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Offline BobJ

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Bullet casting
« on: January 30, 2011, 01:33:08 AM »
Just received a Lyman melting pot from Track of Wolf. I buy lead from plumbing supply in 5-lb. blocks that fit the pot, BUT the pot valve stem goes from top rear to bottom front, and blocks anything from dropping into the pot. How do I get started--chop up the blocks with an axe? I could use a metal bandsaw, but I don't want lead filings laying around at work.
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Offline cwlongshot

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Re: Bullet casting
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2011, 01:41:13 AM »
I have chopped it, sawn it and hacked pieces off.

I now like the saw the best. I clean the area of all saw dust and make up a guard to catch the chips. Then cut sizeable pieces that fit in my pot. When done I collect the "dust" and chips and melt them too...

I still have a couple ingots of lino-type. If you have never seen them they are about 3 1/2" in diameter and about 2 and a half feet long... FAR too big for any hobby pot I know of! You MUCH cut it down and lino-type is very hard.

CW
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Offline BobJ

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Re: Bullet casting
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2011, 02:11:31 AM »
Cool. I will saw them into pieces and clean up my slightly toxic mess.  Thanks!
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Offline cwlongshot

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Re: Bullet casting
« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2011, 02:14:16 AM »
Quote from: BobJ on January 30, 2011, 02:11:31 AM
Cool. I will saw them into pieces and clean up my slightly toxic mess.  Thanks!

Small vacuums are available and cheap at stores like Home Depot and Lowe's. It would be pretty easy to hook up one to "suk" the airborne dust and many of the chips as you cut....

Just a thought after the fact...

CW
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Offline Pat/Rick

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Re: Bullet casting
« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2011, 11:36:21 AM »
I kinda solved the "too big" problem by getting an ingot mould and a cast iron pot at the goodwill store. melt bulk and ladle it into the ingot mould. Recently I found a dutch oven sans lid at goodwill so will use that to melt big batches and "dilute" some of the harder cast lead with softer/pure stuff.
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Offline Rickk

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Re: Bullet casting
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2011, 12:35:04 PM »
A propane torch comes in handy at times for making big pieces of lead into smaller pieces of lead, especially if you were about to melt the stuff anyway. A torch with a 6' hose and a 20# tank adapter is my choice... lasts forever on a single fill.
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Offline StrawHat

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Re: Bullet casting
« Reply #6 on: February 06, 2011, 12:51:27 AM »
If you go with a saw as your solution be aware you do not need a fine toothed blade.  Actually a fine toothed blade will clog and cease cutting.  I use a Sawzall and a good woodcutting blade (coarse tooted) and have no problem cutting large ingots down to size.

I also recoomend a second pot (cast iron pan or whatever) and use one for smelting and casting clean ingots and the other for melting clean ingots and casting bullets.  It helps keep slag and other impurities out of you bullets and your bore.
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