Annual start-up of casting gear

Take total control of your projectiles by casting your own!
Post Reply
User avatar
Steelbanger
Founding Member
Founding Member
Posts: 239
Joined: 04 Feb 2012 13:31
Location: Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Has thanked: 43 times
Been thanked: 71 times

Annual start-up of casting gear

Post by Steelbanger »

Tomorrow morning I am all set to fire up my aging burner and once again begin to cast my annual supply of bullets. Tomorrow I will be using two brand new 6 cavity moulds, a Ranch Dog design TLC 432-240 RF and the other is his TLC 432-265 RF. The 240 gr. mould output will be used in my Super Blackhawk. I ordered these moulds when RD was phasing out his business and had him ream out the gas check base on three of the cavities of the 240 grainer for exclusive use in the handgun. The 265 gr. mould will be used to feed my still growing group of 44 cal. rifles. I wasted some ideal casting weather in the past few weeks when daytime high temps were in the 20's. In the next few weeks I intend to stockpile some 38-55's, 357's, 200 gr. FN for a few 44-40's, and some 30 and 45 cal. rifle bullets also.

A few years back I decided on an alloy of three parts pure lead to one part linotype. So far this alloy has been satisfactory so I'm going to stick with it until I eventually run out of the soft material which should take a few years of shooting to accomplish.

Anyone else find winter weather the ideal for casting?
Steelbanger, NRA Life
Annual Member PRPA
Marlin - a hard habit to break.
User avatar
Ranch Dog
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 9398
Joined: 23 Jan 2012 07:44
Location: Inez, TX
Has thanked: 1837 times
Been thanked: 2281 times

Re: Annual start-up of casting gear

Post by Ranch Dog »

I schedule most of my cast this time of year as other activities are few. I need bullets for everything.

Posted via Tapatalk!
Michael
Image
Barry in IN
Founding Member
Founding Member
Posts: 119
Joined: 28 Feb 2012 14:34
Location: Indiana
Been thanked: 5 times

Re: Annual start-up of casting gear

Post by Barry in IN »

I usually cast in the summer. When it's the hottest. Sounds insane, right?

You see, I'm a stay at home dad. I started casting as a way to have something to do while guarding the pool. We have a small above-ground pool, and with our kids and the neighbor kids in there I wouldn't leave them unmonitored for a minute. I'd hang around the deck, but there's only so much I had to do out there. I had to find something constructive I could do near the pool.

I had accumulated most of the gear for casting over the years, so I got the last few pieces and got started. Now, if they are going to be in the pool, I get everything setup and cooking, and sit out on the deck overlooking the pool and cast for a few hours.
User avatar
Ranch Dog
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 9398
Joined: 23 Jan 2012 07:44
Location: Inez, TX
Has thanked: 1837 times
Been thanked: 2281 times

Re: Annual start-up of casting gear

Post by Ranch Dog »

Barry in IN wrote:I usually cast in the summer. When it's the hottest. Sounds insane, right?

You see, I'm a stay at home dad. I started casting as a way to have something to do while guarding the pool. We have a small above-ground pool, and with our kids and the neighbor kids in there I wouldn't leave them unmonitored for a minute. I'd hang around the deck, but there's only so much I had to do out there. I had to find something constructive I could do near the pool.
Great idea! You can use the pool to water quench for bullets and have the kids retrieve them!


Posted via Tapatalk!
Michael
Image
User avatar
akuser47
Founding Member
Founding Member
Posts: 5070
Joined: 12 Feb 2012 11:43
Location: ohio
Has thanked: 1266 times
Been thanked: 482 times

Re: Annual start-up of casting gear

Post by akuser47 »

:lol: I like that idea
Image
Live Free,Ride Free, Or Die Fighting, For The Right, To do So!
0369
Posts: 72
Joined: 12 Jan 2013 13:27
Location: Milwaukee, Wi
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 7 times

Re: Annual start-up of casting gear

Post by 0369 »

I wish I could cast right now but 10 degrees outside doesn't work too well. I usually cast enough to load all winter and I'm not out yet, but my ingots are calling me. My problem is the cost of shooting here. Prior to moving to this hell-hole, it cost me $30 per year at a private range and now it's $22 per day at a state owned crowded range. If you don't arrive early, it's a wait for a bench so I don't shoot as much as I want to. Only a few more years untill I can move to a better location and hopefully shoot in my back yard.
User avatar
Ranch Dog
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 9398
Joined: 23 Jan 2012 07:44
Location: Inez, TX
Has thanked: 1837 times
Been thanked: 2281 times

Re: Annual start-up of casting gear

Post by Ranch Dog »

Where do you live?
Michael
Image
0369
Posts: 72
Joined: 12 Jan 2013 13:27
Location: Milwaukee, Wi
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 7 times

Re: Annual start-up of casting gear

Post by 0369 »

Milwaukee, Wi., unfortunately.
MT Gianni
Posts: 44
Joined: 07 Nov 2012 12:44
Location: SW Montana
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Annual start-up of casting gear

Post by MT Gianni »

I cast in an unheated garage in MT. I do my best when the temps are mid teens to 40. If I do things right I can alloy my lead in a summer weekend, cast from Late Feb to March, enjoy summer, hunt in the fall and ice fish Dec-Feb.
runfiverun
Founding Member
Founding Member
Posts: 274
Joined: 30 Jan 2012 23:04
Location: soda springs Idajo
Been thanked: 51 times

Re: Annual start-up of casting gear

Post by runfiverun »

i converted my garage to a shop.
i keep it @ 55 in there almost all year around,heat in the winter and a swamp cooler in the summer.
i cast when it's a high humidity day.
and if it isn't i make it so with a humidifier in the winter and the cooler in the summer.
and save the smelting for the summer, i go out and get it done in the morning while i'm still in the shade.
as soon as the sun clears the house i wrap it up and put everything away.
i will make batches of alloy in the winter in the shop from the summertime cleaned ww alloy this gives me my casting alloys.
i'll also take all the batches of summer work and separtly work them into one homogenous batch during the winter.

this makes all my alloy one big continous same thing.
Post Reply