(10-02-2023, 04:10 AM)Snarl Wrote:(09-30-2023, 05:55 PM)Ninurta Wrote: What I'm saying is that the only "trade worthy metals" at this station will be either lead, or steel if I can get a forge going.
I've built a couple to melt aluminum and lead. It always amazed me how much aluminum it took to pour a full ingot. It amazed me how heavy lead was. I mostly stopped messing with it because I didn't have anything I could do with it. If you're gonna try ... go BIG. Least time I checked, crucibles were expensive as all get out.
This guy made a good one:
I did a bunch of reloading work this weekend. None of it consisted of casting bullets. I have before ... but it's too much time making stuff at that level.
I think aluminum ingots pretty much have to be re-melted and cast to shape. Then you run into the problem of having to make the molds, too. About all we ever used aluminum for was the hames on a horse collar, and we got those already formed.
I need to cast some more bullets, but fell short this year because it never really got hot enough outside for me to be comfortable casting any, so I've only got a few Colt bullets left. I've got scads of the Richmond Labs pattern, but they'll have to be melted down and re-cast as the Colt pattern. The RL are .390 diameter, and it's a real pain in the ass to get them stuffed into a chamber - I've got to practically stand on the loading lever to get them in. The Colt pattern are .380 diameter, so they shave a little easier during loading. The chambers are, I think, about .375.
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