Gang mold

[SkookumJeff]

Howdy again, another couple of newbie questions for y'all...

I have a couple of Lee 6 cavity gang molds I bought from Ranch Dog for my Marlins. I haven't used either one yet.

I am trying to cast boolits with a pot and dipper. Is this setup reasonable for these big molds or am I looking for trouble and should be using a bottom pour pot for these big production molds?

Second question, can I use these big molds to cast boolits using only one or two cavities instead of pouring all six? Could this cause the mold to warp?

Thanks for the help!

[MikeS]

You should be able to use a ladle (dipper) with a six cavity mould without a problem, IF it's the right ladle. If you're talking about the Lee ladle, forget about it! If you're talking about the Lyman ladle, than depending on the size of the boolit (it's weight, not caliber) you might have to fill the ladle twice, which is slower, but can be done. If I was going to ladle cast using a Lee six cavity mould, I would get a Rowel #1 ladle. You can get them from RotoMetals which is a sponser here, I believe 'The Antimony Man' also sells them, and he also has one with a shorter length handle which is to make them easier to cast with when using an electric melting pot.

[mooman76]

I use the 6x moulds with a dipper just fine. Like Mikes says, you need a ladle that is big enough to do it in one trip. I got a cheap soup ladle from a $ store and it isn't the best but does the job in a pinch. I have never filled just a couple cavities and done it that way but I recall someone here doing it. In fact that's how someone here warms it up. A couple cavities at a time and adds more cavities as it warms.

[white eagle]

I have used a dipper on my r/d molds even up to
.460 dia.so its very possible
best of luck

[dragonrider]

I use a bottom pour pot. Why add another step in between your pot and the mold???

[Mk42gunner]

I have used an RCBS ladle to fill a six cavity group buy for the .38-55 (250-ish grain range). It took two fillings of the ladle, but the boolits came out fine.

A lot of people start casting in one or two holes on a six cavity to warm the mold. Myself, I preheat the mold on top of my Lee pot, then it usually casts fine after the first cycle. I don't think it would warp by only using one or two cavities, but with my luck (or lack thereof) I don't do it.

Robert