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G-Mike, when you say "don't destroy expensive shot" are you talking about the shot that came out of the shell in the first place? I figured one good thing about this is there would be no need to obtain lead of any kind, just use the small pellets to make one big one. If a shell contains 1 1/8oz of small shot and it's melted to create either a 7/8oz or 1oz slugs you'd actually end up with lead left over.

 

If I want to convert that scrap lead to small shot I need to swap it to a guy with a shotmaker. I give him 2 pounds of lead for one pound of shot back. So his shot costs me $1 per pound but it is not as good as factory made shot since it is not uniformly sized or perfectly round.

 

The idea that you guys are melting down perfectly good lead shot is just killing me.

 

lolz, ya it sounds good until ya do the math..

 

tell me more aboot this shotmaker, my buddy at work was trying to make a dripper, with ill results

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a lee lead melter and mold are only 20 and 30 dollars each, i buy federal bulk pack for 20 and empty all the shot and cast into lee drive key 1 oz slugs! 100 slugs for $20 and a little labor! they sho

Lyman 525 slug hitting hard is an understatment. In the pic, the slugs on the left, top 3 are out of a sand bag. The middle left is a unfired slug. The 2 at the bottom left, are off a steel plate.

Kineti-Dump® in it's infancy: 1-3/4"x10" black steel pipe (handle) 2-3/4" black caps 1-3/4"x3" nipple (shot end) 1-3/4"x3" brass nipple (shell end) the brass was closer to fitting the o.d. of the

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Went out and made the rounds trying to scrounge up some scrap lead. Went to 4 places who deal primarily in tires and got the same "We're on a recycling program" line from them all but I was able to talk one place into giving roughly 20LBs of old wheel weights.

 

Are there any other possible sources I might check for scrap?

 

Some indoor ranges will sell it.

Scrap metal yards will often sell it

Craiglist ad will find roofers and plumbers that save it for scrap

Boat salvage yards will have lead keels from sail boats.

Commercial fishers often have buckets of old weights from nets and traps.

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Yes, I've come to learn that tire shops etc. don't even have lead wheel weights in many cases. Almost all the new weights are now zinc, or polymer/tungsten etc.

 

The boat yard info is great. My other idea was just to see if any of the recycling centers has a "lead pile" and just see if I can get mixed "dirty" lead for less than spot.

 

And I too am interested in trading scrap for shot!

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As has been pointed out there are other sources of scrap lead and from what I've seen even if you have to buy it off eBay it's still a way to drastically cut down the per shell cost of slugs and anything else that can be cast "at home".

 

Since it seems people are wanting to get involved with this trading shot for slugs or scrap and vice versa it might be good to start a "Want To Trade" thread in the appropriate forum where anyone can post their offer.

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Here is what I am going to do - I am going to the scrap yard this weekend and buying 100 pounds of lead if the price is still decent. Then I will convert it into slugs. If anybody is interested in buying some or trading for them give me a shout.

Edited by Groovy Mike
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Boat salvage yards will have lead keels from sail boats.

Commercial fishers often have buckets of old weights from nets and traps.

 

Thanks for this, I happen to be in a port city. 032.gif

 

Just a warning. Lead is not always used for keels, plenty are made from steel.

 

And when/if you find a lead keel.. Most are in the 600-3200 lb range and are likely going to be hard to size down for your lead pot.

 

If you buy scrap lead from a yard. Ask for hard lead, and some soft, most yards sort it.

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Went out and made the rounds trying to scrounge up some scrap lead. Went to 4 places who deal primarily in tires and got the same "We're on a recycling program" line from them all but I was able to talk one place into giving roughly 20LBs of old wheel weights.

 

Are there any other possible sources I might check for scrap?

 

Some indoor ranges will sell it.

Scrap metal yards will often sell it

Craiglist ad will find roofers and plumbers that save it for scrap

Boat salvage yards will have lead keels from sail boats.

Commercial fishers often have buckets of old weights from nets and traps.

 

good point. an average shackle of gear has about 350 lbs of leadline. I don't know how hard it would be to separate it efficiently without contaminating the lead. If you can just burn the rope off, I may have a very good source of lead. I'll have to talk to my uncle about that.

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Craiglist ad will find roofers and plumbers that save it for scrap

 

Just did this, we'll see if there are any responses. If I stumble across the mother lode I'll trade for cheeseburgers, Splitarillo "Grape" stogies and back issues of Juggs magazine.

