Casting/Smelting ratios ?

[BigSlick]

When you smelt your ww's and whatever else you find made of lead, linotype, monotype etc..

What mix do you use when you smelt ?

I generally use clips and stick ons about equally (or thereabouts) when smelting, the adjust in the pot with lino, tin or mono.

I used to seperate clips from stick ons but smelting 300 lbs per pot, that gets old fast.

50/50 or so air cooled shoots in almost everything pretty well. I do keep one or two buckets of segregated straight clip ons for (nearly) mag level air cooled use.

The 50/50 or so mix will water quench to as hard as I am likely to need for most <1500 fps use, so that's the bulk of it.

I add a little lino or mono where I know I'm gonna need something a little harder and don't have the time/desire to quench or try my hand at heat treating.

I generally add a little tin to the pot only if needed. That seems to be largely temp/mould dependent, so I don't mix it when smelting.

What do you guys do ?

[Blackdog]

I've been running 50/50, WW/range lead. Water quenched. Been working for me in .38/357, 44 mag and 45 acp. I'm going to cast some for 35 Whelen and 8 mm soon, and will probably go with straight WW's, quenched and gas checked.

[cohutt]

I keep everything in it's original form when smelting.

In other words I do my alloying in the casting pot.

I have poured a lot of large pure and ww ingots, both in 6-7 lb size.
I also have a bunch of each in smaller ingots to balance out a casting formula.
Lino is in small ingots only- 1/2 to 2 lbs
Mono is in small ingots only, mini muffins, 1/2 and 1 lb lyman and lee ingots.

tin is still in the long skinny sticks i got it in- i weigh a whole one then mark it off in roughly 1 ounce increments. casting time I dip it into the pot down to the appropriate line and it is in the melt in about 4 seconds.

[myg30]

What cohutt said. I also mix in my casting pot depending on mold being used. It might be a PITA to keep the ingots seperated but, its just me. Those shinney tin ingots look ssoooooo good to. I melt them in a different shape ,smaller mold so they dont ever get mixed by mistake.

Mike

[cohutt]

It has been a while, so here is a gratuitous picture of a leadwhore's stash -

Mike, note that the tin is in the closed contained with $$ written on it, just to be sure :)

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m284/cohutt/pb/smelt004.jpg

[jawjaboy]

Mike, note that the tin is in the closed contained with $$ written on it, just to be sure

For real. Tin prices are not gettting any less either.

[myg30]

YOU ARE "THE" MAN !!!

[CZ93X62]

What Cohutt said. I blend in Linotype, Monotype, and Foundry type with unalloyed lead or WW smelted into ingots, usually into 92/6/2 alloy for magnum revolvers--high-pressure autopistols--and rifles. Smelted WW metal as-is works for 45 ACP, 38 Special, and other low-intensity handgun and rifle rounds (44-40, 45-70). The type metal is in strips and slugs most of the time, and is very clean as-found. No real need to smelt it.

[RustyFN]

I smelt straight WW's clip-on and stick-on mixed. I add very little 95/5 solder to the casting pot for the tin.

[fredj338]

For the most part I sort & keep separate ingots for lino, clip ww, lead, range scrap. If I am melting range scrap. This allows me a bit more control of the alloy when casting.

[GAP shooter]

Normally straight ww clip on..water quenched when i cast ..sit for 2 to 3 weeks to cure and then resize. Only ones i dont water quench are .452 for my acp and GAP..find it isnt necc at that velocity and no comps on either barrels.

[Shooter]

I smelt straight ww and cast that for 38,357 and 9mm. I add a little 50/50 solder for a 22 bullet I load in 223 for a turkey round.