waynzwld
03-16-2008, 05:58 PM
I started casting again after 16 years and I feel like I never did it before.
Last time I cast I probably cast about 4000 bullets for 375 & 44 mag each. all of those turned out good and shot well. Now I have to start over because I am all out.
Anyway, I have an old SAECO bottom pour 20lb pot and an old Lee bottom pour pot that both worked well in the past, but my current attempt has me frustrated.
I have both pots hooked up to a couple of Honeywell industrial temperature controllers and both pots will maintain temperature within a 14 degree band from set point. I am using mined berm scrap and it comes out at around 13 to 16 BHN and have had no trouble with it in the past.
When I cast, I have the mold up to temp by letting it set on the rim of the pot as it warms up and let it idle for about another 30 to 45 minutes so the autotune feature on the controllers can engage.
The bullets come out of the mold with a wrinkle on one side of the nose with good fill on the bands (using Lee tumble lube mold) most of the time.
I have ran the temp from 675 degrees to 800 degrees and I still get more with wrinkles that without. The base is ok and the front of the nose is good.
Any ideas as what I am doing wrong? Maybe to slow on the pour? I tried a fast pour all the way down to a slow pour and it doesn't seem to make much difference.
I have linotype, wheel weights and pure lead to add if necessary.
Wayne
Last time I cast I probably cast about 4000 bullets for 375 & 44 mag each. all of those turned out good and shot well. Now I have to start over because I am all out.
Anyway, I have an old SAECO bottom pour 20lb pot and an old Lee bottom pour pot that both worked well in the past, but my current attempt has me frustrated.
I have both pots hooked up to a couple of Honeywell industrial temperature controllers and both pots will maintain temperature within a 14 degree band from set point. I am using mined berm scrap and it comes out at around 13 to 16 BHN and have had no trouble with it in the past.
When I cast, I have the mold up to temp by letting it set on the rim of the pot as it warms up and let it idle for about another 30 to 45 minutes so the autotune feature on the controllers can engage.
The bullets come out of the mold with a wrinkle on one side of the nose with good fill on the bands (using Lee tumble lube mold) most of the time.
I have ran the temp from 675 degrees to 800 degrees and I still get more with wrinkles that without. The base is ok and the front of the nose is good.
Any ideas as what I am doing wrong? Maybe to slow on the pour? I tried a fast pour all the way down to a slow pour and it doesn't seem to make much difference.
I have linotype, wheel weights and pure lead to add if necessary.
Wayne