Boolit lead

[Michigan Slim]

Our local scrap yards refuse to sell anything back to the public.
They will buy from you, but will not sell to you.

Same here in Fort Wayne.

 

[Brandon]

Same here in Fort Wayne.

My place said he wasn't supposed to then said he would once but never ask again.

He pays me well for my metals.

 

[Leadeye]

Many years ago I was cut in on a deal up northern Ohio for 3000# of "alloy". Turned out to be machine counterweights of some kind. The stuff is so hard when you throw an ingot on the garage floor it rings like a bell. I'll probably never run out of that stuff before I pass on. Sold some to a friend while driving home.

Strangest piece of scrap I've bought was a Cobalt 60 shipping case with it's lid.

Mostly shop for straight lead these days to load in older cartridges.

 

[Creedmoor]

Many years ago I was cut in on a deal up northern Ohio for 3000# of "alloy". Turned out to be machine counterweights of some kind. The stuff is so hard when you throw an ingot on the garage floor it rings like a bell. I'll probably never run out of that stuff before I pass on. Sold some to a friend while driving home.

Strangest piece of scrap I've bought was a Cobalt 60 shipping case with it's lid.

Mostly shop for straight lead these days to load in older cartridges.

I spent two years working in Otis's Bloomington Factorys Test Towers, each time I walked by the lady that cut large babbit bars into smaller bars I would grap one and toss it in my lunch box. After a few days she said to me, quit taking the cut ones and just grab a full piece when you need it. I said OK, I gave her one of my uniform shirts and with that we were friends for life. Its great alloy to add, the bearing babbit has some copper in it.

 

[55fairlane]

I might be sitting on 50 to 75 pounds of good soft lead mostly in sheets....I might be willing to part with it

 

[DadSmith]

How much does it cost to get set up to cast for .356 .401, .452 calibers?
What does one need to start making your own bullets besides lead?
I've been interested in this for years, I've never gotten around to it. I figured the cost for the equipment needed would be pretty high.
What would it take to setup on the least expensive side so I can learn?

 

[Michigan Slim]

How much does it cost to get set up to cast for .356 .401, .452 calibers?
What does one need to start making your own bullets besides lead?
I've been interested in this for years, I've never gotten around to it. I figured the cost for the equipment needed would be pretty high.
What would it take to setup on the least expensive side so I can learn?

A Lee 20 pound bottom pour, six-gang moulds, some flux, Ingot mould. Most of the little stuff you have around the garage already. Probably less than 300.09 to get started. It grows rapidly from there though as you upgrade and add.

 

[Creedmoor]

A Lee 20 pound bottom pour, six-gang moulds, some flux, Ingot mould. Most of the little stuff you have around the garage already. Probably less than 300.09 to get started. It grows rapidly from there though as you upgrade and add.

Add a bottle of Lee Alox lube and a few $25.00 dollar Lee push through bullet sizers and your casting your own bullets.

 

[Leadeye]

How much does it cost to get set up to cast for .356 .401, .452 calibers?
What does one need to start making your own bullets besides lead?
I've been interested in this for years, I've never gotten around to it. I figured the cost for the equipment needed would be pretty high.
What would it take to setup on the least expensive side so I can learn?

It's not hard, the posts above cover it pretty well. The larger the bullets the better the return, if you are loading stuff like 45-70 I don't see how people can shoot much without casting.

 

[parson]

A friend of mine recently mad a pretty good score at an old, independent tire shop. They charged $20 for a 5 gal. bucket that was mostly usable weights.

 

[Michigan Slim]

It's not hard, the posts above cover it pretty well. The larger the bullets the better the return, if you are loading stuff like 45-70 I don't see how people can shoot much without casting.

At one time I was loading $3.00/round ammo for $0.28/round. Have not figured the new reality but it is still pretty good. I shoot more .45-70 than some do .22. Same for .30-30, .38-55, etc. Cast is king here.

 

[Creedmoor]

At one time I was loading $3.00/round ammo for $0.28/round. Have not figured the new reality but it is still pretty good. I shoot more .45-70 than some do .22. Same for .30-30, .38-55, etc. Cast is king here.

