I use about 6000 pounds of lead each months making fishing sinkers and different alloys for people who cast bullets. I have done this for a living for several years so I have learned both from my many mistakes and from professionals who really know their stuff. Start with good quality lead like range scrap or lead clip on wheel weights, (Stick on wheel weights and sheet lead from roofing are also good but very soft.) Never use battery lead, if you do you will never make good quality bullets. Use a cast iron pot if possible but steel is almost as good. Larger batches let you control the heat easier, you want to keep your temperature low, never above 750f but 710f is better. Start with some fairly clean lead in the bottom of the pot (That is called a "Heel") Never let any moisture get into the pot, wear safety glasses, gloves and a good respirator with organic cartridges, make sure you have very good ventilation. When the lead is melted and about 710f (Or so) scrape the pot well and remove any solid materials (Bullet jackets, steel clips etc.) a wire strainer like you would use to remove fried food from hot oil works very well. Now take 1/8 teaspoon of Stearic Acid (Buy on ebay) and toss on the top of the molten lead and quickly stir with a large steel spoon (It will smoke and catch on fire) After the smoking has stopped you can use the spoon to remove everything floating on top. You will have bright shiny lead with a beautiful mirror finish on top. If the lead is not perfect then you might have zinc in the lead which you can remove with pure powdered sulfur stirred well into the mix (You should use small amounts and this will take several treatments) Always clean your molds with denatured alcohol and a toothbrush and it often helps to "Smoke" the molds over a candle or match flame. Keep your temps low, keep your molds clean and hot, and you will get great results. Add 1% tin to improve mold fill out and if you want to harden the lead you can add antimony and tin, you need to have trace amounts of arsenic if you want to harden bullets by water quenching (Clip on wheel weights have enough arsenic)

@code1555

2 жыл бұрын

More informative than the video lol thank you

@ronv6637

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the information,but is lead from batteries contaminated or alloyed improperly to cast bullets? Could battery lead be used to cast buckshot where it may not be perfect?

@stickyfox

2 ай бұрын

@@ronv6637 battery electrodes also contain tin and antimony which make no difference if you're using them to make solder or bullets. But you should mechanically separate all the sulfated residue off of them. I've found that if you pile them on a piece of lumber and heat them up with a torch, they'll "deflate" and melt from the inside, and give a nice clean stream of lead that you can run downhill into a crucible. The resulting husk of sulfates and oxides can be disposed of as lead waste or if you're ambitious, you can reduce it by melting it with charcoal. The charcoal will burn to make CO which reduces PbO to lead; then you can dispose of the more durable residues.

Mr Elvis Ammo all your videos are helpful. I’m just glad to see your back making good content.

Always good to offer tips for the new casters! Makes it a lot easier than the old days of learning as we went 😁

It's good to see you back at it again man.

I usually use saw dust since I do alot of woodworking. I have an endless supple of it.

Good to see you back, Elvis

Yes Sir great tips for seasoned & newbie casters. It’s somewhat getting cooler so I have plenty of ingots to make from my wheel weights. Thanks for sharing Elvis.

Making magic again, I see! Good job, Elvis. I'm constantly learning from you

Thanks for all the info brothaman.

ELVIS!!!! Great to see you bud thank you so much!!!!

@elvisammo

3 жыл бұрын

Thankya brother!!!! 👍👍👍

Well I learned something again . I never thought of using a paper towel . Good stuff Elvis .

I know there's a lot of new casters out here so I hope they learn a lot from you. I know I learned a lot of new tricks from your powder coating videos. I was doing it much harder than the elvis way. Good stuff my friend

As always great information thanks Elvis!!

It’s always good to see a Elvis Ammo video

Great idea on the paper towel in a pinch. Thanks man!

Good video,this will be really helpful for the new guys.

I made the mistake one time of using really fresh saw dust that I had just picked up from home depot, and it was so green and wet, that it popped very violently. Thank goodness for my safety glasses because there was lead splatter all over them and my face.Thanks for the vid.

@michael184272

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for posting that experience..

