I'm planning to get back into casting and reloading in the coming weeks and appreciate the many tips in your video, particlarly how you heat the mold. I'm thining of starting off with reforming target loads into 1 oz slug loads, as well as starting from scratch to make slugs with AA hulls. Thanks!
This was a great video. Just what I was looking for. I'm thinking about doing this as well and there is alot of useful information in your video. Thanks! Keep up the great work. I really enjoy your content.
I often use a small toaster oven to preheat my molds. Seems to keep a more even temp on the molds and it also prevents me from putting a cold mold in the pot. The cold mold in the pot will often cause the pot temp to fall off and you gotta wait for everything to come back up to a good temp before you can start casting. So basically it's a big time saver as I can have the pot and the molds warming up at the same time. I also sometimes run multiple molds to prevent overheating or temp falloff so I will keep the toaster oven up and running with the door open and just swap the molds back and forth. Oh yeah, and as far as water in the melted lead...I wear a ball cap and a full face shield if I am casting when it's hot outside. I was working over the pot which is also bad, when I guess a drop of sweat fell off of me and landing in the pot. All I heard was a little hiss and pop then lead went all over the place. mainly my arms and a few spots on my face. It was a tough way to learn a lesson but I got lucky just minor burns. So yes it can happen and you are right to warn your viewers that have no idea and are wanting to get into casting. I too enjoy casting. Have fun!
@@Mossy500A Thanks, I hate talking about my own misfortunes because it makes me look stupid, but at the same time if it might prevent someone else from the same accident then it's okay.
@@18B_Madder anything that might contaminate the mold will cause issues with the bullet. holding a heat gun just aint gonna cut it. And it won't get hot enough anyway. And I want the lead vapors to rise and leave not get blown around by a heat gun. The small toaster oven is ideal. It will get very hot and maintain heat. I can leave the door open with the mold head inside. I normally set the temp around 425-450 knowing the door is open. I want the melt to completely fill the mold cavity before it starts to freeze so it will make a consistent bullet without layers, bubble, or any other blemishes.
@@wu3705 have you tried cold casting or lost wax method yet? Very easy alternate methods of making bullets. Do you have a 3D printer? Do you know how to cold cast yet? If you want, I can show you easy methods using various materials to make VERY viable bullets. Just reply herein if you are interested an any of these methods. They do work very well.
Good video! Looks like you have a nice set up, one thing I like are those bottom pour ladles which pour the lead out from below the dross. You are right about the zinc messing things up , I think most wheel weights used today are zinc I cast foster type slugs using a Lyman mold with the plug, is important to use dead soft lead so the skirt will expand. I wouldn’t mind finding a lee like yours to try I also cast 12 ga. Round balls that I load in brass shells, accuracy is so so but I like them and part of my end of the world prepping. 😃 When I was a kid a man that went to my dads church had a junkyard and he gave me old car batteries. I’d bust them up in with an axe, melt the lead plates down in an old iron pot over a campfire in the gravel driveway My grandfather gave me some fishing sinker molds which I used to make fishing weights I would sell and trade them at a local bait / tackle shop Imagine a kid doing this would get people all excited. 😃
All my casting stuff burned up in the fire, including thousands of bullets I had cast of various hardness's ;-( I'm waiting until after we move to replace it. There's something satisfying about casting bullets. I always worked sitting down at a table.
I used to have a lyman 'pellet gun pellet' 12 guage mold, that thing was AWESOME, I'm not impressed with the lee forster slug, I've had 2 of those molds fall apart (the hollow base pin part falls off) after about 1000 runs
I'm planning to get back into casting and reloading in the coming weeks and appreciate the many tips in your video, particlarly how you heat the mold. I'm thining of starting off with reforming target loads into 1 oz slug loads, as well as starting from scratch to make slugs with AA hulls. Thanks!
I used the lead pot to bring the mold to the right temperature. Rest a corner of the mold in the molten lead, before pouring it in.
This was a great video. Just what I was looking for. I'm thinking about doing this as well and there is alot of useful information in your video.
Thanks! Keep up the great work. I really enjoy your content.
Thanks!
I often use a small toaster oven to preheat my molds. Seems to keep a more even temp on the molds and it also prevents me from putting a cold mold in the pot. The cold mold in the pot will often cause the pot temp to fall off and you gotta wait for everything to come back up to a good temp before you can start casting. So basically it's a big time saver as I can have the pot and the molds warming up at the same time. I also sometimes run multiple molds to prevent overheating or temp falloff so I will keep the toaster oven up and running with the door open and just swap the molds back and forth. Oh yeah, and as far as water in the melted lead...I wear a ball cap and a full face shield if I am casting when it's hot outside. I was working over the pot which is also bad, when I guess a drop of sweat fell off of me and landing in the pot. All I heard was a little hiss and pop then lead went all over the place. mainly my arms and a few spots on my face. It was a tough way to learn a lesson but I got lucky just minor burns. So yes it can happen and you are right to warn your viewers that have no idea and are wanting to get into casting. I too enjoy casting. Have fun!
