I was fortunate enough to get about 800lb of old type set letters from the print shop I used to work at. It's already alloyed jut about perfect for casting bullets. I have to add some lead for certain applications to soften it up a little but it usually works just fine for about all my needs.

Thank you for posting this video... I am getting ready to do the same thing.... The tin is what helps the antimony to dissolve... after it mixes into the lead it will not come back out.... Tin will oxidize if you let the temperature get much above 700 f but the sawdust really helps control that.... You are really helping others by making this video! Now show us how to add arsenic to help harden the alloy even more!

great instruction, thankyou for taking the time.

@thefreedomchannel8896

3 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the response. Thanks for watching

Your .056 will likely look more like .050 or less after 1-2 weeks of curing. I liked how you were able to add your own antimony.

ok you just answered the melted antimony question lol

The incense adds a nice touch to the casting bench.

@thefreedomchannel8896

2 жыл бұрын

Man...you should have seen the look on my neighbor's face when they walked out in the middle of me fluxing with candle wax...I felt bad. It does keep down on the smell...

Gotta stay proficient with a firearm. I feel like if more folks were we definitely wouldn't be in our current sichiation

.056 sounds pretty damn scienticious there fella 🤔😂 I subscribed hopefully I can learn more

@ratscoot

2 жыл бұрын

That would be BR 16.6

also is the incense for smell? or is it like a constant windage indicator for toxic fumes? im asking questions as i watch, apologies if im asking something you answer later in the video

what stops the anitmony from floating to the top after smelting it in? is it bonded with the tin and lead so it no longer rises to the slag layer?

does that sawdust layer add any unwanted carbon into the mixture? or does it all get removed with the slag layer?

I've been casting now for a little bit. I came back to I could learn some more. 🤗 What kind of finishing do you do on your bullets? Traditional lube? Tumble? Powder coat?

@thefreedomchannel8896

Жыл бұрын

I normally powder coat...in my opinion it cuts back a little on the lead fouling. I usually use Eastwood powders.

Excellent video, very informative. I smelted birdshot yesterday and I had a metal powder come out of it. Any chance you know what it might be? I checked for alloys all over the place for birdshot and couldn’t find anything.

@thefreedomchannel8896

3 жыл бұрын

I have not dealt with birdshot yet, but i know a few people who have. if you are looking for lead to smelt for it....honestly i just went to junkyards and found old lead pipe and used antimony to harden to harden depending on application. I wish I had the answer to your question. But I will talk to the reloaders I know.

This is a valuable source of information considering the dearth of Linotype. Do you powder coat, and what calibres do you cast?

@thefreedomchannel8896

3 жыл бұрын

Sorry for the waaay late response. I do powder coat. I use the tumbling method. What calibers...9mm, .223, .40, .38/.357, .556.

Very interesting video, question (maybe I missed an explanation) but your temp was about 700f but it is my understanding that antimony melts at over 1100f? Can you shed some light on that?

I'm just starting out with casting and I found this to be quite interesting. What would happen in your alloying if you were to combine the metals and put your antimony and tin in first, them the lead on top of it and let everything come up to temperature?

@thefreedomchannel8896

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the response. As far as trying to melt the antimony and tin first....I have not tried that. With the amount of tin that is needed, seems there wouldn't be enough to render down the antimony. That is why it is better to do the lead first. Kinda like makin a soup ( so to speak)...get your base and then add ingredients. The tin is there to help the antimony alloy with the lead. Btw, I agree with your other comments. People are way to complacent with the state of our society. That's why I am an avid believer in situational awareness and making sure my family and I have the means to protect each other. Comes down to taking care of each other. I also have other videos to put up as well. Just overwhelmed right now. Making knives as well. Think it will be a good addition. Thank you so much for responding. I ask to bare with the small amount of content right now...haha. Stay safe.... Keep solid morals.... 👍

@mybuickskill6979

3 жыл бұрын

@@thefreedomchannel8896 hell yeah! Now all I've got to do is find me a nice plot of land in the middle of no where 🤔😂 My main thought with the metals is getting the harder to mix metal warm first and then kinda drown it in hot led while that all melts on top of it. Though it would probably leave you with a clump or two of antimony floating on top. So I do believe your method is more sound. I know I'm stoked to get out and shoot my first castings this weekend. 🤔 I do have a feeling it'll be a bit soft but it'll be fun none the less. Do you powder coat your bullets of traditional lubing?

Appreciate the details, surprising this information is more well known/available. One of the larger alloy retailers makes it seem melting antimony is impossible (w/ melt temp being so high), appreciate that you make the "impossible", possible in a standard pot. Seems they have incentive to push higher priced, processed products though. What materials did you make that screen and bent rod with?

@thefreedomchannel8896

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the response. I just used chicken wire for the make shift basket and a piece of metal hanger for the rod. Will be doing another one talking a little bit more about antimony and casting, hopefully soon. I am redoing my channel to include knifemaking as well. Hope that will interest you. There will more bullet casting as well. Thank you again..stay safe..

I’m trying to achieve 22bhn for my 44mag. Using the submerging method at the same temperature as you I only seem to be able to achieve 15bhn and it seems the rest of the antimony just floats to the surface as a granular layer. Almost like the lead is over saturated. I’m wondering if it is because I use wheel weights. Also I don’t use tin or saw dust. I’m hoping you will tell me you had the same problems before using tin and sawdust - or some other advice. Also What is the highest bhn you have achieved pls 🇦🇺😊

@jefferyboring4410

Ай бұрын

U water quench?

