Oct 28 2017 Cast Bullet Seminar Sign Up Thread

[38ExtraSpecial]

Back for another year.

Please post questions here. Not sure casting is right for you? Have you hear it's dangerous and unhealthy? Worried about return on investment? What does it cost to get started?
Ask it all here.

Attendees

BillNed PAID
Caveman PAID
Dhuze PAID
headednorth PAID
pastera PAID
Dakar652 PAID
The Goose PAID
HarryPottar and Son PAID
Mark2215 PAID and friend
Radtekk
omfgrubert PAID
namedpipes PAID
603doug PAID
couleel1000 PAID

Location: Fairhaven, MA. Adress to be provided upon receipt of payment.

Door Prizes
Various casting tools and materials.
5 or 6 cast iron pots have been donated.
I believe I have a couple ladles to toss in there too.

Required equipment for participation
Safety glasses or face shield
Work gloves
Close-toed Shoes/boots

Do not count on there being extra safety gear for you to borrow.

Wear clothes you wouldn't mind getting dirty. This is molten lead, after all.

Recommended to bring
Folding Chair
note taking materials/ clip board
Barrels, cylinders, and/or guns that you want to shoot cast boolits in** so we can slug the bore/cylinder throats
Long pants & sleeves

**please provide a heads up on this so we can have the appropriate sizes ready

Schedule
8:30 - 9:00 - Arrival and Set Up of Equipment for organizers
9:00 - 9:30 - Arrival and Registration for workshop participants - Please try to be on time.
10:00 - Workshop begins
10:30 - 12:00 - First round of mini workshops - see below for explanation
12:00 - 1:00 - Lunch
1:00 - 2:30 - Second Round of mini workshops
2:30 - 4:00 - Third and last round of mini-workshops
4:00 - Wrap Up and departure (to Shooting Supply if you want to)

Shooting Supply is less than 10 minutes away and primarily stocks reloading and casting supplies while also being a full service FFL. Get the tools while all the info is fresh in your head!

Seminar Topics
Molten Lead Safety
Casting Terminology
Alloys, Hardness, and Uses
Fluxing
Smelting
Mold Preparation
Casting Techniques
Boolit to Gun Fit
Lubing & Sizing & Gas Checks - Tools & Techniques
Common Problems and Solutions
Further Study: Paper Patching, list of resources
And more

Every attendee will get to participate in each of the above class topics but not necessarily in order. The groups will be assigned after registration. You will get a chance to cover each subject with the group leader in a more one on one and hands on way.
Example: you might do session B first (in round 1) and then session A second (in round 2), and then session C last (in round three).

Yard Sale/Swap Meet: Feel free to bring any casting related supplies to buy/sell/trade. This is your one reminder that all local laws will be followed and there is a zero tolerance policy for violation of those laws. You will be told to leave if found in violation of the law.

I hope this goes without saying, but just in case... No alcohol of any kind during the seminar.

Instructors:
Michael J. Spangler
Shawn Miranda


Attendance Cap: 24


Participants are no longer required to bring your own lead.

$30 participation to be prepaid to Michael J. Spangler via paypal/cash/check/MO
[email protected]

THAT $30 GETS YOU...
Take-home reference material to use in future casting endeavors
whatever you cast during the seminar
Roughly 20#of smelted, ready to cast lead @ current market value (approx. $1/lb)
Food: coffee, donuts, sandwich, chips, drink, etc

Attendees: Let us know what caliber you are most interested in casting so we have enough molds ready. The intent here is to send everyone home with bullets they can shoot. We recommend to pick a caliber that is cast-bullet friendly. Some suggestions: 38 special, 357 Mag, 44 Mag, 45 ACP, 45 LC, 30-30, 308 Win, 30-06, 45-70.... If you have something in mind and aren't sure about it, don't hesitate to ask.


required for casting/smelting: glasses/goggles, face shield, long gloves (welding or fireplace) gloves, long pants, close toed shoes

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

What does it cost to get started?

$80 Lee bottom pour lead melting furnace
$20 Lee 2 Cavity Mould
$16 Lee sizing die
$5 Lee alox

For that small investment you're making your own cast lead bullets and not relying on what the local store has in stock.

for an additional
$20 toaster oven
$10 acetone
$12 Hi-Tek coating

You can make bullets with the same coating that all of big casting companies use that run just like a plated bullet.

Spend $50 on a 6 cavity mould with handles and you're cranking out about 18 bullets per minute.

You can have your investment paid off by the time you cast about 3000 bullets.

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

http://hi-performancebulletcoatings.com

Here is some info on the bullet coating.
If you're reloading and traditional lubed lead then you need to give these a try. Donnie Miculek (of the famous Miculek family) casts awesome bullets at an awesome price ( I am not affiliated with this company I just like the product) and has the bullet coating available so once you learn to cast you can coat your own.

