Casting Lead Ingots in Muffin Pans

[Zoub]

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

But the flavor added to your corn bread is priceless.

 

[straight-shooter]

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

I definitely spent more to purchase those cast iron muffin pans but figuring I'll use them for many decades to come it wasn't really a concern of mine. Sometimes I'll spend a little more to get exactly what i'm looking for. Cost isn't always king. Besides it's not really that bad of a deal considering the pans only cost $12.00 each and drop 9 pounds of ingots out of each pour per pan so that's 27 pounds of lead for 3 pans. Makes really quick work of it.

 

[aclark]

9 pounds per pan for $12
or
3 pounds per ingot mold for $10ish plus shipping

Seems like a no brainier to me.

 

[rhart]

I concur on the water and hot lead dangers!

 

[starcrack]

So forgive my ignorance... but what are the lead ingots used for?

 

[Vasili]

You obviously would not put molten lead into something with water standing in it.
I simply meant it should be done before it dries out completely, as that seems to cut down on cracking.

Done it with wood for about six years now with no ill effects.

They're not dripping wet when I pour, which I guess my first post indicated.

Also there's supposed to be some physics thing as to why it doesn't explode, I've heard.

 

[6birds]

You take the scrap lead and wheel weights and melt them in the "Old" pot, get the trash and clips out, then add lino, tin, or a bar of old #2, to get the hardness correct for your bullet needs. You pour that alloy into ingots, and mark them (so you know the recipe) for future use.

When it's time to cast bullets, you select the alloy you want to use (now you're glad you marked them!), melt and flux in a clean pot, and make good bullets quickly.

If you have too many ingots, you can sell or swap them for other things in life, or in my case, buy them from others who have put the time in cleaning the scrap into lead, so i can cast when i get time.

 

[dleeharrison]

I use a Lee Aluminum ingot mold - the mold is separated into 4 section - 2 large ingots and 2 small ingots. No sticking!

 

[Jack Ryan]

I definitely spent more to purchase those cast iron muffin pans but figuring I'll use them for many decades to come it wasn't really a concern of mine. Sometimes I'll spend a little more to get exactly what i'm looking for. Cost isn't always king. Besides it's not really that bad of a deal considering the pans only cost $12.00 each and drop 9 pounds of ingots out of each pour per pan so that's 27 pounds of lead for 3 pans. Makes really quick work of it.

I've never had any problem pouring it about as fast as a Lee production pot will melt it in one Lee ingot mold. Pour and dump, pour and dump, pour and dump. I do like to dump them out on an old cookie sheet/pan thing.