Economics of casting?

[dh1633pm]

I took up casting this year. I had the lead, was given some molds, and there is a shortage of projectiles. I suck at it. Mostly due to lack of practice and training, but I am getting better. Did cast some double oh that worked out ok and that was the idea to begin with. Would love to learn from someone who is good at it. I have plenty of lead. Money or cost isn't an issue when you can't find what you want to buy.

 

[Thomasss]

Should I be filing bankruptcy because I haven't yet harvested a deer this year? Don't tell the misses what I spent. It's a hobby. I enjoy what I do. Casting is another hobby. In this time, casting does pay and allows me more cheaper bullets at the range. Muzzle loading .45, .50, .54 round ball and REAL bullets. In addition, 9mm, .38 special and .357 mag. Try to find those these days, and if you do, look at their cost and shipping prices. Hint; contact your local auto garage or roofer and find out what they are getting for recycled lead. In Wisconsin, about .60 /lb. I offer them .80 and they jump at it. Dentists actually pay people to dispose of x-ray lead, though now many are going to digital x-rays. Last year, a construction crew building a hospital ordered too much lead shielding. My buddy said don't worry about disposal costs, I'll take care of it for you. He got over 500 lbs free. Remember it cost them money for someone to take it to a recycling center.

 

[WestKentucky]

I have made my decision. I’m gonna do it the really cheap way just to get some of the basics done. And then I can add molds every now and then to decrease my reliance on bullet makers. The question now is how cheap do I go? There are cast iron pots for $10 but there are also small casting furnaces that would get me in from the weather and they are only about $40 so I could cast in my crawl space shop or in my garage. I’m leaning that way. And if I find a good way to make molds then that’s even better... and I suspect that I can and will do that fairly quickly by reverse engineering my first mold. Honestly most of what I want is either one-off, out of production, or obscure (.312 wadcutters, 16 ga slugs, .257 65 gr gchp)

 

[.38 Special]

I have made my decision. I’m gonna do it the really cheap way just to get some of the basics done. And then I can add molds every now and then to decrease my reliance on bullet makers. The question now is how cheap do I go? There are cast iron pots for $10 but there are also small casting furnaces that would get me in from the weather and they are only about $40 so I could cast in my crawl space shop or in my garage. I’m leaning that way. And if I find a good way to make molds then that’s even better... and I suspect that I can and will do that fairly quickly by reverse engineering my first mold. Honestly most of what I want is either one-off, out of production, or obscure (.312 wadcutters, 16 ga slugs, .257 65 gr gchp)

That sounds pretty smart to me.

Though I am not generally a Lee fan, both their pots and their molds have been completely satisfactory. My first pot was a 20 pound capacity bottom pour Lee, and I still use it - something like 40 years later. Yes, the spout drips on occasion. I think it cost me 25 bucks new, so I'll live with that. Apparently they cost three times that now, even assuming you can find one, but I guess I'd still buy one.

I have used plain pots with a propane burner.They work just fine, but gosh are they hot. If I was casting in a Minnesota winter they might be just the thing, but here in the California desert they are a misery.

I now use both bottom pour and ladling. My experience has been that bottom pour us faster and ladling makes better bullets. I can't tell the difference in a handgun, but for long range rifles it is plain. So when I need a double handful of the best possible bullets, I ladle them. (The Lowell bottom-pour ladle is miraculous and well worth the cost). And when I need to lay in a supply of Keith semiwadcutters for the .44 Special, the bottom pour pot gets the nod.

Your wacky bullets probably will require custom molds. Those are a joy to use, but do cost a pretty penny. You may consider buying a cheap Lee mold with which to learn. I still have my first mold, but it is a bit cranky. I suspect it is paying me back for all the abuse heaped upon it by a teenaged fool.

