Bullet casting with minimal space

[nextgenshooter]

So I've decided to get into bullet casting/powder coating primarily using range scrap lead. I've got access to plenty of scrap but no place to melt it down and then cast. I'm living in an apartment with some pretty strict policies and I'm sure they'd be none too happy to see smoke billowing off of my balcony. Any suggestions for places to set up as well as portable/inexpensive equipment? Also any tips for casting in general would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

Ben

[Jct1911]

Coleman stove, small pot, ladle and mold. That's it. You most certainly could do small batch casting, no smoke is involved.

[Westwindmike]

I don't know about no smoke involved. Every time I cast there is lots of smoke as I flux and burn off impurities. Maybe you could make yourself a small portable casting outfit and just go to a local park or picnic area. Set up on one of those concrete tables and go to it. You would look like someone cooking burgers on your Coleman stove. Just an idea. I always cast outside. Too many fumes and such for an inside setup.

[Jonnin]

All I can think of is going weird .. you could *try* something like this... 

you could put your lead into a disposable but very clean container that you can seal.    Melt it and once liquid you can tap/vibrate/etc it for a "while" (the idea is to float junk to the top not shake it up and mix it in... don't over-do it!)  This should make the junk float to the top because the lead is heavier than all the crud (ideally you would centrifuge it here, but we are going for a the best approximation of that you can get).   Let it cool.   Saw/cut/something the dirty lead off the main chunk.  Save this, maybe someday you can flux it and clean it somewhere, but you can't use it right now.   Now re-melt the clean lead and use it (take it outside before you open it. Do not breath the fumes!).    Before you do this for real and make bullets,  do a test run and cut into the "clean" lead to see if it really is indeed clean.   You might even want to look at it under a magnifying glass and cut into it some.   You do not want to shoot crud down your barrel and scratch up a barrel.   You could also coat your bullets after making them to try to minimize this risk.   /shrug someone might pipe up a way to improve this idea or explain why it won't work; I have not tried this and am going purely off what I think should happen.  By the way the reason the container being used is disposable is that you might damage it getting the lead out.  For example if you used a glass jar you could break it and get your lead chunk.   You got to have a way to get the lead out and it is likely to "glue" to the sides and bottom of whatever you melted it in.  I got no ideas here on what you might be able to get easily.  Glass won't melt.  Other metals should survive the process.  

 

/shrug you could try it.  Worst that can happen is it does not clean the lead and does not work out.    You probably need a couple of nods at common sense and safety here...  you are going to build up pressure inside whatever you heat up.  This needs enough airspace to neither blow the lid off nor explode.   Like, 75% of the container being airspace, or even nested containers like "lidless thing inside much bigger thing with lid").   I like the lidless inside bigger idea more...  but be careful whatever you do.    

[Caster]

I cannot begin to count the thousands of rounds I cast on a hot plate and small steel pot.

[Jonnin]

I cannot begin to count the thousands of rounds I cast on a hot plate and small steel pot.

 

Any thoughts on keeping the smoke down though?  Or are you just doing a small enough  batch that it does not matter?  Whats a small batch anyway... 1 pound near 2 boxes of most handguns?  

[Caster]

Never tried to keep the smoke down.  

 

Small batches are only something I have recently started doing.   In years past I would go on casting binges and do anywhere from a couple of thousand to as many as 5K.

Store them in kitty litter buckets and use as needed. 

[BrasilNuts]

For me casting bullets doesn't make too much smoke, but I wouldn't do it in an apartment, even if they would let me.

Now the process of turning scrap into clean lead ingots is a different story, it creates a lot of smoke.

What kind of scrap do you have?

I started with a Coleman gasoline stove, but that's just because I had one. If you have to buy something get the propane burner from a turkey fryer.

Edit: reread the OP and saw that you have range scrap. Is it from a indoor or outdoor range? Edited April 4, 2016 by BrasilNuts

[Caster]

No way in hell I would smelt range scrap indoors.

I wouldn't smelt outdoor scrap at all, not that desperate .....yet. Edited April 4, 2016 by Caster

[Dolomite_supafly]

If you can smell it you are getting harmful fumes. Even outside may not be enough if there is little or no wind or if it is blowing in your face. I thought I was doing enough to protect myself and poisoned myself. After that I started becoming anal about anything to do with lead. I wear a mask, a real mask, anytime I turn a pot on or handle them up until they are powder coated. After casting I strip naked before coming in then go straight to a shower. I no longer cast unless it is something I cannot buy.

[BrasilNuts]

Sorry, my above post was poorly worded.

