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NZ44
06-03-2013, 04:44 AM
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh199/mickydoo600/IMG_3752_zpsbb63cbef.jpg (http://s256.photobucket.com/user/mickydoo600/media/IMG_3752_zpsbb63cbef.jpg.html)
Allrighty,my first attempt at casting on a cold rainy winters day.My methods are a little caveman,wheel weights melted into the soup ladle I stole from the kitchen(missus doesnt know yet)on the propane cooktop.Some arent perfect with little wrinkles as in left slug.
The right hand one is sized,checked and lubed with liquid alox-is it lubed too much? and do the imperfections in the lead effect it? I will only be shooting to about 70yds.
thanks,mike.

JeffinNZ
06-03-2013, 05:12 AM
Your mould looks to have been a bit cold Mike. That or the alloy or both. Get some extra heat into both and the boolits will look like they came off a lathe. Right one looks much better.

NZ44
06-03-2013, 05:21 AM
Cheers Jeff,I did preheat,but unsure of actual temp.Will bring home a laser temperature gun from work and see how hot it is.I think 700c is about right isnt it?

mdevlin53
06-03-2013, 05:59 AM
Change the C to an F and you could be in the right place. 700c is about 1300F a bit ion the hot side. i like a warm mold and a cool pot for my casting. I do not have a thermometer but once the pot has melted and fuxed i turn it down to 5 (lee 10 pound bottom pour) follow all the standard instructions Clean the mold well with dawn and hot water. Run some rubbing alchol thru it to insure all the oil is out. Heat the mold on a hotplate or set it on the top of the pot while the lead is melting. in my limited experiance the mold temperature is critical to getting sharp well filled out projectiles.
Keep at it it comes together with practice

ku4hx
06-03-2013, 06:31 AM
I think you can get by with less lubricant that what you've got on the boolit on the far right. If you're smearing it on by hand, you might not need it on the nose and if you're tumbling them you can probably use a thinned lube and a much lighter coating.

For those I do tumble lube, I thin with mineral spirits (50/50 seems right) and aim for a light tan coating with no clumps and glops. A little accumulation in the lube grooves never seem to hurt. My final step is to dust the dried boolits with Motor Mica. Takes away the tackiness and leaves a right purty pewter-looking boolit.

JSH
06-03-2013, 06:56 AM
If any of my boolits don't look exactly like the inside of the mold they are a cull. No matter what the range.
The very first time I ever cast a boolit a friend of mine was here. He said he had done a lot of casting years ago. He tried to explain to me what he thought he knew. Said you can't get lead to come out of the mold perfect like the inside of the mold. Long story short he was wrong. His casting experiance btw was fishing weights with who knows what.
I have enough variables in my shooting with out trying to get a buggered boolit to make me happy.
How are you seating and crimping your checks?
Jeff

44man
06-03-2013, 08:34 AM
It is a hard way to go with a soup ladle. Get some kind of cast iron pot if you use a stove and a Lyman or RCBS ladle. Get the mold hot to start, I heat mine to 500* F in a little oven on a hot plate. Dipping the end of the mold in the lead will help.
The mold has to be hot enough for lead to flow and fill before the lead starts to harden. You can heat the mold with a propane torch by playing the flame all over, don't hold it in one spot.

bruce drake
06-03-2013, 10:06 AM
NZ44,

I'm not sure how far away from Christchurch is from Westland but you should try to link with JeffinNZ offline for some first-hand training. Looks like a Padawan moment is coming. You have found the right forum. We have casters from the US, Aus and NZ and several other countries on this group. We ALL are willing to help you out with advice and to lead you down the galena sparkled path to perfect boolits.

Brue

mroliver77
06-03-2013, 12:05 PM
Like .44 man says a better ladle is in order. Some use modified spoons but I like the Lyman style that pours from the bottom. (Well kinda) I started with a steel sauce pan and a Lyman Ladle that a friend gave me. For short runs with custom alloy I use a cut off heavy steel juice can. I have been spanked for this many times by people saying it is not safe. I roll the cut edge and have never had any problem with them.
Thin that lube with mineral spirits(paint thinner) a very lite coating is all that is needed.
A hotplate or stand alone burner works good and keeps wife happy.
There are many posts about taking the wifes cooking gear and it is a no no! ;)

Let us know how it works out for you. We love pictures here.
J

captaint
06-03-2013, 02:09 PM
Mike - As others have mentioned, you need to thin out that Alox, or whatever you have on the right hand boolit. Your first boolits look just like mine looked. You need more heat in the mold and DO clean it real good with dish soap and a toothbrush, real good - twice. Rinse with really hot water and get er all dried up.
DO NOT give that soup ladle back to the little woman. Hide it, whatever. Don't use it again for any food.
Just consider it part of your stuff. So, go have at it again, try around 700f for the pot and get back to us.
Mike

lead chucker
06-03-2013, 05:25 PM
You use a soup ladle. Now that's a guy who has the want to do something. Take what you got and make it work. Get you a turkey cooker and a cast-iron pan and your in real business, and maybe some sawdust for fluxing.

NZ44
06-03-2013, 05:55 PM
NZ44,

I'm not sure how far away from Christchurch is from Westland but you should try to link with JeffinNZ offline for some first-hand training. Looks like a Padawan moment is coming. You have found the right forum. We have casters from the US, Aus and NZ and several other countries on this group. We ALL are willing to help you out with advice and to lead you down the galena sparkled path to perfect boolits.

Brue
Cheers Bruce,yeah Im only 3 hrs from him,so maybe a good Idea
Thanks for all the advice guys,I will thin that alox and get some descent casting gear,get the temp sorted and wash the mould before each session,do I need to smoke it?
JSH-Im using a lee sizing die,sizing and fitting gas check at same time.

Mike Hughes
06-03-2013, 07:40 PM
no need to clean it after each use, and don't smoke it. A good clean mold will cast the best boolits. Try ranch dipping the boolits into the lee alox (fellow member Ranchdog's technique). Pick up each boolit by the nose with a pair of pliers and dip the lube grooves into the lube, then set each boolit on its base to dry. You will have much less build up in your dies and your gun will stay cleaner.

runfiverun
06-04-2013, 12:47 AM
we have a few other members from NZ, 303 guy and Von Gruff are from there also.
I know we have more, I just can't remember them right now.
either of them can show you beyond the basics.