Author Topic: Casting with a ladle (Read 1710 times)

mattsheik · « **on:** March 30, 2009, 05:12:09 PM »

Does anyone still use a ladle for there casting? I'm wanting to start casting cores for swaging but don't want to get a melting pot right now and would like to use a ladle. Just wondering if anyone else has good luck with that? I know that's how it was done for a long time so I guess it must work okay.

Thanks

jgalar · « **Reply #1 on:** March 30, 2009, 05:19:21 PM »

Old fashioned I guess as I still use the ladle.

torpedoman · « **Reply #2 on:** March 31, 2009, 10:55:23 AM »

I guess you could just heat it with a torch in the ladle may be a real trick to get the temp right, but it could work

mattsheik · « **Reply #3 on:** March 31, 2009, 11:41:19 AM »

I don't have a problem using a little pot and melting it over a turkey frier or something, just wondering if ladle casting will give good results.

flintlock · « **Reply #4 on:** March 31, 2009, 02:35:19 PM »

I've done it for over 25 years, no problems...

I heat my lead over an old Coleman stove, lead is melted in an old soup can...
I heat the ladle over the other burner and then slide it into the lead...
Once it gets hot it works fine...

HL · « **Reply #5 on:** April 01, 2009, 02:10:11 AM »

Ladle casting is all I have ever done. And I've been casting since 1986.

I have 4 four pound Lee pots and a RCBS ladle.

kitchawan kid · « **Reply #6 on:** April 01, 2009, 02:16:19 AM »

From what I heard,casting with a ladle makes better looking bullets,is that true?

HL · « **Reply #7 on:** April 01, 2009, 07:57:09 AM »

I don't know if it's true or not, but I do make some well filled out, good looking bullets.

OLDHandgunner · « **Reply #8 on:** April 01, 2009, 11:24:00 AM »

I cast my single cavity & hollow point molds with a ladle. I use the bottom spout for my 4 cavity molds.

jhalcott · « **Reply #9 on:** April 01, 2009, 06:02:48 PM »

I ladle most of my muzzle loader bullets. Also do a few SC molds for big caliber guns. You just can NOT get fast production with a ladle, at least I can't.

mattsheik · « **Reply #10 on:** April 02, 2009, 09:31:03 AM »

Interestingly enough, I've been looking at a couple of mold manufacturers and they both reccomend against using a bottom pour casting pot? They both reccomend ladle casting. Just thought I'd throw that in from the research I've been doing the last couple of days.

Darrell Davis · « **Reply #11 on:** April 02, 2009, 01:48:08 PM »

Hey there mattsheik,

Take this for what it is worth, an Ol'Coots opinion, but I have cast bullets for probably 30 - 35 years and can flat out, out cast any Lyman, RCBS or Lee bottom pour pot ever made.

Now I am not saying anything about their quality, just that I am far faster with a ladle.

I have for a number of years - 10 to 15, used a bottom pour ladle, sold by I believe "car mover" company.

They sell a number of ladles and some are very large two man foundry sized, so you want one of the small ones.

Also, I use an old Colman gas stove and a large cast iron pot for the casting, there by making it possible to cast a lot of bullets before needing to refill the pot and waiting for the alloy to come back to temp.

This large pot, saves a lot of time over the typical bottom pour pot which is really quite small.

I normally case with 4 or 5 molds at one time, typically one to three .44 or 45 size and and 4 to 6 cavity, so I go through a lot of metal in a short time.

I have tried a bottom pour a few times, but they were so very slow I went back to the old tried and true and much, MUCH FASTER, method.

I also use just plain old candle wax or jar sealing wax for fluxing. Works fine other then a bit of smoke, which since you need good ventalation anyway is no big thing.

Also make my own bullet lube, so try to be as self relyant as possible.

Keep em coming!

CDOC

mattsheik · « **Reply #12 on:** April 02, 2009, 04:03:44 PM »

Well, I was pretty sure I wanted to go to casting with a ladle. Seems to be more economical and doesnt seem to be a detreiment to getting good bullets. Has anyone tried the antimonyman ladle? Or do you guys use rcbs or what?

Thanks

Darrell Davis · « **Reply #13 on:** April 03, 2009, 06:07:46 AM »

Morn'in mattsheik,

I use the bottom pour ladle and the Lyman has its place in a box cause it never gets used.

The bottom pour are a big step ahead of the open ladles or the side pour like the Lyman and RCBS.

Because of the bottom pour feature, you get less improfections/impurities in the bullets, then ladles which pour off the top of the metal.

