Newby on the block... well, to casting anyways.

[avator]

My learning curve is a hairpin....
Got the gloves... now looking for my leather apron from my tool and die days.
Yep, it's all fun and games until the clown bleeds out.

[Insanity]

Yep, it's all fun and games until the clown bleeds out.

Then its hilarious.

[avator]

Yep, it's all fun and games until the clown bleeds out.

Then its hilarious.

Unless you're the clown..   

[triggertreat]

Ah the burn lesson.  One thing to also be aware of is sweat dripping into the pot, and dipping into the pot with a tool that is at ambient temp.  If you stir these in below the top layer you will be inviting the tensile fairy.  My bother stirred in a drop of sweat and now has lead up on the ceiling.  Fortunately, he was able to jump away fairly quick to avoid more serious burns than the ones he got.  He was casting lead sinkers for saltwater.  I don't recommend setting down to cast and recommend having a quick escape path.  We are not perfect is my reasoning.  Lay your stirring tool on top of the lead for a bit before going below the surface.  Yes, I have been schooled on this myself...The old fashion way.

[avator]

I also learned the beeswax flux lesson....
Let it melt down the side of the pot.
Don't dunk a pocket knife full of it into the molten lead.
FLAME ON !!!

[Wayne52]

That molten metal can be devastating, one of the worst burns I got from molten metal was I was brazing a fender on an old truck for a friend of mine and a big glob fell right on my
watch band welding it right to my arm, believe it or not the scar from that burn completely disappeared.  Needless to say I was in agony getting that watch off. 

[Insanity]

Yep, it's all fun and games until the clown bleeds out.

Then its hilarious.

Unless you're the clown..   

I'm good I'm a stooge

[Hoosier Daddy]

The front pads on my Index and middle finger on both hands are "smooth with no finger prints" because of molten metal.

My problem is, I been dealing with red hot parts so long, I now longer feel it soon enough. 
I see the smoke, smell the burning meat... and then... Owe.... by then it is too late.

I wear Welding gloves casting but am investing in "TIG" gloves for the dexterity.

[brewbear]

The front pads on my Index and middle finger on both hands are "smooth with no finger prints" because of molten metal.

My problem is, I been dealing with red hot parts so long, I now longer feel it soon enough. 
I see the smoke, smell the burning meat... and then... Owe.... by then it is too late.

I wear Welding gloves casting but am investing in "TIG" gloves for the dexterity.

I have a pair of old fashion welding leather gloves I use when I play with molten glass but they are rather unweildy things. Which gloves are you buying?

[Hoosier Daddy]

I wear Welding gloves casting but am investing in "TIG" gloves for the dexterity.

I have a pair of old fashion welding leather gloves I use when I play with molten glass but they are rather unweildy things. Which gloves are you buying?

TIG welding is minute detail and you need tight fitting, soft leather for dexterity...
I get them from our welding supplier.

Like these...
https://www.grainger.com/product/5PE84?gucid=N:N:PS:Paid:GGL:CSM-2293:99F1R6:20501231&gclid=Cj0KCQjw27mhBhC9ARIsAIFsETHznUa87ygm1C0NX4aHII9i0sNatcWTSXHFbSaVMmj3xZfuim7Ko0gaAufEEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Madd Hatter]

Yep, it's all fun and games until the clown bleeds out.

Then its hilarious.

Unless you're the clown..   

I'm good I'm a stooge

Must be Curly! He was the only one to be bald.😁

[Firewalker]

I also learned the beeswax flux lesson....
Let it melt down the side of the pot.
Don't dunk a pocket knife full of it into the molten lead.
FLAME ON !!!

The point of the bees wax is to get hydrocarbons inserted into the body of the melt.

Beeswax pellets are your friend here, adding just a couple pellets to a stainless steel iced tea spoon (long handle, small spoon) with an insulator, into the melt will get enough of the hydrocarbons into the lead to both combine melted elements and draw off unwanted agents, to get a good "flux".

