Passing on a skill.

Packed up my bullet casting equipment and headed over to introduce a young man to the pleasures of casting your own. After watching me cast a couple dozen I handed him the mold and the "be careful of the hot metal and how to treat the mold for long and trouble free use" lecture he started casting and in a bit had 100 shiny new .490 balls for his Grandfather's rifle.

Good job!

Well done, well done indeed.

Excellent idea! I’m going too try that on my Grandsons!

So…. Once you are set up with the tools what dose it cost to pour 100 .490 balls? How much time to cast 100 balls?

Loja man said:

So…. Once you are set up with the tools what dose it cost to pour 100 .490 balls? How much time to cast 100 balls?

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Well, I use my Coleman Stove, can from soup, lead was free...Kinda see where I am going with this?? I'd say give me 3-4 hours, I can can 100 balls and that is with a single bag mold...I have a .530 and a .390 so I alternate to let them cool...Guess it does cost some propane fuel for the Coleman, and my time...

The cost has nothing to do with the pleasure we get from casting our own balls or any of the other things we do in this game and as to the time, I'd much rather be casting balls than watching the TV.

Whitworth said:

After watching me cast a couple dozen I handed him the mold and the "be careful of the hot metal and how to treat the mold for long and trouble free use" lecture he started casting and in a bit had 100 shiny new .490 balls for his Grandfather's rifle.

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Having a good teacher, that experience will be a lifetime memory for the young fellow. Good for you!

Loja man said:

So…. Once you are set up with the tools what dose it cost to pour 100 .490 balls? How much time to cast 100 balls?

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Casting is a labor of love, there is a certain pride in making your own.

For me getting started was not all that expensive. I happened to be at Friendship in the early 90's, traders row had a dealer with multiple molds that had water damaged boxes all in a big box. Most were T/C molds for a ridiculous cheap price, so I set down Indian style and dug through them. I purchased several molds that day. Later at a fleamarket, I came across a family friend who was selling electric hot plates, made in America. When I told him what I wanted one for he gave it to me. A 10lb lead pot from my uncle, a set a mold handles from a local reloading store, welding gloves borrowed from the shop and casting was just a plug in away. (Please note modern electric hot plates have safety devices and will not get hot enough to consistently melt lead).

Once the lead is melted, it really doesn't take long to cast 100 balls. You will lose a few while the mold heats up, if they start to look dull or frosted let the mold cool down or like nchawkeye said swap to a different mold.

Whitworth said:

After watching me cast a couple dozen I handed him the mold,,,

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Some need to read the book and take notes.
Some only look at the pictures.
He's lucky he had someone to watch that just tossed him in the fryin pan, good on ya,
Getting that temp and the rhythm is 90% of it.

Whitworth said:

Packed up my bullet casting equipment and headed over to introduce a young man to the pleasures of casting your own. After watching me cast a couple dozen I handed him the mold and the "be careful of the hot metal and how to treat the mold for long and trouble free use" lecture he started casting and in a bit had 100 shiny new .490 balls for his Grandfather's rifle.

Click to expand...

Good on You for teaching an important skill. In this world of TikTok andYouTube attention spans its great some are left with some patience.

I recall casting my 1st batch of round ball. A Coleman gas stove, a small cast-iron skillet, home made dipper, piece of broomstick, free lead from a roofer. I was in 8th grade and took a handful of balls to Jr High. The kids stayed saying I had silver bullets. I stopped denying it and next thing I know I'm in the principle's office. After some explanation they let me go, but told me not to bring bullets anymore.

smo said:

Excellent idea! I’m going too try that on my Grandsons!

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SMO, my friend...you'll be doing more than just teaching them how to cast lead. The time spent together will impart a cherished memory along with a useful skill, throughout their lives. My Father started having me help him cast bullets when I was around 7 yrs old. For a long time it was my job to run those .38 wadcutters through the Lubesizer and put them in the box. That was a big deal for a kid. The time spent with my Father casting bullets, lubing them and reloading ammunition are far and away the best memories I have of time spent with him. I still have and use those bullet molds. A couple of them are "Ideal" molds that pre-date Lyman. When I'm setting those up to run bullets, then casting a bunch of, whatever caliber....I still feel that "Closeness" to my Father, who passed away in 1972. Teach them well SMO and you'll be a part of their life forever.

My dear old Dad , let me begin casting unmentionable pistol bullets at age 7 yrs. We had little knowledge of m/l guns yet. That experience made casting balls easy when my first m/l came my way 14 yrs. later.

Loja man said:

So…. Once you are set up with the tools what dose it cost to pour 100 .490 balls? How much time to cast 100 balls?

Click to expand...

Ran these in a couple of hours after things were up too heat…

Loja man said:

So…. Once you are set up with the tools what dose it cost to pour 100 .490 balls? How much time to cast 100 balls?

Click to expand...

I can usually get 75 to 100 in a hour using a double mold when things are running well. The lead cost I'm not sure of, maybe a couple of dollars for the .490s. Way cheaper and much more satisfying to me than just buying balls.

I gifted my oldest daughter a Lyman GPR several years ago and now that her oldest son is becoming a nice young man he asked me to help him get to shooting the rifle as he is all about the old times and old things, he is home schooled and is very interested in learning skills with his hands so last weekend we also broke out the lead pot and got him to casting up some .530 ball we ended up with just shy of 100 he wanted to keep going as he was really enjoying it. After the casting session we went indoors and started him on his first powder horn then it will be onto all of the other accessories that he will need to get started. I'm glad that someone in my family is taking after me and enjoys working with his hands and making things.

Casting cost? A mold from Lee is about $30. A steel or cast iron pot from a thrift store $1-5. A spoon or small gravy ladle $1-2 from a thrift store. A camp stove or hot plate less than $20 from a garage sale or thrift shop. Lead about $2/# or less if you can scrounge some. Total cost less lead maybe $50 or less if you already have some items.

I forgot safety items such as glasses, leather gloves, long pants and long sleeve shirt or jacket etc but most will already have those.

I heard it told,
“Give a man a bullet and he can shoot once with it…but teach a man to cast his own bullets and he can shoot for a lifetime.”

Or maybe there was a fish involved?