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I have been fallowing this thread, and I am happy to say I am learning a lot. I like the idea of trading shot for slugs, because then I dont have to buy any tools, I just need to go out and tear open a few shells and then wait.

 

I suppose I can gamble with a stranger, I will send 50 federal bulk shells worth of shot in exchange for 50 (Or so) slugs? Works out as a good deal since each shell contains more than 1 oz of lead. If all turns out well, I will send more later. For indoor range use, I think 7/8ths seem like the choice.....

 

There was some discussion about how to crimp the shell after. The "Rolled" crimp method I saw on youtube seems fantastic.... Avoids having to use any glues, and leaves the shell length... Did I miss a good point against this?

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I guess it's possible to open a star crimp, dump, add a slug and close but I'm having trouble with it. Not really trouble opening but closing without deforming the end of the shell. So I'm not doing something right I guess. I did use needle nose pliers.

 

All this trading stuff came up after I already had a Lee melter and mold on the way.

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For the record i couldn't open up the factory crimp and get it back closed very well either. that's one big reason that i went ahead and just started reloading from scratch that way the hulls are already empty. its fun feeling like i have to shoot up a bunch of bird shot so i can get the hulls! i do have a question about roll crimping though. after the shell is cut and rolled one time and shot, can it then be reloaded again or is it done for after the first roll crimp? i can get about 3-4 reloads on the cheapo federal paper base hulls.

Edited by rogers
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I don't roll crimp, factory loads are usually star crimped. So I star crimp.

 

Rogers - give me a PM if you want to swap.

 

I picked up lead at the salvage yard today and plan to cast some slugs tomorrow. I will be using the Lyman mold. I just ordered a Lee mold too so I can test them both after dumping shot from the factory loaded hulls.

Edited by Groovy Mike
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I'm thinking about a way to go around the star crimp thing without having to roll crimp but I want test it so I can say whether it works or not, and then, whether or not it's practical. While I haven't beat the bushes locally I haven't had great success either. I had one guy respond to my Craig's List ad, I responded and then I haven't heard back. I did just buy 50lbs of lead off eBay for $1.24 a pound so that'll be a start.

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I just got a call from a guy who responded to my Craig's List ad. He's got a single 65lb piece of lead and I'm at a loss to say how this could be broken down in to useable pieces. I have tools but not shop type stuff like band saws or torches.

 

Any ideas how this might be done?

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you could get a cheap propane torch and just melt some off of the big piece in to a tin can and make ingots. torches are like 10 bucks at harbor freight.

 

I actually have one of these. I think if I put it in an aluminum pan like the disposable roast pans that are sold it could contain drippage and easily separate from the drippings when they cool. Now that I think of it I could get an old pot, put it on the single burner propane stove I have and melt large chunks. Then I could ladle the molten lead into muffin tins or something like that.

 

Its doable though, I'm seeing that.

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an axe works too....

 

I'm betting you're speaking from experience. I have one of those wedges for splitting wood, I thought of using it for a chisel. One thing I've alway been good at is tearing things apart so this should be easy as a lead pie.

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Lyman 525 slug hitting hard is an understatment.

In the pic, the slugs on the left, top 3 are out of a sand bag.

The middle left is a unfired slug.

The 2 at the bottom left, are off a steel plate.

The 4 balls are from a .44 cap and ball dig from the sand bag.

The piece on the right is a Lee slug off a steel plate.

The Lyman dented the 1/4 " plate, the Lee just slide off.

 

 

an axe works too....

 

I'm betting you're speaking from experience. I have one of those wedges for splitting wood, I thought of using it for a chisel. One thing I've alway been good at is tearing things apart so this should be easy as a lead pie.

It would work.

post-37682-0-74233800-1347847163_thumb.jpg

Edited by RED333
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When I buy lead in ingots from Natchez or Midway etc. for stuff that needs a precise alloy, like when I cast .45-70 for my old 1873 Springfield, it comes in bars too big for my LEE pot.

 

I just use a hammer and chisel to cut it up. It's quick, and it doesn't make any shavings or dust.

 

And that's the real issue with lead contamination when you melt or cast, or otherwise work with lead. Dust or shavings from spatter, or from tools. Lead melts at only 621 degrees F, but it BOILS (gives off vapor) at over 3000 degrees. Your workshop and bench being on fire would be a bigger problem than the lead vapor at that point.

 

bad_smile.gif

 

Granted, other things, like fire or smoke from fluxing may carry some vapor with it, but the majority of contamination/exposure problems are generally mechanical in nature, so that's why I like the chisel, which makes very little mess.

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