Melting range scrap can make a LOT of smoke, in my experience indoor range scrap is worse than outdoor range scrap.

[Caster]

Sorry, my above post was poorly worded.
Melting range scrap can make a LOT of smoke, in my experience indoor range scrap is worse than outdoor range scrap.

Opposite here. Outdoor scrap can get rowdy. Trapped moisture, stones, I knew a guy in Virginia that had a live .22 make it in there. It needs to be done with a heavy lid and lid not removed for a good time during melts.
I will pass.

[nextgenshooter]

Thanks for all the input y'all. I'm using outdoor range scrap and am definitely going to be taking plenty of precautions. I'll definitely be setting up outdoors or at least in an open garage with a fan. I would buy my lead or already cast boolits but I'm on a pretty tight budget.

 

All I can think of is going weird .. you could *try* something like this... 

you could put your lead into a disposable but very clean container that you can seal.    Melt it and once liquid you can tap/vibrate/etc it for a "while" (the idea is to float junk to the top not shake it up and mix it in... don't over-do it!)  This should make the junk float to the top because the lead is heavier than all the crud (ideally you would centrifuge it here, but we are going for a the best approximation of that you can get).   Let it cool.   Saw/cut/something the dirty lead off the main chunk.  Save this, maybe someday you can flux it and clean it somewhere, but you can't use it right now.   Now re-melt the clean lead and use it (take it outside before you open it. Do not breath the fumes!).    Before you do this for real and make bullets,  do a test run and cut into the "clean" lead to see if it really is indeed clean.   You might even want to look at it under a magnifying glass and cut into it some.   You do not want to shoot crud down your barrel and scratch up a barrel.   You could also coat your bullets after making them to try to minimize this risk.   /shrug someone might pipe up a way to improve this idea or explain why it won't work; I have not tried this and am going purely off what I think should happen.  By the way the reason the container being used is disposable is that you might damage it getting the lead out.  For example if you used a glass jar you could break it and get your lead chunk.   You got to have a way to get the lead out and it is likely to "glue" to the sides and bottom of whatever you melted it in.  I got no ideas here on what you might be able to get easily.  Glass won't melt.  Other metals should survive the process.  

 

/shrug you could try it.  Worst that can happen is it does not clean the lead and does not work out.    You probably need a couple of nods at common sense and safety here...  you are going to build up pressure inside whatever you heat up.  This needs enough airspace to neither blow the lid off nor explode.   Like, 75% of the container being airspace, or even nested containers like "lidless thing inside much bigger thing with lid").   I like the lidless inside bigger idea more...  but be careful whatever you do.    

and this is a really interesting idea. May have to try that if I can't find a good site otherwise.

[Caster]

Not sure what you're paying for the scrap, but by the time you smelt it (counting time and propane) the add the cost of tin and/or any other add-ons to make a good usable alloy, you can get it from Rotometals for very little (if any) more and have a KNOWN alloy of superior quality.  

[nextgenshooter]

Not sure what you're paying for the scrap, but by the time you smelt it (counting time and propane) the add the cost of tin and/or any other add-ons to make a good usable alloy, you can get it from Rotometals for very little (if any) more and have a KNOWN alloy of superior quality.  

Well I get the scrap for free so it's hard to beat. If I can't get the process down I may have to switch to buying it but for now I've really got my teeth set into trying it.

[BrasilNuts]

What bullets do you intend to cast?

[nextgenshooter]

What bullets do you intend to cast?

primarily I want to cast and powder coat for my .308. At some point I also want to do 45 acp and 38 sp. Maybe even some 12 ga slugs

[BrasilNuts]

primarily I want to cast and powder coat for my .308. At some point I also want to do 45 acp and 38 sp. Maybe even some 12 ga slugs

I can't give you any advice on the .308, but the range lead you're getting should be fine for .45, .38, and Slugs without adding anything to harden it up.

Do a search for Dolomites super wizbang powder coating thread and that should answer any questions about that.

[nextgenshooter]

That post by Dolomite was definitely a huge help. Will definitely be using that method for powder coating.

[Jct1911]

If new to casting, I highly suggest getting the basics down with a low pressure pistol round. The 45 is about the easiest caliber to cast for and get great results off the bat.

Rifles, unless downloaded substantially, require some advanced techniques to truly get accurate results. Also, if you gonna lead up a barrel your first go, might as well be a short one.

I highly recommend the Lyman #4 cast bullet manual for load data and a reality check for to what expect from a rifle and how to get those results. I cast for everything from .223-50beowulf, some stuff I still load jacketed as there is no way to get there with cast performance.