HBC bar mold

I have seen a photograph of a gang mold used to cast HBC lead bars. I think the bars were about a pound, or less, and had the HBC in raised letters. The mold cast about ten bars. for the life of me, I can not find that photograph. Can anybody point me in the right direction?
Thank you,
Woody

Woody, I have seen the mold you asked about, but I don't remember where. It might have been Midway USA. When I couldn't find one, I substituted an old cornbread mold. It is of cast iron and makes cornbread or lead sticks about 4" long and 1/2" thick, in the shape of 1/2 an ear of corn. Each mold makes 6 sticks..........Robin

Just be sure that no one tries to make cornbread in it and when you get to the point that you have to give up muzzleloading, smash the cornbread mould so no one accidently uses it for food preparation after you are gone.

Here is what Midway has. http://www.midwayusa.com/find?sortby=1&itemsperpage=24&newcategorydimensionid=5676

I recently saw lead for sale that had been cast in an old cornbread mold. Anyhow, what I want to see is a photograph of the artifact, either the mold, or the cast bars.
Woody

That is what I always used. You used to be able to find them at flea markets for cheap. I haven't seen one in a while.

Geo. T.

:rotf:
Folks just aren't reading this thread are they Woody,!?

I have one of those cornbread molds inherited from my parents...never thought to use for lead ingots! :thumbsup:

Funny story about it, my dad always went to the flea market on Sunday to ply his goods...this cornbread tray was one of his items for sale. A fellow came by and wanted to know how much..4 dollars..he offered 2...my dad repeated 4 dollars and the guy left only to come back at the end of the day and went thru the same offering deal....my dad says to him 4 dollars and when the guy made the offer of 2 dollars again, my dad threw it into the back of his van and stated "now no one gets it! " and that is how I eventually came into its possession! Dad never did have much patience when he had his mind set...and that day his mind was set on 4 dollars for the cornbread tray! :rotf:

Somewhere I've got a pictured copy of that HBC ingot mold but can't find it so far. Did find an old gang mold picture that cast 5 round balls of .55" to .67" and a .67" cylinder 3/4 inch long...real red coat gutter! No gang ingots...still digging!

check the Museum of the Fur Trade Mtn Man Sketchbooks - IIRC there's a wooden gang mold in there for casting the long one pound ingots.

Also might check this one
Where Two Worlds Meet: The Great Lakes Fur Trade http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0873511565/historicalarchae

The Museum of the Fur Trade has an iron gang bar mould, but the one I've seen (knowing them, they probably have more than one...) has no markings. Picture a flat iron plate, about 7 or 8 inches wide, about a foot long, with a half dozen grooves down its length for the lead bars, and a handle on one end.

The muzzleloader club I belong to has a bar mould, that casts a 1 pound bar, with the lettering St. Louis Bar Lead cast into the bar. This replicates an original bar of lead, but it isn't a gang mould (although the original surely was), but instead it's a one at a time operation. Still, it's pretty easy to cast up a bunch of bars in a fairly short time once you get the rhythm down. I've got a 5-gallon bucket full of lead bars on end---it's more than I want to lift!

Rod

Allot of people use muffin or cupcake tins but make sure they aren't steel or tin platter or you won't be able to get them out when moulded.

I always used a lot of muffin tins. I have smelted a lot of WW's to sell as sinkers(I cast bank,pyramid and egg for catfishing) The only problem I ran into was the muffin tins cast them too big for my lee pot. Im making my own now and I use a cheap Lee ingot mold. It works well to be so cheap and fits the pot well..

I don't think they are reading it yet! :shake:

Hawkeye....you are right on it.
Woody

Woody, I swore I had a line drawing of one of the lead ingots in one of my sketchbooks. I've searched them all and haven't found it. must have seen it somewhere else.

I'm still hunting for a photo or drawing too. Really making me nutz!! Knew I could find it inside an hour...there I go thinking again!

No photos, but it seems the HBC had 3 sizes of lead ingots, ship size , canoe size and pocket sized.
http://nafrontiersmen.tripod.com/Smokesignals_Mat/articles/article3.htm

Wes: I too thought I could easily find it. Drove my wife nuts whilst I was going through every book I had to find that photograph.
Woody

I, Like others use a cast iron cornbread mold, makes 7 ingots at a time, 120 pounds so far.