Cold Weather Casting Tips

[joecool911]

Seems appropriate to discuss some cold weather casting ideas for bottom pouring.

The one so far that seems like it would help is getting a hot plate to pre-heat the mold. I am using a lee 265 grain mold and the bullet noses have wrinkles on them and some flaws on most somewhere on the lube bands. Gets better after 10 or 15 cycles, so I know the mold is not getting up to temp. If I put the mold in the pot of lead the aluminum mold creates a hardened block of lead in the top of the pot. Too much cold temperature transfer from the mold to the lead.

I dont have an electric hot plate, will a propane camp stove work?

Would it also help to cover the pot with a metal cover of some kind?

Should you raise the pot temperature when its cold?

[clintsfolly]

just let set there for a few minutes. it will warmup Clint

[snuffy]

"Cold weather casting tip". GET INSIDE! Watcha doin outside anyway?

[Mk42gunner]

I cast boolits inside, too many snakecatchers, (um I mean cats) outside that like to help me work on things. When smelting wheelweights outside stand close to the upwind side of the turkey fryer. A pot full of melted lead gives off a lot of heat.

Robert

[runfiverun]

build you a little wooden windscreen to help hold the heat and block the wind.
i use a metal top on my pots to pre-warm ingots for the pot.

[Shiloh]

A cover on the pot helps. I use scrap 16 ga. sheet steel. Helps a lot to hold in the heat. A hole for the thermometer and a slot for the pour spout tower.

Shiloh