Help With Lead Ammo Weights

[Kemperz21 65]

Can someone be a star and weigh some lead ammo for me please in 10mm 12mm and 14mm on digital scales in metric thanks just wondering as I can form a tube of lead an snip off to make ammo just need weights to get close to when measuring the length I need to cut

[atomlab 104]

there you go

[saluki bulls 118]

A think 10mm is 8grams and 12mm is roughly 12grams

[Kemperz21 65]

Thanks chaps ;-) im on the case just being a cheap scape untill I can be arsed to buy a lead mould cheers

[gnipper 6,874]

What diameter rod are you thinking of making?

[Kemperz21 65]

Think it's about 10mm off the top of my head a mates making the mould for me very simple to make if your an engineer :-) just a block of stainless steel drilled out with a larger bore hole at the top to funnel in the lead then it's cut down the centre to allow for removal then I cut the rod to required lengths in theory it works ;-)

[gnipper 6,874]

Straws buried into sand would work too I'd imagine if you were just after making lead rods?

[Kemperz21 65]

You think so ? I make fishing weights out of lead in moulds and it's super bloody hot for 10 15 seconds straws in sand might work if sand was soaked with ice cold water but it's getting the lead into the straws can you get a funnel small enough ?

[gnipper 6,874]

I'd give it a go in some damp sand if I was doing it, you could do a load at once then rather than one at a time with a mould. The straw is only to form the shape in the sand. There's a special type of sand used for moulding too I think? Got to be worth a try for free?

[Kemperz21 65]

I'd give it a go in some damp sand if I was doing it, you could do a load at once then rather than one at a time with a mould. The straw is only to form the shape in the sand. There's a special type of sand used for moulding too I think? Got to be worth a try for free?

Yes I suppose the straw is just used to make the shape. right I might give this a go today and let you know

[gnipper 6,874]

 

I'd give it a go in some damp sand if I was doing it, you could do a load at once then rather than one at a time with a mould. The straw is only to form the shape in the sand. There's a special type of sand used for moulding too I think? Got to be worth a try for free?

Yes I suppose the straw is just used to make the shape. right I might give this a go today and let you know

Good luck, I can't see why it wouldn't work tbh. If the straws somehow collapse and it doesn't work try shorter lengths like 2 or 3 inch long.

[Kemperz21 65]

I've had a quick go without straws just pushing a screwdriver into the damp sand makes a nice neat hole for the lead to be poured the problem I've encounterd is the same as when making fishing leads when making leads in a mould the first lot from a cold mould are crap hollow then as the mould heats up the leads get better and better this it because the lead sets on the surface and doesn't fill the void properly so in the end Ive started by putting the mould in the oven for 15 min just to heat it up so the lead has time to fill the void completely problem I have Is how do I heat a bucket of sand to about 60c I will try with straws later but think the outcome will be simalar hollow tubes

[air gun ant 1,666]

Just be careful using wet sand! Moisture and molten lead don't mix, it's likely the moisture in the sand will turn to steam VERY quikley and blow the sand/mold apart thus ruining your casting and potentially chucking hot lead in your direction! Why not just get 2 bits of wood and clamp them together, then drill a 10mm hole between them? A bit like this http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep0z710Zl5k

(Hope the link works)

[air gun ant 1,666]

I'd give it a go in some damp sand if I was doing it, you could do a load at once then rather than one at a time with a mould. The straw is only to form the shape in the sand. There's a special type of sand used for moulding too I think? Got to be worth a try for free?

is it silica sand your thinking of?

[Kemperz21 65]

Just be careful using wet sand! Moisture and molten lead don't mix, it's likely the moisture in the sand will turn to steam VERY quikley and blow the sand/mold apart thus ruining your casting and potentially chucking hot lead in your direction! Why not just get 2 bits of wood and clamp them together, then drill a 10mm hole between them? A bit like this

(Hope the link works)

I tryed it and the rods of lead were hollow due to the lead setting before it fills the void because the sand was cold