why are my boolits cloudy and not shiney

[usmcscout]

ok so today I finally got chance to try my hand at casting. keep in mind its only my 4th 3 hr session. my question is the pics I often see of cast boolits seem to me to have high luster. I am also a wet tumbler so I am addicted to the bling.

here are stats\\

NOE aluminum 4 cav mold on lee handles
.358 135 gr rf

LEE 6cav
.358 150 gr 1r rn

LEE 6 CAV
.358 125 gr rf

RCBS 2 CAV
.356 120 gr 120 tc

my alloy is strait wheel weights fluxed with magnaflux

mold is preheated on top of my lee 20 pd bottom pour oven

oven temp is maintained 700-750

first dozen cast are wrinked after that they come out good I do not go over 800 and once mold is preheated I cast fast as I can and do not stop to inspect other than glance when they drop out

so here are my rookie boolits. let me say its addicting and verry relaxing after day at range

go easy I am new to casting and still have to sort out the duds out of todays session

http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o492/usmcrecon1/IMAG1339.jpg


http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o492/usmcrecon1/IMAG1341.jpg

http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o492/usmcrecon1/IMAG1342.jpg

thanks in advance any input is greatly appriciated!

[Stephen Cohen]

Some of those show poor fill out, I would guess mould or lead too cold. I like to run things a little hotter myself and the frosty boolits shoot just fine. they are a fine looking boolet though.

[375RUGER]

the cloudy is antimony from the wheel weights. look up "frosting" here for more info. I don't mind a little bit. It means I'm running my mould at about the right temperature. Light frosting will easily rub off. If you get to heavy frosting you are too hot and your boolits/bands may not fill out well, i.e. rounded edges. From the looks of things you are off to a good start and you have well filled out boolits. Keep it up and Welcome.

[usmcscout]

thanks guys appriciate advice I hhavnt sorted out bad ones I just glanced at them moastly tried get good rhythm down once mold heated up maybe dozen casts then it went better but some I stopped the fill early or had oven spout screw up. I don't know why but I likr the bling in my brass and boolits

[P.K.]

Some of those show poor fill out, I would guess mould or lead too cold. I like to run things a little hotter myself and the frosty boolits shoot just fine. they are a fine looking boolet though.

I see a few wrinkles in there myself. For the most part some good lookin' boolits. Cull the oddballs and a little frost or some whorls are no big deal as long as the boolit is uniform with nice crisp edges you are good to go!

[Wayne Smith]

If you really want the bling all you have to do is give them a wipe after loading. The antimony haze wipes right off. Doesn't matter if the part of the boolit in the case is a little hazy!

[jdgabbard]

Looks like a mountain of good boolits to me. Them ugly ones shoot just as good as the pretty ones. This ain't like picking up girls at the prom.

[Aunegl]

The OCD side of me wants to cull some of those boolits.

[runfiverun]

I seen a few I reached for myself.

that grey zone is what you want.
they shine up really well if you size them.

[khmer6]

I've noticed that too. The ones I water quenched are really hazy and gray dull. The air cooled ones looks amazing. But after sizing and seating and wiping both of them down (alox lube) they both look about the same to me and shiny

[rexherring]

As stated above, look just like mine.
The only way I get real shine is with pure lead or a little tin added. (or pocket polish them;))

[dragon813gt]

All those different bullets in one bin is driving me nuts. All I keep thinking of is having to sort them.

[usmcscout]

hope everyone is having good easter sunday! thanks for all replies and encouragment! boy my first casting sesion was frustrating partly because I didn't fully understand the importance of mold temp and need to get good rythum and not to stop inspect every boolit. I still need to sort out ones that didn't get good fill from ones that are good to go. I just kinda get caught up on bling and attention to detail much like my handloading that I do.

I sure got iritated how fast my molds got looking nasty I have been cleaning with toothbrush and alchohol before and after each session is that ocd or?

has anyone tried running them through cob? I assume ss media would be too rouph on them not that the bling is deal breaker as long as they look good to go to all you guys Im happy with that. I started getting the frosted color on some when my pot got low and temp spiked are those ok shoot or should I toss them back in pot

some guys say mix soft led with strait ww 50/50 then water quench to conserve my ww I have several hundred pds sheet lead but seems like that would make them too soft what do you guys think? its mostly for my 9mm pistols and soon when I get my 22cal 65 gr nato mold I will play around for my ar15

then theirs my remington 700 tactical .308 but not sure if shooting lead out of that is way to go

as far as lee molds I guess their worth the 19.00 I paid not a penny more functional but nothing more someday Ill have upgrade but as cheap as they are its easy to have a couple set up in case ya want to switch molds mid session

