Why this???

[iwottopq]

Hallo to all.
This evening I casted some boolit from my Lee C309-160R mould and after about 20 boolits it made this two bollits.
Why???
Can I shoot it with some accuracy???
Thanks to all.
Ciao
Nino

[UtopiaTexasG19]

What do you use to clean up your lead after it is melted?

[Jim]

It looks like you have particles of trash in the lead. Flux the lead thoroughly and skim off all the stuff left on the top. Make sure you read the directions from Lee on pre-heating the mold.

[dragonrider]

Toss them back in your pot and flux with sawdust. Then try again.

[littlejack]

Very dirty alloy. If you are using a bottom pour pot, this is more common than using a ladle pour method. The heavy deposits will sink to the bottom of the pot and run into the mould when filling the cavities. You need to flux and clean, flux and clean your alloy, in a seperate pot befor filling your casting pot.
Jack

[runfiverun]

yep junk in the lead.
we call them inclusions, if they persist you need to clean the casting pot.
fluxing and cleaning in a separate pot is the easiest cure.
that way you only use good clean alloy in your casting pot.

[iwottopq]

Hello to all.
I use a bottom pour pot and this defect appeared after the first flux with a bit of boolit grease. Continuing the cast the defect disappeared. The holes seems empty without traces of dirty.
The mould is a single cavity.
I never noted a similar defect in my boolits.
Thanks to all for the help.
Ciao
Nino

[trixter]

When I first heard of fluxing with sawdust, I thought
someone was just foolin around, I had tried candle wax before that with semi-OK results. I got some pine sawdust from a sawmill near by, and have been a user ever since. I am amazed at the results. I can toss a little in the pot, it smokes a little and then flames and then after the flames go out, I skim off the dross with a couple old serving spoons I got at 'Dollar Tree'. Then I am good to go.

This boolit casting can be very scientific, or down right simple.

I am having a great time making boolits for my 45acp.

[iwottopq]

Hello trixter.
I used only one time the sawdust as follow: I put some sowdust on the alloy surface in the pot and stop.
I must to stir the sawdust and the alloy together???
Thanks.
Nino

[Larry Gibson]

iwottopq

I use a bottom pour pot and this defect appeared after the first flux with a bit of boolit grease. Continuing the cast the defect disappeared. The holes seems empty without traces of dirty.
The mould is a single cavity.
I never noted a similar defect in my boolits.

The clue comes from "Continuing the cast the defect disappeared". It would appear the alloy was properly fluxed. Apparently no inclusions if the holes were empty and dry. Thus this is indicative of contamination of some sort on the mould. Possibly moisture condensation or oil? As the mould is used it burns off and you get good bullets as was the case here. Clean the mould well before use (I use brake or carborator cleaner) and preheat the mould. I dip a corrner of the Lee mould in the alloy until the alloy no longer sticks to the mould. I then get excellent bullets right away.

Larry Gibson

[sqlbullet]

Hello trixter.
I used only one time the sawdust as follow: I put some sowdust on the alloy surface in the pot and stop.
I must to stir the sawdust and the alloy together???
Thanks.
Nino

I stir as vigorously as I can without slopping lead out of the pot. You will find that contaminants will get trapped by pressure against the side of the pot and are freed to float to the surface by stirring.

[Cadillo]

Hard to tell from the photos, but my first impression is that he has oil on the surfaces of his cavities. I oil mine after each use, but hose them down with brake part cleaner after they are preheated and ready for use, and this issue does not then arise.

[MtGun44]

I think you need to clean that mold very thoroughly.

Bill

[leadman]

OP said he fluxed with boolit grease? If he did use a lube with petroleum grease in it this could have caused the defects. With a little time it burns off. Or he fluxed again with something else?

iwottopq: The sawdust must be worked thru the alloy in order for it to clean the alloy. Stirring or using something to push the sawdust down into the alloy.

[iwottopq]

Hello to all.
The first reply is that the moul not is contaminated by oil becouse not is the first time I use them and I, when finished to cast, leave the cavity full of alloy until the next time.
The second is that the grease that I use to flux is composed by 40% candle wax, 40% bees wax and 20% vaseline. I put a bit of grease in the alloy than stir vigorously scratching also the walls and the botom than start to cast discarding the first 10 or 15 boolits. Is it possible that the hole (empity and dry) are formed by residue of grease trapped into litthe air bubbles that passes from alloy to mould?
After this two boolits (one seems to have so less holes) the following appears excellent.
Thanks to all for your help.
Ciao
Nino

[runfiverun]

the trick to fluxing is to use both carbon and fire.
one cleans the alloy [carbon through the process of carborization] and one returns the oxides [fire creates an oxygen free barrier allowing this to happen] back into the melt.
stirring allows the carbon to get into the alloy better and the heat thermals will bring the dirt and oxides to the top of the pot.
you just got some gunk into your alloy and poured it into some boolits where it was noticeable on the surface this time.
it was most likely still there but not as noticeable or suspended in the alloy and most of it then rode the thermals to the top of the alloy after a bit of time.
casting is part science and part art the fluxing is the science part and it's pretty simple,
but you need both parts to do it right.

[williamwaco]

iwottopq

I use a bottom pour pot and this defect appeared after the first flux with a bit of boolit grease. Continuing the cast the defect disappeared. The holes seems empty without traces of dirty.
The mould is a single cavity.
I never noted a similar defect in my boolits.

The clue comes from "Continuing the cast the defect disappeared". It would appear the alloy was properly fluxed. Apparently no inclusions if the holes were empty and dry. Thus this is indicative of contamination of some sort on the mould. Possibly moisture condensation or oil? As the mould is used it burns off and you get good bullets as was the case here. Clean the mould well before use (I use brake or carborator cleaner) and preheat the mould. I dip a corrner of the Lee mould in the alloy until the alloy no longer sticks to the mould. I then get excellent bullets right away.

Larry Gibson


DITTO.

I see this occasionally and for me it is always contamination in the mold cavity usually either oil or bullet lube. It happens frequently when lubricating the sprue cutter hinge screw.



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