Frozentech Posted August 16, 2008 Posted August 16, 2008 I spent several days casting .50 cal round balls from wheel weights, in a Lyman 2 round bullet mold. They work just fine, but I prefer using brass for BP and ceramic for chems. Maybe I should sell my bullet mold, but I am entertaining the idea of buying a muzzleloader...
Yankie Posted November 18, 2008 Posted November 18, 2008 I can't see whats wrong with just buying a few packets of large ball sinkers, they work fine and are easy to get. No messing around with molten lead and no worries about sparks, also they are very effective because of their weight.
tentacles Posted November 18, 2008 Posted November 18, 2008 If you're going to buy something, why not just buy a 25lb bag of hardened 000 buck shot? Most of the opinions against lead are those who don't want it contaminating mixes, and don't want to have to re-make their media in the future.. I know my stainless media will never wear out. Also, hardened lead (with antimony) will last MUCH longer than wheel weights or worse, dead soft lead. Wheel weights are 3% tin for the normal clip-on type.
PyroMan LTU Posted November 18, 2008 Posted November 18, 2008 hey, guys, I just wanted to ask If lead media is soft? couse my friend has milled chemicals like Sr(NO3)2, KClO4 etc.. and the lead paints chemicals a bit grey, the same thing hapened with my KNO3, lead shots are 22mm homemade with former. thanks.
Bonny Posted November 18, 2008 Posted November 18, 2008 hey, guys, I just wanted to ask If lead media is soft? couse my friend has milled chemicals like Sr(NO3)2, KClO4 etc.. and the lead paints chemicals a bit grey, the same thing hapened with my KNO3, lead shots are 22mm homemade with former. thanks. Please read the above post by Tentacles, which clearly states that (straight) lead media is soft and very prone to wear. The material worn off the media obviously the grey colour in your chems.
Swede Posted November 19, 2008 Author Posted November 19, 2008 As I mentioned, I'm not a fan of lead media in any form, hardened or otherwise. The lead is transferred to the chemical, and as it burns, you are lacing your smoke with toxic lead compounds. There are enough hazards associated with pyrotechnics. No need to add to it with Pb toxicity issues.
50AE Posted November 19, 2008 Posted November 19, 2008 Lead is good for poor pyro's, who don't have the budget or just can't get brass or copper media. It's also easier to make. A good media can be a brass/copper and lead combo, for example - cutting a copper tube in small tubes, and then fill them with molten lead. When the lead dries, you will get a heavy and hard media. But it can take much time to do it, especially if you don't have the right tools.
tentacles Posted November 19, 2008 Posted November 19, 2008 Just to mention, if you're going to use the brass tube (don't use copper it's too soft!) method, be sure to hit the tubing with a little acid flux so that the lead actually adheres to the tubing. This way it won't come out of the tubing during milling, and you don't have to do something silly like dimple the ends of the tubing to retain the lead mechanically. Swede: I've noticed that many of the old hands swear by lead, and it's mostly the younger crowd that feel as you (we) do. When this subject comes up on passfire, there are some guys that are almost fanatical about lead media. There's absolutely no question that lead can make VERY good BP - it's just whether or not you want to be concerned when you smell the smoke, in my opinion. Good hardened lead will last for many years (also depending on how much you use it and if you're at just the right milling speed) but there is always some wear with lead.
50AE Posted November 19, 2008 Posted November 19, 2008 Just to mention, if you're going to use the brass tube method, be sure to hit the tubing with a little acid flux so that the lead actually adheres to the tubing. I will (don't use copper it's too soft!) Is it ? I thought it's pretty hard. Not much as brass, but much more than lead
tentacles Posted November 19, 2008 Posted November 19, 2008 It's definitely harder than lead, but even "hard" copper pipe is quite soft.. Sometimes you can find old brass water pipe at a scrapyard.. My parents' old house had brass pipes rather than copper. Most copper water pipe is like 5% zinc anyways, which is what makes it harder than the soft flexible type of copper tubing. Still, brass has much better hardness and wear properties than copper. But ultimately, use what you can get. Hard copper water pipe will still last much better than lead.
nickle Posted November 20, 2008 Posted November 20, 2008 (edited) I at one time had a FFl (federal firearms license) and went out of the business so I had a lot of leftovers. I decided to try some copper plated 40 cal. 165 grain bullets for the media. I add 100 bullets to my 3 lb. mill jar and they work fine. I have been using them now for over three months, the copper plating is still there with no exposed lead so they do last quite awhile. This is offered as a suggestion to those who are worried about lead poisoning, which is not as big a deal as everyone thinks. I also ran a pistol range and was exposed to high levels of lead, anything over .1 per mil is considered high mine was .31. Went to the Doctor and all I had to do was eat 6 Tums a day to leach the lead out my system, in 3 months I was back in the normal range. Edited November 20, 2008 by nickle
tentacles Posted November 20, 2008 Posted November 20, 2008 nickle: I find it hard to imagine that consuming calcium carbonate would do anything to remove the lead from your body. I mean, where would it go? I'm not trying to say it doesn't or didn't work, but it sounds rather odd to me. Maybe it was vitamin C that was recommended? wiki clip:"Additionally, a comparative study of chelating agents showed that vitamin C (ascorbic acid), along with DMSA, CDTA and DMPS increased survival in an animal model of lead intoxication, while EGTA, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and various other agents did not.[59] High serum levels of vitamin C have been associated with a decreased prevalence of elevated blood lead levels[60] and intervention with supplemental vitamin C was shown to markedly decrease lead levels in smokers (mean: 81%). Authors hypothesize, however, that this effect might be due to an inhibition of lead absorption." I'd considered FMJ bullets for milling media, they certainly make sense, if you can buy a lot cheaply.
nickle Posted November 20, 2008 Posted November 20, 2008 nickle: I find it hard to imagine that consuming calcium carbonate would do anything to remove the lead The way it was explained to me was that the lead bonded with the calcium in the Tums rather then the calcium in the bones. It was then excreted from the body in the urine. Whether the theory is accurate or not I have no idea, but the lead level dropped to normal. The bullets are no problem I have thousands , anything from 32 up to 45. My supply will last forever as milling media.
Swede Posted November 21, 2008 Author Posted November 21, 2008 Some very good ideas... the use of large, heavy FMJ bullets for milling is an outstanding one, especially if the base of the bullet is copper. The Tums thing, too, pretty interesting. I will admit I am a paranoid nut when it comes to heavy metals, and my paranoia has no basis in fact. It's just the way my brain is wired. I understand the cost issue, and there's no doubt lead is very effective at milling. When I whiff that delicious smoke, if I know it's carrying lead oxides, it just bugs me a bit. My initial scare came from when I used soft lead to mill, made a math mistake, and it looked like a huge portion of the lead went into the BP. After the error was corrected, though, the kilo of BP still had several grams of Pb, and that's not a trivial amount. But again, that's soft Pb, not alloyed. My mistake for using pure Pb.
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