@Scott-YouTubeAddict

Ай бұрын

@@jefferyboring4410 yes

Where do i get the antimony?

Sir.. Please tell me how to test pure antimony ingot....by chemical mtehod..

Hello sir please tell me that what is use of this allo

sir please tell me about the powder that you mixed with antimony , please sir mention its powder name that you used in whole process of silver gets from antimony . sir i have much antimony but don´t know about how we can get silver from antimony

@thefreedomchannel8896

3 жыл бұрын

I use the antimony to harden my lead for casting. I use Frankfurt arsenal flux and then I use saw dust which aids in keeping the surface from oxidizing and pulls the impurities out of the lead

Zinc is coated on that hardware cloth. Do you keep the temperature down to make sure it doesn't melt?

@jefferyboring4410

Ай бұрын

Not enough to worry about

Hi sir what the white powder adetive???

sir please i have some queation from so i hope of your feadback

As i understand your mixing lead with antimony and then you make ingots... That ingots when you're going to heat them again to make the bullets or the shot they arenot going to seperate again?

@Bloated_Tony_Danza

4 жыл бұрын

marios85cy once the alloy is formed they create a new, lower melting point. The Antimony will never separate out of the alloy, it would need to be chemically reprocessed. However, if you poured 1200F liquid antimony, into 700F liquid lead, the antimony could freeze out before it becomes integrated into the new alloy. So no, once it’s mixed, it can’t be melted out, ever.

@georgeecheverri5452

3 жыл бұрын

Rusty Shackleford hello, have a question if you smelt all metals at the same rate, will antimony melt? Antimony has a higher melting point then lead, so how do you integrate them?

@carlosmehicano8052

3 жыл бұрын

@@georgeecheverri5452 the antimony dissolves in the lead, its analogous to how salt dissolves in water despite having an extremely high melting point

@georgeecheverri5452

3 жыл бұрын

carlos mehicano thanks, after while researching I figured that out!

What temperature is the pot when you are melting the antimony?

@thefreedomchannel8896

5 жыл бұрын

I kept the pot between 625°F-650°F. The thing I realized about the Lee pots is that they tend to jump around as far as temp goes. Each piece of antimony took about 20 min to dissolve. Thank you for the response.

@bretparkhill2415

5 жыл бұрын

Ok thanks. I wasn’t sure since Rotometal says it melts at 1100F. I have about 50lbs of pure lead I’d like to try alloying so I might try this. Thanks for posting the video.

@thefreedomchannel8896

5 жыл бұрын

@@bretparkhill2415 yes ... antimony does have a melting point of 1100, but the lead and tin helps it alloy at lower temps. Just be careful when handling. Latex gloves and a good respirator. I used dust masks as well. The antimony dust is what you really need to pay attention to. From what I researched, most exposure happens when the dust is inhaled. Very brittle as well. You don't need much to break it up. Your welcome by the way. Have fun and pass on the knowledge..👍

@jimwins2

2 жыл бұрын

@@thefreedomchannel8896 How do you know for sure that all the antimony is dissolved ? I was shipped small nuggets, easy to weigh but not sure if it is all dissolved, maybe will feel it when stirring ? I saw one video where the guy wrapped the larger pieces of alimony in a wire basket and he could see if it was all dissolved. Is the 20 minute timing at 640 degrees a surety ? Thank you very much for your video .

@thefreedomchannel8896

2 жыл бұрын

@@jimwins2 I did the same....made a small basket out of wire mesh material and encased it. Kept it closed up with a hook made out of clothes hanger. You can always tell if all the antimony is completely melted....it will always float to the top if you have unmixed antimony. Hence, the wire basket. I had to clip the free end of the" hanger" hook to the side of my melting pot and with the other end hook onto the wire mesh...that kept it submerged. Long story short.....find some way to keep the antimony submerged...

sir am waiting for your feadback of my comments ... please

What did you flux it with

@thefreedomchannel8896

4 жыл бұрын

I fluxed with sawdust first, then frankford Arsenal flux and then finished with a piece of candle wax. I found that it works best for me.

@I-am-not-a-number

4 жыл бұрын

I use borax, cheap and effective.

@thefreedomchannel8896

4 жыл бұрын

@@I-am-not-a-number yes sir....i started of casting using what was suggested to me. The frankfurt arsenal is pricy. Now when I flux, I use sawdust ( my woodworking makes it readily available..😬.) Haven't used borax though. When I cast dirty lead, I will use all three. But once I cast my clean ingots, I just use sawdust and may just let it sit on top to keep down oxidation. Thank you for the response..

Sir plz tell me about pewter??

@jefferyboring4410

Ай бұрын

Lots of tin throw it in and see how it goes

What the heck is antimony exactly?

@brandonhardy8919

3 жыл бұрын

A very brittle metallic element , although it is very hard , if dropped it would shatter however it Is very hard to scratch

Alloy

@thefreedomchannel8896

4 жыл бұрын

hello , hope you're doing good. Iuse this particular allow to cast bullets with. thank you for your response.