What to use for ingot molds?

[jpuke]

I have a single Lyman ingot mold and I'm trying to find something cheaper so I can cast more ingots faster.  Would a teflon coated muffin pan work for this?  What do the rest of you use? 

Thanks

[hornady]

Never tried the Teflon coated pans, but have read they are no good for ingots, over the years I have picked up heavy aluminum muffin pans, they work great.
I just read an article in one of the gun rags about using the old Army mess kits, they are stainless and broke up into 4 sections, the guy that wrote the article claimed the 3 smaller wedges drop ingots that fit nice into a lead pot, and are cheap.
But the aluminum pans can still be found at yard sales or goodwill stores cheap.

[jpuke]

Even better if the cheaper aluminum ones work!  I just didn't want to pour lead into something that I couldn't get it out of.

[kbstenberg]

Most of my ingot molds come from secondhand stores. I have cornbread mold, muffin pans, angle inon molds, small bread pans.
If you buy new muffin pans with tin coating your lead will be soldered to the mold.
Best trick is to set your new mold out in the rain an let them rust. Than all lead will drop from them easily
Kevin

[Land_Owner]

You guys should contact D. Crockett.  He makes and sells ingot moulds, single and multiple moulds, http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,223623.0.html

I have six of D. Crockett's moulds; 2 of the 4-cavity and 4 of the 1-cavity moulds.  They turn out great 2.5 to 3 pound ingots that fall out of the mould.

[nova71]

I just use the aluminum muffin pan, cools fast and lead won't stick to it.

[calvon]

I've used a cast iron muffin pan for years. It makes a two pound ingot.

[boondocker]

<a href="http://s29.photobucket.com/albums/c277/boondocker6/Casting%20furnace/?action=view&amp;current=furnace012.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c277/boondocker6/Casting%20furnace/furnace012.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">[/url]

This is what I use. I f you have a welder or a pal with a welder, you can use angle iron or an old bed frame. Taper the ends a hair so your ingots drop free.


http://s29.photobucket.com/albums/c277/boondocker6/Casting%20furnace/

[Junior1942]

.....Best trick is to set your new mold out in the rain an let them rust. Than all lead will drop from them easily
Kevin

If you do that in a high humidity place like Louisiana  you'll get a big molten lead explosion when you make the first pour into a rusty ingot mold.  VOE talkin'!  Pour just a daub and let it boil off the moisture in the rusty mold.

[Jal5]

I just use the cheapest muffin pans from WalMart. They have some kind of coating on them, teflon I think, but put the pan empty on the fire for about 10 mins. and burn off all that coating. You could burn it off with a small torch too I guess. They work fine after that. Don't fill them up all the way though leave a small space at the top.

Joe

[Lloyd Smale]

ive got a slug of ingot molds little factory ones, homemade ones and muffing pans. Muffin pans work but new ones can be sticky. I do like some others have recomended with a twist. I heat them on a fire then sit them out in the weather to rust a bit. they wont stick with a little rust in them. A good coating of pan before pouring lead in the helps too if you are anal and dont like rusty stuff. Use the pam once or twice till they get broke in then you can go without it.

[lee1954]

Rusty muffin tin works for me --- My Dad use a long chunk of angle iron laid to form a V..
And chopped it into foot  lenghts.....
I'd like ingots that stamped "WW"  and a few that said "lead"  ......
I had a Lee lngot   and liked the way it had Lee -- my last name on the one pounders....  with a little work a ingot mold could have anything you wanted stamped into it...
                                    Dan  Lee

[Cornbelt]

I used to use a cast iron breadstick pan. It made about half # chunks about 3" long; just about right for the Lee pot   ...then I lost it.
   The local hardware store used to sell lead ingots they cast in a cast iron cornstick pan; makes a bigger ingot.