Casting Lead - Molding Materials?

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Richard Baker
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Casting Lead - Molding Materials?

Post by Richard Baker »

I am sorry if this has already been dealt with, but I could not find an existing topic and the 'Search' did not help at all.
A friend is wanting to cast some small objects out of lead. He can melt the lead and pour it with no problem, the big question is what sort of material could be used to make the mold with?
My first guess would involve fired ceramics, but in this day and age I am thinking there is a simpler alternative out there somewhere.
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Post by Stu Pidasso »

Ta-Da!

-And lead is generally frowned upon lately by enviro-types, and more expensive.
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Post by tonyG2 »

I use this RTV 101 Silicone Rubber

Works great. Easy to use.
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Post by Mark Yungblut »

Stu Pidasso wrote:Ta-Da!

-And lead is generally frowned upon lately by enviro-types, and more expensive.
Sorry to Differ with you Jimi. Many gaming companies are starting to add lead back into their mixes Because A. Its cheap right now (due to the Enviro Wacies) B. it's not against the law in the states.
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Richard Baker
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Post by Richard Baker »

Many thanks for the quick answers- I sent them over to him and we will see what happens.
.
"The future is not what it used to be" - G'Kar

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Post by TER-OR »

Fear of lead isn't wacky. Lead is a very nasty element and easily complexes into biologically-available molecules. Low doses, particularly over long periods can cause some very tricky and difficult to diagnose problems. You can ingest lead on your fingers very easily. Vapors of organic lead compounds can be inhaled when melting. You need to be very careful with lead, and you need to design your workspace accordingly along with your personal protective equipment.

The miniature manufacturers are moving into some lead-containing pewters because the alternative metals (mostly tin) are becoming more expensive rather than lead being cheaper. Not 'enviro-wackies', but Indonesian monopoly is the reason.

Here's Reaper's FAQ about their P-65 line:
http://www.reapermini.com/P65FAQ

Low-temp metal molding is fairly straightforward, though. So is resin...
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Post by Mark Yungblut »

Just do yourself two great favors.

One wear good foot and hand protection while handling molten metal. Trust me it'll burn right through light weight materials. And when it does it'll eat into you like you would not believe (talking from experience here I used to be a certified jeweler).

Two buy a nice piece of 3/4" plywood to cast on. No need to burn your bench or table top.

I had one of these for years and they are wonderful. They keep the metal hot and you can turn the flow on and off very easily and with precision.

http://www.barlowstackle.com/lead-melting-pots.html

Dispite what they say about using only lead, you can use casting alloy as well.

Mark
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Post by Pengbuzz »

One side note: NEVER allow water anywhere near molten lead. I have heard horror stories that water dropped into melted lead can cause it to "pop" and send hot lead all over the place.
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Post by its-jess »

Water and hot lead are a deadly combo. Ever see Alien III?
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