Thanks, Dad

[HangFireW8]

I remember my Dad liked to fish and hike, shoot and hunt occasionally, owned guns and never had much time to do any of that, between working full time, raising kids, fixing stuff, and being a deacon helping out poor folks (well, even poorer than us). He's been gone over 30 years but something reminds me of him most every day.

When I started casting a bit ago, I remembered some 10 lb slugs of lead that were in my Dad's garage since forever. (Most of the contents of that garage is now in mine). They were some of the first to get melted. I also recalled a tin can full of wheel weights, but when I found it there was only a half dozen. I was grateful for what I can get, that's another handful of boolits. Still, I wondered what happened to all those wheel weights I remembered.

Today I was cleaning up the garage (not my favorite job, I'd rather be casting, sizing, lubing, reloading or shooting) and I found this!

The distractions on the left are letter and number stamps, disguising the true contents. Some of them are stamped "Firestone". Most are fatter then you see today, before P-Metric tires and reshaped wheel rims. A couple newer looking ones were added by my Brother and me over the years, I am pretty sure.

There is also a bit of sheet lead and a solder bar. Now why would he save a combination like that? Perhaps he had some retirement hobby plans he never got to.

I don't usually take pictures of wheel weights, but this one I couldn't pass up. They'll get put to their intended use, to be sure, but I think I may save them for some special batch of somethin'. I'll have to figure out exactly what, but there's no rush.

[Dennis Eugene]

Glad you took the time to share that with us.

Thanks Dennis Eugene

[RobS]

If you hunt I would use them for that purpose..........your dad would be smiling from above with what you did with his old WW's.

[Clark]

Maybe there is some way you could mix a little of your Dad's lead in all your bullets.

[RobS]

Maybe there is some way you could mix a little of your Dad's lead in all your bullets.

Now that is a good idea too. Maybe a 1/4 of a WW per pot you pour..........maybe less to if you are a "" type of guy and cast a ton of them.

[DCP]

I like the idea of a little bit of DAD in each bullet.

I also think I would cast a couple of bullets of pure DAD, in the calibers you wish.
Mount them on a board or in a clear plexiglass box with least 1 of those wheel weights on or in it.

Then put a plaque on it and then. A photo of you and your dad and maybe your brother.

[gray wolf]

I like the idea of a little bit of DAD in each bullet.

I also think I would cast a couple of bullets of pure DAD, in the calibers you wish.
Mount them on a board or in a clear plexiglass box with least 1 of those wheel weights on or in it.

Then put a plaque on it and then. A photo of you and your dad and maybe your brother.

Hey men !
So far my vote is for the above quote. I think that would be a great thing to do.
Also I thank the OP for telling us about it.

Sam

[qajaq59]

I like the idea of a little bit of DAD in each bullet.

I also think I would cast a couple of bullets of pure DAD, in the calibers you wish.
Mount them on a board or in a clear plexiglass box with least 1 of those wheel weights on or in it.

Then put a plaque on it and then. A photo of you and your dad and maybe your brother.

That is kind of a nice idea. It would look nice in your reloading room.

[SciFiJim]

I also think that using some for a range or hunting trip on Father's Day with your brother would be an appropriate use. Spend the time remembering what your Dad taught you and the times he spent with you.

[ghh3rd]

Aww geee, this is sure a tender moment. I like adding a little to all boolits, and the plaque too.

Reminds me of a Boy Scout camping trip once... someone brought a can with some ash in it, and dumped it into the fire. When we were done with the fire, they stirred up the ashes, and took some out and put them into the can. They explained that the ashes they had contained traces from every campout for several generations of they family's camping, and they were keeping up the tradition.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Oh my, brings tears to my eyes.

I have now out lived my father by a couple of years, and when I was much younger and maybe dumber I sold my dad's last deer rifle.

Oh how I wish I had that back!!!!!!!!!!!

By all means, save a bit of "dad", and I guess the idea of photographs of DAD, brother, yourself and a couple nice BOOLITS, all in a nice frame would get my vote.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[82nd airborne]

My old man still beats me for trying to get my sticky fingers on his cache! physical memories are unbeatable, im sure he would be proud this fathers day knowing his son not only picked up the hobbies passed on, but still recognizes where they came from. i like the idea of of some boolits in a picture frame of your father.

[Hubertus]

Hey those sure are very nice ideas. Somehow it looks like I got some dust into my eyes...
I like the one with the display plus using a little bit of the lead in hunting boolits - so that your Dad goes hunting with you.
Thank you for sharing this!

If you don't mind I would like to tell you about my "little bit of Dad".
He passed away 5 years ago, he knew about him but never got to know his first grandson - who is really a lot like him.
Unfortunately Dad got very sick after only 1 year of retirement.
He never hunted but we went fishing together, when I was a boy. My interest in hunting started about 10 years ago - he told me that he would have loved it, too. But he never had the time and means. Even though him beeing bedridden we talked about hunting a lot and he read all the hunting mags I could bring. He had a hunting knife that he got as a boy some time in the forties and I always marvelled at it.
My Mom gave it to me.
Now when I am out in the woods and have this knife with me I think a little bit of him is hunting with me.

Sorry for being a bit nostalgic here…

Hubertus

[SciFiJim]

I got some dust into my eyes.

There's a lot of that dust going around.

[gunsablazin]

That's cool, I've got a pail of fishing sinkers that my 95 yr. old grandmother cast years ago. I could not bring myself to make boolits with them, but they make nice keepsakes. She is not able to fish anymore, but I have great memories of getting to fish with her when I was a boy.

[EMC45]

Nice write up. It was touching.

[DCP]

There's a lot of that dust going around.

Dust here in IL too and hot

and yes I cried when Old Yeller died and still do

[Ron]

My Dad taught me to shoot and we were great competitors in rifle competitions in my early to late teens. He has passed on but is never too far away when I am on the range. Yep, sure is a lot of that eye dust getting around.

[Cowboy T]

With all the negative press against Dads these days, it's good to hear stories like this. And rest assured, plenty of Dads out there to this day raise their kids and teach them good lessons of life. They just don't typically run on Oprah or Rosie or Maury Povich to scream about how good they are. But they're still out there.

My Dad didn't teach me to hunt or anything like that...but he sure taught me how to be a man.

+1 for the idea of mixing a little of your Dad's lead in each batch...then go hunting with 'em. No better way to do a tribute than to put some food on the table with what your Dad left you.

[sirgknight]

happy father's day to all our fathers, past and present!!!! Without them, most of us would not be in this forum!!!!