morning troops..new to the forum and the room..
just started reading and trying to get all the info I can on melting lead
for ammo....I'm retired from the service and this is my new hobby.
ammo is to high so I'm trying to learn how to make my own..
Lee Production Pot #4 ..with Lee .45 mold. so if any of you pros have any
sugestions o tips I'd like to hear from you.
I'm online at or around 4 am most mornings.
thank you fo your time
scoutsgt

Welcome to the forum. Rules are to join in and have fun and play nicely with the rest of us kids.

I moved your post into its own thread because the question about any tips was more general than the bulk-melt topic in the thread you posted in. We try not to hijack threads with changed topics (though we sure do drift around some from time to time). When you need to create a new thread, just go to the forum and the New Thread button is at the top left of the forum topics list.

There is a lot of advice around on bullet casting, but to answer you specifically, do you already have a source of lead, and if so, what is it? Some kinds of scrap need some tin or other things added for best casting and mold fill. If I have wheel weights, I will add at least a pound of lead-free solder (don't use one that includes zinc in the alloy mix, as that adversely affects mold fill) to every 50 lbs of WW's. That seems to make a good mix to start.

You will need a good flux of some kind. You can buy one from Midway or some other common source of supply. Many just use a bit of stick type bullet lube or some bee's wax. A pea size piece tossed onto the melt and stirred in will work if the metal is clean. More may be needed the first time. Sawdust also works because the carbon reacts with oxygen in the metal oxides and reduces the tin oxide back to metal. You will want a wood (not plastic) handle spatula and a skimming spoon. A spoon with holes in it help make quick work of picking up wheel weight clips. I use a pair of welder's gloves and a leather apron and a face mask. These are to avoid splash burn if you accidentally get any water in the molten metal. (The steam makes it spit molten lead everywhere. Not cool.) A thermometer is good to have. If you avoid heating the mix high enough to melt zinc (which is in some wheel weights now), 787°F, the zinc weights will float to the surface for skimming out before you flux. You don't want any zinc in the alloy. Needless to say, you need good ventilation or to be working outdoors with this stuff. Don't breath smoke and fumes off the melt.

Much as I hate to steer a new member to another site, there is a wealth of information on bullet casting at the Los Angeles Silhouette club site, here (http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm). Also, castboolits.com has a membership that includes some pretty serious bullet casters. There will be more information than you really want to start with at both of those sources, so feel free to keep asking here, too, as you get started. Those other two sources will become of more interest as you get into the process and become more familiar with it.

I'm at casting and I thank you for your info
Bob

Welcome to the forum. Rules are to join in and have fun and play nicely with the rest of us kids.

I moved your post into its own thread because the question about any tips was more general than the bulk-melt topic in the thread you posted in. We try not to hijack threads with changed topics (though we sure do drift around some from time to time). When you need to create a new thread, just go to the forum and the New Thread button is at the top left of the forum topics list.

There is a lot of advice around on bullet casting, but to answer you specifically, do you already have a source of lead, and if so, what is it? Some kinds of scrap need some tin or other things added for best casting and mold fill. If I have wheel weights, I will add at least a pound of lead-free solder (don't use one that includes zinc in the alloy mix, as that adversely affects mold fill) to every 50 lbs of WW's. That seems to make a good mix to start.

You will need a good flux of some kind. You can buy one from Midway or some other common source of supply. Many just use a bit of stick type bullet lube or some bee's wax. A pea size piece tossed onto the melt and stirred in will work if the metal is clean. More may be needed the first time. Sawdust also works because the carbon reacts with oxygen in the metal oxides and reduces the tin oxide back to metal. You will want a wood (not plastic) handle spatula and a skimming spoon. A spoon with holes in it help make quick work of picking up wheel weight clips. I use a pair of welder's gloves and a leather apron and a face mask. These are to avoid splash burn if you accidentally get any water in the molten metal. (The steam makes it spit molten lead everywhere. Not cool.) A thermometer is good to have. If you avoid heating the mix high enough to melt zinc (which is in some wheel weights now), 787°F, the zinc weights will float to the surface for skimming out before you flux. You don't want any zinc in the alloy. Needless to say, you need good ventilation or to be working outdoors with this stuff. Don't breath smoke and fumes off the melt.

Much as I hate to steer a new member to another site, there is a wealth of information on bullet casting at the Los Angeles Silhouette club site, here (http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm). Also, castboolits.com has a membership that includes some pretty serious bullet casters. There will be more information than you really want to start with at both of those sources, so feel free to keep asking here, too, as you get started. Those other two sources will become of more interest as you get into the process and become more familiar with it.

.....
Thank you Sir for your info .I try not to bother anyone but at times I need help..I will keep ur info on file...tku again Sir
Bob....scoutsgt

Welcome to the forum. You have found the best place on the WWW to ask questions. Lots of good info here. You will enjoy casting. Seems like you got a good start. I got out of it for a number of years while my kids were growing up but have gotten back into it full swing since they have gone their own way. I use mostly Lee equipment with great success. Lee allows me to buy more molds with less investment than other makers. Like you I started with one mold and a Lee pot. I now cast over 25 different bullets. Saves me a lot of money and gives me another reason to be in the shop.

Scoutsgt if you need any ingot moulds melting pot to clean lead in flux to clean your lead with I have a bunch of this kind of stuff I can let you have just for the postage just let me know Forest Punch

I'm new here, too, but welcome to the forum anyway.

