Casting your own round ball?

andersk

What are your thoughts on casting your own round ball. I shoot .495 round ball most of the time. As the price keeps going up, I'm wondering if I should start casting my own round ball. [?]

Is it worth the cost of getting everything to do-it-yourself? Seems like it might be fun and a tad dangerous.

As a kid, I used to watch my Dad cast some bullets. It was a lot of messing around for rifle bullets. Round ball seems like it would not be that hard to do. I'm eager to hear about your experience with this. Thanks

hillbille

If you have good soft lead to begin with it is not hard at all, I melt mine in a small one quart size cast iron pan, over the burner on the stove. once melted I drop a teaspoon of vegetable oil in the melted lead, after it has burned off skim the "skin" off the top ot the lead, you may have to do this more than once depending on the purity of the lead, the impurities are in this "skin". then just pour and cool, you may make a few bad ones till the mold heats to the right temperature, from then on it is easy sailing.
try not to breath the fumes from the melting lead, and be careful to not spill any on floor, it will leave marks, as may the wife.[;)] if you have any balls that are not right just remelt them and try again. granted this is the cheap way, you can get a electric melting pot, ect. but this is an easy way to start.

glabray

Please do not melt lead on the kitchen stove! I'm sure you've heard all the hype about lead paint. Some of the hype is true. Don't even think about playing with lead in the same are location where your family's food is prepared. Even if you don't spill a speck, a certain amount of lead will vaporize into the air from the liquid metal. Casting should be done only in a very well ventilated area away from food and drink. Go out in the back yard. Melt the lead on a camping stove.

v35

Get a Lyman dipper having a spout that fits in the mould top. It keeps pressure on the cast ball so it fills out properly.
A little tin in the lead will help the ball fill out properly.
If you're shooting a patched ball, you don't need pure lead and any lead alloy will do.

mbsams

It's not worth the setup costs and personnal risks involved. You will never cast a ball as good as you can buy. They're cheap and you can't load and shoot them fast enough to ever justify the trouble and cost of casting your own IMHO.

firstharmonic

Andersk,
Cost depends on several things; namely - what you have or can find as opposed to what you'd have to buy.

When I first started casting my own, I used a Coleman stove for a heat source, an old tablespoon bent into a ladle ( with a home-made wooden handle made from a 5 inch length of broomstick for burn prevention), and lead that I "scrounged" from various sources. I had to buy a small cast-iron pot (still readily available) and a bullet mold. Lee molds are available new for around $25.00, shipping included.

So, you would have to buy a $25.00 bullet mold for sure. Other start-up costs will depend on what you already have a - camp stove, a melting pot, etc. - or what you'd have to buy. And, of course, you can go "whole hog" to begin with and buy an electric furnace, a dipper like v35 mentioned and purchased lead. Or you can start out like I did and lowball the costs IF you already have a camp stove, a source of lead on the cheap, a pot, etc. If you have to buy everything and it'll only be used for casting, well, you'll have to do some figuring to determine if it's worth it.

As to safety - it can and will be as safe as a person chooses to make it. Well-ventilated ( I use the garage) is a given. And there's hot lead to consider, as well as a number of other things that you would have to read up on. But it can be done safely, and is done so by many, many people on a regular basis. As to quality, well, I can cast round balls that have won and hopefully will continue to win matches. Trouble? If I did not enjoy doing this then it would be trouble all right. But, for me, it's part of the total process and I actually do enjoy it.

You'll just have to decide for yourself if it would be a chore or part of a fun hobby. To each, his own. So give it some thought and good luck with whatever you decide.

k_townman

As has been stated in previous posts, you need to use pure lead in blackpowder firearms. I would also suggest that you find a Lee roundball mold. They are made, to not leave a sprue mark. Less hassle when you're loading. Best of luck to you. Have fun.

andersk

I've heard that the Lyman mold is the way to go. What is your preference? [?] and why? [?]

andersk

I was at a gun shop yesterday and a box of 100 Speer .495's was going for $14.95. That is almost double what I last paid! ... I think I am going to start looking for some Lyman round ball molds at gun shows, and I'm going to start casting my own round ball.

k_townman

quote:Originally posted by andersk
I've heard that the Lyman mold is the way to go. What is your preference? [?] and why? [?]

You can't beat Lee for quality and value.

andersk

Now that is the second person in the last week who said that Lee molds are the way and they cost a lot less ... like a third less. Works for me!

festus

Dang,you pretty much described my operation to a tee. Figured I was the only one still using a coleman stove. Don't get much better than a bent table spoon with a hole drilled in it and screwed to a peice of wood to dip up that molten lead. BE careful that stuff is hot.
quote:Originally posted by firstharmonic
Andersk,
Cost depends on several things; namely - what you have or can find as opposed to what you'd have to buy.

When I first started casting my own, I used a Coleman stove for a heat source, an old tablespoon bent into a ladle ( with a home-made wooden handle made from a 5 inch length of broomstick for burn prevention), and lead that I "scrounged" from various sources. I had to buy a small cast-iron pot (still readily available) and a bullet mold. Lee molds are available new for around $25.00, shipping included.

So, you would have to buy a $25.00 bullet mold for sure. Other start-up costs will depend on what you already have a - camp stove, a melting pot, etc. - or what you'd have to buy. And, of course, you can go "whole hog" to begin with and buy an electric furnace, a dipper like v35 mentioned and purchased lead. Or you can start out like I did and lowball the costs IF you already have a camp stove, a source of lead on the cheap, a pot, etc. If you have to buy everything and it'll only be used for casting, well, you'll have to do some figuring to determine if it's worth it.