@uclajd

3 жыл бұрын

Holy crap. I'll remember that next time I pick up my Lowes sawdust.

@edbecka233

2 жыл бұрын

Fresh sawdust stirred INTO the lead is what summons the tinsel fairies. Leave the sawdust just ON TOP OF the lead, and it will reduce as it chars, the moisture evaporating. Then when it's good and charred, you can stir it in.

great video I have only ben casting for a few months the hardest part is sourcing lead here in California but have been watching your videos a couple of years now good to see you back Thank you for all your hard work

Hey Elvis!!! Hey!!! Today I want to tell you I find your videos informative, instructive, and entertaining.

Hello Elvis, I regularly follow your videos. thanks for sharing

Wow 17.9 subs I was your 383rd sub . The only reason I remember that was because that was the engine in my old Dodge Dart. You and Steve Fortune cookie 45 LC got me into powder coating and casting bullets. Do you remember when I told you about pulling my press off my bench and breaking the 3/4 top sizing .358 bullets. That's when I learned to make sure my mold was closed all the way. Every time I look at the square cut out of my bench it's a happy reminder of you teaching me threw your videos and the comments. I'm so happy your back making videos. I loved to hear that damn rooster when you were shooting outside your loading cave. It's obvious your not there anymore. I'm in the middle of trying to find a place in Tennessee. I hope that the new casters and reloaders pay attention to your videos. I still learn things after 35+ years of reloading. It's good to see you again old KZread friend. I'm going to go pick up 8 5 gallon buckets of range scrap so I can replenish my lead supply. After seeing you again I looked at my ingots ant thought I need to get a rectangle ingot mold so I bought 2 8 cavity pans for making mini bread loafs. I made so many of the round ones that it's taking me a few years to go through the lead that I had. So when I shoot video of melting the range scrap into ingots you will be with me in spirit. I'm finally going to be able to make the Elvis ammo wall of lead ingots that you had. My luck they will all fall over on my bench and break that too. Well Happy Safe Shooting old friend and get a Rooster. We need to hear one in the background.🤣 🇺🇸💪

Your videos are always helpful :-)

Thanks again for a great video with good info. I appreciate our sharing. I have been casting for about 20 years, but not on a regular basis..

Thanks for the tips. Always helpful.

Great video, thank you.

Thanks for the info. Awesome video.

Thanks Elvis. Your fan sure does the trick. I'm still thinking back to the mushroom turd on your safe handling vid. That was a great analogy.

Great video thanks man

Excellent vid thx

I’m going to attempt to cast 000 buck for the first time. Watched your videos in prepping molds, lubing and now the lead and I think I’m ready. Thank you for your helpful videos. Wish me luck.

Awesome man!! I'm making my first batch of slugs this weekend so wish me luck!! And thanks for all the info!!

James is correct. Casting weather is right around the corner.

@ericspnw8385

3 жыл бұрын

Yep, every year for me. Is right after hunting season. For the bulk of my casting. I might do a small batch here and there. I really don't enjoy it in the summer months.

@ericspnw8385

3 жыл бұрын

@cwlongshot yep Older i get. The more I tend to do it on the most comfortable days. With exception of getting a new mold. I dont have it in me to wait.

It’s always good to see someone else’s approach to the process of casting. I currently use Magnaflux powder to flux my lead with because of the low fumes it puts out. I’ll add about a teaspoon to the pot after scraping the sides and then vigorously stir the contents of the pot for about a minute and then scrape off the dross and begin casting. This is the old school Lyman process I believe. Based on the process you’ve demonstrated, perhaps all that stirring is not necessary? I enjoy your videos, keep ‘em coming!

@elvisammo

3 жыл бұрын

Yep... I like to see and hear about other methods as well.. thanks for your input of info and thanks again for stopping by! 👍👍

@aj502

3 жыл бұрын

Vigorously prolly overkill but it won't hurt unless you slop some lead on yourself I guess. Then again, it'd depend on if you have a bottom pour or not. Top scoops need extra detailed fluxxing but bottom pour all the crap floats to the top and all the "good" lead underneath because well, it's heavy! :P

@jeffgreen977

2 жыл бұрын

Magnaflux is good and I use it. Battery Lead has stuff in it that cannot be removed without bringing it to dangerously high temperatures with expensive equipment. You can use softer lead for buckshot but when you get down into number four or smaller then you need to use hard lead that has some antimony and arsenic in it and drop the hot shot directly into oil or water to quench it and harden it.

