I'm getting ready to go back into bullet casting. Last time around the kitchen stove and a cast-iron pot got me in trouble with the missus, so this time around I have picked up a 10# Lyman melting pot. Is there a good, readily available material that I could use as a surface to put the pot on. I want to avoid particle board or plywood -- since they're flammable, and I know asbestos is a no-no.
What do you folks recommend?
TIA
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<user=1118>Old Coot wrote: Mike; I REALY LIKE THAT IDEA. I think I will adopt it. for those of us who don't bake Big Lots sells cookie sheetss dirt cheap As well as thrift shops and yard sales. Thanks. I second that! Built in lip, portable, cheap. It doesn't get any better than that (unless I can find one for free). Thanks, Mike.
They are free, just grab one of your old ladies. Now this method might be free in terms of cash you might pay in other ways!
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I am old school, I have been casting for over 50 years. My casting table is covered with cardboard. Lead does not stick, it provides insulation to the table underneath, and is cheap and easily replaced. When it gets dirty I throw it away and put on a new one, The cardboard target backers used on the 200 yard rifle range are perfect for a standard card table.
Steve Hurst
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Old cookie sheet with cork glued on the button to insulate the bench top.
The problem is finding cork material, auto supply shops seldom stock it since no one rebuilds carburetors in these days of fuel injection
Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest
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I use a Lyman pot and what I use under it is a folding ty table that is made of rubber wood. Never had a problem with the heat. It is located away from everything else so as not to have a problem with my loading equipment. Just my 2c
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Go buy a cookie sheet pan they are shallow come in many sizes. You could screw it down on a casting or reloading bench also.
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Leftover 18” Mexican tile when I re-floored one of the bathrooms. Pot on one side and old loaf pan for sprues next to pot. Whole outfit sitting on corner or work bench.
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Large Cookie sheets/pans work for me. I bought the wife a couple new ones , and she gave me the old ones. Keeps the bench top clear.
Rebel Dave
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What I did is use aluminum flashing on the table top and then I had got a use aluminum cookie sheet with the lips on it and put my pot on that and if any spills or anything else it is mainly in the sheet and for splatters the flashing will take care of that and then the clean up is easy after.I also put some flashing on the walls also of the table.
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Lots of good ideas. I use an enameled metal farmhouse kitchen table from the 1930s, out on the screened porch.
73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia
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I have hardi board on the top of my bench. It can stand direct flame from a torch.
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dittos on an aluminum top plate ...especially on the ease of picking up non-stuck sprue droppings to throw back in the pot ....
also heat travels rapidly through aluminum, which is about the same as anti-scorching .
ken
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I have an old piece of left over drywall under my cookie sheet.
I had some scorching when making ingots in a muffin pan. On the wooden part of my bench. This stopped it, no heat transfer.
This ^^^^ works extremely well. The important part is using a cake pan or cookie sheet under the bottom pour pot that will hold the volume of lead in the pot. A second cake pan to catch the sprues and you are set.
Garage sales and thrift stores have casting supplies including tin (Pewter) at very reasonable prices.
I have used RCBS, Lee, and Lyman pots and eventually the valve will fail in some unexpected manner letting the alloy flow freely - no matter what the brand.
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I have an old piece of left over drywall under my cookie sheet. I had some scorching when making ingots in a muffin pan. On the wooden part of my bench. This stopped it, no heat transfer.
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for making ingots i have a small metal table with a homemade weed burner on one side and sorted lead on the other, for casting bolits i just have the 10# lee on the 2x6 railing of the back deck.
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In the “good old days” the preffered choice was 1/4 inch asbestos. Today I would opt for large ceramic tile.
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Hi TIA
Thought i would throw my two cents in here
I am still new to casting, but one thing i have down is a casting platform
It's a flash freezer pan or tray
It's a galvenized steel tray 3ft long, 14” wide, 1"deep,works great for me
Melting pot on right side, dropping heads on the left side
It's portable and any mess stays in the tray
Sinew ;}
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I use a piece of 1/4” "concrete board” ceramic tile underlayment. Home centers (Menards, Home Depot, Lowes) sell it in 4'X4' pieces and possibly 2X4. You can cut it to size with a utility knife. Use a bigger piece for your pot and smallet pieces to set hot molds.
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I have kinda of the same setup as Mike does with the cookie sheet - believe me it works really well and is low cost. Under the cookie sheet I have a 1/4” thick piece of Corian laminated to plywood.
It has served me well so far for a bunch of years.
Regards, Sharktown
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Mike;
I REALY LIKE THAT IDEA. I think I will adopt it. for those of us who don't bake Big Lots sells cookie sheetss dirt cheap As well as thrift shops and yard sales.
Thanks. I second that! Built in lip, portable, cheap. It doesn't get any better than that (unless I can find one for free). Thanks, Mike.
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John Carlson
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linoww
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Bud Hyett
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drone
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beltfed
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Lucky1
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RicinYakima
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MP1886
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mashburn
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Aaron
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