I have personally run coated bullets in 357 and 44 mag pistols with full house loads with ZERO leading. Also in 300 Blackout and 45/70 with ZERO leading.

 

[mac1911]

You don't even really need a bottom pour casting pot.
I used a free Colman burner and a small cast iron pot I bought for $2 to start with then yardsale finds on stainless spoons and such.
I will say a nice little bottom pour Lee pot is nice to have.

Also anyone in the south shore area that wants to pick up some wheel weights for the event give a shout out.

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

You don't even really need a bottom pour casting pot.
I used a free Colman burner and a small cast iron pot I bought for $2 to start with then yardsale finds on stainless spoons and such.
I will say a nice little bottom pour Lee pot is nice to have.

Also anyone in the south shore area that wants to pick up some wheel weights for the event give a shout out.

You are totally right sir.
If you find a coleman burner and a cheap cast iron or steel pot you're in business. Some people bend up spoons to make ladles but a lee ladle can be had for about $10 IIRC

So if you're in need of a budget set up you can get into even cheaper. Also if the bullet drop at the right diameter you don't need to size. You can save another $16 on the sizing kit and put that towards a new bullet mould.

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

This just in.
Donnie from Bayou Bullets has donated again this year.
We will have small sample packs of hi-tek coating for door prizes.
1 oz or so of powder will be enough to coat about 40 pounds of bullets with 3 thin coats. Which is probably overkill.
That's about 1800 158 grain bullets.

 

[mac1911]

This just in.
Donnie from Bayou Bullets has donated again this year.
We will have small sample packs of hi-tek coating for door prizes.
1 oz or so of powder will be enough to coat about 40 pounds of bullets with 3 thin coats. Which is probably overkill.
That's about 1800 158 grain bullets.

its nice when a manufacture recognizes the need to to introduce new products to new shooter/loaders/casters
I still have not dived into coatings...IDKW..

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

This is what you can do when you cast. I didn't have to drop to the store to get these.
12LB 13 oz of 9mm for nothing but my time.
Handful of 44 to try out a new mould
Some really cool 163 grain "collar buttons" that I can load galley loads in my 45/70 or in ACP. in my experience about 6 grains of bullseye launches round balls with respectable accuracy from the 45/70 and pretty darn quiet to boot.

 

[mac1911]

Once you get into it and make a few connections lead and equipment sometimes just appear over night.

Found this baby in my driveway sat morning.. about 50ish pounds of soft lead sheet

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

Shooting Supply just donated a couple gallons or so of Linotype for door prizes.
If I didn't mention before hi-performance bullet coatings (Donnie Miculek) donated sample packs of coating so first some first serve 14 attendees get to walk away with a pack of this stuff to try.
It works great and looks good to boot.

 

[mac1911]

Again I have a lead donation for anyone willing to pick it up in Hanover MA week days.
It's a mix of wheel weights,flashing, and other nuggets.

 

[mac1911]

pastera heres your 32# BoxOPb
its roofing sheathing, very soft stuff great for black powder or blending
Wheel Weights, sorry not sorted and I will toss the few handfuls at work in also.
Some random chunks...some of it is labeled some not. the chunks are mostly random lead scrap and could be anything but it leans to the soft side.

we need to find someone in the group who has access to a XRF gun who can do some testing for us

 

[76Too]

Again I have a lead donation for anyone willing to pick it up in Hanover MA week days.
It's a mix of wheel weights,flashing, and other nuggets.

Mac, it looks like i'll be going to the vintage and M1 match on the 15th at OCSA...if you want to bring what you have, i'll add it to the buckets of wheel weights i've been collecting from the tire department at the junkyard.

 

[namedpipes]

In. Should I pick Friends and Family or Services?

 

[76Too]

In. Should I pick Friends and Family or Services?

Frienes and family...no mention of firearms related keywords, obviously.

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

Exactly what he said

Frienes and family...no mention of firearms related keywords, obviously.

 

[mac1911]

Mac, it looks like i'll be going to the vintage and M1 match on the 15th at OCSA...if you want to bring what you have, i'll add it to the buckets of wheel weights i've been collecting from the tire department at the junkyard.

pastera has made claim to my donation. He can use it at will at the seminar keep it, smelt it, share it, swap it, trade it or give it away.

 

[pastera]

pastera has made claim to my donation. He can use it at will at the seminar keep it, smelt it, share it, swap it, trade it or give it away.

Picking up tonight after work - will bring to the seminar as a donation. What happens to it at the seminar is up to those running the seminar.

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

Picking up tonight after work - will bring to the seminar as a donation. What happens to it at the seminar is up to those running the seminar.