I appreciate the video, mixed feelings about the vocal enthusiasm at the beginning tho, that might have woke up half my house hahaha.

I have many years experience in the lead industry. You really should use the proper respirator and/or do this in a well ventilated area; and, not just when "fluxing" the pot. In the lead industry, what you call "fluxing" is called "drossing." You bring the impurities to the top of the lead in the form of "dross." Also, you do get lead fumes from a pot of clean lead.

@DimaProk

3 жыл бұрын

I heard countless arguments that you don't get lead vapors until lead starts to vaporize which happens at extremely high temperature. Do you have any sources to backup the claim that you get lead vapors at melting temperatures?

@jonnporter6081

3 жыл бұрын

@@DimaProk You can probably get the information from OSHA under the U.S. Department of labor.

@shawnlively4702

3 жыл бұрын

Exactly correct. Arguments about lead vapors, why take the chance? When I flux my lead, I use candle wax/ beeswax

@DimaProk

3 жыл бұрын

@@shawnlively4702 Do you wear respirator when you shoot the gun too? Because there in fact lead vapors from burned powder! I've read a story about a woman who worked at gun indoor range and when she decided to have a baby she got tested and her lead levels were high! I've never heard any stories about people who cast bullets getting high levels of lead when taken normal precautions.

@DimaProk

3 жыл бұрын

@@jonnporter6081 Sorry John, but OSHA is going to to tell you pretty much what every California warning labels says - this product in the state of CA is found to cause cancer. They put that on everything to be "safe". You said you have many years of experience in lead industry and I wanted to hear real world experience, not what OSHA has to say.

Something I need to learn.

Hell yes Elvis! Thanks for putting that one to bed.

I thought I was the only one that used napkins/paper towels! :D

Hey man, another good video! I’ve gotten to where I like to flux the mess out of my lead right before I make the beautiful ingots. I use sawdust and beeswax for that. You know, saw dust as a flux and beeswax as a reducer to put the tin and antimony back it. Then when I get to the casting pot I like to use the hickory, oak, or cherry sawdust, you know, cuz it smells goood. Leave a good amount on top while casting to prevent oxidation. Keep the videos coming and keep your power dry!

Like Elvis mentioned anything carbon is a flux for lead, commercially they use hardwood sawdust. Handcasters have used beeswax, but one of my favorite tricks is to use those wooden paint stirrers that you get free from home depot. You can use a layer of plain, unscented kitty litter to slow down oxidation.

When I first started casting bullets in the early '70s, the reloading manual I had suggested fluxing the pot with a bullet-sized lump of the stuff I would be using for bullet lube.

We have plenty of pot fluxing out here in Commiefornia. Just ask Kamila Harris. She was fluxing pot and listening to Topac Shakur before he was even singing.

Yup, that's how I do it too. Only I don't use a bottom pour. It still doesn't matter because the junk floats quick. You don't really have to worry about getting it in your mold. And Even if you get some in there you can just melt it back down again.

Hey Elvis been to fort to get your draws out of you'll be surprised how much more efficient it is than a spoon.

That lead kind of looks like its oatmeal which I believe means theres zinc

good job

I have some holes drilled in my spoon for skimming off the dross. Lets the lead through, but captures the contaminants for disposal. Thanks for the video! Oh - I use a tiny chunk of beeswax for fluxing. Works well for me!

Sheesh . I thought we were gonna put hand sanitizer in the lead .

@ginahardee4891

3 жыл бұрын

same

@EwePeople

3 жыл бұрын

Yep

@WARXDEVILXALAN

Жыл бұрын

🤣🤣🤣 I saw that and was like fuck that! Don't want know lead popping back at me lol

Can you use the "dust" in the bottom of a grilling charcoal bag for flux?? Also, can you "over flux"?

