Lead filled sausage sprue plate wacker!

[JKH]

Hey Guys,

I was doing some casting yesterday with some 2 cavity molds and got to thinking about a new sprue plate tool to whack them open.

Since I started casting I have used a variety of tools, hammer handles, rubber mallet, homemade billy club, piece of ax handle, etc. anything that was stout enough but would not ding up the mold or sprue plate.

The rubber mallet was to heavy and even brief contact with the sprue plate would cause minor melting and nasty odor. Hard wood worked fairly well but anything I could find would eventually start splintering and making a mess.

The latest tool I have been using I thought was the best, a VERY large tractor trailer wheel weight about 6" long, nice size and good weight, would easily pop the sprue even when casting virgin lino-type, this was it! Well alas it wasnt it :( As I have been using it the end is getting pretty battered and is now starting to shed slivers of lead.

So, I'm thinking, what am I gonna use now? I started looking around and spied some 1/2" rigid copper (not sure if its L or M but it is the thicker walled/softer of the two), I cut off a piece about 7" long and hunted around for a sweat on end cap figurin I needed something to close off the end [smilie=1: Unfortunately I couldnt find a cap and wanted to use this tool right now, so I carefully pinched off one end till it was tight and was ready to fill it with lead.

I took it to my casting station (its really messy but saying "my fitlhy hole where I cast boolits" doesnt sound so nice or professional :mrgreen:), I moved my LEE bottom pore pot out the the edge so I could get the pipe under it relatively vertical and filled it to the top while holding it with channel locks. I waited a few moments after the lead o the top solidified and then completely immersed it in water to cool it off and was ready for casting.

After casting another 100 LEE 12 gauge slugs and another 100 SWC's there are plenty of little marks on the copper pipe but it is barely damaged or dinged up and left no marks whatsoever on my molds, the size is just right to hold comfortably and just long enough for the job and it weighs enough that it takes very little effort to pop the sprue or tap out and sticky boolits so ven though it is heavier than the truck wheel weight or the piece of ax handle it took less effort with less fatigue than any casting session I have had yet. :-D

Another great part of this little tool is the fact that if I should manage to beat it up till its ugly enough I want a new one, it is a simple matter to melt the lead out with a torch to re-use and the copper pipe can be scrapped, AND its pretty easy to find cutoff's from a plumber or hardware store if you dont do your own plumbing, just what the dctor ordered for penny pinchers like me!

I hope this idea helps some of you guys out and makes your casting experience a little more pleasureable.:drinks:

Jeff

[selmerfan]

I haven't whacked a sprue plate in a couple of years, gloved hand and a proper temp mold does it for me.

[JKH]

So, your pretty good at whacking things off with just your hand huh? ;^ )

[462]

Selmerfan has it right. It makes absolutely no sense, to me, to use anything with which to whack a mould.

Even Lyman four-cavity moulds, once they are to temperature, can be open with a gloved hand.

[rattletrap1970]

Ummm, I strike sprue plates with a rolled rawhide mallet. Works perfectly.

[onondaga]

I have been using a rawhide mallet since boyhood, But I am beginning to try the glove method, I like it.

Gary

[bradh]

I'm with Rattletrap, rawhide mallet is all I've ever used....works great and damages nothing!

[M4bushy]

I have been using a rawhide mallet since boyhood, But I am beginning to try the glove method, I like it.

Gary

Darn, I thought I was the only one to think of the rawhide mallet.....;-)

[Springfield]

I use my old regular rawhide mallet as I now use a weighted one for my leather work tooling. They are pretty cheap from Tandy.

[Doby45]

I have JUST started using my gloved hand and it has proven to be a VERY effective method. I feel as I have more control of the base of the boolit when I push down slightly as I slide it.

[462]

"I feel as I have more control of the base of the boolit when I push down slightly as I slide it."

Exactly. The gloved hand method keeps the cutter tight against the mould, from start to finish.

[JKH]

besides the rubber mallet I also tried other non marring type hammer/mallets, I found them to be out of balance & also didn't like having to constantly orient the striking face when speed casting.

