Casting Lead
05-08-2009, 08:53 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 1,081
RE: Casting Lead
I use to get a lot of my lead from my dentist (bite wing x-rays) but they recently went to digital x-ray equipment. I did get around 75 to 100pounds of it from him in the last 6 or so years. I also have something like 65 to 75 pounds I got from my brother, he had got some lead sheathing from a hospital x-ray room that was being remodeled. I also recently was given a large coffee can full of various lead conicals, mostly 50, 54 and 58 cal. I haven't weighed it yet but it has to be at least 40 to 50 pounds. I have also gotten old wheel weights from tire shops but I keep those separate from my pure lead.
Most of it I melt down, skim the junk out and cast it into ingots for future use.
Talk to any plumbers or roofers that you know, old plumbing can have lead pipes and old roof flashings are sometimes made of lead. Some scrap yards may also be a source of lead.
Most of it I melt down, skim the junk out and cast it into ingots for future use.
Talk to any plumbers or roofers that you know, old plumbing can have lead pipes and old roof flashings are sometimes made of lead. Some scrap yards may also be a source of lead.
05-09-2009, 05:04 AM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: My Range in Central NY
Posts: 320
RE: Casting Lead
You can look to fleece-bay as a source, there are several that shell lead there. I don't get lead from Fleece-bay but at this point in the game I would recommend you use all sources available to get a supply built up. I have contractor friends that give e all the lead they find, I supply them with all the Maxi's they can shoot. I also have a pile of old telephone cable sheeting. us your imagination and get lead now!
Do a search of the "Cast Bullet Association" and look up " the antimony Man " Bill ships lead all around the country using USPS flat rate boxs in 50 lbs increments. He is also a fine True great American IMHO
Don't delay the voted change is on it's way Sheeple!
Do a search of the "Cast Bullet Association" and look up " the antimony Man " Bill ships lead all around the country using USPS flat rate boxs in 50 lbs increments. He is also a fine True great American IMHO
Don't delay the voted change is on it's way Sheeple!
05-09-2009, 06:46 AM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Lake Tahoe
Posts: 308
RE: Casting Lead
Its funny that this post is up because I was going to create a post about casting lead bullets. I get my lead from Les Schuab Tire Store. I know a guy. Anyhow, yesterday was the first time I have cast my own bullets from lead and boy did I go through a learning experience. So, as I was dipping myspoon into the moltent lead, I notice that the spoon that I was using was a tad too big, so, I grabbed the spoon I was using to retrieve the bullets from the water bucket.......some of you know what happend when I put that spoon into the moltent lead and for thoes of you that dont,the leaderupted VIOLENTLY! Scared the living crap out of me. Splatterd all over me, the walls, floor, ceiling...everywhere. Thank god I was wearing all my protective gear. I got lead on my safty glasses and my face mask and my hat. I knew not to mix water into the lead but I wasnt even thinking that the little drop of water on the other spoon would have such a violent effect. I am a lucky man. So, word to the wise, dont put your water bucket neer your lead, dont even let ANY TYPE OF CONTAMINENT get into the liquid lead. Always wear your safty gear! I did cast about 25 bullets and most of them were right on @ 250gr. The others were a few grains over and a few were under. What an experience.
05-09-2009, 07:47 AM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 6,585
RE: Casting Lead
I found an old out building that was falling down and had a sheet lead roof, The owner told me if I would tear it down and burn what I did not want I could have what ever i wanted out of it. It took a long time to melt it all down and clean it but I ended up with enough to last as long as I will need any. Lee
05-09-2009, 12:19 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 1,081
RE: Casting Lead
Don't forget about being in a well ventilated area when working with lead. Having some air movement helps keep the sweat and the fumes at bey. If you need to flux your lead mixture I find that a pinch of bee's wax works pretty good, just throw it in and light it with one of those long nose lighters to burn it off and drive the different alloys together, the burning helps cut back on smoke.
05-09-2009, 01:11 PM
#9
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Lake Tahoe
Posts: 308
RE: Casting Lead
Oh ya, had the door open to my man cave, fan blowing, mask, safty glasses, cap.......I feel pretty stupid letting everybody know what I did but if this keeps just one person safe, its worth my embarassment. Oh ya, thanks for the bees wax tip. Some of my lead is pretty dirty.
05-09-2009, 06:32 PM
#10
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,918
RE: Casting Lead
For a lead source, you might try calling a couple of roofers in your area. I have a buddy who is a roofer. He frequently replaces lead roof jacks with galvanized ones. I get about 40 lbs. of lead jacks from him every three or four months. The lead is dead soft. It's nasty when you first melt it (really stinks and smokes)because it usually has some tar and junk on it. You need extra good ventilation for the first melt.But all of the crud floats to the top and is easy to skim off. I melt a big batch in a gallon stainless steel pot that I got from the GoodWill store, and pour it into a home made ingot mold (angle iron from an old bed frame) that makes triangular ingots six inches long.
