More bin-diving

[enfield2band]

I have been too busy for shooting this week with work-work and work on the house, but this morning I escaped before anyone realised what I was up to: "I made you a bacon sandwich and here's a cup of tea. I'm off to gun club, the work phone is on the dresser..."

Sounds of doors slamming and screeching tyres.

I don't know if news of my poubelle exploration has spread, but in the running boar stand there was a neat bundle of 9mm shells on the edge of the bench next to the bin. Lovely.

I still found more in the bin, under the benches and along the front of the stand.

I bought a new gun last Friday, a lovely Bettinsoli extra light o/u m/c in 12g. It wasn't long before the words "rifled choke" and "paradox" floated across my ipad screen. Oh Lordy! I need those!

Further research found the Svarog slug mould, a little later I found the diablo set with five weight options for about £40. I ordered it from Russia Sunday night, it arrived yesterday. Proper impressed I am.

Last night I was idly looking around the pan drawer for something suitable for melting lead when Mrs Bum caught me red handed. "Not on your Nelly!" Was the gist of the next few minutes tutorial on correct and appropriate adult behaviour. She insisted I buy a Lee Production 4 lead melter. Who am I to argue!?

Anyway, that's all stuff for the future as it will be next week before the melter arrives, but today I had had more weighty thoughts. Lead!

Our running boar stand has a dead impressive set of knock downs at 25m with louvered shutters at the back to funnel all the lead into hoppers underneath (See it here) Once I was out of the brass bin I was in there with a box to fill.

I should've brought a bigger box, 3.5kg is all it could hold, and that was just a couple of scoops from the top of one hopper. I later went down to the sandpit at the bottom of the range to stand some cans up and found many, many 12g slugs littering the bank. I will return next week with a trailer......

So, next week I will be making some very big RWS Hobby pellets to try. I intend to just pop them into 2 1/2" shells I've emptied the shot out of (it was steel shot) and have at it.

Any advice from melters or moulders welcome.

Make sure the lead slug is not heavier than the shot load you are swapping it for or it will put your pressures up. And check the slug will go through the choke on your gun if you are not using a cylinder choke.

I cast Minnie bullets. I find that tilting the mould slightly as I pour the lead helps to stop an air pocket in the bottom of the mould which causes a mis-shaped bullet..

[JB101]

Get some beeswax to use as a flux when melting the lead to get rid of any merde in it.

ATB
James

[tinbum]

Get some beeswax to use as a flux when melting the lead to get rid of any merde in it.

ATB
James

I got some tealight candles in readyness. I have sifted through and removed as much debris as I could, it will be interesting what the yield is from 3.5kg of dust and crap.

Oh, and I want to get a silicone dinosaur tray for making clean ingots. Does anyone here use silicone?

[Turnup]

Most of that dust is in fact fine lead dust so chuck it all in.

[Black Beard]

I use one of those trays designed for making multiple cupcakes. You might want to clean off any ptfe non-stick before you use it as fluorine isn't nice. I'm sure you can find one in the pan cupboard.

I melt led on a gas camping burner and use a flat bottomed stainless pan with a metal handle. Make sure the handle rivets are good.

BB

[tinbum]

I use one of those trays designed for making multiple cupcakes. You might want to clean off any ptfe non-stick before you use it as fluorine isn't nice. I'm sure you can find one in the pan cupboard.

I melt led on a gas camping burner and use a flat bottomed stainless pan with a metal handle. Make sure the handle rivets are good.

BB

Yet another advantage of being young, free and single

[tinbum]

Most of that dust is in fact fine lead dust so chuck it all in.

The hoppers are so compacted with it further down it's almost gone solid.

[aris]

I got some tealight candles in readyness. I have sifted through and removed as much debris as I could, it will be interesting what the yield is from 3.5kg of dust and crap.

Oh, and I want to get a silicone dinosaur tray for making clean ingots. Does anyone here use silicone?

Yeah, I think any wax will work for flux. Did you watch that video I posted regarding re-claiming range lead?

[tinbum]

Yeah, I think any wax will work for flux. Did you watch that video I posted regarding re-claiming range lead?

No, got a link?

[aris]

No, got a link?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTRwfyvIbkc

[deershooter]

Is this uk ? If it is slugs are section 1 firearm components and can not be possessed with a shotgun licence ,also slugs use slower powder than lead shot it’s not safe just to swap one for one .

[enfield2band]

I got some tealight candles in readyness. I have sifted through and removed as much debris as I could, it will be interesting what the yield is from 3.5kg of dust and crap.

Oh, and I want to get a silicone dinosaur tray for making clean ingots. Does anyone here use silicone?

If you mean the white wax candles that won't do. Beeswax is a flux. When you melt bullet lead the tin separates out and floats on the surface like a grey scum. If you drop a pea size piece of beeswax in and stir it round it will pull the tin back into the melt. After it has had a good stirring there will be what looks like black grit on top of the alloyed lead. Scoop this off and chuck it away.

[aris]

If you mean the white wax candles that won't do. Beeswax is a flux. When you melt bullet lead the tin separates out and floats on the surface like a grey scum. If you drop a pea size piece of beeswax in and stir it round it will pull the tin back into the melt. After it has had a good stirring there will be what looks like black grit on top of the alloyed lead. Scoop this off and chuck it away.

Lots of people use white paraffin wax. Watch the video I linked to above - he demonstrates it.

Also http://www.lasc.us/FryxellFluxing.htm

More info on casting

http://www.lasc.us/ArticlesFryxell.htm

[Black Beard]

You can use sawdust to. Get it from a pet store or run a HW35 stock through a circular saw.

[enfield2band]

Lots of people use white paraffin wax. Watch the video I linked to above - he demonstrates it.

Also http://www.lasc.us/FryxellFluxing.htm

More info on casting

http://www.lasc.us/ArticlesFryxell.htm

I have never found paraffin wax to be effective.
Another thing to bear in mind is that when it burns off the smoke is more volatile than beeswax.