I also tried the gloved hand technique but in order to have the sprue soft enough to allow this there was a high percentage of tearouts & lead streaks on top of the mold blocks, which of course are unsightly as well as disturbing the balance of the boolit which will adversely effect accuracy, this is using straight wheel weights. Lino-type would be nearly impossible unless you are a gorilla!

I like my "sausage" as it is well balanced, comfortable to hold (small size vs. Weight), I can continue to cast without needing to put it down, and it is ALWAYS properly oriented for the odd occasion I do put it down I never have to check which way its pointing when I pick it up.

But then again, maybe after I cast another 20,000 boolits to double what I've cast so far I might be able to master the Chuck Norris gloved hand of death technique & rise to a higher plane of existence, as always YMMV ;-)

[John Boy]

I'm with the others - glove hand only. No reason or need to hit a mold
At proper temperature sprue puddle frosts, press plate to top of mold - open and perfect filled out bullets with sharp flat bases.

[stubshaft]

Glove on the sprue and a rawhide mallet to strike the mold handle hinge in the case of a recalcitrant boolit.

[high standard 40]

When I first started casting I used a large hardwood dowel to smack the sprue plate. When I heard of the gloved hand method a couple of years ago, I tried it. I will not ne going back to the dowel. Only the gloved hand for me now.

[mold maker]

Only a heavy leather gloved hand, for the last 5-6 years. I, like most others, have tried everything else mentioned, but found them all deficient. I do still have a small rawhide hammer handy, to free the occasional stuck boolit.

I've learned more from this forum than what 35 years had taught me before.
Thanks guys.

[selmerfan]

So, your pretty good at whacking things off with just your hand huh? ;^ )

Just sprues, thanks. ;-)

[selmerfan]

If you're getting smearing or torn bases when using the gloved hand method, you should try out some Bullplate lube. Go ahead JKH, here's another hanging curve... ;)

[JKH]

I have ZERO desire or need to use a "gloved hand" method to cut sprues, I also didn't start this thread for you to expound upon the virtues of using a gloved hand, I started this to put forth an idea for those of us who would rather use a tool.

I would respectfully request that you start your own thread on using a gloved hand, where you can postulate upon its virtues there & opine on its superiority, or lack thereof, over other methods, this thread deals with the use of a tool that I find to work exceedingly well for me & may be of benefit to others & is not for philosophical purposes.

Jeff

[2wheelDuke]

besides the rubber mallet I also tried other non marring type hammer/mallets, I found them to be out of balance & also didn't like having to constantly orient the striking face when speed casting.

I also tried the gloved hand technique but in order to have the sprue soft enough to allow this there was a high percentage of tearouts & lead streaks on top of the mold blocks, which of course are unsightly as well as disturbing the balance of the boolit which will adversely effect accuracy, this is using straight wheel weights. Lino-type would be nearly impossible unless you are a gorilla!

I like my "sausage" as it is well balanced, comfortable to hold (small size vs. Weight), I can continue to cast without needing to put it down, and it is ALWAYS properly oriented for the odd occasion I do put it down I never have to check which way its pointing when I pick it up.

But then again, maybe after I cast another 20,000 boolits to double what I've cast so far I might be able to master the Chuck Norris gloved hand of death technique & rise to a higher plane of existence, as always YMMV ;-)


Chuck Norris casts boolits with his bare hands. He doesn't need a melter or moulds, he just squeezes raw lead to make boolits. :kidding:

[Mustangpalmer1911]

Chuck Norris casts boolits with his bare hands. He doesn't need a melter or moulds, he just squeezes raw lead to make boolits. :kidding:

Chuck Norris does not need a weapon he is a weapon.

[casterofboolits]

I am a mold whacker and proud of it! Have used RCBS stick, hammer handles, etc. The best all around whacker I have found is a Sears six ounce non marring hammer. I purhase extra tips and replace the red rubber tip. This has been my mould whjacker for almost twenty years.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00938301000P?prop17=009+38301&keyword=009+38301&sLevel=0&i_cntr=1300772821521

I normally cast with three moulds (four, six or eight cavity) in series and opening with a gloved hand is not an option.

Every one develops thier way own of doing things, not wrong, just different. I like sausage.

