@bwcorado I suppose if you lick the spoon or suck in lungfuls of the air as you kick up the dust it could over many years of repeatedly doing that become unhealthy. If it were me, and I wanted the spoon with no lead, I would take it out back with a propane torch and melt off the lead into a metal coffee can and toss it in the traqsh when it cooled.
great video, I have also done this process long ago, I found that the range lead is good however it conatins more zinc than desired, its good to cut range lead with some 100% lead, looks like you have it all figured it out. Great job.
My grandfather used to cast his own weights for decoys. My mom gave me a long spoon w/a small pouring spout on each side that he'd used to pour the melted lead into the molds. The spoon still has old lead in it and I'd like to clean it so that it's safe to have in my garage, and around my home.
Is there a product that I can buy to do this properly? Should I even have this in my house at this point?
@bwcorado There is nothing to clean. The old lead simply oxidized. If you want shiny "clean" lead, simply melt it and clean the oxidation odd the surface.
And to add, about the environment, washing your lead, OMG you are washing lead and the water going into our land????
Ummm people, Lead is a natural thing, it is PB on the periodic table and we are just putting it back where it came from. What he was doing was recycling it so there is no waste!
I love it, I am going to check our local range, pick up lead bullets and clean it up a little at the same time!
@497ball Just because lead (Pb by the way, not PB) is a naturally occurring element, does not mean that it belongs in waterways. That logic is flawed and dangerous.
This was a great idea. I went to our local range and picked up lead for 1/2 hour, 45 minutes. I ended up with 17 pounds net after smelting it! I also bought some scrap lead for .75 a pound and bought 30 pounds. I have 57+ lbs of lead, or equal to over 2,000 round balls for muzzleloading. The range lead only cost me my time. Thanks for the video!
you mention on the video that your using these for BP roundballs and then in the comments section say your now using wheel weights.... Imo wheel weights are too hard for casting round balls.. Minne balls... or really any projectile that will be loaded from the muzzle... I like really soft lead for casting target wadcutters for 38 special and for the conicals in my .54 hawkin... Its too much work to collect clean and process range lead on bullets you can make from wheel weights
@rainmechanic I totally agree with you. Wheel weights are too hard for round ball casting. When I made this video last year (almost 2 years ago now I guess) the only mold I had was a round ball mold. I was just getting started and had sooo much to learn. What I do now, is use wheel weights for my .357's and .44's and I save the stick on weights for round ball casting. This has been working quite well for me. Thanks for watching.
@bapabob i found that i can use hard lead from the cast bullets to make round balls to use with a patch, my rifle can't tell the difference because the patch is what is compressed.
@jfizzay It's not my land. I don't have permission to dig or alter the terrain. I was just collecting what I found on the surface. I don't do this any more anyway. I found a good source of wheel weights and that is what I use now.
I don't mind the idea of collecting lead and melting it down, but I'm not sure if breaking open a jacketed bullet is worth it to get out a penny or a nickels worth of lead. Maybe its not as much a pain as it looks.
something to add on the lead smelting process: you can recover lead droplets trapped in heavily oxidized slag material or even purify your lead. to do so, use molten sodium or potassium hydroxide (NaOH or KOH). they dissolve the metal oxide and keep a protective layer on top of your lead. after smelting it may be removed by dissolving it in water.
but it is quite corrosive stuff. it dissolves aluminium, glass and even rock. i would prefer to use it in a chemical laboratory ;)
@exsafs That's way beyond what I need to accomplish to get a few pounds of lead to make some bullets. What I do is a simple backyard lead recycle operation. I wouldn't be comfortable messing with chemicals that I am not familiar with, but thank you for the info. It may help someone more experianced than me.
@accountabilabuddy1 THX for watching and commenting! We've have like 3 feet of snow on the ground here in PA. I'm so ready for warm weather to fire up the melter again. I have 3 buckets of wheel weights gathered just waiting for warmer weather to melt em down and do some more casting!
your doing all that washing for nothing. Simply let it dry in the sun and melt the lead in your pot. The dirt will obviously FLOAT TO THE TOP and you can simply skim it off. As far as FMJ, if you had a FOOT press or arbor press, you could crack them effortlessly that way. Also I would get an insulated melt pot made specifically for melting white metal, its many times more efficient,uses a LOT less Propane . just some thoughts.
I'm still pretty new to this. Washing the stuff first made me feel better about it even if it wasn't required. I won't be melting large qty of lead so the simple iron pot I'm using is ok for my needs. If I was doing this every day I'd look into one of those pots you mentioned but for my small operation this one does me well. Thanks for commenting.
