# Lead for casting!



## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

If you go to the nets biggest auction house (won’t advertize it here) and type in “casting lead” you can usually find some there for one dollar a pound shipped to your door. Casting your own is the cheapest way that I know for getting lead balls. Tex-Shooter


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## PandaMan (Oct 14, 2010)

ok, thanks Tex - should be very useful.








Also, I'd like to ask about where I can get a proper lead casting pot - preferably one with a lever and a tap at the bottom. I've done some searching and I haven't yet found a reliable source.


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## orcrender (Sep 11, 2010)

I have the Lee production pot. Here is a link to their site. http://www.leeprecision.com/html/catalog/melters.html You can also Google it for cheaper price.


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## PandaMan (Oct 14, 2010)

ok. Thanks, now I know which one to buy when I muster up the money.


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## frogman (Nov 11, 2010)

You need to get the Lee six cast bullet mold. Anything less just takes too long to build yourself and arsenal of ammo. I go to the tire store and buy the balance weights that are the throw away. You can also got to the scrap metal yard and buy lead that way.....happy hunting......Frogman


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

If you have never seen one, a single cavity sprue-less hand mold is very fast! Here is a home made one. Just dip close and release into hot water. No sprue, no pouring and no mess. -- Tex


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## crazyslingshot (Dec 25, 2009)

your post is so vague

what's the Url link please?


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## philly (Jun 13, 2010)

I think it begins with an E.


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

The LEE Production Pot IV is a good deal. Mine has seen many hundreds of pounds of lead. With a double cavity mold it doesn't take long to dump 500 round balls.



















Cheers,
Northerner


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## Gib (Sep 21, 2010)

crazyslingshot said:


> your post is so vague
> 
> what's the Url link please?


He does not want to advertise for the big boys, It only the largest aution website on the net if you cant figure it out from that oh my!


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## Darb (Sep 14, 2010)

Since lead seems to be everywhere, whether we want it or not, perhaps I should reconsider my earlier desire to avoid it.


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

Lee products are great. I have a Lee lead pot, two Lee molds, and a Lee bench press. All have worked perfectly for almost 20 years. Midway USA has the best prices and service I've found on the net.


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## dhansen (Aug 31, 2010)

I use a sling shot round lead ball mold from Do-It. See one here: http://www.do-itmold...molds.aspx?c=88 I bought most of my supplies from them also and I recommend them. Remember, Always use extreme caution when molding lead. Do it outdoors, wear proper safety protection and remember that molten lead (700+ degrees F, plus water equals explosion.







Even a very small amt of moisture ( water , sweat, condensation ), can cause an explosion.







I learned the hard way. I thought I was being very careful. Somehow there was moisture on a iron ladle that I dipped in a pot of molten lead and the lead splattered everywhere. Thank God i didn't get burned. My coleman stove was a heck of a mess w/ lead splattered all over it. Took quite a while to clean up. Now i am SUPER careful. Prior to dipping a lg spoon or ladle into lead, I set it in the flames of the Coleman for a few minutes. I'm real careful to not drip sweat into the pot and I keep all water very far away. I never mold on overcast days cause it might rain and i do not quench the balls in water. I dump em into a dry, large, shallow metal pan. Since my mishap I have molded several thousand balls with no problems. Even moisture that you can't see is dangerous. Prior to molding i heat up my mold for several minutes next to the pot to insure it is also dry. You can't be too safe around molten lead. Take care.


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## Performance Catapults (Feb 3, 2010)

Since I work for the county, I have access to the throw away wheel weights from the garage. Got a nice collection building up. Looking to invest in some casting equipment in the near future. Very informative thread.


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## ERdept (Jun 10, 2010)

Where can i buy a lee 6 cavity mold?


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

ERdept said:


> Where can i buy a lee 6 cavity mold?


Lee does not make 6 cavity round ball molds. Lee Precision link. DoIt makes multiple cavity round ball molds (I have one), but a 2 cavity Lee will produce balls faster, because the ball comes out of the mold ready to shoot, but with the DoIt, you have to cut the sprue off each ball. The Lee also makes smoother and more spherical balls. Here's a link to a DoIt supplier. The only good reason I can see for choosing a DoIt over a Lee is that the DoIt mold casts two different size balls. DoIt balls are not suitable for muzzle loaders.


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

Hi ERdept,

Rather than one 6-cavity mold, I have used two or three double cavity molds when doing high volume casting with aluminum blocks. You get going in an organized juggling of the molds and production goes quite fast. Fill mold #1, 2, 3... dump #1, fill and put aside... dump #2, fill and put aside... dump #3, fill and put aside... repeat... etc.

Many years ago, I had three 4-cavity molds going at once. Volume was around 850 bullets per hour.

http://www.leeprecis...g/blackpow.html

Cheers,
Todd


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

Until one uses a good sprue-less mold you can't imagine how fast a single cavity can be. Some of the old mountain men knew. You can cast 15 to 30 balls a minute once you get in the rhythm and you don't need a production pot to do it. You can even use a small stainless pan for a melting pot as there is no pouring of the lead. -- Tex-Shooter


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## Devoman (Oct 15, 2010)

Tex-Shooter please tell us more, I am always interested in simple and cheap. Did you, or how did you make it? All I can think of is a "mellon-baller" on pliers.


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

I don't have one, but I have seen them and know how they are used. The picture several posts above was made by a German from a pair of poultry shears. I remember the first one that I saw. The handles looked a little like scissor handles and the tips were long. It was forged probability by a blacksmith and was very old. I keep looking at it and wondering how it worked and then it came to me. Just dip it into the lead open and close it, then take it out and hold it over water and open it. It tips were made so when they came together they seated and mad a perfect ball. The old man that owned the mold said I was the first one to have figured it out. He also said that a quite a few old timers had them made like that. I later saw one in an antique store for $15, but did not buy it. I wish that I had so as just to show it to others. This type of mold seems to have been forgotten for many years. I don't do any molding as I have a friend give me all the 44 cal. lead shot that I need and I give him lead that I find. Look at this title and post for more information. -- Tex-Shooter
http://slingshotforum.com/topic/680-lead-moulding-the-easy-way/


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## Devoman (Oct 15, 2010)

Thanks, great link I never thought of Co2 ends!


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