Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

Bullet Casting ?


Dusty Boots

Recommended Posts

Yes, sheet, pipe or sheathing lead will have a variety of dirt and contaminants embedded in the surface.   Roofing lead has tar, paint and oxidation.  Chemical uses have all sorts of contamination.    Radiation shielding is from indoor locations  and is usually pretty clean.  Plumbing lead can have all sorts of crap, literally.  But, as Slim said, all ultimately melts down to clean soft lead, with sufficient fluxing and stirring.  

 

I like rad shielding, and no, the lead itself does not become radioactive.   If the lead has had rad materials splashed on it's surface, THEN it might trigger a radiation sensor.   Wash that surface stuff off!

 

good luck, GJ

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cast for Long range precision, otherwise forget it and buy from Bullets by Scarlett . 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have cast before and still have all my moulds, pot, etc. But my new club has a couple who cast bullets commercially and now I get the bullets from them as they are super nice, coated and reasonable for the time involved. Yeah, it is also nice to have the option and the choice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/28/2021 at 8:06 AM, Waimea said:

Tried that.

Never seemed to dry.

In any case time it wasn't cost effective. 

Free sometimes really isn't free.

Dump it in a washtub of water, dross floats. 

Heat, but don't melt it'll dry.

 

Once dry heat to melt point dross floats

 

Skim dross and cast ingots

 

Use ingots for bullet casting.

 

 

Free means no money. Pop used to tell me you either have money or time. He' say stuff like: I have money my chainsaw is acting up. Wanna see my new chainsaw? You have time wanna spend it fixing my old chainsaw it's free?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And, so , you are making a big deal over about 0.3% impurity differences?  On USED sheet lead that you are buying at a scrap yard after 10 or more years in service?  Who in the heck is going to know what Federal spec the sheet lead met when it was purchased?  And which caster is going to care even if the original lead grade CAN be determined?  

 

You will most likely NEVER find a scrap yard or a caster who cares.  I sure don't.

 

good luck, GJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Just stop by any tire shop and they'll give you all their old wheel weights"

 

 

Didn't want the prediction to go to waste :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Texas Joker said:

Dump it in a washtub of water, dross floats. 

 

Almost none of of it floats in water.  Any of the lead, tin, antimony or other metallic oxides are all much denser than water, so they sink.  Copper and gilding metal bullet  jackets sink.  Wheelweight clips sink.   Unburnt wax or sawdust will float, but those were fluxes, not dross.

 

good luck, GJ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 said:

 

Almost none of of it floats in water.  Any of the lead, tin, antimony or other metallic oxides are all much denser than water, so they sink.  Copper and gilding metal bullet  jackets sink.  Wheelweight clips sink.   Unburnt wax or sawdust will float, but those were fluxes, not dross.

 

good luck, GJ

Dirt, wood and anything organic gets separated by the water.

 

The metal dross listed all floats on melted lead. Multi step process to clean free range lead and in my experience wheel weight clips float. Most things have a specific gravity below lead its pretty dense stuff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thus we see the dangers of joining two unrelated thoughts together with a comma.  :o:lol:

 

In the context of bullet casting, dross only forms after melting a metal alloy.   Not from washing trash out of range pickings or wheelweight collections with water.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.