May 19th - OFFICIAL 2012 Fourth Annual Cast Bullet Workshop Thread

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It's not too early to announce the Fourth Annual NES Cast Bullet Workshop.
Currently scheduled for May 19th, a Saturday.

I will assist in every way I can to assure another successful event. Over the past three years, we have introduced countless reloaders to the joys of casting bullets from scrap lead, thereby reducing or eliminating the biggest cost in reloading, the projectile (bullet.)

I know that the 2012 event will be the biggest yet.

We're looking at doing it again at the Shirley Club, the location for the last two events. E/C will confirm.

The workshop will be presented in the fashion that it was last year:

A) The group will be divided up into three mini-workshops, and all three sections will be presented simultaneously (three times in total).
B) The mini workshops are: Smelting, From raw to ingots........... Casting, including mold prep and casting............. Finishing Steps, sizing, lubing, gas checks
C) There will be about 1 1/2 hours for each section, with break at an appropriate time for lunch.
D) The entire workshop should take about 6 hours, including lunch.

At the end of the workshop, you should have done all of the casting steps, hands on, and be a proficient caster. There will be molds on hand to try. Make requests known ASAP, please.

As last year, your entry fee is to bring lead. Wheel weights, pure lead, whatever........... your lead will be smelted with the others in your group, and divided proportionately. Those lead ingots will also be used to feed the casting process, as needed. You should expect to bring home your lead, most of it, as ingots and cast boolits. Be fair, take home only what you brought (weight), less the dross scrap. If anyone can bring extra, great.

For the purposes of planning lunch, we'll need to know a good head count. I'll presume that ZIPTAR will begin a sign up thread (please?) Burgers are OK with me. Or, we can order out. You guys decide.

Since this was the first post, it can serve as the source for info, if Ziptar and Bob J/Marcus can feed me details to include here.

If anyone has the time, it's always nice to accumulate "DOOR PRIZES" for the event. They were well received last year. Door prizes don't have to be casting related. Just an incentive for people to attend. If someone has the means to produce a printed copy of the Glenn Fryxell book, and get it bound, that makes an awesome door prize. My printers are mostly packed at the moment.

I'll grab the links from the previous events, so that we can see the kind of details that are needed to make the event a success. Count me IN. I've heard from at least one of the other Weaponcraft Training instructors that he wants to also attend. Speaking of weaponcraft, I'm posting the notice that the Scoped Rifle class that some have been waiting for is scheduled for later this month!

I pray for good weather for the casting event. We've been blessed so far.
 
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Will there be a 2012 Bullet Casting Workshop?

I have been reloading for about two years now and want to start bullet casting. I see that there has been Bullet Casting Workshops in years past. Are there any plans to have one this year? Please let me know. Thanks.

Curtis
 
YES.

Plans are in the works. My understanding is that as soon as the location is decided on, the rest of the announcements will get posted.
 
There's always 2013.

ETA: I'm going to request this date to have the workshop at Shirley at our next meeting (on 4/12). If this date is no good for the club, someone else might have to take the ball here. My other weekends are almost all booked up.
 
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I'd like to start seeing some organizational discussions. Believe it or not, for an event such as this, a month isn't a LOT of planning time.
Who's running this one? I had started a thread, but it was removed while a location was figured out.

Can we plug that back in?
 
I guess I can take the blame for it taking so long.

My club had allot to offer facilities, resources, and space wise for this year's casting workshop. In addition at least in the beginning there was a great deal of interest and positive backing from members that I had discussed it with and a couple of the R&P committee members. I officially presented the idea to the R&P Committee in November and the idea was received well enough that I was asked to return to speak to the E-board at that months E-Board meeting. I did as requested, unfortunately, the E-Board didn't want to talk to me and I was told to come back in December.

December and January I was told it was still being discussed, even though I'd not had a chance to get in front of the E-Board. I finally got an answer on the last day of February this year, and it was "No".

Real shame too, it would have been a great place to hold the workshop for allot of reasons. Perhaps maybe next year, I'm already working on them....

While I am at it, EC thank you for taking the ball from there.
 
I'd like to start seeing some organizational discussions. Believe it or not, for an event such as this, a month isn't a LOT of planning time.
Who's running this one? I had started a thread, but it was removed while a location was figured out.

Can we plug that back in?

I found the old thread and merged it with this one.

While (I think) I can provide the venue (Shirley on 5/19), and will be there to help out, I have too many irons in the fire to be in charge of the planning for this.

Any volunteers?
 
if i can make it i'll help.

my wife is due on may 7th so i might be a little cramped to try to get away from a new baby so soon. if i can make it i'll help with anything needed.
 
Ziptar and I have volunteered to organize this year's event. BobJ and Mark have graciously agreed to lead sessions as they have previously. We all assumed that DukeInMaine would be in Florida. Orville, if you want to be involved, PM me.

We won't do anything formally until EddieCoyle gets approval from the club. We expect to use the same format as last year which worked out very well.
 
Awwwwwwwwwwwww. No one expected the free food last year. It was a nice treat, but totally unexpected.

Looking like I'll still be here for the event. So, if you want, I can run the smelting session like I did last time.

Not available to add any planning time. I'll just show up early, and set up.

Could use some additional burners/pots, and those neat mesh face shields that Bob J brought last year.

Thank you Exousia and ZipTar for running this. I'm smiling thinking about how nice it is to have passed along the torch, and see it carried so well.
 
In, anything I can do to help. Just PM me if setup / whatever needs some help

Myself +1 as usual.

Hope I can get a mold for 7.7 Jap, and some gas checks and actually get some boolits out of this one.

The 38spl I made last year ended up Alox lubed and shot out of my snub. Worked well.
 
I'm interested in attending but don't have any lead. Is there anyway to buy some off another member who is attending? Also, any tips for finding scrap lead in general?
 
I'm interested in attending but don't have any lead. Is there anyway to buy some off another member who is attending? Also, any tips for finding scrap lead in general?

If you absolutely can't find any lead I will help you out. There are several ways to collect lead. Visit tire shops and garages that install tires. Often you can get some old wheel weights from them. Be careful because many recently manufactured weights are steel or zinc. Another way is to mine them from a gun range. Taking a shovel to the berm and sifting through the dirt can be fruitful. Another way is to let all your friends know you are looking for lead. You may be surprised what people will give you.
 
If you absolutely can't find any lead I will help you out. There are several ways to collect lead. Visit tire shops and garages that install tires. Often you can get some old wheel weights from them. Be careful because many recently manufactured weights are steel or zinc. Another way is to mine them from a gun range. Taking a shovel to the berm and sifting through the dirt can be fruitful. Another way is to let all your friends know you are looking for lead. You may be surprised what people will give you.

Thanks - is there an easy way of telling if the wheel weights are lead or not? Regarding sifting through a berm - do you know if most clubs are friendly to this? It seems like many like to collect the lead eventually and sell it to gain funds for the club. Also, would there be a lot of copper mixed in, from jacketed ammo?
 
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