No problem, and just stay safe too. Eye protection and a leather apron is what I use. Also keep a gallon of water nearby, in case there is a splatter you can grab the water and douse yoursef (away from the molten lead). Then you can run for the ice. . Safety is #1
any specific questions I would be HAPPY to answer.
That range is used often here and there was a ton of lead just laying on the surface. It was easy to collect. I spent a total of maybe 1 hour collecting it.
actually the bullet on the left is a full metal jacket and the bullet on the right is a total metal jacket
stuartcrees 2 months ago
what state are you in? its a really nice yard btw.
Grawr93XD 2 months ago
but is it unhealthy to have around the house? there's powdery residue in the spoon.
bwcorado 3 months ago
@bwcorado I suppose if you lick the spoon or suck in lungfuls of the air as you kick up the dust it could over many years of repeatedly doing that become unhealthy. If it were me, and I wanted the spoon with no lead, I would take it out back with a propane torch and melt off the lead into a metal coffee can and toss it in the traqsh when it cooled.
bapabob 3 months ago
@bwcorado only in claifornia
ghettobraden 3 months ago
great video, I have also done this process long ago, I found that the range lead is good however it conatins more zinc than desired, its good to cut range lead with some 100% lead, looks like you have it all figured it out. Great job.
ghettobraden 3 months ago
@ghettobraden I've been mixing the range lead with wheel weights and getting GREAT mould fill out.
bapabob 3 months ago
I'm hoping someone can help me here.
My grandfather used to cast his own weights for decoys. My mom gave me a long spoon w/a small pouring spout on each side that he'd used to pour the melted lead into the molds. The spoon still has old lead in it and I'd like to clean it so that it's safe to have in my garage, and around my home.
Is there a product that I can buy to do this properly? Should I even have this in my house at this point?
bwcorado 3 months ago
@bwcorado There is nothing to clean. The old lead simply oxidized. If you want shiny "clean" lead, simply melt it and clean the oxidation odd the surface.
bapabob 3 months ago
And to add, about the environment, washing your lead, OMG you are washing lead and the water going into our land????
Ummm people, Lead is a natural thing, it is PB on the periodic table and we are just putting it back where it came from. What he was doing was recycling it so there is no waste!
I love it, I am going to check our local range, pick up lead bullets and clean it up a little at the same time!
497ball 4 months ago
@497ball Just because lead (Pb by the way, not PB) is a naturally occurring element, does not mean that it belongs in waterways. That logic is flawed and dangerous.
Nenbran575 2 months ago
This was a great idea. I went to our local range and picked up lead for 1/2 hour, 45 minutes. I ended up with 17 pounds net after smelting it! I also bought some scrap lead for .75 a pound and bought 30 pounds. I have 57+ lbs of lead, or equal to over 2,000 round balls for muzzleloading. The range lead only cost me my time. Thanks for the video!
497ball 4 months ago
Good video you should have shown you pouring the lead
TheDillonbobillon 5 months ago
you could build a wood frame and use 2 - 4 old t-shirts sandwiched in the middle and rinse the range lead that way.....
gunfuego 7 months ago
Haha your burning lead and your daughters burning daylight.. my old man woulda woke me up "quit burning daylight he says"
Aweber87 11 months ago
you mention on the video that your using these for BP roundballs and then in the comments section say your now using wheel weights.... Imo wheel weights are too hard for casting round balls.. Minne balls... or really any projectile that will be loaded from the muzzle... I like really soft lead for casting target wadcutters for 38 special and for the conicals in my .54 hawkin... Its too much work to collect clean and process range lead on bullets you can make from wheel weights
rainmechanic 1 year ago
@rainmechanic I totally agree with you. Wheel weights are too hard for round ball casting. When I made this video last year (almost 2 years ago now I guess) the only mold I had was a round ball mold. I was just getting started and had sooo much to learn. What I do now, is use wheel weights for my .357's and .44's and I save the stick on weights for round ball casting. This has been working quite well for me. Thanks for watching.
bapabob 1 year ago
@bapabob i found that i can use hard lead from the cast bullets to make round balls to use with a patch, my rifle can't tell the difference because the patch is what is compressed.
busyhands94 4 months ago
use a shovel next time and maybe a screen to sift the dirt.
hawk1buster 1 year ago
lead poisoning in the fishing lake; hey thanks
gamerboi777 1 year ago
You know if you was still collecting spent bullet you could use the top of a 55 gallon drum with a bunch of holes drilled in it
dendog21 1 year ago
Too bad lead isn't magnetic...
