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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1/8 inch aluminum plate is an excellent surface over anything, even plywood. Al dissipates the heat of lead spills rapidly, lead does not stick and cleans up easily, and can be set aside if you want to use the surface for other things. Ric
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I have some old square foot cork tiles I use.
Cheers from New Zealand
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Leftover ceramic tiles work well. Splatters clean up easily and it dissipates any heat well. Works for me........
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How about a trivet?
OR, you might find a disk of aluminum or steel, known as a round or drop at a local machine shop. We make motors and hence I grab a few of the ends cut off the end of the 12' long rods. Ends are often not perfect, therefore are discarded.
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Jerry
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If you want to cover the entire table or bench top use aaBACKER BOARD. It comes in 1/4 in. thick sheets about three by four, and does not transmita heat well.
f
B.E.Brickey
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I have never heard of any one having a fire from casting. Don't get me wrong because it can be done but not to worry. I have had splatters get on my jeans and it won't even scorch them, hot yes and some times uncomfortable, maybe I should be using a shop apron. I always use heavy leather gloves and eye protection. Of course never leave the melt unattended for more than a few minuets. Any kind of wood surface will work very well. I use a folding table 1” thick plywood painted with oil base gray paint and the table is 3' by 4' and sets up anywhere.
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Tom
I use a cinderblock when needed. However rock lath or durock works well for a fire block. I use it behind my shop wood stove and on floor for a fire resistant area.
Bob D
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I keep fire bricks on hand, they don't transmit heat. I normally use my portable Welders Bench to cast on. I am putting in a small foundry and will have Durock and other resistant materials onhand.
Jerry
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Have used an OLD large 1/2” lipped cookie sheet with welders fireproof cloth under it for 40+ years. Had one of my old L** 10lb pots decide it did not want to keep the HOT alloy inside and proceeded to leak out its contents no matter what I did to get it to stop. The cookie sheet kept the hot alloy from running all over me the table or the floor, this idea was a suggestion from Grandfather who cast many pounds of fishing sinkers.
32ideal, Mike:)
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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.
B.E.Brickey
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Made my bench from waffer board, covered it with aluminum flashing, nailed quarter round on the outside edge ( with the taper turned inside ). I cut the piece of quarter round on the front of the table, two inches short, which allowed me an open corner. Makes cleanup so easy all your spills can be brushed to that open corner and into your scrap can for remelting. If you are afraid of a spill just keep a piece of wood on the beanch to block the opening in the quarter round.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 hardi board on the top of my bench. It can stand direct flame from a torch.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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<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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