As to safety - it can and will be as safe as a person chooses to make it. Well-ventilated ( I use the garage) is a given. And there's hot lead to consider, as well as a number of other things that you would have to read up on. But it can be done safely, and is done so by many, many people on a regular basis. As to quality, well, I can cast round balls that have won and hopefully will continue to win matches. Trouble? If I did not enjoy doing this then it would be trouble all right. But, for me, it's part of the total process and I actually do enjoy it.

You'll just have to decide for yourself if it would be a chore or part of a fun hobby. To each, his own. So give it some thought and good luck with whatever you decide.

andersk

Back to the subject of round ball molds ... is the diameter (ie. .490 or .495) pretty exact? [?] I sure want to stick with .495 for my own cast round ball.

I understand the Lee molds are cheaper but made of aluminum ... is that a problem? [?]

I guess I'm leaning back toward the Lyman molds. Guess I just like the idea of iron rather than aluminum. Plus spending more seems to make me think they are better. Is that just being stupid! [:p]

machine gun moran

Sometimes casting balls where food is prepared, can lead to excitement. Remember that the Battle of Antietam, in which over 20,000 were killed in a single day with gains measured only in yards, was fought between two groups who had spent their prior years casting balls in the fireplace next to the biscuit sheets.[:I][}:)]

Kory

I have both Lee and Lyman molds and have been casting my entire time of Shooting ,I have probably cast 5,000 rounds with both brands of mold and have never had a problem . ht only difference is the Lyman gives a larger sprue . but if you load the same way everytime then it makes no difference. I like the fact that I saeve money doing it myself , and once you get a small supply of lead , you just have to keep your eyes open for lead here and there.You will want to use as pure of lead you can get , that will insure your barrel will last a lot longer , stay away from wheel weight lead , it merely a by product made from waste lead and who knows what else , and I have tried melting it you spend more time scraping impurities out than anything else . a quick judge for pure lead is to drop it on a conrete floor if it has a dull thud then it is ok to use , if it rings then it has too much antimony and other metals in it . I prefer double cavity molds because you increase production. good luck ![:)]

2nd note , If you can get melting pot go that route , it will make for a better product, and make sure to never do it in the kitchen, I would not reccomend using a coleman stove either. You need good temp control so as to control the lead temp.You can pick melting pots for about 40 to 50 bucks , and they are worth there weight in lead. I have been burned badly in melting accidents and making sure to use the right equipment makes a difference. don't short cut here!

kms1961

i have used a coleman stove for years with excellent results melting pot is a cast iron dutch oven 50 cents at a sale. as for as lee dies being alum. it is a avantage no phe heat time excellent product at a fair cost. what ever you do dont ever let moisture into you pot and wear safety glasses if you are wise.

victorj19

For a cheap source of pure lead, ask your dentist. I've learned that they often save the small lead covers from xray films. Some dentists just don't want the lead to go to a landfill or incinerator. I got about 7 pounds from a dentist recently.

I stated out as a kid casting sinkers. Used the gas kitchen stove when no one was around[:0] a clean soup can, squeezed the rim together to form a pour spout and then, 90 degrees from the spout, used a pair of pliers to bend the rim over a bit. When lead is melted, use the pliers to lift the can and pour into the mold. I graduated to the garage with the can and a propane torch. Today it's a pot, Coleman stove, dipper, etc.

steamingutpile

Never cast roundballs but lots of split shot and pencil sinkers. I used to have a plumbers pot that went on top of a special fixture. Can't fill the tank anymore since they came out with the overfill protection tanks. But the burner from my turkey fryer works just as well. My plumbers cast iron pot holds 90lbs of molten lead. Once the lead is melted and you've skimmed off the oixidation layer cut your heat back. Too hot and the top layer of the lead will oxidize this is true with all molten metals that's what the flux on a welding rod does excludes air from the molten metal or Argon in the case of MIG. As others have said do this outside breathing lead vapor is harmfull. I use an old metal kitchen ladle for pouring into sinker molds. Keep a five gallon bucket of water nearby along with the garden hose in case of a spill and fire. I wear welding gloves for protection. I have about three hundred pounds of lead I got free when they tore out the old underground phone cables to replace with fiber optic cable. I used an old muffin pan to keep ingots manageable each weighs 2 1/2lbs.

steamingutpile

Like I said before never cast round balls. But with new sinker molds I blacken the mold with candle soot it helps release the casting. Don't use wheel weights they are too hard and brittle. Spilt shot made with them are near impossible to crimp on line and will most times just break. Pure lead will give best expansion.

dandak1

Have Lee, Herters, RCBS, and Lyman molds in various calibers. Much prefer Lee to the others..the aluminum heats up much quicker...usually 2 or 3 casts and i can start saving the balls. With the iron molds it takes a lot longer to heat up. Lee states in their instructions that come with the molds to LUBE the guide pins every once in awhile (with bullet lube). I believe most problems with Lee molds come from users not doing that. It helps the blocks align themselves while you close them. All my molds, aluminum or iron, get a treatment of Mold-prep before a casting session. Roundballs I cast are in Lee and lyman molds, using pure lead only. Had no idea these round balls were now bringing 15/box. Yikes!