Casting boolits?

[daboone]

Any bullet casters out there? This probably not the forum to compete with Cast Boolits. But this should and can be an easier place to talk about the business of rolling your own, with out the "my molds are better than you're".

I'm no expert but 99% of what I shoot is cast in my back yard. I find it a very adsorbing hobby and some times just as frustrating .  I shoot 300 to 400 rounds a week unless I run out of primers
I smelt in an old Lodge dutch oven over a turkey fryer and some time ladle cast from it. Do much of my casting with a pro 4-20. I have Lyman's, Lees, and  RCBS molds. Mostly I use Lee's (after doing the Leementing) and love dropping 6 at a time, but all my mold get used. I hear lot's of folks cussing Lee molds but they work as well as the others I've got.

[RustyFN]

I cast. It sounds like we are setup about the same. I smelt with a turkey fryer and dutch oven. Cast with a Lee bottom pour and use a Lyman mold. I lube and size with a Lyman 4500. I enjoy casting as much as reloading and shooting. I only cast for my 45 auto right now but hope to add 9mm and 38 spcl this year.

[daboone]

.... lube and size with a Lyman 4500. I enjoy casting as much as reloading and shooting.

The only sizer(s) I've used are the Lee. My 45/70, 9mm and 40S&W drop just fine. The 357, 44/40 require some sizing.

I use Alox on most of my pistol, RCBS's pistol lube for the 357. BPCR Supreme for the 44/40 & 45/70.
I do a pan melt for the hard lubes.... messy PIA! Does your Lyman's lube and size require a heater and is it messy?

[RustyFN]

.... lube and size with a Lyman 4500. I enjoy casting as much as reloading and shooting.

The only sizer(s) I've used are the Lee. My 45/70, 9mm and 40S&W drop just fine. The 357, 44/40 require some sizing.

I use Alox on most of my pistol, RCBS's pistol lube for the 357. BPCR Supreme for the 44/40 & 45/70.
I do a pan melt for the hard lubes.... messy PIA! Does your Lyman's lube and size require a heater and is it messy?

It's not messy at all but I haven't had to change dies yet. I don't think it will be bad. I use a heater because I'm using a harder lube but there are a lot of lubes that don't require a heater. I get lube for $1.60 per stick and that will lube around 300 bullets, maybe more. I don't know how much Lee alox is but you might want to check out this place http://www.lsstuff.com/index.html. They have great prices and quality products. My bullets drop close enough not to need sizing but I like the run them through to lube and easy my mind.

[daboone]

. I don't know how much Lee alox is but you might want to check out this place http://www.lsstuff.com/index.html. They have great prices and quality products.

Definately a +1 for White Label Lube Company (lsstuff). Their prices are the best and their products are too. Their BPCR Supreme is a fantastic BP cartage lube for my 45/70 and 44/40. The Xlox is what I'm using. It's same as lee's alox.

Seem great minds think alike or at least our budgets do

[Boss Hogg]

Coleman camp stove
linotype
2500+ White Label
home made gas checks

BHN 28-30, harder then Ive ever get them to go

[mikld]

I like to keep things simple. I have a Lee bottom pour Pro4 (?) pot that has worked quite well for about three years. But mine does not have the "drip-o-matic" feature! My "smelting" set-up is a homemade steel pot that holds about 40 lbs of lead and a single burner Coleman propane stove. I have Lee, Ideal/Lyman, and RCBS molds and the most troublefree are the Lee. I flux with oil-dry (dryzit) and am going to try charcoal briquettes. I tumble lub and pan lube. I install gas checks and size with Lee sizer dies. I haven't tried any exotic alloys, just wheel weights (other than some lynotype I bought on ebay). Straightforward and simple!

Really a whole lot of fun and really rewarding too. So, I smelt, cast, lube, size, and shoot 'em up!

[3030man]

Hey Guys, I cast with a small Lee electric pot. I use Lee and 1 Lyman mold, for 30-30, 45/70  and 44 magnum. I keep it simple, I do cast a hollow cup point for the 30-30 170 grain 31141 old mold nice shape. look forward to sharing.

[soldernut]

Hi - I'm new to this forum and new to casting, but have been reloading off & on for years.

My wife and I shoot mostly .357 target loads.  So far I haven't loaded any with my own cast bullets. I have a die problem that I'll bring up elsewhere.

I reload for 9mm, .357 Mag, 30-30, .308, and .45-70 - so far.  A .4+ caliber handgun is on my wish list but I haven't yet decided on a model.

I use a Lee Pro 4-20 pot and, so far, only Lee molds.  Lee's excellent dies made a convert of me; they are so much nicer than the dies I started with after my wife gave me a Rock Chucker starter kit. I gave all my "green box" dies to a friend.

Lee's aluminum molds make a lot of sense, and have given me troubles. I follow the instructions and smoke the molds with a butane cigarette lighter. I also spray them lightly with Frankford Arsenal Drop-Out. Works great. I love it that I don't have to worry about my molds rusting.

I purchased my initial supply of lead; some of "#2" or "hardball;" some Linotype; and a little tin and antimony for alloying used wheel weights when the time comes.  I also have Lee's lead hardness tester.

My Problem

I've seen a couple posts, here, that mention "smelting," and I wonder if that's something I'm missing out on because I've had trouble in one area:

My local tire store gave me a bucket of used wheel weights.  Seems the old fashioned clip-on weights are disappearing, but the tire guy assured me that most of the stick-on weights in the bucket would be lead.  Some are ferrous, but they're easy to sort out with a magnet.

Not thinking about smelting in a big pot over a stove, I began melting down the weights right in my 4-20 furnace. Big mistake I guess. It was pretty messy, what with what's left of the adhesive/fabric backing still on lots of the weights.  So I fluxed liberally and poured ingots.  I use Brownell's Marvelux and a pea-sized chunk of Lee Alox/Beeswax mix bullet lube.

Eventually the spigot in my pot plugged up and the valve rod stuck.  I emptied the pot into an old foil pie plate and tried a few things to free the spigot.  So far, I haven't succeeded, but I'll have another go at it with a propane torch - I think.

I'm definitely open to suggestions about how to maintain the melting furnace.

I'd also like to hear suggestions about smelting.  Before I melt any more wheel weights, I'm thinking of giving them an overnight soak in something like MEK or Acetone - clean off the adhesive.  Naturally, I'd dry them thoroughly before trying to melt them down!

So... I'll hit a few garage sales or thrift stores and pick up some big old pot.  I have a couple suitable camp stoves so I should be all set to smelt outdoors.  Also need to get a ladle to dip the lead out and cast ingots. I'm eying one of my cooking ladles, but I better not. It's best to keep mama happy.

Anybody/Everybody - please jump in and tell this newbie all about smelting!