Lead/ Casting questions

[whitetrash078]

I got some swaging wire for free, is this stuff pure lead or is it an alloy? If it's an alloy is there any way to purify it?
Also when I cast my balls does it hurt anything to drop them in water or should I not put them in water? I would think that by putting them in water that it would sort of heat treat them. :hmm:

 

[Le Grand]

Whitetrash, That swaging wire should be pure lead. Isn't it soft and very easy to bend? Also, don't drop hot cast round balls into water. That will "chill" them, like chilled birdshot, and make the balls harder. Let'em cool slowly so they'll stay soft. Le Grand

 

[whitetrash078]

I thought swaging wire was pure lead. Well I guess I will be re-moulding about 100 balls that got dunked in water. What do you put the balls on after they come out of the mould that will keep them from deforming

 

[Rebel]

I use a folded bath towel.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

If pure lead, test the chilled dropped ones with your thumbnail, if you can easily scrape lead off, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Zonie]

I use a folded bath towel.

I did that once.
Something about 500 degree F lead that makes nice dark spots on a nice cotton bath towel that my wife didn't find amusing...

Oh...did I mention that I became the owner of a nice cotton bath towel with dark spots on it? (after I went to the store and bought a replacement for my wife.) :rotf:

zonie

 

[Blizzard of '93]

Put them in a pan and heat them in oven to around 300F. for awhile, soften 'em again. Thats what I do with mine after I fish them out of bucket of water.

 

[Leon/Iowa]

I use an old metal paint tray to drop them in. I have the top covered with a folded towel (Not my wife's) that they drop on then roll down to the bottom and cool.

 

[whitetrash078]

I was leery about using a towel as I thought it might catch fire, but if you guys are doing it I will too. I will try heating them to 300 and see if that sofens them.

 

[Deadeye]

Cast bullets or balls will not water harden unless they contain antimony. If your using pure lead they will not harden. Wheel weights have antimony and will harden. Don't waste your time in the oven. When casting use a towel to drop your bullets on.

 

[RC]

OKAY I got a question about casting.. i've been casting .600 balls and ALWAYS they come out BRITE & SHINY...nothing like the balls you buy from hornaday or speer or rush creek.. you can scratch them with yer fingernail,not alot but leaves marks weight for a .600 ranges between 322 and 328 gr. (get a few 320's and a few 330's but recast them..have used lead from alot of different sources! but still same result? anyone have an idea why? or if it matters? using a lee melting pot and lyman mold..even does it with a jeff tanner brass mold..am i doin something wrong? thanks RC

 

[Todd Rickard]

RC you are doin' it right. They should come out shiney. If they were to lay around and oxidize they will turn grey. Who would let that happen????

 

[RC]

WHEW! well now I gots mixed emotions! thought maybe the darker ones shoot better.. :hmm: ... so I'm shootin 'em too fast? that's a shame! did have me nervous,my friend casts his own and they ain't near as shiny..but he's usin old used lead that's been layin around, if that makes a diff? thanks fer the info fusil!!! appreciate it! now....cast some up and put them in hidin fer deer season..so's the deers don't see it comin! :shocked2: thanks! :thumbsup: RC

 

[paulvallandigham]

RC I found that if I sprayed my lead balls with a water dispersing oil like WD 40, it would keep them from really oxidizing( white powder coat) but that the balls would turn dark under the oil in a few months. I have had a few balls that lay around in odd places, and in a leather ball bag that flowered, and I took them out and sprayed them again with WD40 and they went back to being dark. Shot fine. I am not saying that either Speer or Hornaday are putting any oil on their balls when packed, but I suspect it does occur.

You castings should last for a long time silver colored if you store them in plastic containers with good sealing lids. Tupperware works, for instance. My brother gave me some .600" round ball to shoot in my 20 gauge, more than a year ago, and I still have some of them. They are still shiny in their tuperware container. And, I did not oil them.

 

[Bill Hall]

Well, I hate to be contrary here, but I think Deadeye is dead on. I cast with pure lead and drop them in a bucket of water right out of the mold and cannot tell a bit of difference in hardness from air-cooled balls. I drop them in water because it slows the ball's drop from the mold and keeps it from getting a little flat spot from hitting a container or other balls. I just finished scraping the sprue off of a water-cooled ball with my thumbnail and it is very soft.

Whitetrash, why don't you save some of your water-cooled balls and compare them with some air-cooled ones the next time you cast. Scratch them with your fingernail, dig at them with a nail, hit them with a hammer, and see if you think they differ. I'm curious to know what you find, so if you do compare them, get back to us please.

A safety note: We all know that water and hot lead doesn't mix, so anyone who uses water to drop a hot ball into should be very careful to keep the bucket far enough from the pot so the water won't splash into the pot. It only takes a little drop to ruin your day. Bill

 

[Blizzard of '93]

If for some reason the water-quenched balls do seem to slide your fingernail- put 'em in a pan and bake 'em for awhile, then check when they cool. I'm betting it will soften them up. Works for me, I use scrap lead for casting, no wheel weights but I'm not gauranteed the purity of the lead, and I'll keep on dropping 'em into a pail of water. Probably a container of sand would work tho.

 

[Bubba45]

Try using a big sponge in your bucket of water,it will keep it from splashing.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Bingo and ditto.

 

[RC]

THANKS GUYS! okay another one.(you guys brought it up!) would "baking" the rb's at 300 soften them? mine seem hard to scratch..figure a lil softer wouldn't hurt???? (not fer hunt,jus fer target) thanks RC

 

[Blizzard of '93]

try 350F for around 15 minutes, then let 'em cool. You should be able to thumbnail mark 'em then. Works for me.