Bullet Casting & Coating MegaThread

So the other day I,decided to see how much wheel weights my balancer registered over the past 12 years, not a lot really. Even though this machine is 12 years old it greatly reduced the weight we where putting back on , 50-75% depending on wheel/tire/size.
What that means is all the tire shop with similar machines are using less weight.
The machine only registers the weight it computes if you get a OK check spin. So this amount maybe a bit off. Not much.
We still use lead clip ons and steel stick ons.
In total we have reinstalled aprox 300lbs. the machine says our average to balance weight is 2.5oz , Remember we are a small shop. We do about 120 tires a year with good spikes about every 3 years.
The other good news is Im seeing less and less Zinc over the years.
I have a 3 gallon bucket that we use to put scrap wheel weights in. I have been purposely trying not to let steel and zinc in. Its about 1/3 full which is not much at all. As time goes on wheels are coming in with less and less weight. The new machines out there are probably doing better than my old hunter road force .
 
Any mold recommendations for 7.62x39 to be run through a SKS. Might be my next pet project.
I believe the Lee 312-155 (I think that’s the model) was well respected. It’s a gas check spire point.
Although I hear the NOE version is much nicer of course and way more consistent from cavity to cavity.
 
I believe the Lee 312-155 (I think that’s the model) was well respected. It’s a gas check spire point.
Although I hear the NOE version is much nicer of course and way more consistent from cavity to cavity.
C.E. Harris-designed C312-155-2R also the lyman311410 or 311291 will do as long as they drop big enough for your bore/lead.
poke around CE Harris has a article just on the cast loads in the sks
 
Scored a pair of lead joints off a 24" water main. For about 50 lbs of pure l. Had the two sections in the grapple going in to the scrap trailer and said to my self you dumb shit you didn't check those for lead then I had thought what's wrong with me all most throw it away
Nice score!
 
I've seen some molds drilled for a thermocouple to measure temp but nothing with a heater also.
I would think you tie the pid into a hot plate. ? I was looking through a box of used molds and a few had the probe hole.
They seemed pretty old and I did not think they did that years ago?
could be a DIY mod to
I was just thinking that a PiD hot plate when using multiple molds could be useful.?
 
I would think you tie the pid into a hot plate. ? I was looking through a box of used molds and a few had the probe hole.
They seemed pretty old and I did not think they did that years ago?
could be a DIY mod to
I was just thinking that a PiD hot plate when using multiple molds could be useful.?
Aluminum plate with thermocouple mounted to it - place on hot plate with hot plate plugged into the controller.
Get fancy and add a sheet metal house around the molds to even out the heat.
 
They are really catching on:

stopped in local savers and brought my small scale : found 1lb6oz of pewter added up there little prices $31 I tried to get a discount because bent and damage. She said come back in a week it will be marked down .....new known pewter 92 alloy is $20lb or so.....
 
They are really catching on:

stopped in local savers and brought my small scale : found 1lb6oz of pewter added up there little prices $31 I tried to get a discount because bent and damage. She said come back in a week it will be marked down .....new known pewter 92 alloy is $20lb or so.....
Ouch! My wife scored a few pieces recently. I think the 8oz plate was either 1.99 or 2.99. Not bad
 
They are really catching on:

stopped in local savers and brought my small scale : found 1lb6oz of pewter added up there little prices $31 I tried to get a discount because bent and damage. She said come back in a week it will be marked down .....new known pewter 92 alloy is $20lb or so.....

Ouch! My wife scored a few pieces recently. I think the 8oz plate was either 1.99 or 2.99. Not bad

Town garage sale is coming up- I bet there will be some good scores. I'll need to remember to go look. Next town over usually has a great town yard sale as well. Good reminder!
 
Town garage sale is coming up- I bet there will be some good scores. I'll need to remember to go look. Next town over usually has a great town yard sale as well. Good reminder!
Pewter, Beeswax candles even broken ones.
Old heavy duty large soup laddles
Partial full LP tanks , turkey fryer burners
Make a list and hand it to the oldest person living at that house. My best scores where from “grandma” who still remembers whats in the far corners.
i also grab shovels , rakes hammers, screw drivers if they are decent.
 
I scored a five gallon bucket of wheel weights that I sorted with my kid. It was a mix and I have to do a final weigh. I’m going to give smelting them a shot so I might have some questions. I think I have about thirty pounds so I was going to do it in small batches in the event some ZN slipped by. We cut each one with pairs of diagonal cutters so we hopefully should be good. If it works out I should have a good source of WW.
 
I scored a five gallon bucket of wheel weights that I sorted with my kid. It was a mix and I have to do a final weigh. I’m going to give smelting them a shot so I might have some questions. I think I have about thirty pounds so I was going to do it in small batches in the event some ZN slipped by. We cut each one with pairs of diagonal cutters so we hopefully should be good. If it works out I should have a good source of WW.

This is where you-tube comes in handy, if there isn't anyone out your way that casts.
The initial burn down is pretty simple and straight forward.
A small 1lb jug of flux will last almost forever and a day. Great to use to keep the tin in and re-bind everything, gets all the crap out too.
Good luck.
 
I scored a five gallon bucket of wheel weights that I sorted with my kid. It was a mix and I have to do a final weigh. I’m going to give smelting them a shot so I might have some questions. I think I have about thirty pounds so I was going to do it in small batches in the event some ZN slipped by. We cut each one with pairs of diagonal cutters so we hopefully should be good. If it works out I should have a good source of WW.
If you have a thermometer (or Amazon thermocouple meter) then keep the melt temp down below 700 and skim off anything that doesn't melt. No worries about zinc that way.
If you cut them, they aren't zinc unless you were using bolt cutters.
 
I scored a five gallon bucket of wheel weights that I sorted with my kid. It was a mix and I have to do a final weigh. I’m going to give smelting them a shot so I might have some questions. I think I have about thirty pounds so I was going to do it in small batches in the event some ZN slipped by. We cut each one with pairs of diagonal cutters so we hopefully should be good. If it works out I should have a good source of WW.
start with a low flame , zinc is easy to control just keep the temp down below Zinc melt temp is 787'F Lead wheel weights will melt below 700'F
Pick up at least a thermometer......lyman has a $30 digital one.


I leave a few onces in the smelt pot of known lead. Once that gets molten I start adding lead and the thermometer. I used to have a old grill thermometer that I would just toss in the pot , it went to 600'f as soon as i t gets to 500+ mark i would turn the flame down a bit take out the meter and go from there.
i have a temp on my DVOM but the probe is only rated to 250'
You dont want temp to high. If you run your temp to high you will get a lot of oxidation.
I get to molten, clean out the junk then turn it up a little and do a final flux.
Then pour my ignots.
 
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start with a low flame , zinc is easy to control just keep the temp down below Zinc melt temp is 787'F Lead wheel weights will melt below 700'F
Pick up at least a thermometer......lyman has a $30 digital one.
Regarding the Lyman thermometer, use it to spot-check as the plastics will melt from prolonged immersion. Yeah, I melted my 1st one.
 
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