What Muzzleloading Stuff Did You Do Today?

[Loja man]

Tried my hand at forging today. Took a class in Lebanon, PA. Nothing was created that really related to our time period here, but I learned a lot.
Hope to do it again and get some more knowledge. It certainly made me appreciate fine craftsmanship more, though I don't know that forging is my skill set.

For your first time forging I think you did great!

 

[GEdward]

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.

I love AI, sometimes.

A poor 19th-century mountaineer would likely use simple and readily available tools to melt and mold lead into ingots. Here's how they might have done it:

Materials and Tools:​

1. Lead Source: Lead ore (e.g., galena) or scrap lead from bullets, pipes, or other sources.
2. Crucible: A small cast-iron pot, skillet, or even a thick-walled clay vessel could serve as a crucible to melt the lead.
3. Heat Source:
   • A campfire, with bellows or a blowpipe to intensify the heat.
   • A small forge, if they had access to one.
4. Mold:
   • Stone or clay molds carved to the desired shape of the ingot.
   • Improvised molds made from wood, coated with ash or clay to prevent burning.
5. Tongs or Ladle: Metal tongs or a ladle for handling the hot lead and pouring it into molds.
6. Flux:
   • Charcoal, borax, or ash to remove impurities from the molten lead.
7. Tools for Breaking Ore (if refining): Hammer and anvil or a makeshift mortar and pestle to crush ore.

Process:​

1. Crushing and Smelting(if using lead ore):
   • Crush the lead ore into small pieces.
   • Heat it in a makeshift furnace or campfire to separate the lead from impurities.
2. Melting:
   • Place the lead (or refined ore) into the crucible and heat it over a strong fire.
   • Add flux to the molten lead to help separate impurities.
3. Pouring:
   • Use a ladle to pour the molten lead into the prepared molds.
4. Cooling:
   • Allow the lead to cool and solidify in the molds.
5. Finishing:
   • Remove the ingots from the molds and clean off any remaining impurities.

This process would be labor-intensive and potentially dangerous due to the toxicity of lead fumes and the risk of burns. However, it was practical and achievable with minimal resources.

 

[Rebel bull]

as far as using wood I do it all the time when I cast finger guards and pommels for the knives I make for kids and grandchildren it imparts a texture to the metal that i like when using antler for my scales. the last one I did was in coil silver it's for my future daughter in law

 

[Banjoman]

I love AI, sometimes.

A poor 19th-century mountaineer would likely use simple and readily available tools to melt and mold lead into ingots. Here's how they might have done it:

Materials and Tools:​

1. Lead Source: Lead ore (e.g., galena) or scrap lead from bullets, pipes, or other sources.
2. Crucible: A small cast-iron pot, skillet, or even a thick-walled clay vessel could serve as a crucible to melt the lead.
3. Heat Source:
   • A campfire, with bellows or a blowpipe to intensify the heat.
   • A small forge, if they had access to one.
4. Mold:
   • Stone or clay molds carved to the desired shape of the ingot.
   • Improvised molds made from wood, coated with ash or clay to prevent burning.
5. Tongs or Ladle: Metal tongs or a ladle for handling the hot lead and pouring it into molds.
6. Flux:
   • Charcoal, borax, or ash to remove impurities from the molten lead.
7. Tools for Breaking Ore (if refining): Hammer and anvil or a makeshift mortar and pestle to crush ore.

Process:​

1. Crushing and Smelting(if using lead ore):
   • Crush the lead ore into small pieces.
   • Heat it in a makeshift furnace or campfire to separate the lead from impurities.
2. Melting:
   • Place the lead (or refined ore) into the crucible and heat it over a strong fire.
   • Add flux to the molten lead to help separate impurities.
3. Pouring:
   • Use a ladle to pour the molten lead into the prepared molds.
4. Cooling:
   • Allow the lead to cool and solidify in the molds.
5. Finishing:
   • Remove the ingots from the molds and clean off any remaining impurities.

This process would be labor-intensive and potentially dangerous due to the toxicity of lead fumes and the risk of burns. However, it was practical and achievable with minimal resources.

Exactly.

I’m also surprised no one pointed out that 19th century mountaineers didn’t have wheel weights!

 

[Howard Pippin]

An old cast iron cornbread pan or a heavy gauge muffin pan works pretty well for ingots.

Actually, I discovered that an aluminum muffin pan was the best for making ingots for wheel weights. You can make them anywhere from I have to an inch thick and they fit in the most lead pots that way. Like an idiot, i tried using an old steel muffin pan and of course they soldered right onto the pan. It dawned on me to go to the second hand store and buy this aluminum muffin pan.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I’ve used steel muffin pans for ingots without a problem. I guess I’ve just been lucky.