Casting and handloading - moneymoneymoney

[cbunt1]

$4.50 a lb?!

Here's Rotometals - $1.69/lb for pure lead - orders over $100 ship free:
http://www.rotometals.com/Bullet-Casting-Alloys-s/5.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Nice-looking bullets there - I'm still waiting for my furnace and mold to arrive (pretty patiently, surprisingly), but I'm looking forward to getting started.

May not be convenient for you--but here in Houston, I bought 3% Antimony/Lead at "Lead Products Co." here in town for 1.19/lb in 27# ingots. Course I had to go pick it up at that price but it's not too bad.

I'm looking to cultivate a source of used wheel weights myself, but just haven't had the time....

[tfrazier]

Actually, I make trips to Houston a couple of times per year. Thanks for the tip! I'll be picking up some surplus next time I'm down there. Do you have the address? And do you have to place the order ahead of time or do they have that alloy stocked and available for walk-ins?

[cbunt1]

Actually, I make trips to Houston a couple of times per year. Thanks for the tip! I'll be picking up some surplus next time I'm down there. Do you have the address? And do you have to place the order ahead of time or do they have that alloy stocked and available for walk-ins?

Lead Products Company
709 N Velasco St
Houston, TX 77003
(713) 224-9546

They require a minimum purchase of $50.00, and for small orders like ours, they request an hour notice/pre-order--although they have the ingots stocked and available.

Their "27#" ingots are actually split into 3 9# blocks that will fit nicely into your melter--I use a Lee 4-20 pot, and have been able to fit them in just fine.

It's not a really "nice" part of town, but parking's no issue, and they're very nice over there. They have several bullet-casters, both hobbyists and commercial. In fact, I got the tip from the man that runs the Houston Bullet Company--he orders in 10,000# lots!!!

Hope it helps, and good luck with it.

--Chris

[tfrazier]

Bummer, Andy! On the other hand, my life is great. Got my mold handles in from Lee on Saturday, so I moved the mold from the southern-engineered welded channel lock handles onto the factory ones and cast another seven hundred + bullets.

Emailed ReloadsNMore.com and told them if my order of 1,000 bullets still hadn't shipped (after four weeks plus waiting) I'd like a refund. They complied the same day and put the money back in my account.

My furnace and mold have already paid for themselves and it's only been three weeks or so. Shot up about 300 rounds of my cast bullets Saturday at Elm Fork and they did great. No issues with the Alox tumble lube creating excessive smoke, no barrel leading, either. And I could tell no difference in accuracy.

I have 1,100 rounds stocked up for practice. Might slow down reloading once I've piled 5,000 up.

And I'm at 2 weeks, 3 days. 8 hours since quitting smoking cold-turkey!

Lovin' it!

By the way, what size and cal. are you planning to cast?

[tfrazier]

Good for you! Remember: Welding gloves, safety goggles, keep beverages and water sources far, far away.
And bullets only; no slot machine tokens!

[tfrazier]

Okay. Since you got the six cavity, let me give you a tip...
First cast with mine I ended up breaking the sprue plate lever off.

Make sure the mold is well warmed up before the first cast, and don't let lead pool up between the cam and the sprue plate. If it does, you'll end up breaking yours, like me.

Of course, I fashioned a little steel strap bent at a 90 degree angle and bolted it onto the sprue plate where the cam used to be attached. Now I break the sprue plate loose with a nylon hammer like you do with the one and two cavity molds. Works fine, but the cam lever allows you a little better control over how far the sprue flys.

Happy casting!