I just got started casting and have a question. What do casters do with all the scrap? The metal wheel weight clips and the impurities.

is there any benifit to leaving the 'slag' on the top vs skimming it off? ive done both and couldnt say a difference..

I've bought what was claimed to be pure lead for cap & ball revolvers and it is full of tin because it can't be scratch with my thumb nial and it's shiny. I need pure lead of these guns.

i use FA lead flux when casting into ingots then remelt and flux with homemade bullet lube and cast back into ingots so that when i put them into my casting pot it does not matter what type of flux i use as long as i flux it. different types of flux works slightly different from one type to another even though they have the same results, but i prefer to have my lead as clean as possible from the different chemical reactions that other than what one flux is able to do, mainly because my 40yr old lee 4-10 pot is a pain to clean after getting plugged.

Generally try to avoid the paraffin based waxes. Most candles are paraffin based. For lubrasizing doesn't seem to matter so much. Powder coating, it seems to matter. I use beeswax or bullet lube. I'll put sawdust on top and just leave it after fluxing to create a barrier.

I like to use a wooden spoon to mix the lead . It helps add carbon .

Where to buy soft lead ones like yours new ones to melt them ? Thank you,

Do the impurities in the lead pot stick to the sawdust? Is that what fluxing is?

Elvis do you know of any way to separate out tin, antimony, and bismuth out of the lead? Im looking for pure lead. Is there a chemical path?

The tin and antimony that wasn't in alloy in the bars will just float on top like a heavy foam. Flux before scraping off the dross. Always save the dross and melt it when melting scrap. You don't want to throw away the expensive part. When melting in bulk to make bars always get it extremely hot. It takes about a 1000f to melt antimony but only about 700f in alloy. The heavier alloy will melt but leave the lighter antimony that didn't alloy floating on top.

I've never been involved in casting bullets; however, I have cast every from lead pellets/nuggets to boat keels. We would take an oxy acetylene torch, and only using the acetylene (NO OXYGEN), run a flame around the mold, leaving a very thin coating of black soot on the mold. This soot acted as an insulator and eliminated the lines/creases in the finished product caused by uneven cooling of the lead. Any left over soot easily wipes off of the lead. If you try this, let us know the thin coating of soot affects the diameter of the bullet.

@michael184272

3 жыл бұрын

Black birds...

When your sizing your 308 or 30 cal torpedoes I think you may have mentioned a 309 sizer die?

I use sawdust from easy pour powder creamer container. Wife found out the hard way 🤣.

If it's all about carbon why not just use powdered charcoal?

So I’m making duck decoy strap weights. They are designed to bend around the decoy when you put them away. When I made my straps, my lead was brittle. How can I make the lead more pliable? Thanks!

Thank you for this video. I just cast my first ingot the other day somebody on my FB group noticed I did not flux lol. I'm having trouble getting equipment so it might be a little bit before I make bullets but I can definitely make ingots can you help me hardened lead. I don't have access to range scrap only pure lead.

I leave the crust on top,I think it helps the pot maintain the temperature that I want for casting. Yet I never let the pot get under half full. Just how do, not a how to! You do you but this works well for me!

I used saw dust in a ventilated garage, with an 30 in dia exhaust fan and contaminated my garage with lead. The only conclusion that I could come up with the contamination was the smoke from the burning saw dust. I have no contamination on the ceiling, smaller amount but required cleaning and significant cleaning on all horizontal surfaces. All off floor horizontal surfaced and on floor surfaces contaminated. 3 cleaning separated scrubbing and rinse events to remove. Flux and cast outside. This stuff carries into the house on your clothes and shoes. Dont risk your family health. Still casting strong,,just outside in the fresh air

Where's that Johnny Reloading Bench temperature controller?

HEY ELVIS, IT'S ARCHANDEL2003, Heyyyy. For a fume vent I put a slice of that pink foam in a window (I cast in the basement by that window) and close it to make it seal up tight. I then mounted a real quiet computer fan to it that is large enough to connect to a 4 or 5 inch flexible dryer vent and I aim the other end over the pot. I get a steady Suction drawing all the sawdust smoke and fumes out the window, in the winter, keeps the cold air out, and is easy to remove.

