Gents!
I have ordered a lee ingot form, but it seems that it will not be here for another month or so.
In the meantime I would like to start cleaning & melting the WW lead that I do have into more suitable sizes and wonder if It can be casted into a metal muffin form holding 6 small cupcakes? If so, each ingot would weigh around 2 pounds which is an ok size to start casting bullets with later on. Will the non-stick coating be a problem?

Sincerely
Daniel

Daniel, I'd be concerned about how molten alloy will react to the nonstick coating of your muffin tin. Cast iron muffin tins will do the job without releasing potentially toxic gases.

quote:

Originally posted by Huglu:

Will the non-stick coating be a problem?

Sincerely
Daniel

That non stick coating is a teflon based product
When you pour in the moltem lead
It will release toxic fumes

So IMO don't use them


I use cheap dollor store stamped steel muffin tins

Or find some $ .50 rusty yard sale ones

John

As mentioned cast iron is fine, or bare metal but not teflon.

Way back when, about 20 or so years ago I had to do some fabbing that involved teflon. Basically, it is pretty inert until you get it hot and then it outgasses. The most extreme example I remembered reading about involved teflon coated burner rings for an electric stove. Some lady was a bird collector and left a burner on, and killed over 200 pet birds in her house.

Anyway, it cant be good for you either. However, I bet you could burn most of the teflon off outside pretty easily and not have to worry about it, or just find an iron or stainless item to use.

Gents!
Thanks for replies!
I will find some pure metal forms to cast in, there are some stainless steel forms that could be used, measurement cups for flour water etc.
Will go to the store tomorrow to see what they have.

Sincerely
Daniel

Daniel,

You may find a container that is tapered instead of straight side such as a measuring cup because the ingot will fall out much easier. That stainless sounds good as lead won't stick to it as easy as the regular steel ones.

Joe

a restuarant supply house about a mile from me has 16-holers for the big ones for $12. I bought two home, only to have the Boss Lady high grade them and hand me four 12-holers that were cast iron. I love it when you can make brownie points accidentally. I have a feeling the black 560 SEL I am going to bring home and try and hide in the corner of the garage tomorrow will not fare as well. Pray for me.

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

You know, it really doesn't matter, if you don't sniff your lead pot or tins, and you set up with appropriate ventilation for the melt of WW. N.S.

One thing that I have found that speeds up the process is to place the muffin tin on a folded and water soaked towel before filling the cavities with lead. That way the ingots are hardened before I finish pouring the last one. Otherwise it takes forever to cool down. When melting down pails of WW at a time this can save hours.

Another Idea you may consider. Rather than forming them into ingots, I used to sweep off a section of the smooth concrete floor in the garage, and pour the lead ddirrectly onto it. I would pour a series of 1.5-2" disks kind of like making pancakes. When I went to remelt them for casting they melted down and came up to temp much faster than the larger ingots.

Muffin tins are all that I use for my ingots. I've got a couple 12 holers and a couple 6 holers. One of these days I'll get aroung to building some real ingot moulds but for now the muffin tins work well. I also have a few of the old cast iron corn bread molds that work well.