Cast Boolit pictures?

[DeadWoodDan]

I had my first good day casting yesterday and curious if theres a sticky around to show what boolits look like in various circumstances? for example i tried experimenting with different tempt. settings, holding the mold closer and further away, ...etc..

I will try to post pictures of my first batch this week. I got some frosty looking ones, some that didn't fill out etc. i would just like to know what i'm doing to get the results.



Lee 4-20. bottom poor furnace
NOE 4 cavity 165-311 mold.

Thanks
DWD

[ku4hx]

I like slightly frosty boolits as they seem to hold LLA better and for me frosty equates to good fill out. Frosty is generally attributed to the mold being a mite "too hot". Lack of fill out can have several reasons with chief for me being mold is not quite hot enough for the alloy being cast.

If you boolits are wrinkled, that's oil or some such substance in the cavity or mold too cool or a combination of the two.

Holes or cavities in the boolit at the sprue plate hole can be caused by moving the sprue plate before the alloy cools sufficiently and is basically tearing away lead.

Raised lumps on the boolit at the sprue plate hole indicate the sprue plate is too loose.

Chunks torn off the boolit can be caused by opening the mold before the boolit fully solidifies.

Fins along the boolit likely mean mold halves not closing fully.

Generally a little added Tin will aid in bullet fill out, I like approx 2%, but you still need to have both the molten alloy and the mold up to temperature. I've cast with less than 2% Tin, I just no longer care to.

Get a copy of Lyman's Cast Bullet Manual. It's one of the very best information sources for boolit casters. As is this site: http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

[shortybozz]

First off I have only been casting about a year, shooting most of my life. As I was trying to learn casting, this forum and others were my library. There is so much info available here that it is mind boggling. There are also opinionated information on most subjects and that can sometimes cause issues. Read as much as you have time for and then test what information you can. The pic shows one of the test I did early on, about wrinkles and frosting of bullet. #1 is to cold a mold (wrinkles), #2 the mold and lead to hot (frosting), #3 is just right, and #4 is ready to load. I water drop mainly for convenience as well as reducing damage to bullets. I also pan lube because I had issues with LL Alox. Once again a difference of opinions, but testing different things is the only way you will know what works for you.

[badgeredd]

Shortybozz,

Now that is an really nice visual image for everyone just getting into casting. Good job!!!!

Edd

[DeadWoodDan]

Execellant pics shorty. i posted some of mine in another thread today also if you care to judge:groner:

[runfiverun]

must be using aluminum molds.
i really don't get anything that looks like that.
i get kinda close to #3 and satin grey.
no shiney except when cold,and no galvanized.

[Sonnypie]

Rather than slow you down, and the Cast Boolits servers down, and everybody down, I put my pictures and short write-ups in a PhotoBucket account.
Feel free to browse. (http://s1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa382/Sonnypie/) ( ← That's a link, Son.) ;-)

[geargnasher]

Just remember to keep your alloy about 100 degrees over it's fully-molten point and keep it there, and the rest (frosty, shiny, wrinkles, poor fillout, rounded bases, etc.) is a product of mould block temperature, sprue plate temperature, and the way and rate that the mould is filled. Mould temperature is contolled by the casting pace (how many pours you make in a given time period) and sprue plate temperature is controlled by the amount of excess you pour for a sprue puddle.

Gear