Hanzerik
04-07-2011, 11:40 PM
My question is how much sizing can be done before tumble lube groves become too small/un-usable?
When I measure an unsized boolit, I get .432 at the mold seam area, but on the outside edges of the boolit it is around .435-.437 over sized. When casting I make sure the inside faces of the mold are clean and that I am squeezing the handles tightly, and I don't get fins, and no light can be seen with the mold closed and held up to a light source.
My alloy is straight WWs, air cooled. They were cast last month and sat in my garage is freezing temps.
I tumble lubed 10 random boolits from a batch of about 200 with LLA and let them sit for a few days, then pressed a gas check on and ran them through the sizer. Some were pretty tight through the sizer but they are now a uniform .432 in diameter. The groves along the seam area look good, but the lube groves are not as large now on the "outside" areas, and the rear drive band is elongated a little on the "outside" areas from being squished through the sizer.
Are these still good to go, or should I melt them down and start over? I just don't want to have too little lube, or too small of a lube grove. I did relube with LLA after sizing.
Am I doing something wrong when casting; opening mold too soon, not fast enough. After I fill the mold I wait for the spruce to turn dull, then turn it upside down and press the spruces on a damp towel, then open the spruce plate and let them drop onto a dry folded towel. How long should you wait before opening?
When I measure an unsized boolit, I get .432 at the mold seam area, but on the outside edges of the boolit it is around .435-.437 over sized. When casting I make sure the inside faces of the mold are clean and that I am squeezing the handles tightly, and I don't get fins, and no light can be seen with the mold closed and held up to a light source.
My alloy is straight WWs, air cooled. They were cast last month and sat in my garage is freezing temps.
I tumble lubed 10 random boolits from a batch of about 200 with LLA and let them sit for a few days, then pressed a gas check on and ran them through the sizer. Some were pretty tight through the sizer but they are now a uniform .432 in diameter. The groves along the seam area look good, but the lube groves are not as large now on the "outside" areas, and the rear drive band is elongated a little on the "outside" areas from being squished through the sizer.
Are these still good to go, or should I melt them down and start over? I just don't want to have too little lube, or too small of a lube grove. I did relube with LLA after sizing.
Am I doing something wrong when casting; opening mold too soon, not fast enough. After I fill the mold I wait for the spruce to turn dull, then turn it upside down and press the spruces on a damp towel, then open the spruce plate and let them drop onto a dry folded towel. How long should you wait before opening?