warming sprue plate

[soldierbilly1]

surely, we can warm up the sprue plate by adding melt, or turning it bottom up on the pot.

Can we hasten this process by opening the plate and dipping it in the melt?
bad idea or good idea? any chance of warping this guy?
thanks
billy boy

[kbstenberg]

When I heat the mold in the molten lead I also dip a corner of the mold that also has the sprueplate on it. Thus heating both. I have never warped a S.P.. I'm not saying it cant be done. I never have.
In the past I have bent a Lee 6 cavity S.P. because I hurried the warming process by cutting too meany sprue's when the plate was too cold. I still have a problem with that same mold unless I pre-heat properly.

[44man]

I just play the flame from a propane torch all over it. They don't warp easy.
They come from the factory with most problems and those thin ones are a pain, some are just stamped out.
You can get the mold hotter with the torch too, just keep the flame moving all around, never hold it in one spot. :drinks:

[Rex]

I dip the sprue cutter side of the mold about 2 seconds into the melt before I start casting. I pre-warm the mold on a hot plate, turning it several times to also warm this side up while waiting for the melt to get up to temp.

[captaint]

For me, I gotta have that hotplate to get the molds pre heated properly. I usually put the sprue plate down for a minute before I start casting. I hate beating on molds to cut the sprues.. enjoy Mike

[runfiverun]

for the little boolits, i turn the mold upside down on the edge of the pot.
then pour a generous sprue puddle for the first few then cast like normal.
for the bigger ones i set them up right and cast a few real quick ones dumping the boolits and sprue into the return tray.
once things look good i just go head and cast maintaining the mold temp.

[geargnasher]

I use a mould warming oven (metal box with grill thermometer and door that sits on a hotplate), but for two-bangers and little moulds I just dip the front bottom edge of the mould in the melt until lead doesn't stick to it anymore, then tip the tip of the sprue plate about 1/2" deep in the melt for ten seconds or until the lead just slips off of it and start casting. The mould temp will even out through the blocks and everything will come up to temp in a few pours if you do that. You aren't going to hurt anything as long as you don't let lead debris get between the blocks.

Gear

[zomby woof]

Hot plate

[ShooterAZ]

For me, it depends on the mold. For a 4-6 cavity I found it is easier to use a hotplate. Just preheat the mold while you are melting your lead. For a 1-2 cavity mold I just dip the corner for maybe 30 seconds. After a couple of pours with big sprew puddle I am good to go.

[cf_coder]

Don't have a hot plate (yet), so I'm stuck with dipping in the pot till it warms up a bit. I usually have to pitch the first couple of casts into my sprue pile, but after that it's pretty smooth sailing.

[stubshaft]

Don't plan on ever getting a hot plate. Been dipping them in alloy too long to change now and don't see a real need to.

[44man]

I use the same thing Gear uses. I put the mold in at the same time I plug my pot in and I set it for 500*. When the lead is ready, so is the mold.
I get perfect boolits first cast but those times when I have to leave a few minutes can let the plate cool so the torch is the easiest. My home made molds are large blocks, hard to dip in the Lee pot. My plates are stainless from 3/16" to 1/4" thick and some project out the front, some to the side. I find them easier to make to a rectangle instead of making a leg on them.

[Moonie]

I use a hotplate and usually pour larger sprue's until the plate gets warmed up. I like the idea of turning the mold over for a minute before I start casting, I'll try that next time. Love this forum, even though I've been casting for over 20 years I can still learn something.

[Rick N Bama]

Don't plan on ever getting a hot plate. Been dipping them in alloy too long to change now and don't see a real need to.

Same here. I dip the mold into the melt for 30 seconds or so then start casting. The first few casts are scrapped with keepers coming by cast #5 or so. I have the Lee 20# turned up as high as it'll go then, I start turning the temp down when the boolits start frosting.

Rick

[blikseme300]

I use a hot plate but often the sprue plate on the Lee 6-bangers need additional heat. For this I use a MAPP torch. I do move the flame around to spread the heat. Never warped a mold set or broken the cutting handle in 1000's of casts.

Bliksem