I never really got sawdust to work for me. I use my black powder lube.

This the husband Lynn. I have been casting since 1976--My question is Is there not a chance of bad fumes with the melt at that temp?

It's getting to be casting weather soon.i did want to ask I flux my lead while it is in my big cooker. Is it a 2 step process for you? I like the idea of the paper towel. I use lee pot myself they make great stuff

@aj502

3 жыл бұрын

Imo the 2nd step is just to make sure to get any extra crap out. You could have stuff like dust or whatever in the pot too. The 1st "cleaning" for the ingots you'll get most but prolly not everything and it's not a hassle to do it in the furnace before casting just to get a bit more out imo. :) P.S. Yea Lee seems to of taken over. All their stuff is (usually?) cheaper than everyone elses but their quality is just as good in everything I have used to compare. I only have one beef with one of their powder loaders (Lee Perfect Powder Measure) and that's only because it doesn't have a screw off top to put powder back in but it drops fine once you got it dialed in. :)

I'm gonna have to start collecting lead.

@elvisammo

3 жыл бұрын

👍👍👍

@machinist7230

3 жыл бұрын

If you don't want to wait, check out rotometals- they sell common bullet alloys, in large and small quantities. They currently have 92-6-2, for 2300 dollars for a half ton including freight.

QUESTION - I'm always adding small ingots as I'm casting & stir it in, should I flux it each time I add lead? I have always waited till I've added maybe 60% additional lead to hot mix, then fill pot & flux. Thanks for the videos Elvis...🍺🥨🍺 Great to have you back!!!👍👍👍

I know this is a fairly old video but info is info. Years ago while experimenting with flux ideas, I made up a mixture of paraffin wax with graphite added to it. I melted the mixture and poured it into 209 primer trays (like an ice cube tray) then pop them out for use later. It has been a lot of years since I have messed with casting but I recall it's flux ability to be excellent and easily manageable to "dose" your pot! I had an ol guy tell me one time to stop wasting my time cleaning the top of my pot off. He said" WTF do you care what is floating on top, your pouring from the bottom!" then he added "besides isn't it an insulator sitting on top". I continued to remove the slag but hey.

@davefellhoelter1343

Жыл бұрын

Hmm I like it! love the primer tray idea! Yes "I am" an old Guy just Knott to old! but I have worked around all types of Molten metals, when I smoked, I lit my cigs in the 80's on hot metals or molds "cooling". Poured my First Lead plumbing joints in the 70's for my plumber pops as a pre 10 yr old? the word "plumber" comes from LEAD! and the dross floating protects the lead under from oxidization becoming flux, but I still try to get all the tin out for softer lead. paid for and built my first Kit revolver top to bottom and Niter salts blued in the 70's riding my bike as a paper boy

Hello Elvis😊 I use also use sawdust (my favorite) and sometimes candlewax.. I see i have exaggerated my fluxing.. When unsurten it's easy to overdo some procedures😉 Bullet casting is fun and brings reloading and shooting to a new level 😉 Thanks for good advice and another informative video 👍😊

@elvisammo

3 жыл бұрын

👍👍👍👍👍

@sharonlane1988

3 жыл бұрын

I also was overdoing it ,oh well maybe a little good a lot better

From what I watched, the fluxing agent wasn’t stirred in vigorously enough and the stuff that was skimmed out was probably whatever tin and antimony might have been in the mix. Glad you mentioned wearing gloves, you should have worn them. Maybe that spoon got too hot to really stir. I missed what the alloy was, if pure lead then never mind my first comment.

How is that spoon not burning your hand???

