Roger Allen
Active Member
what a hot day to do it but I got a ton of lead done today
I got so much done today I'm guessing I got two buckets of weights done
I got so much done today I'm guessing I got two buckets of weights done
Smelted by myself first time
- Thread starter Roger Allen
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Roger Allen
Active Member
56,000 btu turkey burner w a crock capable of holding idk around 60 lbs
I didn't even use a whole tank
I didn't even use a whole tank
Roger Allen
Active Member
I don't think I'll end up w that many 5 quart crocks the way I do it. I did figure out I don't need to throttle the burner after it's melted and I pretty much just keep a small flame on while making ingots.
I was making the mistake of keeping it hot the entire time and all it did was burn unnecessary propane and keep me delirious in dehydration.
I also made the mistake of doing a crock of range bullets by filling the whole dang crock w bullets and letting it go. Well that was difficult but it made out.
I was making the mistake of keeping it hot the entire time and all it did was burn unnecessary propane and keep me delirious in dehydration.
I also made the mistake of doing a crock of range bullets by filling the whole dang crock w bullets and letting it go. Well that was difficult but it made out.
I heap the range scrap in the Dutch oven. Full heat too.
Once I figure I'm getting some melting I use a hunk of 3/8" steel rod to bring stuff from the bottom to the top. I insert the rod at an angle and use the edge of the pot to level the end up. This lets me scrap get to the bottom to melt. I can also see when I'm getting empty jackets. Once it really starts to melt I start skimming jackets.
One of these days i will make a video. I have done over a ton of range scrap so I have it down pretty well.
Once I figure I'm getting some melting I use a hunk of 3/8" steel rod to bring stuff from the bottom to the top. I insert the rod at an angle and use the edge of the pot to level the end up. This lets me scrap get to the bottom to melt. I can also see when I'm getting empty jackets. Once it really starts to melt I start skimming jackets.
One of these days i will make a video. I have done over a ton of range scrap so I have it down pretty well.
Roger Allen
Active Member
It's not a crock....I'm using a Dutch oven. My bad
JWFilips
Well-Known Member
Seems like 60 lbs is my limit in my cast dutch oven. but this usually means that the jacketed scrap in mounded up and the lid actually lays on the mound until it starts to melt.
Can't really be sure I get all the lead out of the jackets but I get about 80% out.
Since at my range there is a high percentage of commercial cast bullet ...those my wife and I sort out to be smelted separately and I smelt them by themself.
This way I have clean jacketed scap ingots and clean commercial hard cast ingots. I find it makes blending easier afterwords in the melt.
I shoot a lot of light rifle loads so I can go 2 parts jacketed to 1 part commercial cast. If I have a bullet I'm shooting faster I can go 1 to 1 or just go straight commercial cast ingots!
Again this is just the way I do it. All in all mixing it all together for a smelt would pretty much cover everything also
Can't really be sure I get all the lead out of the jackets but I get about 80% out.
Since at my range there is a high percentage of commercial cast bullet ...those my wife and I sort out to be smelted separately and I smelt them by themself.
This way I have clean jacketed scap ingots and clean commercial hard cast ingots. I find it makes blending easier afterwords in the melt.
I shoot a lot of light rifle loads so I can go 2 parts jacketed to 1 part commercial cast. If I have a bullet I'm shooting faster I can go 1 to 1 or just go straight commercial cast ingots!
Again this is just the way I do it. All in all mixing it all together for a smelt would pretty much cover everything also
Roger Allen
Active Member
Yeah, I found that from one Dutch oven batch to another the hardness of the ww was different. In ways it makes me wish that I was using a larger setup for uniformity reasons but I guess who cares. The good news is i believe in my heart that either batch will work for my means no doubt
Exactly what I do at times Ian. I make a set number of piles adding an even number from each batch to the piles.
As for measuring ingots, it is a fools errand. The time it takes for them to cool makes the hardness vary more than the alloy normally would.
As for measuring ingots, it is a fools errand. The time it takes for them to cool makes the hardness vary more than the alloy normally would.
Roger Allen
Active Member
Good call. Maybe one of each when making melt.
that's better than me trying to use one batch for subsonic 300 blackout and another batch for 35 Remington and another batch for 38 special
that's better than me trying to use one batch for subsonic 300 blackout and another batch for 35 Remington and another batch for 38 special
Ian
Notorious member
Da troof. If you care or think it matters for what you're doing, take a minute before starting to pour ingots to warm a mould and ladle-cast a few bullets from each batch of alloy so they can be tested later. If you want to get fancy, water-drop a few and air cool a few, to try to get an idea of how much antimony is present.
F
freebullet
Guest
Congratulations!
Welcome to the Looney bin of addicted enabling. Ya gots to watch out for these guys.
Welcome to the Looney bin of addicted enabling. Ya gots to watch out for these guys.