What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[Banjoman]

So far wheel weights here in uk won’t easily melt

There were some in this batch that didn’t either. I tried to separate them out before hand.

 

[Rabidwookie2003]

Yeah, I know, but it was just an experiment. Kinda thinking what would a poor 19th century mountaineer back up here in the hills of East Tennessee use if he didn’t have a muffin pan but wanted to pour some ingots.

Dirt mold makes sense or maybe one carved out of a piece of tree trunk?

 

[Rabidwookie2003]

There were some in this batch that didn’t either. I tried to separate them out before hand.

Too much zinc, maybe?

 

[Banjoman]

Too much zinc, maybe?

Yep. This wheel weight stuff won’t be good for a revolver at all and I really don’t care for it in a rifle. But just fine for a flintlock smooth bore!

 

[Banjoman]

Dirt mold makes sense or maybe one carved out of a piece of tree trunk?

I’ve thought about a wooden ingot mold. Might try it sometime.

 

[Grenadier1758]

One can gouge an ingot slot in a flat board and pour a fair number of ingots before the board gets too charred.

If the ground is mostly clay, you can form a 6 to 8 inch long groove in the clay to pour molten lead for ingots.

 

[Northwoodstrapper]

Use a temperature laser pointer
Lead melts at 621+-
Zinc melts at 787+-
Soft lead has impurities melted out “ie” zinc and anything above the melting point of lead.

 

[Banjoman]

Use a temperature laser pointer
Lead melts at 621+-
Zinc melts at 787+-
Soft lead has impurities melted out “ie” zinc and anything above the melting point of lead.

When I turn the crank on my old 18th century Tiger blower (which was my great grandfather’s), the fire in my forge gets hot enough to melt the lead in my old ladle. A few impurities ain’t a problem. I doubt any 18th century mountain folk had a temperature laser pointer.

I’m just trying to figure out how my ancestors would have done things. Some of it I have right (I think), some of it I’m still working on.

Life is good.