[justingrosche]

I've opened the plates both ways, with a gloved hand and with a light wood mallet. I usually use the mallet now. I like the mallet over a dowel because I can hook sprue plate with the head and pull it closed. With a dowel, you have to rotate your arm with the tip of club in the downward position to push it shut. Not the most ergonomic of the two.

[ricksplace]

I'm a whacker too. Gonna make one of your sausage whackers. Thanks for the good idea.

[JKH]

truth be known, its not really a lead sausage, its a Chuck Norris mustache hair! :-)

With this tool or the wheel weight I can easilly close the sprue plate & not have to reposition.

[semtav]

1 1/4" dia UHMW or Delrin plastic rod of proper length ( 1 foot plus). No splinters no marring no problems period.


http://www.interstateplastics.com/plastic-rods.php


Grind a notch in it if you want to use it to close the sprue


Your idea is a good one tho JKH. May have to make one and test the differences.

Thanks

[cajun shooter]

A small plastic ended hammer from Lowe's is all I have ever used. If it requires heavy force to open the sprue plate then you have a problem. Since I started using Bullplate it only requires a light tap to open and cut sprue.

[Moonie]

I have ZERO desire or need to use a "gloved hand" method to cut sprues, I also didn't start this thread for you to expound upon the virtues of using a gloved hand, I started this to put forth an idea for those of us who would rather use a tool.

I would respectfully request that you start your own thread on using a gloved hand, where you can postulate upon its virtues there & opine on its superiority, or lack thereof, over other methods, this thread deals with the use of a tool that I find to work exceedingly well for me & may be of benefit to others & is not for philosophical purposes.

Jeff

In the future I would suggest you mention this in your original post if you are not wanting opinions from others.

When you said "So, I'm thinking, what am I gonna use now?" I'm sure I wasn't the only one that thought you would be open to other peoples opinions.

Thanks for clearing that up.

[waksupi]

So far on this board, all I can see that a complaint about thread drift does, is to guarantee thread drift.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I cut firewood.
I whack some of my molds.
I use old deadfall "White Oak" branches.
they are super tough and free.
Yes there are the splinters caused by
uncooperating molds...ie. the boolits don't fall without a whack !
the splinters work great for flux.
Jon

[ph4570]

Good idea that sausage.

Plastic headed hammer for me. Just a light tap when temp is right. Then the hammer is in hand should a tap be needed to free boolits. I do not like to use gloves when casting.

[Doby45]

There was this one time that I whacked a tree down with a hatchet.

[JKH]

Moonie, that was a rhetorical question as to what was I going to use now that my wheel weight was getting beat up, I made no implication that I wanted to learn a new technique, nor to have it blithely suggested that I may not have transcended yet to non whacking tool bliss, this post is/was simply to share a nifty little tool made from cheap scrap that seems to work very well. So, it would appear my goal has been realised at least a few times, as there are several posters here that think its a good idea to try, great! My goal has been realised and now I may transcend!

Now for the rest, I invite comment, constructive criticism (what? you dont like my sausage?!) and any and all humor related to the subject, please feel fee to go off on a tangent, make up puns and in general have fun ONLY as it relates to sprue whackers!

So whack away fellow casters! :^ )

[JKH]

Doby, was it a cherry tree? Be very careful what you whack with a hatchet, some things cant be put back on!

[JKH]

I think I should point out that the object of this whacker is not to use brute force, on the contrary, I whack my sprue when the right consistency/temp is reached when the lead shows the secondary crystaline texture and slightly duller grey color, when using wheel weight alloy this is when the melt has cooled enough to be solid, and not smear or tear out boolit chunks, but is also not so hard that a heavy whack is required.

My little sausage whacker has just enough weight so that when I tap the sprue it is basically the inertia of the tool itself doing the work (my step dad always taught me to make the tool do the work, not make me over work), it is somewhat hard to explain but in practice it is almost like using a drum stick and letting it "toggle/flip" in your hand, and when it hits the sprue plate it will make a very quick snap to cleanly shear through the sprue and swing it part way or all the way open depending on how old the mold is.

