Bullet Casting - OC

[DenverDuck]

I am looking into casting my own bullets. I would like a mentor somewhere fairly close to Orange County to teach me how to do it. I'll drive within 45 miles or so of Irvine.

I'd like to cast for 38/.357 158 gr SWC if possible. I would come to you since I don't have the equipment as of yet.

The person I am looking for should be VERY experienced in casting. I would like to be involved in the operation from start to finish. I am looking for somebody that has a furnace with a bottom pour since I think that is what I'll purchase if I can get a handle on how this works.

I can bring the wheel weights, I have about 150 lbs. or so.

Check my feedback, I won't flake out on you and your help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Many thanks in advance.....Duck
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[CSACANNONEER]

I'm a little farther than 45 miles but, I need to fire up my lead pots soon. If you want to drive to Thousand Oaks some weekend, let me know and we can spend the day casting. BTW, I have some 8 cavity H&G molds and a Star lubesizer so, I can show you the faster ways as well as the slow ways to cast.

[Ugly Dwarf]

Ironic that I just bought your Lyman Casting book now that you're getting into casting.

If you have not already been there, check out the Cast Boolits site. Lot's of great people and information there. Many of them were very helpful when I was casting my first few batches and had questions.

Working with someone who's done it before would be ideal. However, if you decide not to drive up to T.O. and can't find someone local, don't let it hold you back. It's relatively easy to do once you've read up on it. Just go slow to start and it will all fall into place. If you start with a Lee pot and molds, it's not that expensive to get started either.

Good luck,

Dwarf

[bohoki]

i bit the bullet and just jumped in myself after watching a couple youtube videos

just order up some lee molds a 6 inch cast iron skillet from a thrift store and a coleman stove and a spoon

basically my steps involve heat lead, scoop lead,pour lead

smack open mold with broken broom handle knock out lead into water bucket(just to cool it without deforming)

i make sure i smoke the mold cavitys well with a propane torch with the air holes taped to make lots of soot

i often wear welders gauntlet gloves cause tiny lead spatters sometimes hurt

rule #1 dont let any water get in the liquid lead(be it forehead sweat or cooling bucket splash)

good luck

make sure you check out your wheel weights beware the zinc ones they will ruin the whole batch

[LGB Loader]

Hello Denver,

LGB here...

First thing is first, you need to smelt those wheel weights into ingots.

Let me know if you need more info on this, and I can give you a call. You can use an basic cast iron pot and outdoor stove for this. then you need a ingot mold or mini muffin pan and a large stainless steel ladle or real deal bottom pour Rowell ladle. Add weld glove and face shield to the mix and you'll have the ingot.

Once you have the ingots, we can move to the next step.

Let me know

LGB

[Ugly Dwarf]

... then you need a ingot mold or mini muffin pan ...

A few notes on muffin pans...

Mini's are easier to use for creating a specific alloy in your furnace, as they weigh in right about 1lb (making the math easy in a 10 or 20 lb pot). Unfortunately, I had a hard time finding any tins that weren't super expensive.

I find the full size ones will still fit in my Lee Bottom Pour just fine and weigh in at about 2-2.5 lbs each. Full size muffin pans can be found at the dollar store for (you guessed it) a buck each.

The downside is they're made of steel and don't release the cooled ingot well when they're brand new. The upside is they rust easy and release quite well once rusted. I rubbed the insides of mine with sandpaper, then salt water and left them outside for a week or two - nice and brown now.

You can get the Lee and Lyman ingot molds for about $10-$15 each and they'll make two 1 lb and two 1/2 lb (Lee) or four 1 lb (Lyman, RCBS or SAECO) ingots at a shot. Obviously this is the more expensive way to go, but your ingots look like ingots and not muffins.

[steves86ta]

im looking into starting this myself, i just have one question about the process... I understnd i need a luber, and i need a sizer, but what do i use the lube on? And what is tumble lubing? Do i just wait for the bullits to cool then put them in a ziploc baggy with lube and shake em around, so they are lubed for th sizer?
thanks

[bohoki]

im looking into starting this myself, i just have one question about the process... I understnd i need a luber, and i need a sizer, but what do i use the lube on? And what is tumble lubing? Do i just wait for the bullits to cool then put them in a ziploc baggy with lube and shake em around, so they are lubed for th sizer?
thanks

i use the lee .452 and .356 sizeing dies

they come with the tumble lube(so you wont have to buy any for a while) which i use in a little 1 gallon bucket i put a few hundred in the bucket splash on some lee juice swirl it around till they all have a slightly yellow tint then pour them out on wax paper on my picnic table and let them dry in the sun for about 3 hours(i hate the smell of that stuff) also when you fire those bullets they make a bit of smoke cause of the lee liquid alox

good thing about the lee stuff if you find out you hate doing it you aren't out much but time(and with 2 cavity molds it takes lots of time when i am really rolling i can make 500 in a little over 2 hours then another hour to size them all then 15 min to lube them and wait a few hours for them to dry it takes the better part of a day

but when you are done with a nice pile of bullets it really makes you feel like you stuck it to the man




the size dies are about $12 each and that includes a $3 bottle of juice

the lee molds are around $20 for a 2 cavity



so if you only ever make 500 bullets the stuff paid for itself

[ar15barrels]

I know what all the other stuff is for, but what's with the van's slip-ons?
I wear long pants and boots when I alloy.

[bohoki]

I know what all the other stuff is for, but what's with the van's slip-ons?
I wear long pants and boots when I alloy.

wimp i wear nothing but the vans cause i don't like silver toes

[ar15barrels]

wimp i wear nothing but the vans cause i don't like silver toes

Oh man, if I were you, I would shield jack and the beanstalk.
Also, work in your back yard as your neighbors might not appreciate you casting in the nude...

[Ugly Dwarf]

wimp i wear nothing but the vans cause i don't like silver toes

Word to the wise... never work with molten lead or cook bacon nude.

Trust me on this.