How To Make Brass Knuckles From Bullet Shells

This podcast describes a DIY project to create brass knuckles from repurposed bullet casings. The process involves melting the casings in a mini foundry, adding boric acid to prevent zinc vaporization, and pouring the molten brass into a mold. The result is a crude yet aesthetically pleasing brass casting that can be used as a paperweight or decorative object.

Melting Bullet Casings

• 00:00:11 The project begins with melting empty bullet casings in a mini metal foundry. Brass, a mixture of copper and zinc, is heated, causing zinc to vaporize. To prevent this, boric acid is added to the molten metal. The liquefied brass is then poured into a muffin tray to create ingots.

Casting Brass Knuckles

• 00:00:47 The next step is creating a mold using styrofoam and sand. The molten brass is poured into the mold, vaporizing the styrofoam and filling the empty space. After cooling and removing the mold, the result is a crude but aesthetically pleasing brass casting, shaped like brass knuckles, that can serve as a paperweight or decorative object.