 

[Barbaroja]

I wouldn’t go any cheaper than the $40ish dollar lee melter furnace. This is the pot I use it works just fine. Only complaint is that I wish it held more lead at once. But it will get you in the game. I plan to get a lee 20# bottom pour pot at some point but It hasn’t been a must have so I’ve just stuck with the little lee pot and a ladle

 

[Armored farmer]

I have made my decision. I’m gonna do it the really cheap way just to get some of the basics done. And then I can add molds every now and then to decrease my reliance on bullet makers. The question now is how cheap do I go? There are cast iron pots for $10 but there are also small casting furnaces that would get me in from the weather and they are only about $40 so I could cast in my crawl space shop or in my garage. I’m leaning that way. And if I find a good way to make molds then that’s even better... and I suspect that I can and will do that fairly quickly by reverse engineering my first mold. Honestly most of what I want is either one-off, out of production, or obscure (.312 wadcutters, 16 ga slugs, .257 65 gr gchp)

No...please, do yourself a favor and start with at least a LEE bottom pour 25# pot. Seriously. Having a good melter is half the fun.
Get an ingot mold too.
My LEE molds have been fine by my standards. I have a lee 1oz key drive mold for slugs. Accuracy is hit and miss you might say.


I am lucky, my local recycling company has a good amount of lead, and the owner is a shooter and knows to look for good lead. Lead isn't an issue for me yet. Make sure you have a good supply or a good source.

 

[AJC1]

I started this year and here is some things a new guy has figured out. Dont clean lead in your casting pot, process dirty lead to clean ingots and put clean ingots in your casting pot. Flux is cheap and everwhere, candle wax crayons and saw dust are clean cheap options. Cold moulds make crappy bullets. Cast a bunch and just remelt your first 10 or so efforts. Hot moulds suck because they smear lead between the sprue plate and mold.

I would buy foundry quality lead from rotometals before paying Ebay prices and know exactly what your getting. Foundry quality is expensive and is a great way to start, then after some initial success complicate things by figuring out hardness and blending to achieve desired results.

 

[lightman]

I have made my decision. I’m gonna do it the really cheap way just to get some of the basics done. And then I can add molds every now and then to decrease my reliance on bullet makers. The question now is how cheap do I go? There are cast iron pots for $10 but there are also small casting furnaces that would get me in from the weather and they are only about $40 so I could cast in my crawl space shop or in my garage. I’m leaning that way. And if I find a good way to make molds then that’s even better... and I suspect that I can and will do that fairly quickly by reverse engineering my first mold. Honestly most of what I want is either one-off, out of production, or obscure (.312 wadcutters, 16 ga slugs, .257 65 gr gchp)

I would start with a bottom pour pot. Lee's 20 pound pot works ok. Lee's 6 cavity mold seems to be better quality than their 2 cavity molds. You can get a top quality custom mold made to your design and choice of diameter for around $130-$135. If you really have some odd stuff to cast for this may be a good route for you to go.

Foundry quality alloy is a joy to cast with if your budget allows for it. Most of us use scrap. Recycled bullets from the range backstop make decent bullets. I'm partial to wheelweights myself. But you have to find them and sort them and there is a learning curve to sorting them. Not rocket science but still a learning curve. My local tire shop gives me about a bucket a month or every 6 weeks. I usually take them some donuts a few days later. They also get my tire business and service work. After sorting them I get between 60 and 70% lead. Thats pretty good as a lot of places run much lower than that. I still have to sort them but I have the time and truthfully I rather enjoy it. I'll sit in the shop door with a beer surrounded by 5 buckets and start picking them out. Why 5 buckets? One each for lead weights, stick-on weights, trash, steel weights and Zinc weights.

Good Luck with your venture into casting.

 

[HowieG]

You guys calculated time exactly the opposite of me. Reloading is a hobby and something I enjoy doing. I also enjoy casting. If I save money while doing a hobby that's a huge win. Every other hobby I have costs a ton of money to do. So when one goes sky diving do they calculate how much time it takes and add that to the total cost of the event. Do you charge your wife for the value of the time you spend with her.

