Slugs For Cheap

[Sneak 81]

The last time I bought lead from the scrap yard it was $0.85 a pound. Only one place would sell it to me and the dock worker had a look of shock on his face. He told me that was lead and therefore dangerous. He then proceeded to recheck with the foreman that he could sell it to me.

 

Lead can be dangerous? You know I just politely thanked him and held back my purposes.

I'd have bought the hell out of it. That's about the same price a scrap yard about 20 miles from here quoted me but I think I'd have had to sort it, dig it up whatever. I might check that out yet.

 

Thanks Squishy - my avatar was my worst nightmare as a kid.

 

I've got 3 scrap yards within 15 mi of me, I just haven't had time outside of work to check. $1 / lb doesn't seem too bad from the ebay prices I've seen.

 

Is anyone having any trouble shooting slugs out of the low brass stuff? It seems like it'd be OK since you're going from 1 1/8 to 7/8 projectile.

[Sneak 81]

Nevermind - it helps if I read the last few posts about the slug swap. I'm a freakin' noob. Hopefully I can jump into this in a few weeks.

[Squishy 1,149]

About your childhood.....ah, never mind.

 

I have roughly 100 lbs now so when I've converted it all into velocitous projectiles of destruction I'll probably go to the one scrap yard I found that would talk to me about buying lead. As for performance, I should be able to report about that within a week. I plan to cast the slugs on Sunday so I should be able to go try them out at the range right away.

[RED333 1,025]

OK, on lube for your mold, I use "never seez", google it.

It aint cheap, but works very well.

Take the sprue plate off, use a stone to make the bottom of the plate even,

Put some lube on the screw threads before you put the plate back on.

Put a little bit on the ribs, anywhere the ALU comes in contact with ALU.

Remember to soot up and preheat your mold.

The Lee key hole, the slug will stick to the center part if you mold if it is not hot.

Use more lube if you have to.

I have let mine set in the lead for a few seconds to get it hot.

When you pour, and the sprue is cool, cut it and open the mold, flip it over and

HIT THE HINGE BOLT ONLY to get the slug out.

Good luck.

Edited September 29, 2012 by RED333

[Squishy 1,149]

Thanks Red, great input. I want to ask, the type of shell you use mostly when doing this, how many "petals" does it have in the crimp? Should be either 6 or 8.

[Sneak 81]

I found a local scrap yard to sell it for $.50 / lb. They only had wheel weights. I'll wait until next week for some sinkers (I wasn't sure on the purity of the weights).

[patriot 7,197]

Be careful with the wheel weights. They USED to be lead. Most are zinc now. A little zinc in the pot will RUIN the lot.

[Sneak 81]

Be careful with the wheel weights. They USED to be lead. Most are zinc now. A little zinc in the pot will RUIN the lot.

 

Thanks for the info, that's what I was thinking. I passed on them for now. They said they receive a lot of sinkers and pipe. I'll probably stick with those for now. I figure at $.50 / lb, the slugs will cost me about $.03 - $.04 in lead each if there's little waste.

[Deadeye 325]

Be careful with the wheel weights. They USED to be lead. Most are zinc now. A little zinc in the pot will RUIN the lot.

The zink will float on top of the molten lead as long as it doesnt get too hot. also ti makes a difrent sound when dropped on a concrete floor.

[Squishy 1,149]

Ok, I obtained an IR thermometer at the pawn shop next to the range today and I have a question. If you wish to check a weight scale to see if it's off and how much you simply find an object of a known weight and see what the scale says. For non critical purposes something like a small weight lifting type plate will do. And if the scale is not adjustable (most even half decent ones are) you simply note how far off it is and factor that in to future numbers.

 

I've been racking my brain (such as it is) trying to figure out something of a known temperature, a way to check this IR thermometer....nothing yet, any ideas?

[TheJoe90 27]

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CDsQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scigiene.com%2Fpdfs%2FInfrared%2520Thermometers.pdf&ei=tjVnUKmpCITmiwLcioGADw&usg=AFQjCNE2kdE4V2sIieaJe4YmCObSCPVc5A

 

Looks like this kink may help you test that thermometer.

