Know that "plumbers lead" comes in a Muffin shaped 5 lb ingot. Could you just pour wheelweights or alloy in sheet metal muffin pans for production runs? Be a little more practicle than 1 lb ingots.
When I do the smelting process, I use both Sheet Metal and Aluminum muffin pans or trays. Have used cast iron. We like them small and round. The five pound ingots are smelted as well and broken down into the smaller round ones. I also cast the very small muffin pan ingots and insert a copper loop to be used for decoy weights.
Here's a couple of the muffin pans we used while smelting range lead.
At the very bottom you just can see two teflon coated aluminum tins. The one more in the center is a 12 hole steel "tin". Both worked fine, the alum tins were a bit smaller around 2 lbs. The steel were almost 3 pounds. They don't stack as well as 1 lb. ingots.
WOW snuffy,
Sure hope moma doesn't let you in the kitchen !! That muffin pan is the same kind I use for my larger round ingots. We like the round ones cause they fit better in the caster. I also put a small piece of candle wax in the bottom of each pocket, just once, before pouring and that seems to keep the lead from sticking. We use a propane turkey cooker burner when we smelt; what do you use? We also use an old plumbers ladle just like the one you have and it works great. By the way, my wife won't let me in the kitchen and won't say what she calls me. ...
We use a propane turkey cooker burner when we smelt; what do you use? We also use an old plumbers ladle just like the one you have and it works great. By the way, my wife won't let me in the kitchen and won't say what she calls me. ...
As far as a wife, don't have one, so I decide what gets used and when. It's gonna stay that way too. That's a rowel #3 ladle, holds about 3#. I also have a #4, it's about 4.5#, but requires 2 hands to use. Both are bottom pour.