Beginner needing feedback!

[wigwam155]

Hey fellas. New to casting and cast my first ingot yesterday. Waiting to receive my 401 sizing die from midway before I start on boolits. I've got the Lyman big dipper kit and Here's a pic of my first ingot. I'm casting for a glock 35 with a LWD barrel. Any advice or tips are appreciated.

[runfiverun]

don't cast your boolits like that.

everything you done to make that ingot do the opposite for boolits.
clean the mold, get it hot [get it a bit hotter] pour a good sized sprue.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Welcome to the right place !

First, read the sticky threads.
This website has a vast amount of info, when I decided to start casting, I read everything I could on this website as well as the Lyman cast bullet handbook #4. I read some everyday for about 6 months while I was gathering everything I thought I needed...then, yes 6 months later, I cast my first boolits. I've been reading and posting here, everyday...ever since.
Good Luck,
Jon

[DrCaveman]

Yeah thats a pretty unique ingot! Good thing you got a pic because after you absorb a bunch of information from this great site, they wont look like that anymore. Unless you did that on purpose...

If indeed you arent messing with us, id agree 100% with runfiverun. Thats not what you want your boolits to look like. Im no expert but see three possible causes:

1. Dirty alloy, very dirty. Flux with sappy wood and skim off the crud til the top of the melt is smooth and shiny. Or close at least

2. Low temp. You will learn this lesson when you start pouring into molds. And if youre like me you will waaaay overcompensate then learn later why that can be bad and how to fix it.

3. Oil in the ingot mold? Your ingot looks like my boolits look immediately after i have just lubed my mold and realize i applied too much lube. A little more heat and a few more pours & drops take care of it

As mentioned, lyman cast bullet handbooks and the stickies here will get you pretty far. Dont forget the search function.

Most of all, nice job on the pouring of the ingot, in the fact that you did it! Great hobby, and you start somewhere. Will get much better since you found this site, guaranteed

Great people here, welcome aboard

[detox]

By the looks of your ingut you poured into a cold mould and ladle was not big enough to fill mould quickly. I pour my inguts by lifting and tilting pot (pouring directly from pot). This produces a prettier ingut with no voids or wrinkles.

Casting boollits:

Heat melt to 700 degrees. A casting thermometer helps lots.

Preheat mould by placing on top of pot or heat with propane torch.

I flux with pea size parafin or beeswax. Skim off dross and dirt.

Dip your ladle to fill. Then place ladle against sprue plate hole and fill. Leave a little sprue puddle on top. Let sprue frost over then cut by knocking open sprue plate.Hit handle at hinge pin to open and release boollits. Let boollits fall on soft towel.

If mould is too cool. it may take a few fills before mould gets up to hot casting temperature. If preheated mould is too hot, it will take longer for your sprue to frost over.

I like RCBS moulds. Follow mould directions. Lube mould with antiseize. You may have to adjust sprue plate for easier opening (not too tight or not too loose).

Purchase the Lyman #4 Casting book.

[wigwam155]

Thanks for all the replies. @Detox you are correct I didn't heat the ingot mold and the result is about 7 pours on top of each other. I'm doing some more ingots tomorrow and will post some more pics when done.

[220swiftfn]

Yep, Runfiverun has it right......


BTW, it don't matter what the ingot looks like......



Dan

[runfiverun]

the ingots are no big deal as long as the alloy is clean.

[stubshaft]

the ingots are no big deal as long as the alloy is clean.

and dry!

[DrCaveman]

Thanks for all the replies. @Detox you are correct I didn't heat the ingot mold and the result is about 7 pours on top of each other. I'm doing some more ingots tomorrow and will post some more pics when done.

What is the alloy you are using for the ingots?

[detox]

Degrease your mould well and do not get mould lube inside boollit cavity. Use very small amount of Never Seize on alignment pins and sprue plate hinge.

[mdevlin53]

One thing about an ingot like that the wrinkles give water a place to hide out. Make sure you preheat them before you place them in the pot for boolit casting.

[wigwam155]

@ caveman. I only have WW I got from local tire shop. The alloy looks to be very clean. I used the flux that came in the kit and it smoked and caught flame. Skimmed the dross off the top and fluxed again. I had to pour several times for the one ingot cause my pot wasn't full and couldn't get the ladle full when I poured.

[DrCaveman]

When I partially fill an ingot, and it cools a little, then I add more, I kind of get that layered/Damascus sort of look.

The cooler your alloy is to begin with, the more pronounced this would be.

So that's probably all it is, need more heat. Fwiw I had trouble keeping my first hot plate hot enough, it just simply didn't have the juice or thermal capacity to maintain a molten state.

And I used that sucker to pour directly from my smelting pan into my first mold! Oh how things have improved since then.

If you can get your hands on a little tin (50/50 solder rolls are good) you can add a % or 2 to help the alloy reduce surface tension and fill out shapes better.

Let us know if more heat solves this

[EMC45]

Looks like a shar pei.

[Hounddog]

Wrinkled ingots= good to go
Wrinkled boolits= cold mould. Throw them back in and re-cast.

Welcome to the site. Get ahold of as many wheel weights as possible. Once you start casting your own boolits your lead supply will disappear quickly.

Hounddog

[Jim..47]

Degrease your mould well and do not get mould lube inside boollit cavity. Use very small amount of Never Seize on alignment pins and sprue plate hinge.

I don't know if what you are saying is the same as a problem I had, but I found that if my bullets start looking like above mold I just flux the mold real well, then I flux the pot too and skim off the ****. This has worked for me for a couple decades.

[wigwam155]

Ok guys got some more ingots done and they turned out pretty good. Invested in a thermometer today and will see if actually watching the temp and getting it right helps.[smilie=l:

[shadowcaster]

Getting the right temp is key. 700 degrees seems to be where my ingot molds like the melt to be, and about 750 degree alloy when pouring boolits. I preheat my ingot molds just like I do boolit molds. I have 4 of them and work them in rotation. Also.. flux with sawdust. Add it to the pot, Let it burn to charcoal, stir in thoroughly and scrape the sides and bottom, then scoop out all the crud and dirt/debris that floats to the top. Repeat as necessary until your alloy is clean. Sawdust is cheap and the best I have found, and many casters here will vouch for that.

Shad