Melting lead question

[Daniel Dickey]

I’ve cast sinkers using a Coleman stove and a small cast iron pot before. I just started muzzleloading and am promised roofing lead with no tin and have bullet mold. My question is would a hot plate work, get hot enough, to use instead of the stove. I’m thinking it would be cooler to work around in the summer. And yes I have a roofed area open on all sides for good ventilation. Just wondering before I buy one if it’d get the pot hot enough. Thanks!

 

[flinter1977]

I used to use one when i first started casting . I used an old stainless pot on top .I could not get a cast iron one hot enough.

 

[hawkeye2]

A good quality hotplate will work, I've done it. A cheap one won't get the lead hot enough to cast bullets with.

 

[user 43911]

Something like this would get you started,

https://leeprecision.com/precision-melter.html https://leeprecision.com/pro-4-20lb.html

 

[Daniel Dickey]

Thanks for the replies. Even with the Coleman stove and cast iron I’d usually melt a little in the pot with a propane torch, then the burner would keep it melted and new lead added would melt on touching the lead that was melted. It would take a long time to get the pot hot enough to melt lead from the start. I’ll look for a good plate as I’m trying to keep cost down. I only have 1 rifle and doubt I shoot many hundreds of balls a year. But I’ll spend $60-90 on a real lead casting pot before I buy a hot plate from China for $20! Hopefully I can find one made here. Thanks!

 

[TNGhost]

You can pick up a Lee pot (I have three and like them all, had them for years) for $40-$80. They work well and are probably somewhat safer than the hot plate from a stability standpoint. They are also built in the U.S.

Graf's has the basic pot for $43.00 and you may be hard pressed to find a good hot plate for that. They have the bottom pour (handy) model for $68. They also have 9.95 flat rate shipping and often you can find coupons for free shipping or receive them for signing up for their emails.

https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/category/categoryId/455
You can find them on Amazon as well.

 

[Bledfor Days]

Another vote for the Lee bottom pouring pots here. I tried pouring with a stove and ladle but found it too hard to regulate heat properly. I do use the stove and ladle for cleaning my lead and pouring ingots.
I made a couple hundred .311 balls with a Lee 10 lb. pot and a Lee dual cavity mold in about an hour today. Fun!

 

[Daniel Dickey]

Looks like the problem is solved. A person just messaged me a bottom pour pot for shipping charges! It wasn’t my intention to ask for gifts but you do reap as you sow. I’ve given things away too. I’ve not been on the forum long but seems a lot of nice people here!

 

[Griz44Mag]

Another vote for the Lee bottom pouring pots here. I tried pouring with a stove and ladle but found it too hard to regulate heat properly. I do use the stove and ladle for cleaning my lead and pouring ingots.
I made a couple hundred .311 balls with a Lee 10 lb. pot and a Lee dual cavity mold in about an hour today. Fun!View attachment 30872

Looks like you are smoking your molds with a butane lighter...... (I do the same, cause it it WORKS)
Great casting, good looking balls. Putting them in a recycled Hornady swaged ball box too!
You deserve a recyclers medal!

 

[Bledfor Days]

I am! I only had to tap the mold a few times to get the balls to drop out. Thanks.

 

[Bledfor Days]

Looks like the problem is solved. A person just messaged me a bottom pour pot for shipping charges! It wasn’t my intention to ask for gifts but you do reap as you sow. I’ve given things away too. I’ve not been on the forum long but seems a lot of nice people here!

Thats great. The Lee pots do leak from the pour spout sometimes. Its easy to fix. I stick a little piece of spring wire in the spout and twirl it around while I turn the control rod back and forth with a flathead screwdriver. I had to do that 2 or 3 times today. Annoying but no biggy.

 

[smo]

Old Dutch oven ,turkey fryer, small ladle .a double Lee .530 mold...and a 14” aluminum dish pan!

 

[TNGhost]

Thats great. The Lee pots do leak from the pour spout sometimes. Its easy to fix. I stick a little piece of spring wire in the spout and twirl it around while I turn the control rod back and forth with a flathead screwdriver. I had to do that 2 or 3 times today. Annoying but no biggy.

Yeah, the leakage is cause by slag or debris contaminating the valve and spout contact. The screwdriver trick works well. It also helps to flux frequently and leave the pot full when not in use (that also helps with corrosion) Just make sure you keep an eye on it when you go to heat it up the next time and make sure the valve is closed completely. I have wandered off on occasion and come back to an empty pot and bench full of lead.

Like I said, I have three, two of the original 10# ones and one larger 20# one and they are the most cost effective efficient way to cast at home. I have literally cast tens of thousands of balls and bullets for muzzleloaders and other guns with them.

 

[Bledfor Days]

Yeah, the leakage is cause by slag or debris contaminating the valve and spout contact. The screwdriver trick works well. It also helps to flux frequently and leave the pot full when not in use (that also helps with corrosion)

This^ I found that fluxing made a big difference in the flow rate. I used some Baby Bel wax I kept in my truck. It works. More recycling

 

[Daniel Dickey]

I didn’t know you can leave lead in it. I’d read somewhere else months ago it won’t remelt lead in the spout area and just stay stopped up. They probably had trash like you said and didn’t know that. Thanks for mentioning. The mold instructions said beeswax for flux and spru cutter lube if I remember correctly. Or never seize also for lube. I’ll try wax first. Every time I use never seize on anything it gets everywhere! I’d have to check with my wife to see if I’m off never seize restriction yet anyway!

 

[TNGhost]

Being as I cast for a variety of guns including some unmentionables, I generally have a stick of ALOX (50% beeswax) bullet lube around and use that to lube my molds prior to use (being careful to get none in the cavities) and I use it for fluxing as well, throwing in a pea sized chunk now and then and stirring and cleaning well. Straight beeswax is just as good. Rosin will also work well as a flux.

I am with you on the never seize. Great stuff, but I can never get never seize off my hands or anywhere else it isn't supposed to be.

 

[Daniel Dickey]

I have several lbs of beeswax so I should be good for a while. The wife unit found a few 2 lb blocks at a garage sale recently and got it as she’d heard me mention it. Just hope she don’t hear me call her the wife unit!

 

[Pukka Bundook]

I still use an old electric heat-plate to melt my lead. I use a stainless pot on top, and a homemade copper ladle. Not much to go wrong!

My only trouble is if we get a wind and 20 below or more, as it strains itself to get hot enough then!
The Coleman stove will get Plenty hot for the job.

Richard.

 

[Newtire]

I’ve cast sinkers using a Coleman stove and a small cast iron pot before. I just started muzzleloading and am promised roofing lead with no tin and have bullet mold. My question is would a hot plate work, get hot enough, to use instead of the stove. I’m thinking it would be cooler to work around in the summer. And yes I have a roofed area open on all sides for good ventilation. Just wondering before I buy one if it’d get the pot hot enough. Thanks!

A gasoline burning Coleman stove will get the lead hot enough. More difficult with propane. Some people swear by propane but never had any luck casting pure lead except with gasoline myself. A good electric pot will do it-never tried a hot plate.

 

[Redmoon]

That's awesome that you're getting a bottom pour for cheap you'll like it for sure. I have a production pot 4 10lb and I always leave lead in mine and never have an issue reheating lead in the spout. I saw a video the other day and a guy running his on max for I want to say 2-3 hrs he got his up to 1350°f, moral of the story dont run it max. I usually put mine to 7 to get it hot and just under 5 for casting. You can also put your mold on top and preheat it while you get your lead hot. Also dont put zinc or any of the other metals in it they tell you not to because they react with the steel and coatings and gets dangerous real fast.