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Shelter in place blues What to do???

Posted: 03 Apr 2020 17:06
by donhuff
Cast some bullets, that's what!

I plugged in the trusty Old Lyman #61 pot, and went to work casting up some .40 cal 200 grain bullets for my new 401 powermag.

The Arsenal mold worked great and by the time the pot of lead got hot, the mold was up to temp on the hot plate, and it was time to get started. After I had gotten a good pile of bullets, I could then cast until the pot was empty, then refill and put the mold back on the hot plate to keep it at casting temp, and then I had a little time to paint a few of the fresh bullets while waiting for the pot to get back up to temp.

I got about 750 painted, and that looks to be about half of what I got cast, judging by the size of the piles. I'll get the rest coated tomorrow and then get started sizing, that's the part I dislike the most. But it goes pretty quick since I converted my Lyman 450 into a push through type sizer.

Re: Shelter in place blues What to do???

Posted: 03 Apr 2020 17:25
by Ranch Dog
Look's like a good day's work!

Re: Shelter in place blues What to do???

Posted: 03 Apr 2020 17:55
by TinMan
Among the many assorted tasks that I've been doing........I finally got around to converting about 300 pounds of salvaged lead into stack-able ingots. All of this batch was just the plumbers (soft) lead that was taking up way too much floor space. I still have many, many pounds of Linotype that I will do some time soon. This one project will allow me to clean up a big hunk of the shop. :idea:

Re: Shelter in place blues What to do???

Posted: 04 Apr 2020 05:10
by Ranch Dog
TinMan wrote:Among the many assorted tasks that I've been doing........I finally got around to converting about 300 pounds of salvaged lead into stack-able ingots. All of this batch was just the plumbers (soft) lead that was taking up way too much floor space. I still have many, many pounds of Linotype that I will do some time soon. This one project will allow me to clean up a big hunk of the shop. :idea:
I've got to do the same!

Re: Shelter in place blues What to do???

Posted: 04 Apr 2020 09:06
by Mad Trapper
That reminds me, I have some sheets of lead, shoved back in the corner somewhere.
I should probably dig them out and do something with them.
Spent 1 -1/2 hrs digging through buckets of my stuff, looking for 45-70 brass, found them in the last bucket, 700 starline brass.
Also found a lyman mold 457193, lyman 310 die set and a lee classic loader.
Been about ten years since I reloaded 45-70.
I think I like the lee classic loader the best, the 310 really over works the brass neck.
but the Lee loader does a perfect job of neck resizing.
Ordered a 45-70 flaring tool from Lee the other day.

Re: Shelter in place blues What to do???

Posted: 05 Apr 2020 02:30
by GasGuzzler
I have Lee loaders in .45 Colt and 3" .410. Never tried either. Maybe it's time to try some .45's. I don't have any shotgun components. I am working every other day so it's weird having time for projects yet not a lot at once.

Re: Shelter in place blues What to do???

Posted: 05 Apr 2020 09:55
by TinMan
Yesterday I began sorting thru the buckets of Linotype, my goal was to knock loose some of the embedded dirt and debris occupying the small voids in most of these little blocks. Three hours of handling them, piece by piece, netted about 75 pounds of reasonably clean material......had to stop because my shoulders were aching something fierce........but that's two double handfuls of dirt that I won't be skimming off the liquid product.
If my calculations are correct, that leaves about 150 pounds of that type left to sort.

Re: Shelter in place blues What to do???

Posted: 06 Apr 2020 16:09
by Ranch Dog
TinMan wrote:Yesterday I began sorting thru the buckets of Linotype, my goal was to knock loose some of the embedded dirt and debris occupying the small voids in most of these little blocks. Three hours of handling them, piece by piece, netted about 75 pounds of reasonably clean material......had to stop because my shoulders were aching something fierce........but that's two double handfuls of dirt that I won't be skimming off the liquid product.
If my calculations are correct, that leaves about 150 pounds left to sort.
You seem to be getting good at it! Your welcome to come down here and sort through some!

Re: Shelter in place blues What to do???

Posted: 11 Apr 2020 16:15
by TinMan
Lead storage-before (3).jpg
Finally reached the backside of the "pile".... freeing up floor space of about 5x5...... :D
Had an old shipping container that will now keep all the ingots in one neat and tidy place.
Shown is the first batch of soft lead that I mentioned earlier ...... not quite 400 lbs now.
If my calculations are correct, that leaves bout 800 lbs. to go.

Re: Shelter in place blues What to do???

Posted: 12 Apr 2020 06:56
by Ranch Dog
I really need to get on mine. Maybe I'll wait until the temperature is pushing 100ยบ!

In 2014, I built these two, two-compartment boxes to hold my lead. They are full, but they need to be taken down to ingots.

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