Keep em coming!

CDOC

jhalcott · « **Reply #14 on:** April 03, 2009, 03:56:04 PM »

http://www.advancecarmover.com/ladle.html
I believe the Rowell ladle is what Darrel davis is talking about.

Darrell Davis · « **Reply #15 on:** April 03, 2009, 05:42:52 PM »

Thanks jhalcott,

Rowell ladle is correct and I believe it was sold by Car Mover company.

Strange as it may seem, the car mover is a tool for moving RR cars in RR yards etc.

Keep em coming!

CDOC

mechanic · « **Reply #16 on:** April 04, 2009, 04:54:00 PM »

I've been doing all my casting with a ladle. I have 2 small and one large bottom pour lead furnace, don't like them. I heat the lead in a cast pot on my forge, probably 30 # at a time. I leave the ladle in the lead as it melts, and place the mold or molds near the fire to get hot. I can make a lot of bullets with a ladle, while I'm waiting on the electric lead pots to catch up.

Darrell Davis · « **Reply #17 on:** April 05, 2009, 05:19:31 AM »

Morn'in mechanic

Sounds like my system of operation, except I am using the old Colman stove and I don't have any bottom pour pots.

This old Colman is about 60 years in age, and I still have a mental picture of the lake side camp where it was used for one of its first outings.

Lots !!!!!!! of good food cooked on that stove before it was religated to casting duties.

My son had a drive way collision with his three burner stove a few years back, so I took the guts out of that newer stove and replaced the aging guts of the origional stove.

If I can still get fuel for it, this will probably out last me by a good margin.

Just about have a shop ready to do a casting session. The floor was poured a week ago Friday and I started to do some interior building yesterday.

Been long enough since the last casting session that I am out of some bullets like 45acp, 38/357, 44s in a couple of weights.

So, will probably saddle up the molds in 45, 40s&w, 38 and a 44 or two for the coming session.

And, I agree totally that the electric pots are S L O O O O O O O W when compared to this tried and true method.

I don't set down to cast like I would to reload, meaning it is not something done for fun, so when I cast I desire a large production in as short a time as possible.

Keep em coming!

CDOC

7 MM · « **Reply #18 on:** April 08, 2009, 10:37:04 AM »

The nice thing about a ladle and pot is you can take them anywhere with you and as long as there is a heat sourse you can cast.
OK darrel what is your formula for lube?
I'll bite since no one else has.

7 MM

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #19 on:** April 08, 2009, 10:40:10 AM »

all i ever used , being a plumber for 37 years what else would i do . Keep it hot and it works good , i rest mine on the furnas or lay on top of lead .

Darrell Davis · « **Reply #20 on:** April 08, 2009, 07:37:36 PM »

Oh dear "7 MM" you did have to ask..

Well do you want the "official" secret formula or the last one I made up.

The last one can't ever be repeated, so I better hope it is NOT "the best ever"!!

My mix has changes a bit over the years, so I ended up with some odds and ends, plus a number of commercial lubes which all got thrown into the pot for the last melt down.

See what I mean by can't be repeated.

The lube I made and used for a number of years was just overly soft, so in an attempt to solve that problem I made some changes, again.

for this change, I started with -----------

1 crayon -- your choice of color New color and you can name it anything you want and keep em guessing!
13oz. petroleum jelly
1 1/2lb. canning wax
2 Tablespoons of "E R" A product called Energy Release
1 Tablespoon of STP

As I indicated, it worked well but was very soft, so------------------ I will add another 1/2lb. of the canning wax to stiffen it up a bit. HOPE it still works as good as the soft stuff,

The one I first started from was found in a 1983 copy of the American Rifleman and consisted of ---
1 lb. paraffin (canning wax)
1 lb. Vaseline
2 Tablespoons RCBS Case Lube (This would be the older lube, not the water soluable type)

With manufactures messing with the qualities on the products they sell, the 16oz of vaseline ended up as 13oz, and maybe by this time it is 11 or 12.5 or?

?.

A comment in the Rifleman column indicated the vaseline acts as a "plasticizer" keeping the canning wax from being overly hard and flaking.

The person who submitted the information, a Mr. Ralph J. LeLII, of New Castle, PA, indicated the simple mix worked very well, providing both a decrease of group size in some cases and eliminating most leading in others.

The biggest problem is making some kind of mold to pour the lube into so it can be added to the sizer without melting everytime I need to fill up the lubricator.

Keep em coming!

CDOC