.

October 14, 2019, 12:24 AM	#13
Grey_Lion Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2018 Location: Baton Rouge - Louisiana Posts: 407	Come casting pointers for you. Reduce you wheel weights and other scrap in that stainless pot of yours and use a small muffin tin to make ingots. I use a large stainless steel spoon with a few holes drilled in it to scoop out the scrap iron and crap. I never go directly COWW to mold as there is always too much crap mixed in. Clean sawdust is a cheap flux to leech out the grime and junk. Borax detergent from Walmart works as well. Your best source of pots, spoons and muffin tins will be your local goodwill or thrift store. $10 goes a LONG way. Don't cast projectiles when it's raining. The humidity will cause steam voids. I keep a propane torch handy to get the first melt up to temp faster - call me impatient..... Some heat their bullet mold up on an electric burner to reduce the wait time for the mold to get warm. Some smoke their molds to aid in bullet separation, but some don't. I use some spare church candles for this and usually only have to smoke a mold once at the beginning of the casting season. Some water quench their cast bullets - I do not. Some dump their cast bullets onto a towel, I just use an old aluminum loaf pan. To harden your alloy, you can add tin. The on the cheap source of this would be that old coil of solder sitting in your work bench. Enjoy.

October 14, 2019, 10:56 AM	#14
kmw1954 Senior Member Join Date: June 11, 2016 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 1,524	Grey Lion. thanks! I did render all the COWW's at one time and cleaned it pretty good I believe and did pour it all off into a muffin tin for ingots. Worked well. The pots I have were bought at a flea market. Got a 9" cast iron skillet which won't get hot enough on my hot plate and a 5.5" sSS sauce pan with lid and the 12 hole muffin pan for $10.00, most of the coat was for the skillet. The hot plate I am using at present has two burners so while the alloy is melting I preheat the ladle and mold. I also place ingots around the burner to preheat them as well. Right now I an fluxing with paraffin wax but will be picking up some pine saw dust. While casting I am fluxing once everything is liquid and I am not finding a lot to remove and then after a bit I flux again because I am seeing a lot of oxidation on the surface and I think that is because the pot is so wide. The wax helps restore the oxidation back into the alloy. So far I am enjoying the experience!