Not too sure what you want to know about melting lead, but at the simplest level...you apply heat and it melts. Garbage comes to the surface, and that garbage all depends on what you put in the pot to begin with. So...if you plan to salvage your own lead from a variety of sources, you'll simply have to deal with a wider variety of stuff floating in your pot. All I do is dip a bar of parafin in the pot (the parafin you buy at Walmart for canning, for example), then stir gently. I then use a common household spoon to skim the slag off the top and dump it in a can. There's no need to keep the surface of the melt all nice and clean, but you have to keep it tidier if you're dipping a ladle rather than tapping off the bottom as with a furnace, I guess.

I've never used a furnace, so I don't know anything about their special characteristics other than of course you automatically get the clean lead off the bottom of the pot. Since I use a 5 quart dutch oven instead, I use a bottom-pouring ladle. Dip the ladle in the melt, then pour onto the mold. Same effect.

As for lead, I only wanted to highlight the fact that there are several eBay sources for lead in handy little one pound ingots, and two of the guys there are up front about how they process their lead and what's in it. I've purchased 150 lbs off eBay now, and I'm totally okay with ease of getting my lead that way, rather than dealing with a trip to the scrap yard to try to load a pail with wheel weights. Just FYI, the price from both of the guys I buy from comes out to about 1.10 to 1.20 per pound, shipped. They both generally are Buy it Now offers, so there's no bother with an auction. But, I did recently win an auction, but it still came out to about 1.14 a pound. In .45 handgun, that's a good 28 bullets per pound, or about a nickel a bullet.

I'm certain that your first source of frustration will soon be your furnace capacity. I just came in from about 2 1/2 hours of casting and plowed thru about 40 lbs of lead in one sitting. It's surprisingly easy to do with .45 cal bullets. Another source of early frustration can be just getting the 'hang of it' when it comes to getting the mold itself up to temperature. I think this just takes a bit of time and getting to know your gear, etc.

Anyway, I'm sure no seasoned expert, but I can tell you that making a thousand beautiful bullets in an evening, that cost you about $45 or less sure is more fun than watching Leno!

Man, like I didn't yak on enough. But, should have made some mention of safety.

These days folks are totally freaked out about lead, so it's a good idea to get a respirator that meets NIOSH specs for lead fumes. MSA makes a very nice, comfortable one you can get for 25-35 bucks or so.

Safety glasses or goggles are a great idea. If you're melting salvaged lead from, say, a range or other unknown source, you could have moisture in your scrap. That of course can be a serious situation when the water turns to steam and blows a bunch of molten lead in your face. Likewise, if you get a few fully-jacketed bullets or plated bullets in the pot and grab 'em with the needle nose pliers--they can pop like baloons and blow a stream of molten lead where you'd least like it to go. Gloves of course...I just use my Lincoln leather welding gloves (gauntlet). They work okay.

There, I can sleep now.

Morning
thank you all for ur info sounds like I've got alot to learn but thats the way it gos.
a friend drop off 2 5gal bucket of igots his father made and he doesn't cast so i'v
got all the materials I need to much I think.
raining like crazy here for the next few days so they say so got time for alot of reloading and reading.
heading for Graf's Reloading today to pick up few things.
thanks again everyone.
thanks unclenick for your help.

Q...I've got 4 bags of shot-gun lead for reloading is ok to remelt it and use this lead for my hand-gun.

I'm new here, too, but welcome to the forum anyway.

Not too sure what you want to know about melting lead, but at the simplest level...you apply heat and it melts. Garbage comes to the surface, and that garbage all depends on what you put in the pot to begin with. So...if you plan to salvage your own lead from a variety of sources, you'll simply have to deal with a wider variety of stuff floating in your pot. All I do is dip a bar of parafin in the pot (the parafin you buy at Walmart for canning, for example), then stir gently. I then use a common household spoon to skim the slag off the top and dump it in a can. There's no need to keep the surface of the melt all nice and clean, but you have to keep it tidier if you're dipping a ladle rather than tapping off the bottom as with a furnace, I guess.

I've never used a furnace, so I don't know anything about their special characteristics other than of course you automatically get the clean lead off the bottom of the pot. Since I use a 5 quart dutch oven instead, I use a bottom-pouring ladle. Dip the ladle in the melt, then pour onto the mold. Same effect.

As for lead, I only wanted to highlight the fact that there are several eBay sources for lead in handy little one pound ingots, and two of the guys there are up front about how they process their lead and what's in it. I've purchased 150 lbs off eBay now, and I'm totally okay with ease of getting my lead that way, rather than dealing with a trip to the scrap yard to try to load a pail with wheel weights. Just FYI, the price from both of the guys I buy from comes out to about 1.10 to 1.20 per pound, shipped. They both generally are Buy it Now offers, so there's no bother with an auction. But, I did recently win an auction, but it still came out to about 1.14 a pound. In .45 handgun, that's a good 28 bullets per pound, or about a nickel a bullet.

I'm certain that your first source of frustration will soon be your furnace capacity. I just came in from about 2 1/2 hours of casting and plowed thru about 40 lbs of lead in one sitting. It's surprisingly easy to do with .45 cal bullets. Another source of early frustration can be just getting the 'hang of it' when it comes to getting the mold itself up to temperature. I think this just takes a bit of time and getting to know your gear, etc.

Anyway, I'm sure no seasoned expert, but I can tell you that making a thousand beautiful bullets in an evening, that cost you about $45 or less sure is more fun than watching Leno!
.......
Thats what I have is a SF M1911 A1 ....I do my own relaoding , fig I would my hand at casting and makeing my own bullets just there is a lot more than I fig. like you said time and trail-errors to come.
thank you for your info.
Bob