Casting Lead Ingots in Muffin Pans

[Aszerigan]

To the casters in the crowd:

I've gotten into lead casting over the last few weeks, and one of my biggest troubles was getting my lead to come out of the muffin tins after smelting. I researched Cast Boolits.com, and I've been all over the internet too. Trust me.

Well, friends and neighbors, I think I found the solution. Everyone has their two cents, and I welcome that. But this is what I just figured out...

Its not about release sprays or cast iron, its about timing. Get yourself some muffin pans - I used non-stick and a respirator from Home Depot to avoid teflon smoke poisoning [research it, its not good] .... $40 well spent, I promise you. Pour your lead into your non-stick muffin pans at 625-degrees. Then wait between 3:30 and 4:00 minutes and slap them once - upside down mind you - on a concrete garage floor (driveway, street corner, hard-headed mother-in-law). Voila! Perfect little round lead muffins.

I only share this because I spent a bit of money on the wrong kind of muffin tins. But I figured it out - so put your money away and do it right the first time, like I didn't.

Happy Smelting !!

 

[Vasili]

I don't suppose it's occurred to you to use locust wood for ingot molds, has it?

After the first roast, they do fine, only a slight layer of charcoal, and that's mostly carbon, doesn't affect percentages much at all.

And I don't have to worry about killing myself.

 

[Aszerigan]

Nope. Never crossed my mind. Explain.... ?

 

[Vasili]

Nope. Never crossed my mind. Explain.... ?

Chop down a locust, if you can.
Tight grain and thorns make it a devil to work with, but the tight, sometimes overlapping grain makes it resistant to catching with low-temps.

Drill out an appropriate sized hole.
Soak in water. Immediately pour in lead. Extinguish the resulting fire.
Tap loose.

Reusable if you want, disposable if you want, cheap to make in terms of time and labor, and NO TEFLON.

Occasionally one WILL crack, and I think it's cause I must not have soaked it in water long enough or maybe it just felt like cracking. But it works.

Probably any wood would do, but I wouldn't want to use pine, for obvious reasons, sap and creosote don't belong in rounds.

Good luck, though. And it sounds like your setup will do fine, but it's a high start-up cost for what should ideally be cheap cheap cheap, friend.

 

[Aszerigan]

Its funny, I hear your last post in the voice of Jeremy Clarkson from 'Top Gear' - a compliment for sure!! But living near the city, Poplar trees are few and far between, and although I can locate a few in the neighborhood, the owners of said trees might beat me with more than a muffin pan if I were to be caught, Husqvarna and Kimber in tow.

So, respirator it is.

And thank you for the suggestion. I may take advantage of that in the future. Rep sent.

 

[Vasili]

Its funny, I hear your last post in the voice of Jeremy Clarkson from 'Top Gear' - a compliment for sure!! But living near the city, Poplar trees are few and far between, and although I can locate a few in the neighborhood, the owners of said trees might beat me with more than a muffin pan if I were to be caught, Husqvarna and Kimber in tow.

So, respirator it is.

And thank you for the suggestion. I may take advantage of that in the future. Rep sent.

Thanks.

Like I said, I'm sure your plan will work, and it's a decent to good one, but pretty expensive. Just something to think about when/if those wear out.

Happy casting.

 

[BE Mike]

I just use the Lyman ingot molds. No release agent and they work just fine...no sticking.

 

[fireball168]

Soak in water. Immediately pour in lead.

WHILE YOU MAY HAVE DONE THIS FOR YEARS, RECOMMENDING IT TO AN UNKNOWN IS A BAD, BAD IDEA.

Water and molten lead don't mix well.

Steam explosion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


I'd strongly consider editing that line out of your post.

 

[Cain71]

As someone who worked in a foundry pouring cast blocks and heads, I will say that pouring anything molten into water soaked anything is asking for a train wreck.And yes I have the scars to prove it.

 

[6birds]

To the casters in the crowd:


I only share this because I spent a bit of money on the wrong kind of muffin tins. But I figured it out - so put your money away and do it right the first time, like I didn't.

Happy Smelting !!

Cast iron works well too, with no prep. A little rust on the inside is a nice release agent.

 

[buzzard pickins]

You guys should have met my x-wify. She was an expert at getting hot burnt food unstuck from any pan.Some of her best meals were served on the garage floor.

 

[6birds]

You guys should have met my x-wify. She was an expert at getting hot burnt food unstuck from any pan.Some of her best meals were served on the garage floor.

You must have married one of my sisters. Sir, you have my sympathy!

 

[Jack Ryan]

To the casters in the crowd:

I've gotten into lead casting over the last few weeks, and one of my biggest troubles was getting my lead to come out of the muffin tins after smelting. I researched Cast Boolits.com, and I've been all over the internet too. Trust me.

Well, friends and neighbors, I think I found the solution. Everyone has their two cents, and I welcome that. But this is what I just figured out...

Its not about release sprays or cast iron, its about timing. Get yourself some muffin pans - I used non-stick and a respirator from Home Depot to avoid teflon smoke poisoning [research it, its not good] .... $40 well spent, I promise you. Pour your lead into your non-stick muffin pans at 625-degrees. Then wait between 3:30 and 4:00 minutes and slap them once - upside down mind you - on a concrete garage floor (driveway, street corner, hard-headed mother-in-law). Voila! Perfect little round lead muffins.

I only share this because I spent a bit of money on the wrong kind of muffin tins. But I figured it out - so put your money away and do it right the first time, like I didn't.

Happy Smelting !!

Just pick up a piece of angle iron a foot or two long. 1 inch will do, 2 inch angle is better. Set it in some sand or wood blocks so the V is up and pour your lead in the middle. The iron will cool it before it runs off the end. Pour to what ever size you want and dump it out. Pour a long one and cut it with a chizel to what ever weight or lenght you want or just fold it over to fit in the melter.

Free or about 29 cents a pound at the scrap yard.

 

[Jack Ryan]

I just use the Lyman ingot molds. No release agent and they work just fine...no sticking.

Me too but I have used other things when these weren't handy.

 

[parson]

I've always used muffin pans. I haven't had any problems with mine. They were old when I started using them. Only ones I ever had trouble were some that had a seam close to the top. Molted lead conformed to the seam locking the ingots in. Couple of "body slams" on garage floor freed 'em.

 

[wolfman]

If using muffin tins, the used ones from the Goodwill or Salvation Army stores are the best buys (make sure you get steel, not aluminum). Get them wet, then let them sit around for a few days to get a light coat of rust. The rust will act as a release agent when you pour your ingots.

 

[straight-shooter]

I went to the Cracker Barrel restaurant and in the store section they sell cast iron muffin pans. I bought 3 of them and just rotate the pans as I pour lead into them and in this way I can always keep one at the ready. The lead always just falls right out and produces one and a half pound ingots.

 

[Eddie]

I went to the Cracker Barrel restaurant and in the store section they sell cast iron muffin pans. I bought 3 of them and just rotate the pans as I pour lead into them and in this way I can always keep one at the ready. The lead always just falls right out and produces one and a half pound ingots.

Did you get the ones shaped like little ears of corn?

 

[dhnorris]

my ingots are heart shaped and little star shaped. $2.00 at a yard sale cast iron with zero sticking problems

 

[Jack Ryan]

I went to the Cracker Barrel restaurant and in the store section they sell cast iron muffin pans. I bought 3 of them and just rotate the pans as I pour lead into them and in this way I can always keep one at the ready. The lead always just falls right out and produces one and a half pound ingots.

Did you even look at the cost of one Lee ingot mold compared to three new iron muffin pans?