New to casting - couple of questions

[River City John]

Cast three different calibers yesterday in a new Lee Pro 20 pot. Followed all instructions and tutorials, and pleased with results. I left about a third of the pot full when I shut it off.

Today in casting I was getting copious amounts of rusty slag that I had to keep skimming off. Used the same alloy as yesterday, and fluxed same both days.

Is this typical of breaking in a new pot? Will it go away eventually as I scrape the sides, etc.

Is there a practical, efficient way of salvaging the small amounts of lead out of the skimmed slag? Over time, there could be a goodly amount, I would think. Or just chalk it up to the process. As I skimmed I tipped the ladle to let most of the liquid alloy drip back into the pot, but still had to lose some.

Also, anyone store their moulds and pot in an unheated garage over the winter? Should I be hitting the moulds with a little WD-40 to protect them and clean them off after storage? Or just plan on moving stuff inside to the reloading room in the basement.
For that matter, other than discomfort because of the cold, any reason I couldn't cast outside throughout the winter in the Midwest?

Thanks for any info/opinions shared.

RCJ

[pony express]

You'll need to use something to prevent rust on the molds, and then something to clean it off later. WD-40 should be fine, I try to keep some spray carburetor cleaner, or brake cleaner to clean them off before using again.(assuming these are iron block molds, Lee only needs a bit of lube on the sprue plate). As far as the rusty gunk, I've never been able to get away from that either, just flux scrape and skim as usual. My reloading room is "semi unheated", I use it as long as it's not too hot or too cold. A plug in space heater in an uninsulated building doesn't do much...

I remember back in my teens, before I got an electric pot, casting bullets outside on cool evenings with an old fashioned gas plumbers furnace. Dad and I working together, one handled the ladle, the other handling several molds in rotation. Put out a lot of bullets in an evening, made enough we wouldn't have to do it in the summer.

[Blair]

RCJ,

Most of my past experience comes from casting with pure lead. And even that seems to produce a lot of trash on the surface of the lead pot.
I have used some slightly harder lead for casting large heavy bullets for long range BP cartridge shooting. But I would try to start with pure lead, only adding pure tin to the mix to get the hardness I wanted. And still there was a lot of trash on the surface of the pot. It does seem you will always get some of this. Just keep it cleaned off as best you can and use a flux like "Lead-Ex" (spelling)

I do not like to use "wheel weights"!
The hardness does seem to be right for most cartridge shooting of cast bullets, however there is no telling what alloys might be in that mix. Another words, it is pretty dirty stuff with lots of things that are not good for you or use in a firearm.
Just some thoughts from my prospective.
I hope you find this helpful.
Blair

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

All of my steel or iron moulds are kept indoors in my closet in a plastic toolbox (YEP. it's full!) You pick the spot, but in a dry environment.

The other stuff is kept in the shed, but I live in a very moderate climate, 'though dampish in winter. It would be better to store them in a heated or partially heated area like a garage. You have a reloading room and that is where I suggest you winter them.

Slag is common and inescapable.  I skim with a spoon, draining the lead as best I can.  I drop it in a can, then transfer to a wide-mouth plastic container when cool.  When the slag & wheelweight clips etc fill up the jar, dispose as hazardous waste per local practise.

I have cast in winter in Northern climes but I was desperate for something to shoot.  It gets uncomfortable, even huddled over an 800 degree heat source! I never cast where rain can fall on the casting pot!!!!!!

I am CHEAP, and use wheel weights whenever I can! Accumulate them now, before they are completely replaced by zinc.

[Stu Kettle]

John,
I save what what I skim after fluxing in a coffee can until the next time I smelt more lead & make ingots. I have the 10lb pot & don't put wheel weights in it - I smelt them in a bigger cast iron pot over a propane burner or sometimes on a Coleman camp stove.

I keep my pot & lead in an unheated shed all winter but all he molds come in the house & all the steel parts are oiled. I don't like the spray cleaners for cleaning the oil off before casting because I tend to spray myself in the eye when using those so I use rubbing alcohol.

[Blair]

Sir Charles,

Zinc is just one of the major concerns in using wheel weights! (and has been in use within this material for many years)
Preparing moulds for storage after casting is important.
I like WD-40 while the mould is still hot. But, I also like leaving a cast bullet in the cavity of the mould.
After the mould is cool to the touch I will treat is with a silicon lube before storing it.
Carburetor cleaner is good for helping the de-grease the mould for it's next usage.
Never allow or have  any water around or near your casting pot or procedures! The slightest amount of any kind of water in the lead pot will cause a very violent "live" steam explosion, emptying the entire pot of lead. (this also includes human sweat or a drip from a cool drink!).

[River City John]

Thanks everyone.

My moulds are aluminum made by Accurate Moulds. Excellent quality and turn around time was good. I will store everything in basement.

I cast around 100 each of .430 33gr. for my Vetterli, .330 120gr. for the 1892 8mm Lebel revolver, and .311 100gr. for the 7.5mm Swiss 1882 revolver.

The first 20 or so castings on each run immediately went back into the pot. Had to get the mould heated up enough. Any with rounded corners to base or grooves likewise.
Out of the 100 that passed first inspection, about 25 or so from each run went into scrap pile for future melting. Wrinkles or flaws in body. Left me with around 70 or so of consistent quality for load testing at the range.

All tumbled in Alox. Plan on testing with both Unique and Trail Boss.


RCJ

[Pappy Myles]

A cheap tool to get.   A stainless steel spoon.  Soup spoon size is a tad large.  Drill a couple of small holes in it.   Great for fluxing and skimming.  I find most of the junk that floats to the top will stay in the spoon while the lead flows thru the holes and returns to the pot.

[River City John]

Nifty tip, Pappy. Thankee.


RCJ