Question on pre heating with a hot plate.

[L1A1Rocker]

Another noob question. I picked up a Harbor Freight special the other day (last one they had) to pre heat my molds with. Is there any kind of procedure to heating this thing up? One side then the other, all four sides? What about with hollow point pins?

Thanks folks.

[462]

Members, here, are full of suggestions and ideas. One -- can't remember who -- said that he sets on old circular saw blade on the heating element and the mould on the blade. Made sense to me, as it distrubutes the heat better. I just set the mould bottom down, reckon, though, that it could be turned sprue cutter down, after a while.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I have an old Sunbeam electric skillet that I use to heat my molds up with. I put the mold in the center of the skillet and turn the heat to 420 deg. (that's as high as it goes). There is only one heating element in it and the mold goes in the center and is not touching where the element is. The saw blade trick sounds good if you have exposed elements. I heat aluminum and brass molds this way. The brass has hollow point pins in it and I just keep the mold closed and heat. The brass takes quite awhile to heat all the way through but it's better than trying to heat the mold on top of the casting pot for me.

[Leadmelter]

I picked up that idea from a thread way back last year. I bought a single GE hotplate up at Wallymart for about $18. I use Lyman 4 gang molds. I put the molds on plate and turn it to about 3/4 of the way. At the same time, I have the lead melitng.
After about 20-30 minutes, I am ready and let the casting begin. When I switch molds, I put it back on the plate until I cycle again.
By the way, I do spure plate up.
Be careful not to bump the setup or your handles can get burned.

Gerry

[*Paladin*]

I have the HF hot plate. I put it on medium and let the mold sit on it until the lead in my melter is molten and up to temp. Good bullets from the first drop.

[L1A1Rocker]

Thank you for all the information. I guess rotating the mold is not necessary.




By the way, I do spure plate up.


Sorry, I don't understand what you are saying. Is this in reference to Bullplate?

[geargnasher]

He's saying he doesn't turn the mould over to put the sprue plate down against the heat. I don't either since I warped a sprue plate badly doing that one time.

Someone here made a mould oven out of a steel electical box with a hole cut in the side and a grill thermometer put through a hole in the top and posted a pic, I think it was Montana Charlie but I don't remember for sure. I made a similar one like a "mould docking port" that I can park my mould in any time during a casting session. Mine gets about 400 degrees inside the oven with the hot plate on high.

Gear

[wills]

This one

[462]

Gear, thanks for bringing that up. I remember the pictures but never got round to making one. I'll have to add it to this week's projects list.

Edit to add: Thanks, Wills, that's the one.

[geargnasher]

Yup, Wills, that's the one! Where have you been?

Gear

[bobthenailer]

I usually use a old coleman single burner propane stove or sometimes a single burner electric hot plate to preheat my moulds . Ive found preheating the mould around 15 minuets before casting to around 400 degrees, works best for me .

[PacMan]

I bought a hot plate and sometimes i actually use it.Most of the time i just stick my molds corner or maybe the end in the melt and go from there.Faster and less hassel to me.

[wills]

Yup, Wills, that's the one! Where have you been?

Gear

Sittin quietly in the corner, enjoying my cigar.

[cajun shooter]

I did a posting about the hotplate about a year back. I posted that it is a single burner from Wally World and a GE for about $20. I turn the thermostat to about 1/2 as soon as I start pouring. I always set the moulds onto the plate with the bottom down and sprue plate up.

[HeavyMetal]

Made a pin holder for my HP molds.

Basically a steel plate about 5/16 thick then measured the pin diameter for the largest diameter and drilled a couple pieces of round stock to match that reading.

Made it just long enough so that the tip of the pin touched the plateand then welded the two together.

Set on medium, or just under actully, it brings the pins up to good temp while the mold sets on the pot to pre heat. Once up to speed nose fill out, even with the 45 HP Lyman makes, never fails to happen fully.

Did the same for my 4 and 6 banger Lee anf Lyman molds so they would set on the side and keep the sprue plate warm enough, used square stock for that.

[dale2242]

I had a piece of 1/4" steel plate cut to fit the top of the hotplate. Place the bottom of your mold on the hotplate the same time you start heating your melt. They should both be up to temp about the same time. When things are the right temp, I get good boolits the first pour. You may want to adjust the temp setting on the hotplate for the propr mold temp.....dale

[Calamity Jake]

I've used hot plate to preheat molds on for so long I can't remember when I started.
I too use a steel plate on the element to distribute heat better.
99% of my molds consist of Lyman, Saeco and RCBS, I stand the molds on end(handles up)
to preheat, I can preheat 5-6 molds at a time this way. In a 2-3 hour casting session using 2 molds at a time I can make a lot of different boolits.
If placed right I can preheat 3 Lee 6 cavs.

[wallenba]

I put mine on the hot plate bottom down when my alloy reaches 600*. By the time it gets to 850-900* I put the sprue plate lube on, return it to the hot plate for a minute. By then when I start casting I will get frosty boolits for a while until I get my rythmn going.