LOL, yep, If I cast handgun bullets I can load a box of 100 easily for 3 bucks, 44 & 45 magnums add maybe a buck or less.

 

[gassprint1]

This is part of the load that ended up being about 700lbs of wheel weights after sorting them.
If one keeps asking, it can be found. I have also mined a few ranges over the years.

View attachment 338541

Its been about 8 years now i guess, but i used to goto the winamac shooting range and dig/screen. Bout a year later they stopped anyone from doing it. Made decent money selling the copper jackets to the local scrape yard and poured fluxed ingots i sold for aroubd 60cents a pound. I still have a few ingots i kept for myself. Have wheel weights i haven't sorted and melted yet.

 

[canebreaker]

"How much does it cost to get set up to cast."
You can buy everything needed new and costly or as I did, from yard sales mostly. It took a couple of years to get it all.
7 in 1 cooker, propane burner base, electric pan, charcoal pan, water pan and half a 30# bottle of propane for $10.
6 qt cast iron dutch oven with lid $2. My wife got the lid.
Solid and slotted serving spoons 10 and 25 cents each.
Cast aluminum cornbread corn ear pan 25 cents.
Restaurant size baking sheet pan $2. Make a good work surface to contain splatters.
Craigslist: Lee 10 lb production pot $20 plus flat rate shipping. Lee 20 lb production pot $25 plus flat rate shipping.
I made a ladle that will hold 10 lbs of melted lead.
Molds were bought new, some used from ebay if the price was right.
12" 750 degree thermometer from Buck's hardware $1.60. Got them on the 75% off sale.

 

[Creedmoor]

"How much does it cost to get set up to cast."
You can buy everything needed new and costly or as I did, from yard sales mostly. It took a couple of years to get it all.
7 in 1 cooker, propane burner base, electric pan, charcoal pan, water pan and half a 30# bottle of propane for $10.
6 qt cast iron dutch oven with lid $2. My wife got the lid.
Solid and slotted serving spoons 10 and 25 cents each.
Cast aluminum cornbread corn ear pan 25 cents.
Restaurant size baking sheet pan $2. Make a good work surface to contain splatters.
Craigslist: Lee 10 lb production pot $20 plus flat rate shipping. Lee 20 lb production pot $25 plus flat rate shipping.
I made a ladle that will hold 10 lbs of melted lead.
Molds were bought new, some used from ebay if the price was right.
12" 750 degree thermometer from Buck's hardware $1.60. Got them on the 75% off sale.

You might want to try using a silver or silver plated serving spoon, molten lead will not stick to it. You can find them at flea markets and yard sales for a few bucks each.

 

[canebreaker]

I worked for a railroad. Locomotives have 8 batteries. Each battery has terminals for 2 cables. Cable ends have 2 holes to connect to the battery plus connecting to each other. Lugs are used to connect. One lug has a 5/16" brass bolt cast in it. The other lug has a 5/16" brass nut. The lead head has a 3/16" round shoulder and 3/4X 3/4" square end. 32 lug sets weighed 38 lbs before melt and brass removed. Electricians would trash the lugs when I was working and I could get 1 to 4 sets per week. Now I hear they are bagged/separated from other scrap.

 

[Creedmoor]

Our local scrap yards refuse to sell anything back to the public.
They will buy from you, but will not sell to you.

Have you ever offered to trade with them? Like copper, steel or aluminum for lead?

 

[canebreaker]

A friend on a fishing website in west TN set up an online tackle store. He bought a used Jigmaster with 30 molds for casting different size/style jigs. Each mold will hold 400/600 hooks. Cast a drum, change to another. Got the rest of the day to separate them.
He found a 4,800 lb keel at Georgetown, SC for $3,000. I went along to drive some instead of taking motel rooms. I'll go to his house when needed to help melt off what he'll need for a few months. I bring home a few dutch oven ingots of lead.

 

[canebreaker]

I don't know what these spoons are made of, stainless steel I guess. They are about 30 years old. Have never been cleaned and very little lead/dorse on them. Can strike them on the pot when hot and remove most.

 

[Mgderf]

Have you ever offered to trade with them? Like copper, steel or aluminum for lead?

No dice.
They say it's due to, wait for it, " liability issues".