We can either smelt it up and split it up or we can just do the bucket as a door prize

 

[mac1911]

We can either smelt it up and split it up or we can just do the bucket as a door prize

I pulled a doh! Tonight , he called to remind me and I still drove off with out taking it out of the truck to leave it for Him....lucky I was not to far off. Even if I did make it home I am only 17 min away....
It's mostly soft lead and what unsorted wheel weights we accumulated recently at the shop.
We do about 75-100 tires a month with about 4oz per wheel which takes a while to add up.
So around 250-300lbs a year with about 50% being lead. Then after smelting the yield is even smaller. I used to get wheel weights from other shops. Although now most shops have newer better balancers which use much less weight over all.
We have a hunter road force balancer. The first year we had it our per wheel weight average went done 65% which means less weight getting put on and less coming in.

I'm expecting a good haul of lead over the winter and next year will offer up more lead for seminar.
If I can't be there at least I can help.

 

[pastera]

I pulled a doh! Tonight , he called to remind me and I still drove off with out taking it out of the truck to leave it for Him....lucky I was not to far off. Even if I did make it home I am only 17 min away....
It's mostly soft lead and what unsorted wheel weights we accumulated recently at the shop.
We do about 75-100 tires a month with about 4oz per wheel which takes a while to add up.
So around 250-300lbs a year with about 50% being lead. Then after smelting the yield is even smaller. I used to get wheel weights from other shops. Although now most shops have newer better balancers which use much less weight over all.
We have a hunter road force balancer. The first year we had it our per wheel weight average went done 65% which means less weight getting put on and less coming in.

I'm expecting a good haul of lead over the winter and next year will offer up more lead for seminar.
If I can't be there at least I can help.

Thanks for coming back to drop off the box - I should have texted you earlier but I do have the excuse that I was literally in a Faraday cage half the day so no cell coverage

 

[mac1911]

Thanks for coming back to drop off the box - I should have texted you earlier but I do have the excuse that I was literally in a Faraday cage half the day so no cell coverage

No problem. I,pulled my truck out front to put box out. Talked to my boss a bit and just jumped back and and screwed....

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

I pulled a doh! Tonight , he called to remind me and I still drove off with out taking it out of the truck to leave it for Him....lucky I was not to far off. Even if I did make it home I am only 17 min away....
It's mostly soft lead and what unsorted wheel weights we accumulated recently at the shop.
We do about 75-100 tires a month with about 4oz per wheel which takes a while to add up.
So around 250-300lbs a year with about 50% being lead. Then after smelting the yield is even smaller. I used to get wheel weights from other shops. Although now most shops have newer better balancers which use much less weight over all.
We have a hunter road force balancer. The first year we had it our per wheel weight average went done 65% which means less weight getting put on and less coming in.

I'm expecting a good haul of lead over the winter and next year will offer up more lead for seminar.
If I can't be there at least I can help.

Thank you again for the help!

 

[BillNed]

It looks like I will be able to get 4 maybe 5 of these for door prizes.



I have these molds plus if anyone has a Milsurp Rifle.

 

[mac1911]

It looks like I will be able to get 4 maybe 5 of these for door prizes.

View attachment 208005

I have these molds plus if anyone has a Milsurp Rifle.

View attachment 208006

have you tried the lee 312-160 mold. does it drop larger than 312? that looks like a good 7.7 jap bullet

 

[BillNed]

I use them for my 7.7, 7.62X54R, and my 303 Brit Yes they drop a little larger and with Hi Tech coating better. I know the 160 grn is for 7.62X39 but it works in all of mine.

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

Awesome billthank you!

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

How about some cast glue bulles? Fired with a rifle primer only. Great replacement for the expensive Speer plastic training shells or the rubber x bullets.

No mold no worries. (For 45 at least) just slide a 1/2" glue stick into primed brass and trim to the case mouth. Instant glue wadcutter.

Or cast your own wadcutters.

Why you ask? Because I can!

 

[mac1911]

How about some cast glue bulles? Fired with a rifle primer only. Great replacement for the expensive Speer plastic training shells or the rubber x bullets.

No mold no worries. (For 45 at least) just slide a 1/2" glue stick into primed brass and trim to the case mouth. Instant glue wadcutter.

Or cast your own wadcutters.

Why you ask? Because I can!

we used to shoot wax bullets in the basement in the winter in a beater 38spl lots of fun and in a old field stone basement we would shoot into the small holes and cracks between the rocks..

 

[namedpipes]

After some coaching from Boris, I cast some parts in plastic.

I'd be happy to bring some of the plastic and try casting a few bullets in your molds if anyone is interested. It's literally a 15 - 20 minute exercise.