Let's be perfectly clear about Borax: It's job is as a soldering flux, NOT as a melt pot flux, there is no such thing. If you want to use Borax in your pot, feel free! It will release slag from your melt but flux is for JOINING not purifying. Rosin is a flux, it helps join parts.

Beeswax is a "purifier", "flux", any organic will achieve this. YES! POOP too! As well as fingernails, paper, wood, blood, skin, grass, you get the picture? It allows separation and lift to unwanted elements, this includes zinc, tin, antimony, sand (read silicon, not silicone) and inorganic compounds. Beeswax has a high concentration and greater 'loft' then most others.

Use less, not more.

[Firewalker]

Transparency Alert! 

I sold 22,000 of these over four years for lead pot stirrers using 1/2" oak dowels cut down to 2" and drilled out to match these spoon handle diameters several years back. I am sure these spoons are different but I owned a restaurant at the time and bulk flatware was super cheap at the time. The wood insulates the steel from the heat and allows for a goor stirring of the pot.

[Spacebus]

Transparency Alert! 

I sold 22,000 of these over four years for lead pot stirrers using 1/2" oak dowels cut down to 2" and drilled out to match these spoon handle diameters several years back. I am sure these spoons are different but I owned a restaurant at the time and bulk flatware was super cheap at the time. The wood insulates the steel from the heat and allows for a goor stirring of the pot.

I've been using a Lee "precision" ladle, but stainless steel sounds way better.

[Firewalker]

Transparency Alert! 

I sold 22,000 of these over four years for lead pot stirrers using 1/2" oak dowels cut down to 2" and drilled out to match these spoon handle diameters several years back. I am sure these spoons are different but I owned a restaurant at the time and bulk flatware was super cheap at the time. The wood insulates the steel from the heat and allows for a goor stirring of the pot.

I've been using a Lee "precision" ladle, but stainless steel sounds way better.

Teaspoon, wood, stir, what's not to like?

[triggertreat]

I like to use this stuff after using some wax.  I use it to coat the top of the melt to keep oxidation down to a minimum.  It covers the top of the melt to keep oxygen out.  It's a good flux as well.  It is very clean and easy to use, and just a pinch is all that is needed in these small Lee pots.  It won't clog a gravity spout either like sawdust will.

[avator]

Crankin' em out on this rainy Saturday morning...
About every hundred or so I'll flip the chair around to the other table where I have the scale set up.
I reject the obvious bad ones and the rest are sorted in 2 groups...
26.80 - 27.30 go in one pile then 27.30 - 27.60ish goes in another. Anything below 26.80 and above 27.65 goes back in the pot.

[Firewalker]

Crankin' em out on this rainy Saturday morning...
About every hundred or so I'll flip the chair around to the other table where I have the scale set up.
I reject the obvious bad ones and the rest are sorted in 2 groups...
26.80 - 27.30 go in one pile then 27.30 - 27.60ish goes in another. Anything below 26.80 and above 27.65 goes back in the pot.

Perfect!

[avator]

After the culling and shooting several mags I probably have 1500 - 2000 pellets stock piled.
I'm not turning this into a full time job, I want to enjoy it at my own pace. I have all the time in the World.
I'll do 10 - 20 drops from the 4 cavity mold, weigh and sort those with the mold sitting on top of the pot to stay hot. Visit with ya'll on the GTA. Then go in the house and see what Betty Lou and the dogs are up to.
Then back out to the Red Shed and shoot some raindrops. Then pour 10 - 20 more drops.

First of the week I have some .22 molds coming so we'll see if I have just as much success with those.

[avator]

USPS dropped off four .22 cal molds this morning.
Time to start poring and testing to see which to invest in.

I also received a ladle courtesy of BrewBear.... ty sir, it will get used.

I'll dabble in Wayne's pressure pour method.