First cast!!!

[wvmedic]

The wife and I cast some boolits yesterday, 403 to be exact. We had a blast, we were using the lee 452-200-SWC. We water drooped WW, didn't have any Pb to mix with and was anxious to pour some. Will get some Pb to go 50/50 though, I measured them last night and again this morning and the boolits are dropping at .454 to .456.

The Lee mould was OK and did a decent job at making uniform looking boolits, but we had to work at it. The mould halves didn't want to align with each other. So when we would drop the boolits we would close the handles, smack the top of the mould to align then close the sprue plate. This method worked well, but I am inclined to think we will be looking for other sources for a new mould. Just to be clear I'm not slamming Lee, for $20.00 it filled the bill and let us know if this is something we want to do. We have decided that we really enjoy it, so $20.00 well spent.

Figured I would include a pic. Thanks to everyone who posts here for the info to help us new folk, I would have never started this had I not found this site.

Jeff

http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk324/wvmedic31/Boolits/100_3721.jpg

[Wayne Smith]

WOW! Great start, especially with the wife equally involved! What a blessing. With the Lee mold get a pair of welding gloves, quit "smacking" it, hold it in your gloved hand and gently re-align the sides. It will last a lifetime if treated like this. They don't survive much "smacking".

I will tell you though that if you get a mold from any of our vendor/makers you will find it an eye-opening experience in contrast to what you have.

[wvmedic]

Thanks Wayne, yes it truly is a blessing. She and I are real close and do most things together. Just to note she was really against me getting into this, that however has changed since I started pouring yesterday. She said she wanted to try it and didn't want to quit, she poured 50% plus of the pour yesterday. She also loves to shoot.

Jeff

[Czech_too]

I had a similar issue with the Lee mould halves not aligning when closing, then I came across a comment suggesting putting some heavy weight oil or Bullplate lube on what passes for alignment pins on their moulds. Applied with a Q-tip and it seems to work. May need to re-apply depending on length of casting session, but... it works.

[WILCO]

Thanks to everyone who posts here for the info to help us new folk, I would have never started this had I not found this site.

That's how it was for me! This place is a treasure trove of information.
As for the mold alignment thing, read your directions for the mold and lube the alignment pins. I use silicone spray and a Q-tip to lube mine.

[wvmedic]

I used paraffin on the alignment pins, wound up getting it in the mould. Re-cleaned it and tried again, still didn't want to align. We were using welding gloves and will try that next time, as opposed to tapping not smacking the mould.

Jeff

[462]

Try this, when closing your mould: Set the mould on the edge of the bench top or a piece of wood -- this allows the mould halves to better align themselves on the handles -- then gentely close the mould. This method will reduce the amount of wear to the alignment wedges and their slots than any other method.

Also, if you are not already doing so, use your gloved hand to open the sprue cutter, rather than whacking/hitting/tapping it with a mallet/piece of wood/lead pipe.

With proper care, a $20 Lee mould will last as long as the most expensive steel or brass mould.

By the way, welcome.

[VenomBallistics]

I just set the base of the mold on a wood or steel block and close them.
I also keep some birthday candles on hand ... use the wick to lube the pins

[bumpo628]

Try the Lee 6 cavity molds. They are much easier to use.
The handles are sold separately, but you could move the handles from mold to mold. Or, buy a set for each mold if you like.

[Cherokee]

I too do this with the 2 cavity Lee's "I just set the base of the mold on a wood or steel block and close them." Be gentle with them. Works for me. If you like the Lee bullet, go for the 6 cavity version, its better quality and easier to manipulate, I really like them. And - congratulations to you and your wife on your first effort. I see lots more casting in your future.

[Cowboy T]

+1 to the 6-cavity moulds. Not only are they easier to use, they let you cast a lot more boolits in less time.

[1Shirt]

Good start! Be aware however that all casting sessions will not be a bed of roses.
You will have problems along the way! You will have bad casting days, sort of like women have bad hair days, and you will make mistakes and hopefully learn from them. Regardless, good start! Lots of luck!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[MikeS]

I have that same mould, and also sometimes have the problem getting it to close properly. I've found that if I turn it upside down while closing that it usually closes properly. Those are some nice looking boolits for a first time cast! I wish mine looked that good when I first started. When I first started I was much less selective about culling the bad ones, as most of them would have been culled! Now I get rid of any boolits that aren't up to snuff, I just toss them back into the pot. When you try using a better quality mould, you won't want to use the Lee 2 cavity moulds anymore! (well, at least I don't really want to, but I don't have the money to replace them with better ones just yet) Keep up the good work!

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Very good looking boolits Jim! With the Lee 2 cavity, I turn the mold upside down to drop them out and close the mold while it is inverted. Works great for me. I also cast because of this site. Great place to learn.

[Doby45]

When you try using a better quality mould, you won't want to use the Lee 2 cavity moulds anymore! (well, at least I don't really want to, but I don't have the money to replace them with better ones just yet) Keep up the good work!

I have 6 Mihec brass molds and a single NOE mold and I STILL love to use my little 2 cavity Lee 358-125-FRN, churns out an awesome boolit for 38 or 9mm.