[TheJoe90 27]

http://www.thermoworks.com/learning/infrared_tips_icebath_to_calibrate_infrared.html

 

Another simple test. Google is your friend!

[RED333 1,025]

Known weight a "nickle coin is 5 grams". Dont ask how I know this

IR will not work well on a shiny surface, get ya one of these

http://www.amazon.com/Tel-Tru-LT225R-Replacement-Thermometer-degrees/dp/B0055777EU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1348948027&sr=8-3&keywords=lead+thermometer

" how many "petals" does it have in the crimp? Should be either 6 or 8."

Most have 8, but I can get 6 to recrimp on my reloader, old MEC.

A test to tell zinc and lead, bend them in a vice with plyers, you will know.

Check cal of a thermometer, boiling water, shoot the side of the pot, stick type, stick it in the water.

 

A little zinc is OK, very Little, zinc will dislove in lead like salt in water, the hotter the more it disloves.

[Sneak 81]

Not sure how accurate you're wanting it. I like TheJoe90's post. Also, boiling water 'should' be close to 212F. But there may be too much turbulence.

Edited September 29, 2012 by Sneak

[RED333 1,025]

Not sure how accurate you're wanting it. I like TheJoe90's post. Also, boiling water 'should' be close to 212F. But there may be too much turbulence.

That is why you shot the side of the pot, it wont be hotter than the water.

[Sneak 81]

Not sure how accurate you're wanting it. I like TheJoe90's post. Also, boiling water 'should' be close to 212F. But there may be too much turbulence.

That is why you shot the side of the pot, it wont be hotter than the water.

 

Good point, your post didn't show up while I was typing.

[Squishy 1,149]

I saw a vid where a guy was sorting wheel weights and he use the "clink" test. Take a big piece of steel, something heavy and solid and simply tap it (ha, he said "tap it") and if it sounds dull, or like a thud it's likely lead. If it makes a higher pitched "clink" sound it's steel or zinc. Scientific testing for sure.

[Squishy 1,149]

Another simple test. Google is your friend!

Yeah um, I don't have ice or the ability to make it (don't ask, it's a long, sad story). I could buy a cup I guess but I thought there may be another way without having to make a trip out to get it.

[Marc 147]

I think just about every zinc weight I have sorted out of my lead has had Zn stamped into the face of it, however, if you have a weight in question just use your pocket knife to shave a piece off. Lead will shave easily, Zinc will not.

[Groovy Mike 36]

once you do it a few times you recognize zinc right away. it looks and feels different than lead......

[Nephilim7 107]

Zinc (pure) is around 2.5 on Moh's scale of hardness (about the same as a fingernail). Lead (pure) is around 1.5. So, if you have a known piece of zinc, it will scratch a piece of lead with a firm swipe. Other zinc will be more difficult to scratch. Dad is a geologist... LOL

 

On the thermometer, suspend a piece of metal in boiling water to normalize temperature. Then pull out and shoot immediately with thermometer. Should be within a Few degrees of 212 F.

[Squishy 1,149]

Started casting slugs a couple of hours ago and I can't get rid of the wrinkles. From what I've read this is often caused by the mold temp being too low. So I've tried raising it with a propane torch and by dipping the corner in the pot. I've been able to get it up to around 350 degrees. And, I've tried different melter settings. This IR thermometer evidently won't go over 600 degrees because now when I shoot the pot it maxes out and doesn't give a reading. One thing that occurs to me though is while both the pot and the mold need to be within a certain temperature range, could it be possible that both need to be within a certain range from each other? What I saying/asking is, let's say the lead temp is really high. The mold could be smoking hot but if it's not within x degrees of the lead, wrinkling will occur.

 

So what I've done is lower the lead temp to see if that makes a difference. I know if the lead temp is too high it could have other negative consequences like extended time in the mold because if it's dropped too early it will deform. I'm going to see how this works.

 

The slugs I'm getting are probably useable but I'd like to get them as wrinkle free as possible.