When it comes to recalcitrant boolits that dont want to drop, thats when this little lead filled sausage really shines! It has plenty of mass in a small package to direct a good deal of energy directly to the hinge bolt and pops the boolits out with authority :^ )

[man.electric]

I should have read the beginning of this thread before grabbing a bratwaurst from the fridge and hitting my mold with it. If I fill my Lee pot full of sour kraut I bet it would stop dripping though :-D

[mold maker]

Well just by golly, EXCUSE THE HECK OUT OF US. We didn't mean to rain on your parade.



I have ZERO desire or need to use a "gloved hand" method to cut sprues, I also didn't start this thread for you to expound upon the virtues of using a gloved hand, I started this to put forth an idea for those of us who would rather use a tool.

I would respectfully request that you start your own thread on using a gloved hand, where you can postulate upon its virtues there & opine on its superiority, or lack thereof, over other methods, this thread deals with the use of a tool that I find to work exceedingly well for me & may be of benefit to others & is not for philosophical purposes.

Jeff

[JKH]

Mold maker, no problem, as long as we are talking sausages all is well ;^ )

man.electric, frozen would have been better - more resiliant, however if it were cooked and smothered in mustard, well, who needs to be casting at a time like that!
I WISH sourkraut or anything else for that matter would stop LEE pots from dripping but that is a subject for a different thread :^ ) Although maybe beating on the pot with a lead filled sausage would work :^p

[bizzledude]

I like my "sausage" as it is well balanced, comfortable to hold (small size vs. Weight), I can continue to cast without needing to put it down, and it is ALWAYS properly oriented for the odd occasion I do put it down I never have to check which way its pointing when I pick it up.



I think we have the guy who cast without mould handles for a few years beat with this one...

And, because I can't resist...

That's what she sad.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

man.electric
you sconnies are funny !
If there is a Brat or Brew or a Green & yellow jersey,
you sconnies are all over it:mrgreen:
:kidding:
Jon

[JKH]

bizzledude,

oh no, THAT man transcended to being THE ULTIMATE grand poobah of the secret society of the gloved hand technique society, few if any of us mere mortals will ever ascend to his level, I feel honored that you would put me in the same class ;-)
we won't go into what she said, this is a family friendly forum :-)

[JKH]

Jerry (mold maker),
did you try the lith plate material I sent you for gas checks? I forgot about your last PM when you were splitting fire wood, sorry!
Jeff
P.S. Don't whack your molds with lith plate ;-)

[selmerfan]

Does one reach sausage whacking bliss when the ideal temperature is reached so that the frozen sausage employed for this technique becomes perfectly cooked by the end of a casting session? This thread is cracking me up! :)

[JKH]

selmerfan,
perhaps
however, true transendance cannot be achieved unless proper lubrication is used on the sprue, true bliss and perhaps nirvana ma only be reached with the judicious application of a spicey brown mustard, I have learned this from Master Po Grasshopper! :-)

[selmerfan]

BUT - would the spicy brown mustard work as a sprue plate lube? How do we season a mold and plate to prefer spicy brown mustard, or must we condition our palate and digestive system to enjoy Bullplate?

[Tazman1602]

+1

To heck with that gloved hand thing, gloves are too bulky and you can still get burnt. Been using my rawhide gunsmith mallet for years and it doesn't wear out nor does it hurt the sprue plate in any way shape or form....

just my .0003 worth



Ummm, I strike sprue plates with a rolled rawhide mallet. Works perfectly.

[JKH]

selmerfan,
thats a tough one! I suppose it would be dependant on the "offering", depending on the level of enlightenment you may be able to get by with cheap yellow mustard but you get what you pay for! Grey Poupon on the other hand may send you & the mold into such a state that you may never be able to sustain a more mundane approach to sprue whacking, that woud be a shame so I suggest you proceed with caution ;-)

[Le Loup Solitaire]

There is nothing wrong or unusual about using a lead "sausage" to tap or hit the spruecutter to open it. Hensley & Gibbs sold a mold for a lead hammer to do the job. Dean Grennell discussed this in one of his books. I have used a rawhide mallet, a piece of hardwood p board, a plastic mallet and a homemade lead mallet, all on different occasions and never injured a spruecutter. Many casters over the years have also used their gloved hand successfully. What counts is moving the spruecutter at the proper moment so that it does its job correctly. If whatever method or implement works and you are happy with the result then by all means continue with it. The lead in a hammer or sausage is soft though and starts to get beaten up and after some time needs to be recast to return to its original shape. LLS

[GrumpyFinn]

Don't know if this one is already here somewhere but, I used to have a "horn" bench jewelers mallet and I really liked it. Can't seem to find one here in US but one could make it pretty easy. Only thing is needed is a cow horn or antler.

