Boolit Casting Speed Epiphany

[Foto Joe]

Recently I switched over from 2-hole Lee molds to the 6-hole versions and quickly found out that those 6-hole molds get too hot quickly if you just start ripping along. To counter that, yesterday I put a new 429-200RF six cavity back together after prepping it out of the box and then grabbed my 311041 two cavity to use along with it. While the six cav was getting it's first few pours and working out the wrinkles the Lyman was parked on top of the pot warming up. Once I got a good cast with the Lee I filled it again, set it down and poured the Lyman and just started running the two molds letting each cool while I dumped and refilled the other.

Here's where the epiphany comes in: Although the Lee stayed hot enough to drop frosted boolits it didn't over heat and start smearing sprues. The Lyman was dropping beautiful shiny boolits that I wasn't really paying too close attention to figuring that I'd just cull them out when I was done which as it turned out there were only about three that went back into the pot. Apparently I've been casting a bit too fast for quite some time, slowing down produced some really nice 30 caliber boolits and kept me from sitting there staring at an aluminum six cavity mold waiting for it to cool down.

I guess the moral to the story is: Try to learn something new every day.

[Artful]

try two 20 lbs pots - and rotating three molds - some of my best casting sessions.

[TXGunNut]

I've found as the cavities get bigger it's easier to overheat a mould; more molten lead to add heat, less mould material to dissipate it. I keep a wet rag handy to cool the mould now and then and rotating two similar moulds seems to help produce a cadence the moulds like.
I had a similar epiphany when I added a hotplate to my casting equipment lineup.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

For most of my casting , I like volume in my production.

So, I like multi cavity molds of 4 or more cavities when ever possible.

And with the exception of using my 45/70 mold - a 4 cavity 465gr - I run 2 and better 3 molds at one time.

If I am team casting with a buddy, we will be running 4 - 5 molds at a time.

When casting for the 45/70, I must cast at a much more leisurely pace then is normal to prevent the mold from over heating.

However, that is not an issue when running multiple molds.

I also run a cast iron lead pot of 40 - 45lb. capacity over an old Coleman gas stove and use a Rowell bottom pour ladle.

Other then maybe some type of commercial electric pot, none of the Lyman, Lee or RCBS would begin to keep up with my volume.

Anyway, try using 2 or 3 molds at one time and that should take care of your over heating issue.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[BruceB]

Sorry, duplicate post.

[BruceB]

Look in the "stickies" for "speedcasting", near the top of Page Two in the stickies forum.. It may give you some ideas.

It's not difficult to obtain 4-500 per hour from a 2-cavity mould, or 800-1000 per hour from a 4-cavity mould.

Using nore than one mould with this method slows the process too much.