Melting 22lr and 9mm casings for brass casting: Dangers?

oregon45 · Post by **oregon45** » Tue May 20, 2008 7:43 pm

I've got several thousand 9mm shell casings and about 100 pounds of 22lr cases that Dad and I are thinking about melting down now that we've gotten into metal casting. The 9mm hulls have been deprimed and tumbled, the 22lr's have had no treatment. Are there any dangers to melting down these casings, besides those posed by normal metal melting? Are there any special precautions or preparatory steps we should take?

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Tue May 20, 2008 7:46 pm

I don't know why there would be. If everything is deprimed &/or fired, all there is is carbon residue &/or verdigris that will end up in your dross...

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Tue May 20, 2008 8:00 pm

All that brass stuff you buy in Korea is surplus shell caseings....

Comal Forge · Post by **Comal Forge** » Tue May 20, 2008 8:13 pm

Cartridge brass is higher in Cu than say, 360 machining grade. It should cast well. My only caution would be to make VERY sure all the primers are gone - even spent ones have steel anvils - but it sounds like you already have that covered.

20cows · Post by **20cows** » Tue May 20, 2008 9:55 pm

Hmmm. I think my new forge will get hot enough to play that direction.

Hmmm.

horsesoldier03 · Post by **horsesoldier03** » Tue May 20, 2008 10:07 pm

So are you planning to make anything that might be of particular intrest to the group?

20cows · Post by **20cows** » Tue May 20, 2008 10:11 pm

Lotsa possibilities.

Post by **AmBraCol** » Wed May 21, 2008 8:19 am

You want to make extra sure that the 22 lr doesn't have any duds in it. The last thing you want is a couple grains of powder touching of in the crucible... And since folks don't think twice about just tossing a dud 22 it's hard to find a bunch of old 22 brass that doesn't have a dud or three in with the rest. Otherwise, melting the brass down is just melting the brass down. Do it in a well ventilated area - just like melting any other brass.

I have a hand made muzzle loading pistol built around a Jeep steering column for a barrel. The brazing on it was all done with 22 shells - in a shop miles away from any electricity source. Ol' Dacio did all his work on a bellows powered forge.

So, what are you thinking of casting out of it?

oregon45 · Post by **oregon45** » Wed May 21, 2008 10:44 am

Don't know what we'll cast yet; my Dad just got his forge set up and we've been casting aluminum ingots. Once we get our sand molds set up we'll likely cast flywheels to go with our miniature windmill.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Wed May 21, 2008 1:09 pm

Over on the Handi board on Graybeards they were talking about having fore end spacers and trigger guards made of metal to replace the plastic ones that come with the guns now. Someone had said that brass would look nice on a Buffalo Classic. H&R was getting $75 IIRC for the blues steel ones while they still had them.

Some guys would be willing to pay $20 or $25 for a rough cast one I'm sure. that might be something to consider.

Cliff · Post by **Cliff** » Wed May 21, 2008 4:11 pm

A lot of good comments and suggestions given here. I would comment on it as well. If you are worried about a possible eruption from a primer or loaded round, the best way is to set up your melter so you don't have to be around it. When it is cool, load up the crucible or furnace with the metal to be melted turn the heat on and leave the area. If something happens, it will not hurt you or you equipment if it is shielded. I used to do part time security at an aluminum recycling foundry years back. They had three big furnaces. Would shut down on saturday morning, Sunday mornings along about 2:00AM they would come back, load up each furnace with about 4,000 lbs of various scrap aluminum, turn the gas on and leave. Come back Monday mornings around five AM and have a bunch of melted metal, sometimes it was interesting in the building with the popping and banging of wierd stuff that had gotten into the scrap. Of course they would cast left over aluminum into cast iron bath tubs then stick a piece of aluminum automobile piston with connecting rod into it before it got hard so it could be picked up by a crane. During the work week, they would need more metal and lay these on a slopped surface so they would melt and flow into the furnace. One side would be melting while steam would be coming out of the back end of the big block. The cast iron bath tubs made right nice sized pigs of aluminum. Was interesting to watch what they did but sure was nasty work. IF you have fire ant mounds in your area, try casting some aluminum down into a fire ant mound hole. One guy here in Florida does that then digs the casting out and cleans it up, makes it into lamps and objects of art. Also gets rid of fire ants. Some of his pieces will stand six feet high. ATB

KCSO · Post by **KCSO** » Wed May 21, 2008 4:14 pm

I do this for a lot of my knife fittings and M/L parts. No problems yet.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Wed May 21, 2008 4:23 pm

Cliff wrote:... IF you have fire ant mounds in your area, try casting some aluminum down into a fire ant mound hole. One guy here in Florida does that then digs the casting out and cleans it up, makes it into lamps and objects of art. Also gets rid of fire ants. Some of his pieces will stand six feet high. ATB

That is beyond cool.

Death, destruction and Art... all in a generally PC pakage.

What's not to love?

Ben_Rumson · Post by **Ben_Rumson** » Wed May 21, 2008 4:54 pm

LOL +1 O I !

Post by **Hobie** » Wed May 21, 2008 5:06 pm

That is neat. However, I'd hate to do that digging in clay!

Yeah, I'm a lazy so and so...