Author Topic: ingots in muffin pan? (Read 1423 times)

Mint Hill Mule · « **on:** February 24, 2005, 12:55:13 PM »

Hello all,

Last night I melted a batch of wheel weights then filled a new muffin pan to make ingots. The pan is not teflon coated, but just a regular heavy duty pan. The ingots are stuck in the pan. I tried turning the pan upside down and hit with a hammer. They would not come out.

Finally beat hard enough and they came out, but the pan is beat slam up.

Do any of you treat the pan with a cooking spray? Will using a spray make a mess of the lead?

Thanks,
Mule

sharps4590 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 24, 2005, 01:19:24 PM »

Maybe that's why ingot molds are cast iron or aluminum instead of sheet metal?

I wasn't being a smart a$$ but lead sticks to sheet metal, or that's been my experience and now yours. Also, if you're casting many ingots, the sheet metal in the pans will get very hot very quick, as you probably learned, and it will take forever for the ingots to set up. If you're casting many ingots all molds will do this.

I've never know anyone to cast ingots in a muffin pan nor have I. Perhaps there is an answer to you question and I'm curious to learn it.

Lee makes some pretty good and not terribly expensive ingot molds. I have two and a couple RCBS. I prefer the RCBS.

Vic

talon · « **Reply #2 on:** February 24, 2005, 01:34:39 PM »

If that muffin pan had seams in it, that may have held the lead from freely falling out. I have used such flimsy, but smooth bottomed things such as aluminum ice cube trays as billet molds. It's true that you don't want to overheat such a thin vessel, but if you cast small billets it works fine. If you don't mind how your billets appear, you can take any seamless non-coated frypan, hold it at a slight angle so that the bottom and side forms a hollow for your lead, and cast your billet in this hollow. Too, a pop can, cut in half and dried out, makes an excellent one-time billet mold. You will have to peal it off your billet, but the last time I checked, there were about 60 gazillion of these little puppies just waiting to work for you.

jhalcott · « **Reply #3 on:** February 24, 2005, 01:34:47 PM »

Mint,I've used those "corn bread" pans to cast ingots.They are cast iron and you often find them at yard sales. I have used heavy alumin muffin pans to make ingots. They heat up quick and never seem to cool down. I put the pan ona frozen towel to help cooling.I worried that I might get an explosion if I dribbled some hot lead on that towel. Some of the things we do when young?

?

Robert · « **Reply #4 on:** February 24, 2005, 02:03:03 PM »

I use the little cast iron frying pans that they sell in camping supplies for ashtrays and spoonholders. They are fantastic. My 'cookies' drop out easily in just about 30 seconds cooling time. They stack wonderfull and you can scratch PL for pure lead, or w/w on them, there is enough room to write a detailed description of whatever combinations of alloys that you use. They fit perfectly in the Lee Pro 20, but not in the 10 lb pot.

Somerled · « **Reply #5 on:** February 24, 2005, 04:01:08 PM »

I bought my wife a new muffin pan and use the old one for ingot making. It works fine. It has some sort of silver coating on it--not teflon. It is a thick one. I have a cement floor where I cast. I pour and let the pan cool overnight. Undoubtable the regular ingot molds would be better.

I wouldn't spray any liquid on anything hot lead is going into. You might get hit with splatter.

jgalar · « **Reply #6 on:** February 24, 2005, 05:06:42 PM »

I use an old muffin pan for pure lead ingots and don't have any problems, maybe its the tin or other metals in the alloy that cause the sticking. I use a Lee ingot mold for the wheel weight lead.

buck1 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 24, 2005, 05:39:43 PM »

A wile back I tryed to do the same thing. The lead fused to the pan and it took a tourch to get it loose. I think the tin content in the pan may be to blame. I now have cast iron bread stick moulds from the flea market(20$ for 4 pans of 11 2lb ingots each). ...buck

grendel · « **Reply #8 on:** February 24, 2005, 06:08:29 PM »

Clean dry cola cans with the tops cut off make nice ingots that run right around 7lbs each. The next morning, when cool, the can strips right off. When processing 150+ lbs of WW's they are a lot more convenient then 1lb RCBS ingot molds or even muffin tins.

