Boolits sticking in mold

[RoGrrr]

I haven't done casting for so many years that I disremember what happened way back in the day. So I'm starting up again, and I consider it to be from scratch this time. Call me a newbie.

I have a 10 pound Lee pot and a 4 cavity mold to cast 255 grain 45ACP boolits with (I shoot bowling pins). I'd heard somewhere about a hotplate so when I saw one at a garage sale I bought it. Works very well.
So I light up the pot and melt my lead. Most of it is either WW or boolits picked out of the berm at the state park range while they aren't shooting. What I've found is that the boolits tend to stick in the mold cavities when I open it. I use a hammer handle to hit the spur cutter (OK, I'm seeing that maybe I should cast a new lead hammer), open the mold and hit the blocks again with it to dislodge them.

Is it normal for newly cast to stick in the mold ?

Any suggestions ?

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

New mold, old seasoned one? What mold, material etc?
I have a few that I had to takes some of the cast boolits, drill a hole in the base and run a screw in it. Chuck it up in a drill you can keep the speed down and puts some toothpaste on the boolit and giver 'er a spin while applying a little pressure with the mold handles. Just enough grit in the toothpaste to polish the bores and make the gems drop out easier.

[runfiverun]

some molds have a pretty narrow window where they just fall from the mold.
the lapping mentioned above will help them fall easier.
you can open the mold without a hammer if you use a gloved hand and just push the sprue cutter open by hand sooner.

[jblee10]

I've had Lyman moulds that would hang the bullet by it's base. I don't know for sure, but I think they cut the mould with a cherry and than resurface the base. Sometimes leaving a burr. I've fixed some just by taking a hard item and "ironing" it out. I usually find that the longer I wait the better they drop. But I'm not that patient. But the more you use them the better they work. Welcome back to casting. I'll bet it is like a bicycle.

[44man]

Mostly just a burr. But a mold can be cut .001" off center and one side will stick. Half a circle if you will! One side grips the boolit.
The very hardest thing I have when I make a mold is to center everything.

[whisler]

Don't hit the mold blocks with anything. If you must hit something to remove the boolit, hit the handle bolt.

[R.M.]

I had a NOE 45 mold that started sticking suddenly. I got out the magnifier to have a look see, and there was lead chunks stuck up against the lube-groove. Couldn't pick it out with a piece of wood, so I lapped the cavities. That did the trick. Those boolits are falling out on their own now just like when it was new. I have no idea how the lead bonded to the aluminum, but it was stuck good.

[Ben]

I haven't done casting for so many years that I disremember what happened way back in the day. So I'm starting up again, and I consider it to be from scratch this time. Call me a newbie.

I have a 10 pound Lee pot and a 4 cavity mold to cast 255 grain 45ACP boolits with (I shoot bowling pins). I'd heard somewhere about a hotplate so when I saw one at a garage sale I bought it. Works very well.
So I light up the pot and melt my lead. Most of it is either WW or boolits picked out of the berm at the state park range while they aren't shooting. What I've found is that the boolits tend to stick in the mold cavities when I open it. I use a hammer handle to hit the spur cutter (OK, I'm seeing that maybe I should cast a new lead hammer), open the mold and hit the blocks again with it to dislodge them.

Is it normal for newly cast to stick in the mold ?

Any suggestions ?

Yes.......Try this :

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=47669

[RoGrrr]

Gentlemen
Thanks for all your responses.
Let me address each of you in the order you replied:

Jim - I have a Lyman 4-cavity 4542424 (if I recall correctly, I think this is something akin to the old Keith design.) Steel blocks which came from Ebay for somewhere close to $100. It's like new and included handles. No dings or misalignment. The boolits come out with no mating line. All in all, it's what I expect from a Lyman. I think the fella said it was relatively old with little use. The grease grooves are square and clean. I bought it specifically to shoot bowling pins with and load a fairly stout load of Universal Clays.
I'll try your suggestion of lapping the blocks.

runfiverun
When I pour the melt, I hit the sprue block with a wood hammer handle and then firmly rap the blocks with it to dislodge them. I found that if I loosen the blocks on the steel holders, the bullets tend to come out easier, due to the increase in vibration.
You say narrow window. I assume you mean temperature window. I set the pot in the area of 7 (scale of 10) but I didn't check it with my IR Thermometer. At least not yet. I plan to do that and use a consistent setting.
For the first session I let the pot and bullets warm the mold blocks. I had maybe 20 junk slugs before temp was reached.
Second session, I warmed the mold on my hot plate and had no wrinkled slugs. I set the plate on its lowest setting while the lead was melting.

jblee
I'll closely inspect the edges of the mold for any burs but being steel, I won't be able to do any ironing. I'll have to use either a stone or scraper.

44man
I understand the centering you talk about. I wouldn't expect that from Lyman.

whisler
Seems to me when I was casting 38 boolits way back when, I'd open the blocks and they would fall out without any striking (Again, Lyman blocks).

Ben
I plan to make up a polishing slug in addition to charting the melt temp and ease which the boolits exit the cavities.

Again, Thanks for all your time and advice. I'm having as much fun casting as pulling the trigger. Well, not really but it sure is NOT boring making my own boolits.
I'll keep you all posted on my progress.

BTW, in my 2 casting sessions of a couple hours each, I've cast about 500 boolits with no investment in the lead or the furnace. With that, I feel I have already paid off that $100 investment in the mold. And as long as I have access to the backstop/berm at the state park, I'll be "making money" when I cast !
I think I'll dig out the old 38 mold and shoot my Det Spl some, just for fun.

[soldierbilly1]

the veterans on this board know considerably more than I do, I am like an intermediate now! OK, enuff shameless self congratulation!
If you are running at 7, your melt may be too hot. If you have the blocks on a hot plate, perhaps, I say perhaps, the block is too hot, this can cause sticking as well.
I would try turning the heat down ... on both! good luck
billy boy

[Wally]

Make a "plug" of steel 0000 steel wool that fits a bit tightly in the bullet cavity---twist the end so it fits into a drill chuck--insert in the bullet mold cavity and spin in the drill... that should solve your problem...I has always worked for me.

[GT27]

Turn the heat on the melt down, and get the mold blocks hotter! I went through a learning curve with both,learned the pot and block temp,and now my bullets look like their nickel plated,temperature of both is crucial!!

[RoGrrr]

I'm finding that some of my boolits have cavities in them at the sprue. When I pull the mold away from the spout, I can see the lead contract, forming a cavity which sometimes goes about 1/4 way into the base.
I'm attaching some pics.

Any idea why this is happening ?

[DLCTEX]

It's caused by the spout being in contact with the mould while the boolit cools. From the finning you have on the bases I'd guess you don't need to pressure cast. Leave a gap (try different amounts) between the spout and the mould while pouring and allow a small amount to puddle on the sprue plate to be drawn into the mould when the alloy shrinks. If you don't get good base fillout, increase the size of the puddle.

[gefiltephish]

With the flashing on the base like that, I'm wondering if the sprue plate is a bit too loose or warped. As TEX said, you need to allow a puddle to form on top of the sprue plate above each cavity.

I pressure cast all the time. As I pull the mold away from the spout, I keep the flow going to allow plenty of puddle.