Find out where hollow part ends, cut just beyond where solid part start, cut a hole from inside curve to outside and fit a hammer handle. Drill a small hole cross and fit a brass rod, flare the ends, I guess one could use a screw but a rod looks more "finished", lastly, shape the horn business end to suitable form.

I use gloved hand but every now and then when I need to tap the mold lightly, I use a hammer handle.

[Colorado4wheel]

I use a white plastic mallet from Harbour Freight. I will probably make your tool just for the heck of it, but I like the pointy end of my mallet for tapping the hinge when I have stubborn bullets. I am real curious about the gloved hand idea. I know I have tried it in the past but maybe it will work better for me now. I somehow doubt it as I use two molds and they do cool nicely. I hate lead smearing in a session. I am in this for production, not the some contest to make the nicest looking bullets. I also use BullPlate lube. Don't find it to be that big a deal.

[Fishman]

Jkh, nifty idea. I have always been a member of the not-so-secret always vocal gloved hand society, but am ready to try something else. Last casting session my hand got a little bruised/sore which affected my already mediocre guitar playing skills in a negative way. I like tools. As I tell my son, a boy without tools is just a boy.

[Huntducks]

I have ZERO desire or need to use a "gloved hand" method to cut sprues, I also didn't start this thread for you to expound upon the virtues of using a gloved hand, I started this to put forth an idea for those of us who would rather use a tool.

I would respectfully request that you start your own thread on using a gloved hand, where you can postulate upon its virtues there & opine on its superiority, or lack thereof, over other methods, this thread deals with the use of a tool that I find to work exceedingly well for me & may be of benefit to others & is not for philosophical purposes.

Jeff

Man JKH you must have been having a bad sausage day I like Italian the best.

Oh I use the rawhide mallet whacker.:drinks:

You guys whacking with the glove might want to line the palm with some fur.:grin:

[35remington]

While I don't use a rubber mallet much, having used it long enough to find that it is too "bouncy" for me, I find it exceptionally curious that the OP has trouble with his sprue plate burning and melting his rubber mallet!

The mallet is in contact with the sprue plate for such a very short period of time that not enough heat is transferred to the rubber to cause it to melt.

I would be very interested in a demonstration that showed "melting" of the rubber. Since the contact area is small and brief, the rest of the rubber will act as a heat sink, precluding any melting.

Color me a skeptic that any burning rubber will result. Just my experience speaking, is all.

I happen to use a plastic headed mallet that works well for me in those instances where I need to use a mallet rather than a gloved hand. Does not mar the sprue plate, and since I don't hit the mould blocks directly, just the sprue plate, no marring has occurred in probably tens of thousands of strikes or more.

While the gloved hand method works well, many of my moulds need a tap or two to release the bullets, so I almost never use just the gloves alone because the mallet is an integral part of the casting process. Since I therefore would have to pick up the mallet to strike the sprue plate, the hammer is always carried in my right hand and never set down while casting even if I open the sprue plate with my hands.....so I don't have to pick it up and add another step to the process that would lengthen the time between cycles. The mould is then tapped at the hinge pin to release the bullets, the sprue plate closed by hand and the casting cycle repeated.

I note that plastic is considerably softer than lead filled copper pipe, so I cannot see the improvement over a cheap plastic hammer as regards prevention of damage to the mould. Further, the hammer can be fairly lightweight as long as it is relatively long handled. The light weight minimizes fatigue and allows the hammer to be constantly at the ready by always being in hand and saves the tedium of having to pick it up and set it down. The long handle allows sufficient force to be generated despite the light weight.