I like using sawdust to flux pot and smoke off inside off my molds.2 get 1

Its fall so I just throw in a big leaf

I bought some extra super duper fluxing sawdust off ebay for only $39.95:) jk. The fine stuff from my table saw works the best for me👍 thanks Elvis!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Tough times are hard on roosters and squirrels. I miss the nuts on the roof and the rooster. Thanks for the vid, see you at the casting pot next time.

hey elvis ,do you know those litle paint mixer that you can mount in a elektric hand drill . ideal to mix the molten lead while heve floating flux at the top ,use a long one

Wood paint stick

Is the high temperature the reason for the blue tint to the lead at the beginning of the video?

@user-ol5ci5zt7u

3 жыл бұрын

How should i soften my deal or make it flexible

@jungleno.

3 жыл бұрын

I believe that blue tint is the tin separating from the alloy due to the high temperature(860+ degrees).

@edbecka233

2 жыл бұрын

The blue and purple gunk is lead oxide. It forms because the alloy is at too high a temperature. If you skim it, the fresh surface will quickly oxidize, so that's a wasteful thing to do. Reduce the heat and as your pot of alloy cools, at about 620-650 it'll stop doing that. That's when you sweep a spot just larger than your ladle and start filling ingot molds. Leave the dross on the surface to protect the underlying alloy until it gets difficult to harvest the alloy from underneath it.

Frankly I don't think you fluxed it enough to reduce that caked junk that was floating. Maybe I am wrong but I think it's antimony which doesn't mix well with lead unless fluxed well or maybe it's ratio to the tin (2:1) I find that adding sawdust and adding candle wax and setting it on fire or at least setting the wax on fire really helps to reduce that caked stuff lots of times to nothing but a small pile of black carbon that I scoop up. I noticed even when I flux and nothing is floating on top when you drain Lee pot in to ingots you get that same caked sludge on top of your ingots. It doesn't happen if it drains faster like in my RCBS pot. Also if you're going to flux it might as well flux it all the way, otherwise that stuff will end up sticking to the pot walls as your lead level slowly drops.

For bullet casting in bottom pour smelters (so we're assuming previously cleaned and purified alloy), I've always had good luck with boric acid as a way to keep out the oxygen. Makes a nice, thin glassy sort of coating and doesn't really smoke the way sawdust does. Just don't stir it or it'll clump up and not do its job. All you need is a small spoon full.

@davefellhoelter1343

Жыл бұрын

me too 20 mule for my Dirty laundry shop rags and lead or coffee pots, I use a few grains to raise the 2 PH. I had luck with DE pool filter media, works good for a harder hens' eggs and delousing, kills fleas on the dogs too, always have a 20 lb bag from the pool guy around, good refractory binder too. "I do" stir my borax as "I Think" the clumping is the tin being removed for softer lead.

Elvis I do it in a way that I only have what looks like rusty sand floating on top of my pot. I have taken videos of it. If you want to see please fB me or something and you can try it and then teach others. my lead comes up very clean. I never have to clean my pot. Yes, I am also bottom pour lee pot. Also, I don't throw away any lead looking materials either from the top of my pot. Please I am not asking for anything from you for this. You have the channel not me. I have no web presence.

3

@elvisammo

3 жыл бұрын

White Ribbon for you! 😁🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

👍🏻

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

i wear mask just incase, and i clean all the crud out and anything that looks like it dont belong, i dont have one of those pots yet, ill have to do in my iron pot on the propane grill.and a ladle..till i can afford the pot..

800+ DEGREES & no gloves and no respirator?....hmmmmm

Thanks but you should number your videos because the next video was someone else's.

I leave the flux at the top during my casting session to form a protective layer so the lead doesn't oxidize. Hit "like" if this comment helped you, Elvis. 😝

I have been using a fruitcake to flux mine lately, you know 1 good fruitcake can flux about 500lbs of fairly dirty lead.. Got it from the in laws for Xmas.....best thing that ever happened to that fruitcake 🤣

take care my man ... wear some gloves when handling that stuff

1

@elvisammo

3 жыл бұрын

You get the prize!!! 🤣🤣 👍👍

Buy purify I thought you meant to take out all impurities, i.e arsenic, antimony, bismuth, zinc, tin. What you have looks like an alloy with a good amount of zinc.

Great video. Informative. STOP tapping the spoon !! Omg like nails of a chalkboard