Grendel

Molon Labe

Leftoverdj · « **Reply #9 on:** February 24, 2005, 06:10:20 PM »

I can get new cast iron cornstick moulds locally for $5 at the Dollar General store. If you have that chain in your area, you could check. Each mould drops seven 1.25 pound ingots. Three moulds will cool as fast as I can ladle from a 125 pound pot.

It is very useful if you can get a variety of moulds. I have a cast iron muffin pan that is only used for pure lead and a fluted muffin pan in reserve for linotype if I can lay hands on enough to do a batch.

Trying to do very large batches with the usual ingot moulds is hopeless. They hold too little and take too long to cool.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #10 on:** February 25, 2005, 12:03:14 AM »

ran into the same thing with some of them but after being used they rust and once rusted they release just fine. that soda can idea is a good one though never heard that one before it would be slick for bigger ingots.

Gun Runner · « **Reply #11 on:** February 25, 2005, 05:23:15 AM »

I've got 2 alum. muffin pans that are teflon coated (at least looks like it) and have never had anything stick to them. Also have sever alum. (lee) lead moulds and several cast type moulds.

Gun Runner

calvon · « **Reply #12 on:** February 25, 2005, 08:29:40 AM »

I've used a cast iron muffin pan for years. No problems at all. Makes an ingot that weighs 1.75 pounds.

Possum · « **Reply #13 on:** February 25, 2005, 05:05:28 PM »

I just got into casting within the last 4 months. I used a thin muffin pan with 12 cavities. Like the kind you can buy at Wal mart for $2.00. I coated the cavities with a light film of bullet lube and the ingots just fall out when I turn it over. To speed up the cooling I got a cookie sheet pan, about 1/2" deep and put a little water in it. The muffin pan sits in it and they cool much quicker. Works for me and I am on a budget.

cukrus · « **Reply #14 on:** February 27, 2005, 03:51:33 AM »

I'll bet your ingots were soldered to the muffin pan. What kind of metal are your pans? I use aluminum pans to avoid that happening. I smoked the surface the first time, wouldn't use oil to avoid contaimination.

Mint Hill Mule · « **Reply #15 on:** February 27, 2005, 12:28:45 PM »

Thanks all for the responses. I thought the muffin pan was aluminum, not sure though. As someone said, the ingots soldered to the bottom of the pan. After beating the bottom of each muffin, I finally got the ingots out.

I have since foung a cast iron pan that is divided into pie shapes. Should hold about 13-14 pounds of ingots. I read somewhere that the cast iron pan should be smoked or use a mould release before using. Is that necessary with cast iron? I also like the idea of the soda cans.

Thanks again,
Mule

popgun · « **Reply #16 on:** February 27, 2005, 01:53:12 PM »

Another trick to keep it from sticking is to smoke the surface usung a candle or a cig lighter. This is also recommended by Lee for their bullet molds.

JPH45 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 27, 2005, 04:53:24 PM »

No reason to use any kind of release agent on cast iron, pour it in drop it out. I have two sizes of the cornbread muffin trays, (the kind that look like ears of corn) one drops a 1 pound ingot, the other is smaller, ingots weigh just a little less than 1/2 pound.

DPRinks · « **Reply #18 on:** March 02, 2005, 06:05:17 PM »

I use a cheap, teflon coated regular muffin pan of steel, has not stuck in some 500 lbs of metal, takes about 20 minutes to be ready to drop, just about the time the next 15 lbs takes to melt and flux.
Don

hoser · « **Reply #19 on:** March 08, 2005, 06:26:56 PM »

I bought a couple of six cavity muffin pans at a second hand store for a dollar and have been using them for both wheel weight and linotype ingots. I fill one and let it set while I fill the second one and then flip it over and the ingots drop right out still hot but solid. By the time I fill it again the second one is ready to flip. Nothing has stuck so far. They were used pans so maybe they were "seasoned" Each ingot weighs about two pounds.