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Melting lead

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I have a question on cast round balls. Does the size of the knub from the cutoff sprew have any effect on the accuracy
It shouldn't
Loading should (in most cases) flatten and pound the sprue back into the ball. Loading also embeds the rifling into the ball and slightly elongates the ball producing a slight double round ended conical of sorts. Ever so slightly.

Of course this doesn't apply to those shooting hard cast alloys. Hence the reason for pure lead.
 
The lady and I had to go buy a turkey fryer for the amount we get in.
I made a waste oil foundry for the copper and brass.
Yeah after the big turkey pot, LEE for actually casting lead.
 
my son owns a plumbing business, and he gives me it as he re[paces it with PVC. as it is not allowed in residences any more.
 
I obviously did something wrong the first time, cause my setup is working beautifully this time
 

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Maybe you got impatient or thought it should of worked quicker. It takes awhile to get going but once that pot gets hot, it moves along pretty quick.
I started with dirty lead, but I think being it was my first time ever using a Coleman stove, and the slight wind was the issue. I had that sucker on for almost an hour with little success. This time, it only took maybe 15 min and the process was smooth
 
That would do it, especially for your stove that has nothing to block the wind. First time I did the turkey fryer, for turkey it was super windy. Took almost 2 hrs to get it up to temp and still wasn't quite there so I did it anyway. I got impatient and hungry.
 
I misunderstood, i thought you had a Coleman Stove... not a Coleman Burner.... the stove has windshields to block the wind.
Yea, I bet it takes a bit to melt lead with that setup. I would get 3 small peices of plywood and erect some wind breaks.
I'm glad it worked out.

If you put it on a tailgate or bench it won't be so far down to work... that's the redneck in me...
 
I misunderstood, i thought you had a Coleman Stove... not a Coleman Burner.... the stove has windshields to block the wind.
Yea, I bet it takes a bit to melt lead with that setup. I would get 3 small peices of plywood and erect some wind breaks.
I'm glad it worked out.

If you put it on a tailgate or bench it won't be so far down to work... that's the redneck in me...
Yeah I keep calling it a stove but I guess it is just the single burner. It went pretty quick that it was out of the wind...only took 10-15 to start melting. Probably not even that long
 
Yeah I keep calling it a stove but I guess it is just the single burner. It went pretty quick that it was out of the wind...only took 10-15 to start melting. Probably not even that long

Those white gas stoves/ burners run at a very high temperature, but wind is your enemy. I recall my dad saying nothing made better fried potatoes than a Coleman stove. We had liquified propane at home. Im sure someone will tell me how hot the white gas stove burns...i just know it's damn hot. The new propane stoves are a joke by comparison.
 
Cast iron! Me too! I have a nice cast iron ladle that I use for ball casting.
After the last of the lead is poured from it, I exploit the heated ladle by heating my soup in it.

My somewhat irratic and borderline asocial behavier m a y y y y yyyyyy have something to do with the way I heat up my soup.
 
I seen Wal-Mart has he Dutch oven for under $20, good for cleaning dirty lead and pouring into ingots. I may get one since I don't have power hookup outside.
I did the same many years ago just like that. I know it has been said many many times but ANY WATER/MOISTURE is a HUGE issue. I got just a DROP of water hitting my own and it literally exploded lead everywhere. I was lucky in that was like foil where ever it landed. Some on my arms. BE CAREFUL IN THAT KITCHEN if that is where you will be.
 
I did the same many years ago just like that. I know it has been said many many times but ANY WATER/MOISTURE is a HUGE issue. I got just a DROP of water hitting my own and it literally exploded lead everywhere. I was lucky in that was like foil where ever it landed. Some on my arms. BE CAREFUL IN THAT KITCHEN if that is where you will be.
I've melted lead down a lot in the past, I'm still buying everything slowly since I lost my home in 2011 floods. I've been just working out of a small cast iron pan on the bbq burner since then. I like to try to pre heat the lead to try to get any moisture out, that 1500-1 with steam can be nasty.
 
I saw where someone made the remark that they use range lead for there patched round balls
as they are patched and not in contact with the inside if the barrel.
any thoughts on this? if this is a good idea ? I have access to a lot of range lead.
 
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