Glad that you recovered from that accident.
@@Mossy500A Thanks, I hate talking about my own misfortunes because it makes me look stupid, but at the same time if it might prevent someone else from the same accident then it's okay.
Why not just use a heat gun and high temperature grease working as releases agent?
@@18B_Madder anything that might contaminate the mold will cause issues with the bullet. holding a heat gun just aint gonna cut it. And it won't get hot enough anyway. And I want the lead vapors to rise and leave not get blown around by a heat gun. The small toaster oven is ideal. It will get very hot and maintain heat. I can leave the door open with the mold head inside. I normally set the temp around 425-450 knowing the door is open. I want the melt to completely fill the mold cavity before it starts to freeze so it will make a consistent bullet without layers, bubble, or any other blemishes.
@@wu3705 have you tried cold casting or lost wax method yet? Very easy alternate methods of making bullets.
Do you have a 3D printer?
Do you know how to cold cast yet?
If you want, I can show you easy methods using various materials to make VERY viable bullets. Just reply herein if you are interested an any of these methods. They do work very well.
Good video!
Looks like you have a nice set up, one thing I like are those bottom pour ladles which pour the lead out from below the dross.
You are right about the zinc messing things up , I think most wheel weights used today are zinc
I cast foster type slugs using a Lyman mold with the plug, is important to use dead soft lead so the skirt will expand. I wouldn’t mind finding a lee like yours to try
I also cast 12 ga. Round balls that I load in brass shells, accuracy is so so but I like them and part of my end of the world prepping. 😃
When I was a kid a man that went to my dads church had a junkyard and he gave me old car batteries. I’d bust them up in with an axe, melt the lead plates down in an old iron pot over a campfire in the gravel driveway
My grandfather gave me some fishing sinker molds which I used to make fishing weights
I would sell and trade them at a local bait / tackle shop
Imagine a kid doing this would get people all excited. 😃
Sound's like fun.
Excellent video
Thanks!
What crucible setup is that? Very informative video! I plan to start casting myself soon
Very informative, excellent vid,
I'm just starting to make air rifle slugs and this has helped e.a great deal.
Subscribed and liked.
Thanks.
Thank you.
very good, if I may know how to make the lead of the bullet soft, thank you

Good video - thanks - hope things are going well.
One of my favorite activities.
It's great in cool weather. If it gets too hot in Cola, I might not even need the production pot, lol.
@@Mossy500A I hear you there my friend! You can not open a bottle of water here my friend! It is so humid! Ha!
a Warning to watch out for also is sweat dropping in the lead pot also.
I do a lot of it. How is the ammo and powder supply in your area?
Dry, but I have some supplies put away.
@@Mossy500A thats good. Our local shop has some bullets,powder and primers. Most of the factory stuff is gone.
Small pistol primers are what I could use currently.
@@Mossy500A pm me we can talk and I can hook you up if you want.
@@Northwestprepper411 em1897jones@gmail.com.
All my casting stuff burned up in the fire, including thousands of bullets I had cast of various hardness's ;-( I'm waiting until after we move to replace it. There's something satisfying about casting bullets.
I always worked sitting down at a table.
Shoot, check the area for the molten lead.
@@Mossy500A Yeah, I've recovered some of it.
How much slugs can be casted per hour? Thx for reply.
20, maybe.
@@Mossy500A Thx.
👍👍👍
Use a small screen wire to skim off contaminants not a screen like on a door metal screen with about a 1/8 square holes
I used to have a lyman 'pellet gun pellet' 12 guage mold, that thing was AWESOME, I'm not impressed with the lee forster slug, I've had 2 of those molds fall apart (the hollow base pin part falls off) after about 1000 runs
The Lyman molds look cool, I may check out the hollow point slug molds.
@@Mossy500A hollow BASE looks like a pellet gun pellet
You need to open your mold quicker slug comes out easier.
KNOW THAT IT'S HARD TO FIND 16GA SLUGS IT MIGHT BE A GD THING TO INVEST IN! HOPEFULY THEY MAKE/SELL A CAST FOR IT!
Iam buy this tool from india
Get yourself a bottom pour.