WW - Where do you start?

[WARD O]

I'm new here as you can see. I have been casting BIG boolits for BPCR for several years using mostly purchased 30 to 1 alloy. I have decided it's time to get into making some boolits for the handguns.

Saturday I was able to acquire about 150 pounds of WW from a local tire shop. They didn't want money so I left him $10 for lunch.

I have read the sticky on the zinc weights and will do the sort but PLEASE direct me to an old thread or tell me:

Do you need to do any other preparation to the WW's besides sorting?

What do you use for a melting pot for the WW's? I have a turkey fryer will that work for the heat source for this project?

Any suggestions on acquiring a functional ladel?

What do you use for keeping track of the melt's temperature? Do you need to be concerned with this for any reason other than to avoid zinc contamination?

Any other advice?

Thanks
Ward

[docone31]

I find cast iron pots are the best pots for me to melt in. I use the kitchen stove, but others use all sorts of things. I once used a two burner electric hot plate. Worked great.
For a Ladle, I used a perforated large stainless spoon. I added a wood handle and it makes a great scoop. For making an ingot, I got a stainless dipper. I let the metal cool in the dipper! Later I got a cupcake pan and poured it into it.
I use beeswax for flux and lube.
With heat, I crank that puppy up. I then transfer the ingots I make to a bottom pour pot. I keep that moderate so any zinc will float and I can scoop it out.
I really enjoy this whole thing.
Oh yeah, I put the cupcake mold on a piece of wood. Doesn't scorch the stove. Wifey does not know.

[chaos]

Melt them in a cast iron pot on the turkey fryer. To aid in sorting questionable wheel weights, I use a pair of DYKES or snips. Zinc and Iron weights are hard as hell and to cut too easily.

My turkey fryer/cast iron set up will not get hot enough to melt the zinc weights. I tried it with no avail. i dont even sort them anymore.

[hershey]

i cut the top off of an old propane tank (purge w/ water first) and mount it on the turkey fryer, it does not get hot enough to melt zinc if you get it at least half full(away from the heat), i use a large perforated spoon to skim and a kitchen ladle i stole from my wife to pour. one hint i read somewhere is leave your molds rest on a wet towel, it speeds things up a bunch.

[RustyFN]

You can buy a six quart cast iron dutch oven at Harbor Freight for $12. It comes with a lid and looks like this.

If you go much bigger than this I think you might have to reinforce the burner stand.
Rusty

[Goatlips]

Ward,

I haven't plugged my site for a while so folks ought not mind if I do so now :

http://goatlipstips.cas-town.com/smelting.html

Gotta update it one of these days to include zinc WW but you might find it of some use.

Goatlips

[BigBlack]

Thank You goatlips, your site got me through the smelting stage. I cast my first bullets last night from all my little ingots.

One word of advise, to new smelters, do not use the sheet metal cupcake molds, find cast stuff. Took my for ever to get them out, I actually had to warm the bottom of the pan with a tourch for them to release.

[docone31]

I use the sheet metal cupcake pans. I let them cool down. I use two. One to cool, one to pour.
Cast iron ones are way better though.

[BigBlack]

how long do you let them cool, this may have been my problem?

I let them solidify but the pan was still very warm.

[Sig shooter]

how long do you let them cool, this may have been my problem?

I let them solidify but the pan was still very warm.

Cup cake sized tins a minute or less depending how hot it is. The bigger stuff needs 3 -5 minutes

Find some metal trash can lids / sheet metal , to hold the slag /trash.
A few buckets of water to cool ingots / burned finger , away from the fire.

[Goatlips]

Big Black, re cupcake pans, let the sheet metal ones sit outside to rust a while; aluminum works with mold release, otherwise get out the can opener; don't try the spray fry pan stuff on anything unless you really want blistered ingots. As above, the cast iron work best. For some gawdawful reason I've been collecting ingot molds like others gather boolit molds.

Goatlips

[ForneyRider]

Been using pure WW that were poured into ingots formed by cupcake pan.

The bullets percentage have been low, still getting a lot of wave.

I turned up heat and skimmed crappage off top and used wax and pecan shell dust to flux. Gonna try fluxing a bunch more and perhaps some tin solder.

Shot a few dozen this weekend. They shot great but a little soft. I was using 5.0gr of W231 with WLP and Winchester brass. I will go back to 5.3gr of W231 and may try some Power Pistol. Using Lee 452 200 RN mold for 45ACP.

using Lee bullet lube.

[WARD O]

Thanks for all the advice guys....

Ward

[Cloudpeak]

I don't remember where I got it but I use a "New Baking metal Ovenex" steel 12 cup muffin pan. It drops ingots with no problems.

I always heat up my cast iron pot with "known" metal in it. When molten, I add WW's. The zinc and steel weights readily float to the surface. Keeping temps at a lower temp will keep the zinc weights from melting. If you start with an empty pot and just start heating WW's, if you've got the heat turned up too high, you might get some zinc weights to melt into the mix.

Cloudpeak