Finally Cast RB's And Have Questions

[rodwha]

So I bought 82 lbs of old lead pipe, but used old C&B projectiles that weren't sized right for my ROA and melted them down. They were supposed to be pure lead. But I got a lot of dross that looked rusty red until skimmed and dropped on a pan, at which time it turned green, and I got quite a bit of it for the one little Lee pot (4 lbs?). What is this likely? And does it matter if it's not perfectly skimmed off?

I weighed nearly half of the RB's I cast at .457" and the weight was 139.3 to 141.5 grns. This can't be pure lead right? Wouldn't it weight 143-144 grns?

With what little I had left I cast 2 .490" RB's and they weighed ~170-171 grns, and my understanding is that they'd weigh about 177 grns.

Casting went quite smoothly. I had very few culls, and by my second casting they were coming out full, but with mild imperfections (wrinkles). But that didn't seem to take long to work out.

A little warm in Texas to be wearing a thick denim/cotton reversible shirt outside! I'll wait 'til it cools off again to make ingots out of the lead pipes.

Now I need to make a casting table as I've been using an old folding TV table. It's a little wobbly and low.

I'm a happy guy!!!

 

[newtewsmoke]

Now I need to make a casting table as I've been using an old folding TV table. It's a little wobbly and low.

this months issue of Backwoodsman has an article showing how a guy made a pretty dang neat casting station out of an old bbq grill.

 

[bpd303]

Did you flux the melt? If you did how many times.

 

[mooman76]

Don't know about the green and you are always going to get dross. Some is lead oxidizing. Molds are rarely spot on the grains they should be and lead is rarely 100% pure. Small minute other metals are in there. They should be fine as is. Did you measure them to see if they came out .457? If it's off a little that will account for some.

 

[rodwha]

In a sense I fluxed them as some had BP lube in the grooves.

I did not measure them, but I suppose I ought to just to see.

 

[rodwha]

Wow!!!

One measured .454" and most were .455-6" of about 7 or so.

The .490" RB's measured ..485-6"!

I'm guessing the mold could be slightly off and/or the lead wasn't exactly pure? Or could even have small pockets inside?

 

[mooman76]

For years I never measured mine because I didn't have anything to measure with. Later on I didn't measure because I never had and took them for granted that they were what they said. I finally did when I got a gun with the RBs were real tight and decided to measure the rest out of g wiz purposes and almost all were a little over like .002. Doesn't matter now though because they all work.

 

[rodwha]

This is the first time I've measured any of the balls I've had, though I have used them on conicals. And I just recently purchased my own dial caliper (Grafs) as I've been borrowing one for quite some time.

I suppose I'll need to go to the range soon to see what kind of ring it'll give me. My chambers, with a dial caliper, read .453-4".

 

[Patocazador]

If they're too small, try knurling them between 2 files. It usually works and is easier than recasting them.