 

Another thing I've noticed is when I take a good one and slide it into a bulk shell that's had the shot dumped out, it does not seat securely. If you take the shell and shake it back and forth, the slug moves, or "rattles" in the shell. I think I can see that this would definitely affect the performance of the slug or at the very least the consistency from shell to shell. One shot might be seated down in the cup, the next one could be forward. Might it be necessary to put a buffer of some sort either underneath or on top of the slug?

 

The pot should have cooled by now so I'm going to see if this helps.

[patriot 7,197]

Wrinkles are caused by a mold that's too cold. Set the mold on the edge of the pot while it's coming up to temp. After you cast the 1st few, you should be good to go.

 

Smoke the mold with a match too. that'll keep it from sticking.

[Squishy 1,149]

Wrinkles are caused by a mold that's too cold. Set the mold on the edge of the pot while it's coming up to temp. After you cast the 1st few, you should be good to go.

 

Smoke the mold with a match too. that'll keep it from sticking.

 

I've done these things, this is what has me stumped. I didn't want this to be trial and error although I guess it has to be to a certain extent. But I did try to do it by the book starting out. I would assume when you can feel the heat of the mold in the wooden handles it's pretty hot.

[RED333 1,025]

Anything but soot in the mold will make the ugly slug.

Spray the mold with some kind of cleaner, gun, brake, or carb, then re soot.

Ya got a propane tourch?

Heat the hell out of the mold.

No tourch, dip it in the lead, keep it closed and put it in bout 1/3 to 1/2 way,

let it sit till the lead wont stick, you wont hurt it.

My first few looked like hell, it will come around the more you use it.

Slug loose in the shell, no worries, crimp it back and check it again.

Flour will work for buffer.

Ya aint gona be hitting well out past 50 yrds without a rifled barrel of some kind.

Edited September 30, 2012 by RED333

[Squishy 1,149]

I cleaned the mold inside with isopropyl alcohol and the re-sooted. Went back out and the new temp adjustment had had time to stabilize.

 

No wrinkles.

 

But I did manage to pour one when the mold was not all the way closed and those who've done this knows what that means. Thought I was going to have to take the mold apart but I took the propane torch and melted out what needed to be gone and went on. And I found out that if you get on a run the mold and sprue plate will heat up increasing the time the sprue is liquid, So I dumped a smidge of molten lead on my leg but I've had worse.

 

Interesting thing, at one point I looked into the pot the oxidation that was floating on the top was deep red. Dunno what's up with that. Oh, and I slid one sinker in and a second later the pot burbed lead over the side.

 

Came back in for a stogie and a soda.

 

The story continues.......

[patriot 7,197]

Be VERY careful your lead is DRY when you add it to the pot. I had ~70lbs of lead blow to the ceiling and it rained molten lead all over me because the recovered shot I was adding wasn't completely dry. I had molten lead in my hair, plating the leather glove I was wearing, some sticking to my face, and a few very deep burns on my right arms.

 

Yes, it hurt. A LOT.

 

When I cast, I pre-heat any scrap lead in an old pot on an old gas camping stove BEFORE it goes into the pot to chase off the moisture.

 

BE CAREFUL! I got lucky. You might not.

[RED333 1,025]

Second the preheat your lead, I have stoped casting, let the pot cool enough to get hard a bit,

put the new lead in to make sure all water is gone, I to have had a shower in lead, NO FUN.

The colors you see is the oxadation changes, scrape it off and go on.

Edited September 30, 2012 by RED333

[Squishy 1,149]

Well I called it a day. The mold needs to be cleaned. I think I got it too hot, over 400° and I got lead in places I just couldn't clean with out taking it apart. I got 150 slugs done. Some are on the frostly side but I think they'll sail right on down through there just as well.

 

In the beginning;

 

 

 

At the end;

 

 

 

[RED333 1,025]

Nice job Man, Get a brass or bronze brush to clean the mold, steel brush is to hard.

Frosty is, lead to hot, they will shoot, but will break apart on impact, still will slober knock the shit

out of a target, be it flesh or not.

Ya done good, real GOOD!!!