Why not cast your own?--Part III

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Powderman

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Well, as promised, here is the third installment. Assuming that we have the equipment necessary, and have reviewed and fully understand the safety precautions yet again, it’s time to make some bullets!

Here’s where I use the propane burner, outside. I will take my buckets of raw wheelweights, pick out all of the tire stems and associated garbage, and throw them into the cast iron pot. I then fire up the burner, wait for the stuff to melt fully, and then scoop out the metal clips. Here’s where you can use a metal spoon (with a wooden handle) to clean the melt. I drilled a series of holes in my spoon, obtained at the local Goodwill for 75 cents. Incidentally, this is where I got my cast iron pot, too—cost all of 1.50.

Word of advice, though—use a SMALL pot! If you use a big pot, you won’t be able to lift it, and the weight of the metal might break the stand it is on. The worst part is that if this happens, you will have molten metal splashing all over every thing in sight. Best bet—use a small pot, and melt out in the yard, or on the ground.


After the melting is done, I will flux well, with Marvelux. I like this stuff because it doesn’t make too many fumes—but I still wear a filter mask while doing it. Candle wax works well—just remember that the fumes coming off the pot are highly flammable.

When fluxing the melt, you must stir well, from the bottom of the pot to the top, and back again. You don’t need to whip the melt like eggs, just give it good agitation.

If you want a stockpile of clean alloy like I do, you can pour the melt into ingot molds. Make sure that the molds are ON THE GROUND when you do this.

WARNING!! The ingots will be hot for quite some time. To prevent injury, after I cast all of the ingots I want, I turn off the stove, move away, and spray the ingots with a garden hose. I then let them air dry before packing them in.

Now, we’ll get down to the meat.

Step 1. Throroughly clean the molds, with alcohol or a solvent like brake cleaner. Let them air dry. Then use a kitchen match (wooden), carbide lamp, or something else that makes a lot of sooty smoke (candles work fine) to smoke the insides of the molds. Make sure you smoke the underside of the sprue plate and the tops of the molds, too.

TIP: I use Midway’s Mold Release. This stuff is a gray-black spray—NOT for use indoors! Spray the insides, top, and bottom or the sprue plate, and the top of a COLD mold with this stuff. Let it dry well.

Now, set a kitchen burner on low heat, and set the molds on it. Don’t park the handles over the burners. Let them sit while you prepare the rest of your equipment.

Step 2: Set up your pot. Load it up with alloy, and turn it on. If you use an electric bottom pour pot, set some ingot molds under the spout to catch potential drips.

Step 3: Obtain a really large towel, and fold it to provide a cushion. Lay it to the side of your pot.

TIP: I am a high volume caster, meaning I will crank out about 1000 to 2000 bullets in one sitting. I need a way to cool the bullets, keep them centrally located, and not just dump the bullets on one another. So, I get a coffee can, a shop rag, and some rubber bands. Cut a slit in the center of the rag, about 2-3 inches long. Now, fill the coffee can about 2/3 with water. Place the shop rag across the top, and secure it with the rubber bands. Make sure that there is some slack in the rag (not tight across the top like a drumhead).

IMPORTANT!

If you are casting on a table, set the water can OFF the table, next to one of the legs. This eliminates the chance of water splashing into the pot.

Step 4. Wait for the alloy to melt. Get on all of your protective gear.

After the melt is ready, flux with the substance of your choice.

Now, it’s time to cast.

Go get your molds. If they’re Lee molds, you’re going to have to heat them up to a higher temperature; this is because aluminum loses heat so quickly. Also, you’ll have to make the melt hotter than normal with these molds.

Sit down, and position the molds under the spout. Open the valve, and allow the alloy to go into the mold. If you’re using a multiple cavity mold, KEEP THE VALVE OPEN, and move the mold to the next cavity. Continue until the cavities are filled; by this time you should have a good amount of lead on top of the mold, too. This is the sprue, and it is very important. Why?

