saeco 4 cavity mould

[canuck4570]

I am use to casting with one cavity mould...I have a 4 cavity Saeco mould and when casting with it in the same maner has the one cavity I get shiny bullets but the driving bands are round and the bullet itself is out of round... the mould is a 300 gr. 458 .... I cast with W.W. any trick you could give me to cast with this mould... thank you

[Scrounger]

I am use to casting with one cavity mould...I have a 4 cavity Saeco mould and when casting with it in the same maner has the one cavity I get shiny bullets but the driving bands are round and the bullet itself is out of round... the mould is a 300 gr. 458 .... I cast with W.W. any trick you could give me to cast with this mould... thank you

Your alloy and/or your mold are not hot enough.

[NVcurmudgeon]

I agree with Scrounger. Another trick is if the "shiny not filled out" cavity is always the same one, try filling the mould in opposite directions on alternate fillings.

[Buckshot]

...........Alloy and block temps are important, and alloy temp is what determines block temp. Well, alloy temp and how fast you're casting as a means of the ally dumping heat into the blocks.

http://www.fototime.com/2D536DBA57B9FA1/standard.jpg
These 3 boolits were cast of the same alloy, at the same temp. The difference was block temp. A Lee 6 cavity mould was in use.

Alloy temp close to 900*.

1) Left (shiny) boolit. Cooler blocks. Upon pouring, as soon as the sprue began to congeal it was laid on a folded damp rag (sititng in a saucer of water). The sprueplate was swung open and the slugs dumped. The blocks were closed and then set for a second on the damp rag, then refilled. On some occasions you might see a very faint indication of a slightly rounded edge. Bases all perfect. Boolit diameter .3604"

2) Middle boolit, frosty. After filling, the sprue was placed on the damp rag, swung and blocks opened, then refilled. Essencially the BruceB tornado casting method :-). Boolits all perfect with sharp featues. Diameter about .001" smaller then #1.

3) Right boolit, crystalized surface. Mould filled, and when the sprue congealed it was swung, boolits dumped and refilled. Basicly as fast as the sprue set up was the limitation. The surface of the boolit carries a very distinct cyrstaline surface. Very much like electro-galvanization appears on a piece of sheet metal.

The photo isn't as sharp as I'd have liked, but if you get close and compare 2 & 3 you can see the difference between solid matte frosted gray, and the crystalline surface.

In the process of dumping boolits in case 3, some carried the very brilliant 'new dime' sheen of only partial solidification for a few fractions of a second before landing on the towel (some would kind of stick to the towel :D). Boolit features very sharp, perfect fill. Diameter a few tenths smaller then #1, or the same size.

Boolit diameter differences may have to do with the alloy in use, more then anything else. But the fact remains that if you get a brilliant shiney surface, you're right at the point of either block or alloy temp being just this side of not hot enough.

.............Buckshot

[canuck4570]

Thank you for the helful answers....will try them and see what is best for my setup....