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.

 

[loflyr55]

Ordered a kibler woodsrunner, now I have to clean up my workbench and start updating my rifle kit knowledge.

 

[DrLaw]

Today I was able to bring a good friend into the Flintlock family by dropping off his Kibler Colonial kit in .58 caliber, maple stock with patch box. It was supposed to be a Christmas gift, but it came late. No help from the USPS since it languished in St. Louis for a week before getting here today. I also loaned several tools and chemicals I had to help him build the kit and finish it. He is one of the "Shootists", a cartridge gun group.

Now he has a REAL gun!

The Doc is out now.

And NO! I won't adopt or be friends with you if you ask, so don't think about it.