I don't charge her, but I ought to. That's a good idea.

 

[brewer12345]

I took up casting this year. I had the lead, was given some molds, and there is a shortage of projectiles. I suck at it. Mostly due to lack of practice and training, but I am getting better. Did cast some double oh that worked out ok and that was the idea to begin with. Would love to learn from someone who is good at it. I have plenty of lead. Money or cost isn't an issue when you can't find what you want to buy.

Maybe look for a local casting mentor?

A really easy upgrade is to preheat your molds on a $10 hot plate.

 

[bullseye308]

I’m about as cheap as they come, so let me tell you how I do it. I got a turkey fryer for $20 on Craigslist with half a tank of gas. Harbor freight for a cast iron Dutch oven around $20/25. Hit up goodwill for a stainless ladle, slotted spoon, toaster oven, and cast iron corn bread mold, $10-12. Get a Lee pot, Lee molds, Lee sizers, and a Lee Reloader press.

Melt the sourced lead in the Dutch oven on the turkey fryer using the slotted spoon to stir with and remove any debris that floats. Flux with beeswax, candles, sawdust, or used motor oil. Pour into your ingot molds and voila, you now have lead for casting.

Heat up your pot and add some lead. Rest your mold on the edge to warm it up. Your first few bullets will probably go back in the pot till the mold is at temp, after that it should have very few rejects that are mostly user error. Once cooled you can size them then either lube or powdercoat them. I lubed for years, but powdercoat is not much more involved and definitely cleaner.

To powder coat, you will need a toaster oven, nonstick aluminum foil, an empty cool whip container, powder(Smoke on cast boolets), and either latex gloves or pliers to handle the bullets. Put a couple spoonfuls of powder in the bowl, couple handfuls of bullets, lid on, then shake vigorously 45-60 seconds and look to see if the powder is sticking to the bullets with good coverage. If so place them on the foil covered tray and cook at *400 for 20 minutes. If not cover and shake till well covered. Once done and cooled mic them to see if they need to be sized again. Load with a big grin knowing you made it and have skills and equipment to make more during times when none are available.

I have used a #4 Lee pot, a Lee ladle, and an assortment of Lee molds for all my casting for the last 15+- years. I have casted just over #900 of lead during that time and have not replaced anything yet. I got on Craigslist asking for lead and got just over half a ton for free a few years back, along with 10 years of tire weights when they were plentiful, and mining the berms when allowed. I probably have less than $250 in my whole casting & powder coating setup, no reason to spend more unless you are needing molds Lee doesn’t make.

 

[Caplock]

I'm glad to have the skills and tools to cast but after casting a few thousand I'm over it.
I will buy plated bullets for plinking.
Blem bullets shoot fine to.
500 grain .458 powder coated bullets are worth it but I shoot very few in comparison.

 

[BigIron76]

I have never "saved" money in either reloading or casting! I have certainly NEVER saved time. Reloading and casting allows me to shoot more for my money, sometimes, but there is a time expenditure that can't be monetized. It's your time! The time expenditure is enjoyable or it is not. I spend most of my time prepping cases and casting. I spend very little time actually shooting. 50 rounds is shot in a fraction of the time it took to cast and load.

 

[chamokaneman]

All of my hobbies are money losers. My fish cost more than what they cost at the store. The antelope in the antelope stew I ate this evening cost something like $59 dollar a pound...honestly I don't even want to know.

Now I know my reloading always saves at least some money but the thing I've been finding out is that I really enjoy doing it and actually I'm willing to put way more time in to it than the actual shooting.

I've been getting interested in casting for a while but haven't actually pulled the trigger. Yesterday after shooting at a public area I go to, I walked around for an hour looking for range lead and ended up with about about 8lbs once I got home and weighed it. I ended up processing it in to 5 lbs of muffin tin ingots with just equipment I already have laying around the house.

Strangely satisfying looking at those little ingots. I'll definitely be shopping for some lee molds and sizing dies soon.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

Strangely satisfying looking at those little ingots.

