antiqueguy
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- Location
- windsor ontario
idk but I too have found this lead before when digging through the pile of old pipes and such under the porch of a house we used to rent. it was pretty thick idk what they used it for
Bullet casting, steel vs aluminum molds, lead sourcing.
- Thread starter vinver
- Start date
idk but I too have found this lead before when digging through the pile of old pipes and such under the porch of a house we used to rent. it was pretty thick idk what they used it for
It was used as a joint seal.Not a solder or liner. Two pipes male and female ends that fit into one another, there was a lead ring that was used as a malleable metal seal of sorts. Depending on the pipe and what it was used for, there may or may not have been a coupler type joint also with a lead seal.
Some pipe was of course made of lead, the above is in reference to the joints in cast iron/ductile steel pipe.
Edit* found a youtube thingie...
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All good discussion. Had considered chopping up an old car battery but really can't fathom how that would be safe on any level. I may try another scrap dealer, see what they have to say about selling lead without a permit. Funny thing, I remember an old lead pipe in my dad's garage, we used to use it to smash-flatten aluminum pop cans. No idea where it is now.
Here's the molds, the Parker Hale is much larger than the others. Bullet shape is almost identical to the OHAUS , but the plug insert on the PH is flat instead of pointed. Plugs seem to fit interchangeably in both molds.
Here's the molds, the Parker Hale is much larger than the others. Bullet shape is almost identical to the OHAUS , but the plug insert on the PH is flat instead of pointed. Plugs seem to fit interchangeably in both molds.
Hmmm, here's my ignorance shining through...these "inserts", they fit in the pour end of the die (rear end of the projectile)? If so why use them? Cast the projectile as a solid if the diameter is tight enough to adequately grab the rifling.
I cast several different projectiles but none of my dies require the use of these inserts.
I cast several different projectiles but none of my dies require the use of these inserts.
With some old muzzle loaders, you want a bullet with a large hollow cavity in the base so it can expand upon firing and fill the bore. This way, you can use a smaller projectile that is easier to load, without having the accuracy issues that would normally be associated with a bullet thats under bore diameter.
I maybe able to help. I work in the scrap industry as a labourer. Every scrap yard is different some aren't open to the public and others its not worth their time to sell to the average joe. Most will have a junk corner where all the odd ball stuff sits for a while. I'm talking every kind of lead alloy even dross. Like McDonalds scrapers make pennies so volume is the only way to get them to part with their material be prepared to buy a hundred pounds. Lbs yes. Wheel weights are a waste of time because they're heading in a lead free direction. Steel, zinc and plastic weights are becoming more prominent. Want hard bullets ask if they have a "hard lead" category or simply list the recipe you're looking for, they might have sn/pb solder spools, pewter or babbit kicking around. Give them a call. The price point is going to be the price point, they aren't making money selling fifty or a hundred pounds at a time when a single completed container weights 3,800 to 5,500 lbs. Often there is a "soft lead" category which will work for you muzzle loaders.
cadmium is toxic.
They want the business and their phone numbers are out there. Phone ask, make a deal.
cadmium is toxic.
They want the business and their phone numbers are out there. Phone ask, make a deal.
I cast Minie projectiles in .50 caliber. The mould has an aspect that the casting forms a skirt that expands on firing, but it's integral in the mold not an insert. Never seen that before, was it common back when to create a Minie type projectile using an inset?
I dont know. Someone else will have to chime in on that one. I am more of a concepts and how-it-works kinda guy, not the greatest historian... lol
edit: On that note, do you have to purposely under-fill your mold when using a plug like this? Is the plug pushing molten lead out of the mold if over-full? Do the molds tell you how much to fill them, or do you have to figure it out on your own?
No, no metering required. The lead is poured into the tip of the projectile mold, pour til full, clip off the spru [or whatever the excess is called
] and plop, you're done. I'll try to find a pic.
Edit. Found it, and reading your post again I realize you are asking about the "insert" which would displace molton lead. Anyhow, this is what I'm on about. Once closed, you just pour and snip.
] and plop, you're done. I'll try to find a pic.Edit. Found it, and reading your post again I realize you are asking about the "insert" which would displace molton lead. Anyhow, this is what I'm on about. Once closed, you just pour and snip.
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The Minié bullet was the invention of Captain Claude Minié of the French Army, and WAS designed with a hollow base specifically so that it would go down easy and expand to grad into the rifling by the explosive force of the powder. Early experiments in England saw the use of clay plugs to aid the expansion, then wooden plugs, then none at all - this persisted until the obsolescence of the bullet and the adoption of the Snider.
The first real use of the Minié bullet took place during the Crimean War of 1856, when the British and French formed an unnatural alliance to fight the Russians. The allies were both shooting percussion rifles and Minié ball projectiles. The Russian troops, used to shooting and being shot at at ranges of no more than a couple of hundred yards, were appalled to find that they were taking heavy casualties, especially among their artillery troops, from shooters around 500 to 800 yards away.
tac
The insert part fits in the bottom (back) of the mold, and lead is poured into the nose of the bullet (top) of the molds. The pics don't show well, but the metal ring is a c-clip (E-clip?) circlip that snaps into the round shaft of the insert. The screw in the bottom of the mold locates the plug; it slides in through the gap in the c-clip, give it a half turn and the screw holds the flange of the clip, preventing the plug from dropping out. The Lee aluminum molds have a built-in core plug, that as pictured will stay put when opened as it is attached via the handle assembly.You still pour in from the top, then whack the steel plate sideways to cut off the sprue part of the casting. The nose of the lead bullet will have a flat tip.
The Parker Hale mold is more robust than the others, and makes a 560 grain Minie with the flat-ended plug. The OHaus one makes a 500 grain bullet, with it's pointy tip plug. I plan to cast some from both molds, and see which works best. Probably won't be until spring, but bythen I'll be an expert at casting Minies
RCBS is the best that I have found and all you need is 62.5gr 2fg Goex ,another lead surplus is the local telephone company used to have lead splice cases for the copper cable in manholes.the power companies do the same with underground splicing.
