[SOLVED] Is there anything that keeps molten lead from sticking to metal? (2025 Update) Solved

Use an oiled aluminum dummy pendulum rod. The molten lead won't stick to it. And if you heat the rod well before the pour it will come out easier.

You might try a number of things, but lead doesn't usually stick to aluminum, the oxide coating prevents it. I'd do a trial first with something like a tin can for a container that you could sacrifice easily if things became stuck. I've used soapstone to keep solder from spreading but try bare nekkid aluminum first, might be all you need. Stan

If he can get plain old lead to stick to plain old aluminum, I believe he could be a millionare. (:

You might try a number of things, but lead doesn't usually stick to aluminum, the oxide coating prevents it. I'd do a trial first with something like a tin can for a container that you could sacrifice easily if things became stuck. I've used soapstone to keep solder from spreading but try bare nekkid aluminum first, might be all you need. Stan

When I was melting down bullet heads - 45 ACP IIRC - U.S. Army Rifle and Pistol range - I Smoked the forms with a waxy smoke - think of the oily candles 5 or so in a box that are used to heat food and such....

A long wick is smoky and I think the smoke (carbon black ) does the trick.

Martin

Pffbbt, just get some plain old sodium fluoride.

Hmm, actually that stuff melts pretty hot. Then unless it has a real low melting eutectic with aluminum oxide, what DO they use...? Hmm, looks like bromides might have low enough melting points to work...

Tim

-- "I've got more trophies than Wayne Gretsky and the Pope combined!" - Homer Simpson Website @

Whats a bullet head?

Gunner

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

- John Stewart Mill

Umm - You! Chortle. Couldn't resist.

Ken.

You've got to be kidding! There are plenty of "Bullet Heads" that post here regularly, though I don't know how easily they will melt and how much skimming of spooge you might have to do to cast them into something useful.

I think the molds on the A.C. Gilbert lead soldier casting set (the one with the electricly heated ladle) I had as a kid were aluminum.

Too damn bad the lawyers made them stop selling those, and the chemistry sets too!

Jeff

I have no credentials to tell anyone anything on this ng, but intrigued as I am by your problem (I cast lead bullets), what about making a mold for the bob, then inserting it. The mold should be relatively easy to fabricate. I assume you want the lead just for weight.

Actually, with my Finn/Germanic genetic traits, Im more square headed.

Gunner

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

- John Stewart Mill

state of moral and patriotic feeling

nothing for which he is willing to fight,

creature and has no chance of being

That is what we called them - the shell casing holds the primer. The powder is placed within. A bullet (head) is then inserted. A metal jacket - with a lead open rear end.

These were 45's not 0-.50 boat tails.

I was smart enough back then not to melt down full bullets! Had to walk pulling my wagon about 6 or so miles down hill with a loaded wagon. UP hill was empty.

I lived down in the flood zone - and the range was somewhat up hill of HWY 54. Martin

Martin

Those sound like what I had - I think maybe aluminum or white metal of sorts. Still have some of the small ingots I made. It was dirty work as the heads were only copper plated. The steel was rusting away. I saw chem sets last year in a science store. Not near as complete.

Martin

Chuckle..Id not heard that usage before from somone who does know something about firearms as you obviously do.

So I was pulling your chain.

Cartridge= complete unit Round = complete unit

Cartridge Case = Brass unit Case = brass unit

Bullet = projectile (no matter the style)

This also applies to self consuming cartridges, just leave out the word brass and subsitute self consuming.

Gunner

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

- John Stewart Mill

I have successfully used a light dusting of flour for large scuba weights and fishing jigs. I don't use it for bullets or anything with precision tolerances though

Graphite spray if you just need a mold release, but typically lead doesn't stick to most common mold alloys anyway. Tin, pewter, and some other common casting alloys can stick.

Flour is a new one for me, but it could work as well as talcum powder. The advantage these are used for is not as a mold release, but because the fine particles break up the surface tension of the molten metal and allow it to flow out better. Talcum powder often works so well that a mold that was experience incomplete pours starts to flash a little if the tolerances aren't good. I guess flower shouldn't a surprise. I have had one customer tell me they use corn starch for the same purpose.

Now, if you mean for soldering applications, I think I would mask, spray with graphite, and then remove masking before carefully applying flux, but that's a little beyond my skill/knowledge set.

Yes, I am aware this is a twenty year old ZOMBIE THREAD.

I use correction fluid to prevent the flow of silver solder into areas where I don't want it - ie the threaded ring of a female hose connection - just paint it on and work it into joint.

I use correction fluid to prevent the flow of silver solder into areas where I don't want it - ie the threaded ring of a female hose connection - just paint it on and work it into joint.

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A company I worked at discovered that silicone from candy bar wrappers keeps solder from sticking. It's applied to help them slide out of vending machines more easily. The problem appeared after vapor degreasers were banned.