The alloy shrinks as it cools. As it does, it pulls away from the inner surfaces of the mold. The sprue acts as a reserve of metal; as the bullets cool, or quite literally, “freezeâ€, more metal is drawn down into the mold from the sprue. This keeps the weight of the bullet uniform, and preserves the base in bottom pour designs. You will actually see a dimple develop over each mold cavity as metal is drawn into the bullet.

Wait for the sprue to cool before opening the plate. Trial and error here will allow you to learn exactly how long it takes for the sprue to cool on your mold. Generally, you should wait until the sprue develops a slightly frosted appearance—about 10-15 seconds. If you have to wait longer than that, the metal is too hot. Turn down the thermostat or burner a bit.

WARNING!

Do NOT hold the molds over your legs while waiting for the sprue to cool. Molten metal can still spill from the top of the mold—and it is hotter than hammered h-e-double toothpicks. This stuff can give you a 3rd degree deep tissue burn in less time than it takes to read this sentence. Be careful!

Now, open the mold. Take the whack-um stick or operate the sprue plate on Lee 6-cavity molds. With the stick, give a good sharp smack to the sprue plate, while holding the molds over a padded surface. The sprue should fly off onto the padded surface. Remember, the sprue is still hot, so be careful.

If this is your first time casting, turn the molds to the side, and tap the hinge pin a few times before opening the mold. Open them slowly while the mold is on its side, and behold your handwork—a lovely line of cast bullets, awaiting your pleasure in gleaming perfection.

Okay, now go to the water can with the mold. Simply dump the bullets onto the cloth over the water. As the bullets go through the slit, and hit the water, they will cool instantly.

Now, repeat the process until: a) You run out of alloy; b) Your arms feel like spaghetti; c) your wife tells you to stop the nonsense, clean up, and come to dinner.

Step 5: Cleanup

Now that you’re done for the day, you face a challenge. You must make sure that probable self contamination is kept to a minimum risk, and ensure that this contamination does not spread.

First, turn off all heat sources. Lay the molds to the side, and let them air cool. NEVER quench your molds, or spray water on them.

Now, pick up all of your tools—the spoons, the whacking stick, etc.—and put them in a large box with the casting pot—after it cools down, of course.

After you have secured all of the tools and equipment, dump the bullets out of the can. Spread them on a few layers of newspaper, and let them sit for a while.

Remove your apron, and leave it hanging OUTSIDE. If this is not feasible, give them a few good shakes, while wearing your gloves and mask, and do it with the wind blowing on your back. This will help get rid of the particulates and what have you from the smelting.

Now, remove your gloves. Get the baby wipes (you did bring them, right?) and wipe off your hands immediately.

Here’s the important part.

Get your baby wipes ready, and at hand. Close your eyes, hold your breath, and remove the filter mask. Let it drop. Grab a baby wipe, and wipe off your face. Now use a second set of wipes to go over all of your exposed skin. Dispose of these in a bag, tie the bag off, and throw it away. Now, go inside, and wash up well.

For your family’s sake, don’t wash your apron in the same load with any clothes. Best bet is to spray it off outside when it gets dirty, hand wash if necessary, and let it air dry.

Now, admire the pile of paper-punching, game-busting beauties you just made.

The next post will cover lubing. Thanks, all!

By the way—let me know how you like this stuff. If it is helping you out, and you think it’s worthwhile, post a response here on the board.
 
I think that the detail is GREAT! I particularly like the attention to safety. I have not done any casting yet, but I have most of the gear and am acquiring my supply of lead.

Looking forward to the next installment. I think that when they are all published, I will copy and paste them into one file and make a PDF out of it ... for reference.

Thanks,
Saands
 
I've done all this before. I like your approach and attention to detail and contamination. Always more to learn. Looking forward to the lubing and sizing. Any ideas on a non-smoking lube for indoor ranges? This is what keeps me from getting back into casting again.
 
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