Today I...........................

[martysport]

Made some nice shiny lead ingots from old lead pipe

The old pipe.

Chopped it into smaller bits to fit into the smelting pot. As it's soft it cuts OK with a sharp axe.

Nice shiny ingots (I made 24 today)

I made the smelting pot at work, I recycled scrap out of the trash
I also made the small ladle too.

I made the ingot mold from an old bit of U-section steel.
The ingot mold, smelting pot and ladle are coated with some special heat/non stick stuff we have at work.

 

[BHP FAN]

how cool is that?!

 

[black_powder_Rob]

next on the list casting your own balls. I am a little jealous. oh and BHP fan it is very cool.

 

[BHP FAN]

it is, isn't it? there's just something about melting and shapeing metal...I was a welder back in my Navy days, and Dad had a muffler shop, I've been playing with molton metal since I was youngster, and ya know, it just never gets old!

 

[ontarget]

Amen, I started casting my own round balls about a year ago, using lead pipe also. I don't see myself ever buying factory balls again. Making my own is way more fun. I use the coals in the potbelly stove for my heat source.

 

[BHP FAN]

I have a Lee bottom pour electric furnace nowadays, but started out with a coffee can for a lead pot, Oxy-Acetelene torch for a heat source, and a gravy spoon for a ladle...LOL!

 

[georgi]

cool beans!