[usmcscout]

The OCD side of me wants to cull some of those boolits.

ya I know I still have sort them I just droped them on towel

[usmcscout]

All those different bullets in one bin is driving me nuts. All I keep thinking of is having to sort them.

stupid rookie mistake I switched molds here and there and droped them in same pile and wam ban now gotta spend time sorting [smilie=b:

[khmer6]

I just drop them all in the same bucket. I have to sort them and cull them anyways

[supv26]

Get the mold good and hot and you'll see some shiny boolits.

[geargnasher]

Not bad, you already understand the basics. Mould temperature is what gets you sharp edges, good fillout, and light frost with the alloy you're using. Keep the temp under 750 for sure if you want to see the beneficial effects of any trace tin that might happen to be in your alloy. Once you get the moulds hot by casting fast and steady, the wrinkles will go away. Once I get my moulds past the first session when new, I never have to mess with cleaning them again unless they're iron and I oil them for storage to prevent rust.

I'd cull the ones with bad wrinkles on the driving bands and the ones with rounded base edges, and shoot the rest. You'll get better at the preheat and rhythm thing with a little practice and learn that once you get in the "zone", which is a little different for everyone, each alloy, and each mould, you won't want to break your rhythm for anything until the pot's empty. Steady casting pace at the right mould and alloy temperature for the conditions is the trick for getting good fillout. Well, that and pouring technique. There are a lot of nuances difficult to describe that will affect casting quality, and the best way to learn them is just stick with it. Remember that mould temperature is key to fillout and amount of "frost", and pot temperature setting is more dependent on alloy composition and ambient temperature.

100 degrees hotter than the fully liquid point of the alloy is usually plenty, although on a cold day or with big, aluminum moulds with small cavities, you might need to run it hotter.

Gear

[btroj]

As a beginner I would say it is time to size em, lube em, and shoot em.

You seem to have a grasp on the basics. Shoot and cast more and things will come to you. Pay attention to what works and what doesn't. Observation is a good friend.

[bamacisa]

The bullets in the photo look good (for the most part) If it were me, I would inspect them as I sized and lubed them...cull any rejects and shoot the rest. ( melt and make new bullets out of your rejects) You can get pretty bullets by adding more tin....but that costs a lot more. Remember that a bullet is a piece of metal that is made to throw away. If it looks ok and shoots good, don't worry about it. It doesn't have to be beautiful....you will never see it again after you shoot it. Wheel weights work fine for 38, 9mm, 45 and most handgun bullets. Dropping them from the mold into water makes them harder. Be careful not to get any water in your melted lead. Good luck!

[Cherokee]

Looks like a good casting session, especially for a beginner. You'll cull them like you said as you sort them. As for shine, more tin tends to leave a shine but tin is expensive nowdays. Don't worry about shine, dull boolits shoot just fine.

[usmcscout]

thanks I am going to just load and shoot thanks for all the prospectives and tips I learned allot for everyone input

I just need to find a .357 size die and few top punches like .429, 311, 402 and I'LL be ready to go I use lyman4500 with internal heater

thanks guys I really am thankful for your time

[remy3424]

As Rex said pure lead will give you "shiney" boolits, but you might not like the end result. Remember, they aren't for lookin at....a quick twist into a paper towel or cloth will shine those of yours up nicely, if desired.

[snuffy]

I don't consider these to be "cloudy" or frosted. They're 'just right".

66095

These are the shiniest boolits I ever made. Everything had to be just right to do it.

66096

66097

66098

The alloy used was quite hard, 17-3 linotype to pure lead. The high percentage of tin to antimony and the exact right temp produced these. They shot quite nice as well.

The quality of the mold, as pertaining to it's finish in the cavities has a lot to do with the final appearance and finish on the boolit surface. This MP mold is one example. Cast with my range lead alloy, there's a LUSTER for want of a better word.

66099

66100

[usmcscout]

well damn snuffy thats what I am looking for!

I know their for shooting so appearance is not as important as fill ect especially as a rookie caster but what hell those do look good

[usmcscout]

this site is a wealth of knowledge and experience thanks to everyone for their insight

[gray wolf]

********
17-3 lino type to pure lead. *********
SNUFFY Thems some real purdy boolets.