PersonguydudeWB 1 year ago
This is awesome man, Nice video!
Takiado 1 year ago
@Takiado Thank you
bapabob 1 year ago
@Takiado IT is awesome but just to help with terminology...
FMJ-full metal jacket is all but the base of the bullet
TMJ- total metal jacket is ALL of the bullet covered in copper
wepnsXprt 1 year ago
why dont you use some kidn of shovel/filter.
jfizzay 1 year ago
@jfizzay It's not my land. I don't have permission to dig or alter the terrain. I was just collecting what I found on the surface. I don't do this any more anyway. I found a good source of wheel weights and that is what I use now.
bapabob 1 year ago
@bapabob how do i get lead? like what do you do? besides collecting from ranges
LordMoxas 1 year ago
the one with the base exposed is a full metal jacket...
The one totally encompassed by copper is called a total metal jacket : D
-Dave
lavid2006 1 year ago
That lead is toxic and the range has lots of toxic lead dust that you breathe in. Even touching the lead can contaminate you.
GoTimothy 1 year ago
I also wanted to mention that this is a great video, thanks for making it.
romansten9 1 year ago
I don't mind the idea of collecting lead and melting it down, but I'm not sure if breaking open a jacketed bullet is worth it to get out a penny or a nickels worth of lead. Maybe its not as much a pain as it looks.
romansten9 1 year ago
something to add on the lead smelting process: you can recover lead droplets trapped in heavily oxidized slag material or even purify your lead. to do so, use molten sodium or potassium hydroxide (NaOH or KOH). they dissolve the metal oxide and keep a protective layer on top of your lead. after smelting it may be removed by dissolving it in water.
but it is quite corrosive stuff. it dissolves aluminium, glass and even rock. i would prefer to use it in a chemical laboratory ;)
exsafs 2 years ago
@exsafs That's way beyond what I need to accomplish to get a few pounds of lead to make some bullets. What I do is a simple backyard lead recycle operation. I wouldn't be comfortable messing with chemicals that I am not familiar with, but thank you for the info. It may help someone more experianced than me.
bapabob 2 years ago
I love videos like this. Great idea in adding the ingots back in to get a more homogenous lead.
BTW--Honey, what's for dinner?
METAL SOUP!
accountabilabuddy1 2 years ago
@accountabilabuddy1 THX for watching and commenting! We've have like 3 feet of snow on the ground here in PA. I'm so ready for warm weather to fire up the melter again. I have 3 buckets of wheel weights gathered just waiting for warmer weather to melt em down and do some more casting!
bapabob 2 years ago
your doing all that washing for nothing. Simply let it dry in the sun and melt the lead in your pot. The dirt will obviously FLOAT TO THE TOP and you can simply skim it off. As far as FMJ, if you had a FOOT press or arbor press, you could crack them effortlessly that way. Also I would get an insulated melt pot made specifically for melting white metal, its many times more efficient,uses a LOT less Propane . just some thoughts.
jd426999 2 years ago 2
I'm still pretty new to this. Washing the stuff first made me feel better about it even if it wasn't required. I won't be melting large qty of lead so the simple iron pot I'm using is ok for my needs. If I was doing this every day I'd look into one of those pots you mentioned but for my small operation this one does me well. Thanks for commenting.
bapabob 2 years ago
No problem, and just stay safe too. Eye protection and a leather apron is what I use. Also keep a gallon of water nearby, in case there is a splatter you can grab the water and douse yoursef (away from the molten lead). Then you can run for the ice. . Safety is #1
any specific questions I would be HAPPY to answer.
jd426999 2 years ago
Great job...
Dang you sure did find a lot of lead in that hill...
You could use mineral spirits to clean the lead but the hose should be more than sufficient. To be honest, I've never dealt with range lead.
You have a nice smelting rig...
Iraqveteran8888 2 years ago
THANKS!!
That range is used often here and there was a ton of lead just laying on the surface. It was easy to collect. I spent a total of maybe 1 hour collecting it.
bapabob 2 years ago
I have found that putting the lid on the pot helps the lead melt faster. I think it keeps the heat in. Great video! I love the furnace too!
ammosmith 2 years ago
Using the lid probably would keep in more heat but I'm still new to this and just too curious to hide it from view! :-)
Thanks for watching and commenting!
bapabob 2 years ago