The other two casting threads have inspired me to post a couple of pics of my methods.



My smelting set up. Propane 2 burner camp stove, tank is behind table, can just see the bottom. The stove was a $20 yard sale find. Ingot molds on right.
Smelting is done outside, you stand out of the fumes coming from the pot, just change positions as the wind changes.
Wash hands before eating/smoking, just like after reloading, no big deal.
I use candle wax to flux the lead, the skim is going into the paint can.
Then use a scoop to ladle lead into ingot molds. I have a Lyman and 3 homemade, and a cupcake pan.
Some of the lead I'm melting on the table. After I took this pic, I added my other pot to the burner and started melting the sheet (soft) lead in it.



The results. A rain squall caused me to stop when I was about 1/2 way done. Still, not bad.
The large round piece on the upper right is the bottom of one of my melting pots I took into my workshop to cool. (remember is started to rain)



Another day, casting bullets, no rain. Lee 20# pot, 6 cavity 45 cal molds.
Pan to the right of pot where mold is sitting is where I drop the sprues, bullets are dropped into a towel lined pan in rear.
Bullets need a soft place to land when they are soft coming out of the mold.



I recommend a casting thermometer to monitor the temp of the lead. Mine is a Lyman.
I try to stay close to 750 degrees, here I am waiting for the heat to come up, Mold in the pic is a 150 gr, .311 mold. AK food.



Results of 3 casting sessions.



These are the keepers, I remelt the wrinkled bullets and the ones that don't fill out.
Molds above bullets.



Right to left, 45 cal 200 gr SWC, 45 cal 230 gr RN, .311, 150 gr 2R for 7.62x 39.
These sessions were the first time out for the RN and ,311 mold. Waiting for my gas checks to arrive.

I'm gonna cast more, then on to sizing and loading.

As promised, pics of lubing and sizing.


My Lyman lube sizer. I have the model with the heater, I use the orange Magic lube.

A sharp eyed reader would notice that the lube sizer is bolted to those holes in my bench seen in other pics.
Where I bolt a 550 and my SDB's.


.452 for 45 ACP, 230 gr RN I'm sizing.

Flat sheet is scrap flashing, the other is from a lead sheathed cable, next to the stove leg.

I use the soft lead for casting slugs.


These were cast about 20 years ago, I plan on getting another slug mold.

The diving weights and huge blocks are what I call an "unknown" alloy.

A scratch test with my thumb nail suggests it's pretty hard lead.

So I will add a couple of ingots of wheel weights to a pot of "unknown" alloy.

A cross of a SWAG (scientific wild ass guess) and experience.

I don't worry about the hardness for the 45 bullets, I'm only loading them to 750 - 800 fps.

The .311 bullets, they need to be hard, I will be adding gas checks and will load to approx 2,000 fps.

Lee makes a special die that produces "no size" bullets, and a liquid lube that is applied in a Ziploc bag and bullets dried. Then a second coating. Done.

I guess it works, never tried it.


My Lyman lube sizer. I got the heater to use the "hard" lube. Sizing die, top punch and lube.

Works a lot like a single stage reloading press.

I will add lubing pics to this thread, probably this weekend.

Finished my smelting that got rained out in the first post.


Sheet lead in left pot, large blocks of an unknown alloy in right pot.


Finished the smelting, this is what I ended up with today.

I use a 3/16 stamp set and stamp in what each ingot is.
UNK=unknown
50-50=50/50 bar solder
Pure lead was the sheet lead, very soft.



After lunch cast a few .452, 230 gr RN and more 150 gr .311's


This is what I get from a pot of lead. Took the pic while waiting for the pot to come up to temperature
after adding more ingots. I used the UNK, unknown, alloy I smelted earlier in the day. It cast great.

Lyman Orange Magic.

Right now is the time to cast up here in Washington, supposed to start raining tomorrow, maybe be clear this weekend for more casting.

4 inch GP 100 FTW.

Bump for Scott_R.