Ingot moulds??

[Bassmaster]

My very first attempt at smelting WW's went very well and safely until trying to break the ingots away from a f@#$ muffin pan....that's when the whole process stopped, and I shut every thing down. Four of the 12 ingots refused to release from the pan...I dropped the pan from over my head onto my plywood sheet...(6' 2") and they finally released....with the tin cup still attached...OK.....at this point, I just want my hard earned lead and I refuse to be defeated by an object with the word 'muffin' in it so out come the tin snips and a pair of pliers....and peeled the crappy tin shrapnel away...the lead is finally freed.
Now, I am as cheap as they come when it comes to spending which is why I tried the muffin tin mould.....cheap, cheap, cheap.....was there something in the muffin tin that prevented easy release?..tin?..
What are other casters using for ingot moulds?...should I just break my piggy bank and go purchase a couple of proper Lyman moulds?
Bass

 

[saskgunowner101]

Strange they wouldn't release? I have a couple a couple of old muffin tins I use for making ingots, and they always come out with a drop onto plywood. Mind you, mine sit for awhile before doing so. How long did you wait before trying?

 

[Bassmaster]

saskgunowner101....I handled the tin when I could hold it comfortably with bare hands....(but yes, I still used gloves)

 

[blacksmithden]

saskgunowner101....I handled the tin when I could hold it comfortably with bare hands....(but yes, I still used gloves)

That `MIGHT`be part of the problem. I can`t say that I`ve ever waited that long to dump my ingots out of my muffin trays. As soon as the ingots aren`t liquid anymore, out them come. That being said, I have had ingots stick in there before. I just left them and worked around them. After a few heating and cooling cycles from more ingots being made, they`ve always come out. I`ve never had to peel the tray away from them.

 

[saskgunowner101]

saskgunowner101....I handled the tin when I could hold it comfortably with bare hands....(but yes, I still used gloves)

Look on the bright side, you took care of the troublesome ones. I'd get a few more muffin tins and give it another go.

 

[Bassmaster]

All good points....thanks

 

[hillbillyreefer]

That `MIGHT`be part of the problem. I can`t say that I`ve ever waited that long to dump my ingots out of my muffin trays. As soon as the ingots aren`t liquid anymore, out them come. That being said, I have had ingots stick in there before. I just left them and worked around them. After a few heating and cooling cycles from more ingots being made, they`ve always come out. I`ve never had to peel the tray away from them.

+1

Mine always stick if left to cool too much. I drop them as soon as the last one has solidified, and don't have any trouble any more.

 

[vviking]

+1

Mine always stick if left to cool too much. I drop them as soon as the last one has solidified, and don't have any trouble any more.

Yeah, .... One of the many tricks ya gotta learn on the path to(almost)free boolit's ... Got out the coleman and H&G mould today, decided that "commercial Caster" will not be a source of retirement income for this 'ol 'nutter.

 

[Freyr_255]

I use a heavy duty aluminum muffin pan and haven't had any issues. The lead won't stick to bare aluminum. Cost me like $8 from super store.

 

[ciphery]

Go to a Salvatin Army store,Value village etc. Get a ONE piece aluminum muffin tray.
Galvanized or teflon coated steal trays suck! Especially if the tray and cup are seperate pieces press fit together. The WW will stick or even worse solder itsself to a steel tray and the lead will flow into the little groove between the tray and cup creating a mechanical hold when the lead cools.

 

[Bassmaster]

Ok all....
I have a few more options..I'll give it another go..Thanks

 

[Bassmaster]

Go to a Salvatin Army store,Value village etc. Get a ONE piece aluminum muffin tray.
Galvanized or teflon coated steal trays suck! Especially if the tray and cup are seperate pieces press fit together. The WW will stick or even worse solder itsself to a steel tray and the lead will flow into the little groove between the tray and cup creating a mechanical hold when the lead cools.

Yeah...me thinks this is what happened today.......

 

[Bassmaster]

+1

Mine always stick if left to cool too much. I drop them as soon as the last one has solidified, and don't have any trouble any more.

I gave it another go today, with another one of the pilfered muffin trays, and it's all good, dropping them as soon as they're solidified.....

 

[Goldenlakepete]

I use cut down pop cans. Works and is very cheap.

 

[glycerin]

X2 ciphery, plated steel(magnet) muffin tins may? work if they're rusted, but heavy aluminum or cast iron works best. Stainless steel condiment containers work well.

 

[dakotamar]

did you remember to line them with paper muffin thingys? kidding.... i usually drop mine once they are cool enough to handle but haven't had any problem with cold ones. i drop to a concrete garage floor thou... using a steel muffin pan that is not one solid piece...

 

[DFarmer]

We had to cut the muffin tray off the lead once. It hasn't happened since.
We made smaller ingot moulds out of 1 1/4 inch angle iron. They fit in the melting pot easier.

 

[Snider shooter]

Another idea for ingot moulds. It may have involved some alcohol. Turn the beer can upside down, the bottom makes some nice little ingots. I have since bought a few proper ingot moulds.

 

[yomomma]

Never had issues.

Threw my muffin pan in the wood stove for a bit. Cleaned it, never had anything stick

 

[billbmcleod]

I am sure that if you ran a propane torch over the inverted and stuck muffin cups they would break free. Of course beware of a bit of hot lead.