help I'm pulling what little hair left

[Phat Man Mike]

I'm going crazy trying to cast some boolits. it's a LEE 90371 -303 mold. and G/C too. I've checked my temp and it's around 700 or just a tad over. and I'm using W/W for the boolit. I keep coming up with ones that look like a snow peaked mtn top. (sorry for the crappy cell pic but the other camera is out) my bottom pour pot is just over a syrup trickle and these are some of the boolits. :killingpc:killingpc
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h130/ziggytrucker/castboolits/311s002.jpg

[Doby45]

You need to adjust your stream on your bottom pour. If it is a Lee 4-20 then you will need to turn the screw out on the top near the seat rod. Also need to heat your mold more..

[Mk42gunner]

An easy way to preheat molds is to float them on top of your pot until they don't pick up big globs of lead. Give what Doby said a try, also turn the valve rod with a screwdriver a few times. If that doesn't clear up your flow problem, try poking a stiff piece of wire (held with pliers) up the spout, put a pan under the spout to catch the lead that gushes out.

You could also try ladle pouring a few.

Robert

[cbrick]

Also, hard to tell from the pics but it looks like your mold is too cool. Pre-heat more or cast faster. Yout pot temp should be fine but get the mold temp up.

Rick

[geargnasher]

I'm only going to say this once, so I'm going to say it loud:

THE MOULD IS WAY TOO COLD.

THE ALLOY IS JUST RIGHT.

CAST FASTER. FOUR POURS A MINUTE FOR THE WHOLE SESSION, TIME IT!

OPEN UP THE STREAM TO ABOUT HALF-OPEN.

Have a nice day!

Gear

[noylj]

I found that casting 7mm bullets that I needed to get the lead hotter. Adding in an aluminum mold that both needs to be hotter and to have hotter alloy, I would bump the alloy up to 750-800 and get that mold hot and cast as fast as possible.

[Recluse]

I have much better luck pouring long boolits using a ladle. And as others have said, get your mold up to temp.

Slow pouring long boolits hardly ever works. Adjust your flow if you don't have a ladle--lead needs to be moving faster than "syrup."

:coffee:

[1Shirt]

Run hot and steady and use bullplate and you will probably eliminate your problem.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[Centaur 1]

Keep your eyes open for a cheap hotplate and use it to warm your molds.

[R.M.]

I have to wonder if some of the problems new casters are having is due to being too cautious during the pour. You know, being afraid to spill lead all over, thus filling too slow. Those long boolits need to be filled fast, as well as hot mold and proper pot temp.

[Phat Man Mike]

thanks guy's.. I put my mold on the edge of my pot while I'm waiting for the heat to build.. so it's warm .. guess I'm just going to slow while doing it. :coffeecom

[MtGun44]

Do not stop and fiddle. Fill, cut, dump, close, fill, cut, dump, close, as fast as you can
go for at least 20 boolits, maybe 30 to get the mold warmed up. DO NOT fiddle with
cut off sprues, inspect boolits, adjust your hat, or anything. Single minded focus on no
wasted motion, fill, cut, dump, close, repeat.

Also - I concurr that you want the stream to flow pretty fast, don't worry about slopping a
bit of lead around. You'll get better with experience and if you don't get the speed going,
you'll never get the mold up to temp.

Try a bit hotter metal, too.

Bill

[soldierbilly1]

go to youtube and look up the ammosmith video's on casting. you will get the feel for the speed for this thing in no time! lotsa other tips too, too numerous to mention.
good luck!

there is lots of expertise on this board. you came to the right place
billy boy

[geargnasher]

Don't put your mould on the EDGE of the pot, dip an intire corner about 1/4" INTO the melt, hold it there with the blocks closed tight for about 30 seconds or until lead doesn't stick to it in a big clump when you pull it out. Then, right away dip the first half-inch of the tip of your sprue plate in the melt the same way, until it comes out clean. Immediately start casting as fast as you can. The mould needs to be around 350 degrees to work right, and that's HOT. Just setting the mould on the edge of the pot for an hour might get it to 150, WAY too cold for casting.

Gear

[Phat Man Mike]

thanks folks! it's too chilly today to cast but it's going to be nice here this weekend! :bigsmyl2: :cbpour: