Considering quitting!

[Musketeer]

Remember that Star Trek episode where Kirk made his own BP cannon out of bamboo and rope? If I have to go that route to keep shooting, I will gladly do so. Where there's a will there's a way.

 

[sawyer04]

Shooting used to be fun. Now it's hard to find anything. Round balls sold out! Are you kidding me! Melting pots sold out! Really! Ball molds sold out! What's going on in the gun world is enough to make me want to throw up & just quit!

Haven't noticed, Everything I use is in house, propellent included., I recapture lead. What is going on in the world is enough to make me sick, especially at the southern border of USA.

 

[BrianL]

You can make a very usable ball mold in a few minutes using Bondo (or any auto body filler). Take two soda (or beer) cans and cut the bottoms off at about an inch from the bottom. Fill the cup with bondo, allow to start to set, press a ball just over mid way into the bondo over a sheet of plastic wrap. Repeat in other cup.
When set, sand the surfaces to the half ball depth, carve a sprue slot and bevel the surfaces for the funnel. You can sand the blocks square and add alignment pins if desired. I have used this method for fishing sinkers as well up to 12 ounce . These molds get better with age as the surfaces will cure.

 

[kid_couteau]

You can make a very usable ball mold in a few minutes using Bondo (or any auto body filler). Take two soda (or beer) cans and cut the bottoms off at about an inch from the bottom. Fill the cup with bondo, allow to start to set, press a ball just over mid way into the bondo over a sheet of plastic wrap. Repeat in other cup.
When set, sand the surfaces to the half ball depth, carve a sprue slot and bevel the surfaces for the funnel. You can sand the blocks square and add alignment pins if desired. I have used this method for fishing sinkers as well up to 12 ounce . These molds get better with age as the surfaces will cure.

WOW
I gotta try this
How about JB weld?????????

 

[BrianL]

JB should work if the cure time allows. Might even hold up better. I have only had one mold deteriorate over time and that was a huge bank sinker that could not cool enough to open before there was minor damage to the area around the eye. I do need to add that once the sanding to halfway is done, you should put a ball in the mold for alignment and sand a flat across both blocks so that it sits upright. Cut your sprue channel opposite the flat. A simple plastic clamp will hold it together in use.

 

[Celticstoneman]

Seriouslly mate.
How long did your last box of balls last?
Do you have 1 left?

Do you have a little camp stove or can you light a campfire?
Have you got some pure lead?
An old spoon to use as a ladle?

If so you already have everything except a mold.
Go graba big pair of natural cuttlefish bones. Those chew things for parrots.flatten the porous faces and basically make a pair of blank mold blocks. Make sure you can match the edges to match the faces.
Push the 2 pieces together with the ball between them.
Open them up and create a sprue.
Now you have a mold.
All you need is the time and the will.
Plaster of paris can also be used but cracks up unless it is proper dry and tempered with sand.

Lawrence, are you saying that after the two half surfaces are flat that you crush the ball between them to make the mold?

 

[LawrenceA]

Lawrence, are you saying that after the two half surfaces are flat that you crush the ball between them to make the mold?

Yep. The cuttlefish is soft and will compress. Sometimes you ma need to dig some out.
To be honest you will get those lines in what you cast but it works. I have not done it for bullets but I have for other things.
For the cost of a coupla bits (or 1 big one) of cuttlefish give it a go.
Sand or file the faces flat as you do not want to compress them flat is this will limit the compression for the ball.
Also I do not know how much shrinkage you will get but a slightly thicker patch will sort that out.
It is a very old fashioned but effective method.
I molded an original buckle this way, among other things.

 

[Celticstoneman]

Lawrence,Well that is just dandy, thanks!

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Damn man, he's just frustrated like a lot of gun owners. If there's something he doesn't know as far as DIY, teach him instead of biting his head off. I thought that's what this forum was for. Not only to swap stories and talk about muzzleloaders but, to share wisd

Agreed. Could have had a better reply

 

[LawrenceA]

Lawrence,Well that is just dandy, thanks!

Love to hear how you go

 

[bakerjw]

A handful of months ago I couldn't find any 00 buckshot shells to save my life.
Bought a Lee pot.
Picked up some lead online, from friends and at the range.
Got 00 and 4B molds. Took a while to find.
Picked up 500 Fiocchi primed hulls and wads.
Got some powder amazingly enough.
Punched out 500 buckshot shells.

Frustrating as heck.
Now I've gotten into flintlocks so the biggest hurdle is going to be lead balls but I know that I can find a mold if I have to.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Hell! The only thing I can catch on a fly is my right ear.

Just be glad it's your EAR!