Casting lead balls for a muzzle loader

[TwoRivers]

The molten lead needs to "fluxed", which can be done with beeswax, commercial bullet lube, powdered charcoal, motor oil, or ground-up goats horn, as the top layer of the molten oil oxydizes . The resulting "dross" is then skimmed off and discarded. The hotter the lead gets the more problems with oxydation, and 'frosty" bullets. The lead should be no hotter than required to flow freely and evenly fill the mold. But do your casting in a well ventilated place. The safety nannies would have you wear a respirator and rubber gloves. Cheers.

[Mack The Knife]

Thanks Two Rivers but I am confused by what you say.

The molten lead needs to "fluxed"

Being in a molten state the lead is already assumed to be in a state of flux or does it need to be more 'runny' and hence the use of wax?

The moment you mentioned 'oxidation' I slapped my forehead because I have known for years that our airgun pellets are either coated with wax or oil to slow down the oxidation process. Is this what Fadala was refering to?

[snIPer]

I have always used fired Pellets and havent had any issues with them. The finished product always has a smooth finish on it.

[kanwar76]

Nice tutorial Mark,

Any body ever tried to cast airgun pellets?

-Inder

[TwoRivers]

Mack The Knife: When lead is heated and in the molten state, its surface oxydizes rapidly. Lead oxyde is brittle and flaky; "fluxing" reduces the lead oxyde back to lead, and you can keep casting nice silvery bullets. "Fluxing" does not make the molten lead more fluid, it reverses and prevents oxydation. Hope that clears things up. Cheers.

[Mack The Knife]

Thanks a lot, Two Rivers.

[eljefe]

I kept the mold over the gas ring-nice and warm, poured the lead from the standard MARK-1 ( as in the pat pending design by our mark )
pepsi can spout and got more than a decent copy-promptly drilled them as 1 oz fishing weights.Lead was battery plates, had a pinch of drawing charcoal as 'starters' -never poured with a cold mould
Mack The Knife, last I remember, still with you.

[mundaire]

Nice tutorial Mark,

Any body ever tried to cast airgun pellets?

-Inder

Would it be worth it? If someone wants to save money on pellets the locally made ones cost what? INR 0.25 or 0.50 per pellet... doubt if home made pellets could be as good as even those ones (as bad as they may be)! Just an opinion...

BTW aren't airgun pellets swaged? Or do they usually cast them?

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[Mack The Knife]

Abhijeet,

If I remember, I will send you a sample of a pellet made by my friend's dad from thick lead wire. He's got a mould of some type (haven't seen it) and the process does not require heating. It goes without saying that these pellets are very soft.

Pellets are made from extruded lead-antimony (or some such alloy) wire.

I had the entire pellet making process in one of the airgun comics and will try looking for it - assuming that particular years batch is not with a friend.

[kanwar76]

Nice tutorial Mark,

Any body ever tried to cast airgun pellets?

-Inder

Would it be worth it? If someone wants to save money on pellets the locally made ones cost what? INR 0.25 or 0.50 per pellet... doubt if home made pellets could be as good as even those ones (as bad as they may be)! Just an opinion...

BTW aren't airgun pellets swaged? Or do they usually cast them?

Cheers!
Abhijeet

Hi Abhijeet,

I was not thinking about the easily available calibers.. we have to think about people like Yaj you know

-Inder

[cyrixoutside]

hi,

fadala's book does not mention any specific ratio for adding wax



rajat

[Mack The Knife]

Thanks, Rajat.

Asif, I found the mould. It was in the ammo cabinet.

[goodboy_mentor]

Unfortunately not I recall that discussion we had here a while back, but penpusher recently checked with the authorities and muzzle loaders cannot be imported.

If you go to 'http://compendium.iift.ac.in/ and type in 93 in ITC(HS)Code box and click search, it brings up the page for Chapter 93. If you go to code 93031000 for Muzzle loading firearms under 9303 it say the import policy is free but subject to some mentioned MHA notifications.