Same thing I discovered when first starting.


Melting stuff is fun !

 

[forrest r]

I have made my decision. I’m gonna do it the really cheap way just to get some of the basics done. And then I can add molds every now and then to decrease my reliance on bullet makers. The question now is how cheap do I go? There are cast iron pots for $10 but there are also small casting furnaces that would get me in from the weather and they are only about $40 so I could cast in my crawl space shop or in my garage. I’m leaning that way. And if I find a good way to make molds then that’s even better... and I suspect that I can and will do that fairly quickly by reverse engineering my first mold. Honestly most of what I want is either one-off, out of production, or obscure (.312 wadcutters, 16 ga slugs, .257 65 gr gchp)

Too bad your starting so late. Sold a cramer 52b (.313" 95gr) 32cal wc mold with handles earlier this year over on the cast boolits website for $65 including handles.


You should consider getting into powder coating your cast bullets. Not only is it a cheaper startup cost you end up with a better product.

 

[kidneyboy]

I have made my decision. I’m gonna do it the really cheap way just to get some of the basics done. And then I can add molds every now and then to decrease my reliance on bullet makers. The question now is how cheap do I go? There are cast iron pots for $10 but there are also small casting furnaces that would get me in from the weather and they are only about $40 so I could cast in my crawl space shop or in my garage. I’m leaning that way. And if I find a good way to make molds then that’s even better... and I suspect that I can and will do that fairly quickly by reverse engineering my first mold. Honestly most of what I want is either one-off, out of production, or obscure (.312 wadcutters, 16 ga slugs, .257 65 gr gchp)

If you take a look over at the Bullseye L forum you will find a guy selling .312 wadcutters.

 

[GoldieMI]

and on Cast Boolits, there is Lakehouse2012 selling custom molds for ingots-
cast boolts or redneck gold
I have 5 of the molds and prefer them over the lee or rcbs ingot molds.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

Too bad your starting so late. Sold a cramer 52b (.313" 95gr) 32cal wc mold with handles earlier this year over on the cast boolits website for $65 including handles

Oof... I'm sorry I missed that one. I just picked up a S&W 31-1.

and on Cast Bullits, there is Lakehouse2012 selling custom molds for ingots-
cast bullits or redneck gold

I've got 8 of those ingot moulds myself. I like them very much.

 

[kcofohio]

I don't recall anyone suggesting it, but castboolits.com is worth joining if you're going to get into casting. Like here, lots of good info and many willing to answer any questions.

 

[WestKentucky]

I don't recall anyone suggesting it, but castboolits.com is worth joining if you're going to get into casting. Like here, lots of good info and many willing to answer any questions.

I was planning on heading that way over the weekend.

 

[jmorris]

it looks like roughly 2/3 of their price is in raw material

I wouldn’t cast if I bought my lead. I wouldn’t reload like I do if I only used brand new purchased brass.

Brass is a bit easier to recycle, just clean them up then size/deprime but it’s not rocket science to recover and recycle bullets by melting them down.

You might even find interesting artifacts along the way, like two bullets bonded by a head on collision.



Most of my casting equipment I built from stuff I had laying around. I did buy a new 3500 watt heating element from Sears for $16 or so for my pot as new ones bend easily and used ones don’t. The most expensive single components I have bought are the magma molds themselves.

 

[kcofohio]

I was planning on heading that way over the weekend.

Be prepared to read. It's another rabbit hole.
It talked me into a few different avenues. And now I'm looking at making homemade gas checks.

 

[WestKentucky]

Be prepared to read. It's another rabbit hole.
It talked me into a few different avenues. And now I'm looking at making homemade gas checks.

Already looking at the FreeChex products myself.

This is gonna be expensive.

 

[243winxb]

Tip: When looking/ask for free WW/scrap/lino, the metal is for "making fishing sinkers" 32 oz

This is for anti gun folks you may run into.