Working with large ingots

[fingers284]

Avoid non stick if possible. I threw all my muffin trays in the wood stove to burn all the crap off.

LOL...my experience was just the opposite, I started out with some old kitchen pans from before non-stick was around and had no end to sticking ingots, went to the dollar store and bought two new coated pans and haven't had a muffin stick yet. One thing I did discover that works best for me is to dump the ingots very soon after pouring with just enough solidification so they retain their shape...they dump like moms muffins in the paper forms.

I will pass on another tip that works for somewhat larger ingots than can be attained with muffin pans. One of my cannons is "pop can" bore sized and in the process of trying to make some projectiles for that beasty I discovered that molten lead will not burn thru the walls of pop or beer cans. I cut the lids off a dollar or two worth of cans and fill to the level/weight I want and then just grab the aluminum with a pair of pliers and peel it away from the cooled lead.

 

[yomomma]

Rust is the best non stick coating when it comes to casting ingots

 

[jethunter]

Yup....you get your exercise too. Works better with a couple beers and a friend

Definitely a workout. It's hearty, manly stuff.

 

[gnmontey]

Any one try a band saw? Local high school shop teacher has volunteered to give my 60# pig a go with his industrial strength band saw.
Will find out tomorrow morning I guess.

Today, I tried.

An axe and a BFH. That produced less than stellar results.
A sawzall. That sort of worked ok, but there was lots of chatter and blade jamming.
A drywall saw. This surprised me, as it actually worked pretty good. It was a lot of sawing and took the better part of an hour just to liberate one end flange.

3 hours of putzing netted me approx. 7lbs. of pot size pieces. Only 53lbs left to chew through now

M

 

[fingers284]

A trick I discovered works pretty good if you have something to hang your pig from such as an engine lift or tripod & chain hoist. I set my pot and burner up under the lead chunk and just keep lowering it in the pot as it melts down. I lift out of the way to pour muffin pans then lower again for another pot full. I just drive a long nail or sharpened rod thru the lead chunk for a chain hook-up to lift with.

 

[norland]

use wood cutting chop saw

 

[gnmontey]

Band Saw attempt was a failure.



First cut went most of the way through before the blade jammed. We wacked that chunk off with a hammer.
Second cut jammed the blade right from the get go. After chipping away at the pig with a hammer and chisel in an attempt to free the blade to no avail the blade was sacrificed.
We were using a cutting lubricant as well.

Guess I'm just going to have to bite the boolit and do this the manly way.

M

 

[kelseyscooter1]

by far, the best way to reduce ingot size is to whack the ingot with an axe, and then drop the end of the ingot onto a concrete floor or a chunk of metal. the ingot will break at the axe cut. I have actually been able to get fairly accurate with this method.

 

[gnmontey]

by far, the best way to reduce ingot size is to whack the ingot with an axe, and then drop the end of the ingot onto a concrete floor or a chunk of metal. the ingot will break at the axe cut. I have actually been able to get fairly accurate with this method.

Let me guess.... your real name is THOR

I wacked at this thing all afternoon with an axe, BFH, and a sledge and only managed to liberate two 2" slices 4.75" wide and 2.5" high.

Had to cut 3/4 of the way through before it would break.

M

 

[denydart]

log splitter

nuff said

 

[kelseyscooter1]

Let me guess.... your real name is THOR

I wacked at this thing all afternoon with an axe, BFH, and a sledge and only managed to liberate two 2" slices 4.75" wide and 2.5" high.

Had to cut 3/4 of the way through before it would break.

M

gnmontey... what you are describing would likely happen with pure lead which is softer than the ingots I am using, which are linotype. linotype is harder and breaks easier.

 

[gnmontey]

gnmontey... what you are describing would likely happen with pure lead which is softer than the ingots I am using, which are linotype. linotype is harder and breaks easier.

7% Ant and 2% Tin or so I am told.

In any event, it's a real slog beating your way through it.

Wack, Wack, Wack, Wack, Wack, Wack, Wack, Wack, Wack..... Oh I gained 3 mm. What Joy!

I was marking it with a felt pen just to verify I was actually getting some where.

M

 

[SoylentD]

log splitter

nuff said

Works if your log splitter blade connects with the anvil - which my cheap one doesn't. It stops about 4" out. Great for kindling, not so much for lead and metals.

A cheap electric chainsaw works, but makes a huge mess. Need to tarp off the area, and make sure you use protective equipment.

 

[fingers284]

gnmontey, where in AB are you. you are welcome to use my "hang & dangle until melted" setup if you wish or I have a log splitter and if that wont cut'er we can also grind/sharpen up a chop blade for the 20 ton hyd press...one way or the other you will have smaller pieces!!!

 

[gnmontey]

Pls Remove

 

[gnmontey]

gnmontey, where in AB are you. you are welcome to use my "hang & dangle until melted" setup if you wish or I have a log splitter and if that wont cut'er we can also grind/sharpen up a chop blade for the 20 ton hyd press...one way or the other you will have smaller pieces!!!

A BIG THANK YOU to fingers284 for melting my pigs into muffin tin sized ingots. Here are a few pics of the melting and some of his toys.











By the time we were finished that ammo crate was full and three ingots deep.

M

 

[2strokeforever]

My solution was to cut a hole in the bottom of a 20lb propane tank and get a whole bunch more lead to justify the work involved and make a pile of 3 lb
muffins
Bottom pour didnt last long, needs to be a brass gate valve, using a value village pot as a scoop was faster and easier anyways

Walmart teflon muffin tin, had it in a container with a few inches of water, teflon dosent get burnt off, the ingots cool fast, and they pretty much jump out of the tin

 

[trevj]

Little heavy on the goth makeup

I was thinking he let his eyebrows go a bit since the last picture I saw of him....

 

[buckbrush]

for bigger pigs of lead I have used a hacksaw with the coarsest blade you can find, and liquid dish soap for lube.