bullet casting

[hoagy]

hello all, my name is brent and i am new to this forum. i am from butler, pa.
i would like to start casting bullets. like round balls for my muzzleloader, and .45 auto for a Smith mp45.
i largely know nothing about casting bullets so if someone could reccomend a good manual, book, equipment,etc or are near me and would care to give lessons.

thank you for any help

[rwilson452]

Lyman make a good manual. bear in mind you will need two different alloys pure lead for your muzzleloader and a harder alloy for your .45. Wheel weights are about as soft as I would go for modern arms.



QUOTE=hoagy;167299]hello all, my name is brent and i am new to this forum. i am from butler, pa.
i would like to start casting bullets. like round balls for my muzzleloader, and .45 auto for a Smith mp45.
i largely know nothing about casting bullets so if someone could reccomend a good manual, book, equipment,etc or are near me and would care to give lessons.

thank you for any help[/QUOTE]

[mauser]

Very important!! You need good ventilation and protective equipment when working with lead. Gloves, SAFETY GLASSES, long sleeve shirt, apron, and a handy fire extinguisher is a good start. Less than $50.00 in hardware and a dedicated work area should be enough to keep you safe. Get an exhaust fan, (bathroom variety) with some duct work hardware and a board big enough to cover the window, and mount it in a window directly over your melting pot.
Here's my setup:

You don't see my fire extinguishers in the picture because they're behind me, next to the doors.
I have to agree with rwilson452 on the Lyman information. That's good advice. You can look on Amazon and eBay to find Lyman books and videos. Here are 2 quick examples, a little bit of time searching will probably turn up a lot more results.
http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-M...9244653&sr=8-3 http://cgi.ebay.com/LYMAN-Reloading-...QQcmdZViewItem
If you'd like another source of information, you could look for a copy of "Modern Reloading" or "Modern Reloading Second Edition" by Richard Lee. There is one chapter devoted to bullet casting in those books. I have and I've read both Lyman and Lee, and reference them occasionally. I think that if you're going to get only one you should go with Lyman, but if you can get both it's worth it. (My opinion).
There's an active thread here dealing with where to acquire lead, here's the link:
http://www.pafoa.org/forum/ammunitio...ring-lead.html
Please feel free to ask questions, general or specific, and post your experiences.

[PA Rifleman]

Tips and casting diagnosis:

• Try starting at Page 16 >here<.
• How to make your own sinkers >link< (not bullets, but the same process)
• Solving Some Common Problems Encountered when Casting Bullets >link<

+1 for Mauser, make sure you have a dedicated & well-ventilated casting area

[P89]

+1 for Mauser, make sure you have a dedicated & well-ventilated casting area

WOW, your not kidding...Mauser has got all bases covered!

[continental]

I think I can put you in business as I was going to get into casting and unfortunately have other demands.

Here's what I've got for sale.
Lee casting pot model IV with extra height under the bottom pour spout - slightly used but very clean and good condition - $30.00

New Lee double molds with handles: .312 /185gr. .309 /120gr. .429 /214gr. your choice $15.00

Used Lyman 4-cavity molds with big handles: .38 wadcutter & .45acp H&G - your choice $75.00

New Lyman Sizing dies and top punches are new .308 /.312 /.357 /.358 /.352 -your choice $15.00
I only have two top punches left - round nose and flat nose- your choice $5.00

Also have New Lyman sizer/lubricator($100.00),
New Midway heater for sizer/luber($25.00),
8 sticks of Blue Angel lube($3.00 each),
New bi-metal thermometer(I think I paid $45.00 so I'll take $30.00),
marvel flux and other stuff.
I wanted to cast bullets and bought all this stuff and now other interests and challenges cause me to sell it off.
No rust/no junk - but really new or like new (4 cavity pistol molds are used but like new). Most in factory carton/container. All prices would have add shipping but I see you are in Butler and I am just north in Oil City - maybe we can meet FTF if you are interested in any or all of this. Thanks for looking.

[Ngtdog]

Hoagy you have been given some great information so far.
rwilson pointed out you need pure lead for your muzzle loader and not to use ww for it.
mauser has shown you an awesome setup. (I am in the middle of setting up a dedicated area myself I like the bathroom fan exhaust idea I think I will go that route myself)
parifleman gave you goodlinks.
I really can't add to the information except it is a fun hobby and can save you some money after you get all set up.
on another note continental has offerd you some good prices on a setup and if you decide not to buy his whole setup and only part of it I would be interested (I do not want to step on your toes here) in some of what he is offering. Good Luck to your setup. Ron

[shooter357]

If you have an old AC that maybe the compressor went out but the fan still works, it works superb with just a little bit of effort for an exaust fan.

[imashooter2]

To cast you'll need a heat source, pot, raw material, spoon, flux, mold, lube, good gloves, long sleeve shirt, long pants, safety glasses and leather shoes.

For the heat source you can use anything from a Wal Mart hot plate, through the kitchen stove, to purpose made electric furnaces.

For the pot, a 1 quart steel sauce pan will work. Cast iron is better. A purpose made furnace is best. DO NOT USE AN ALUMINUM POT! Aluminum can fail without warning, leaving you standing in a puddle of molten metal. This is generally regarded as a bad thing.

For raw material, the ubiquitous wheel weight, range scrap, roof flashing, lead pipe and shower pans, radioactive isotope containers and many more...

The spoon is to move melted lead into the mold, stir, flux and skim. There are purpose designed dippers for pouring bullets and there are bottom pour furnaces that eliminate the need for moving lead to the mold, but you will still need a spoon to stir, flux and skim. A long handled kitchen spoon is best.

Flux is anything that can add carbon to the mix to reduce metal oxides back into the melt. Paraffin wax (candle stubs) is easiest to find. There are many, many substances that will work from saw dust to purpose designed commercial preparations.

The mold depends on the bullet you want to cast and how fast you want to cast them. Lee sells very inexpensive aluminum molds that will let you get your feet wet. From there they progress through the commercial iron molds by Lyman, RCBS and SAECO right on up to custom designs. A two hole mold is a good one to cut your teeth on. The more cavities in the mold, the more important supplier quality control and your technique becomes in order to turn out consistent product.

Lube can be applied either by tumbling (Lee Liquid Alox, Rooster Jacket) or by pan lubing or use of a sizer press (Bees wax/Alox, Lyman Orange Magic, White Label Lube Carnauba Red, and many, many more).

The gloves, shirt, pants, glasses and shoes are basic safety gear. Molten lead can splash and it will burn.

That's a pretty basic list of what you NEED. After that, it's how much do you want to spend and a lifetime of learning... Buy a copy of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook and read it. Check this link:
http://www.nwtskirmisher.com/useful-casting.shtml

and this one:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com