Got a question on Ladle pouring

[mugsie]

I'm new to this - having cast my first time last weekend (gonna do it again tomorrow if the weather clears). I've been reading about pouring with a ladle and everything says hold the ladle, put the mold against it, then rotate the ladle up (pouring the lead out) while the spru hole is against the ladle. This works for the first pout, but what about the second cavity? I need to now lift the ladle and direct pour into it yes? Why not just pour directly into each spru hole? Wanna give ma a pointer or two? Thanks....

[Wayne Smith]

You can do it either way. The first way is usually used when casting large chunks of lead for big caliber BP rifles - the pressure of the lead in the ladle is needed to fill out the mold. Those are almost universally single cavity molds. For smaller boolits you can use it either way.

[montana_charlie]

rotate the ladle up (pouring the lead out) while the spru hole is against the ladle. This works for the first pout, but what about the second cavity?
You tilt the spout away from the mould to leave a good sprue, then remove the ladle completely.
Return it to the pot for a quick stir and refill.

By the time you are ready to pour the second cavity, the first sprue has hardened.

At least that's the way to do it when you have two large cavities..
CM

[Bent Ramrod]

It is kind of tricky. I partly rotate the mould back towards horizontal while removing the ladle, which generally leaves enough lead for a decent sprue and then as the sprue begins to set up, put the ladle spout to the second cavity and turn vertical again. It works best when I do the outer cavity first, then the inner. However, some moulds won't fill one or the other cavity out right unless I do the inner first then the outer. In that case, I have to be careful of spills as they tend to splash towards the outboard side, i.e., into the outer sprue hole.

One of the reasons having a two cavity mould doesn't really double your output over a one cavity.

[hedgehorn]

I have a lee ladle and it pours down the contour of the ladle all over the mold and everywhere but in the hole in the sprue plate. I wish I knew which ladle to buy that has the ability to pour where aimed lol

[snuffy]

Here's the one I use.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=286579&t=11082005

You see, it's a bottom pour ladle, IMHO the only kind to use for casting.

[xr650]

I use a RCBS when resting on the mold.
I use a Lyman when pouring above the mold.

The different locations of holes just works better for me.

[Saint]

I use a Lyman ladle and have found the best way is to hold the spout against the mould with the holes to the side and then slowly rotate the mould and ladle together til the holes are veritcal. I cast .454, .490, and .530 BP Roundball.

[dromia]

Lyman, RCBS, Rowel. They all work well except the Lee, It is just a waste of time.

Bin the Lee Hedghorn and get one of the others. The rowel has more capacity and pours slightly different from the Lyman and RCBS, you won't get the spout to sprue hole connection you get with the others but the weight of lead in the Rowel pour seems to compensate.

[sundog]

I have 3 pouring tools, a Ly and an RCBS dipper and a Lee ladle. I've bent a curve in the stem of the Lee ladle (the straight stem just doesn't cut it), and I'm on my third handle, that's how long it's been in use. Unless I just have too, because of poor base fill out, I use the Lee ladle just about all the time. Ever other session or so, I clean it with a bronze bristle bush and hit it with a shot of mould release. Of the 2 dippers, I like the Ly better. The RCBS hasn't been used in a very long time - I thinks it's the fin on the bottom I don't like. It also get cleaned and prepped regularly and I have a drill bit the size of the nozzle that gets run into it to keep it clean (by hand).

Hmmm, just had a thought (that's dangerous!). I might put that RCBS dipper on the grinder and trim off that fin and give'er another go.

[44man]

The idea of the connection between the mold and ladle is to hold them together long enough for the boolit to pull molten metal from the ladle and not the sprue, as the boolit shrinks while getting hard.
Here is a good question! :confused: I have left handed friends, (Horrors) they ask why there are no left hand ladles. :mrgreen:

[Bret4207]

Some of my moulds require a free hand pour from and inch or so to get good fill out. Others like contact pouring, others are pretty catholic in their tastes. You don't have to have contact is my point.

[sundog]

44Man, southpaw here. No problemos -- or maybe there are, and I don't recognize them...

I feel like I've spent my whole life adapting and overcoming.

[NVcurmudgeon]

44Man, southpaw here. No problemos -- or maybe there are, and I don't recognize them...

I feel like I've spent my whole life adapting and overcoming.

I'm left-handed too, and have learned to adapt pretty well to a right handed world. About the only thing that is awkward is when the mould blocks don't sit high enough in the handles to allow an easy whack of the sprue cutter. With some blocks I have to mount the blocks so the sprue cutter sticks straight out in front of me. I think it's because of which corner the sprue cutters are mounted on. We need LH blocks! OTOH, BruceB, of speed-casting fame is left-handed and you ought to see him go!

[black44hawk]

I'm left-handed too, and have learned to adapt pretty well to a right handed world.

I knew there was something I liked about you. ( I am "sinister" myself, that being Latin for 'left') But as for ladle pouring I've found that my Lee Aluminum moulds don't mind a free pour, but my RCBS iron moulds require direct contact for reliable mold fillout.

[longbow]

I use an open ladle and pot that was my grandfather's. It has two pouring lips - one on either side. I have used this set up for 30+ years and prefer it to others.

I have tried bottom pour pot (didn't like it) , Lyman ladle with the closed spout (really didn't like it), small Lee (I think) open spoon type ladle - too small and the one I use now which holds about 2 lbs. of lead. I fill it and pour both cavities one right after the other with no problems. I don't have any 4 or 6 cavity moulds but would just keep pouring in the same way if I did.

I touch the lip to the sprue plate and direct the stream slightly tangentially into the sprue opening so it swirls into the mould. Its easy and works for me.

Longbow

[Cracker]

I have the small Rowell bottom pour ladle and it works good, but as someone else stated contact pouting is a nogo. The spout is much larger in diameter than the machining on the sprue plate and is square, not a conical taper. It makes a awful mess but between the ladles capacity and my .357 two hole moulds it makes good boolits.


I have thought about putting some buildup (brass brazing rod) around the pour spout and then grinding to fit in the sprue plate hole, has anyone done this? any thoughts??