Best laddling technique.

[mto7464]

Trying to laddle, what is the best technique?

[BABore]

Depends on the mold and bullet size. Every mold will act a little different. I use a RCBS ladle for pressure pouring (ladle tip tight against SP hole, mold tipped 90 degrees, then rotated up) and a Rowell #1 ladle for those molds that need a trickle or aren't fussy. I drilled out the RCBS ladle hole to 0.160", I believe, for a faster flow rate. Little, short, pistol boolits are usually not too bad and can be poured with any style. Longer boolits or large diameter ones may need pressure and high flow rate. Something you just got to play with.

If your pressure pouring, and get finning, then lift the ladle away after you tip the mold block upright. You have to get the timing down. Same thing goes if you get some rounded bases. Hold it tight longer. With multi-cavity molds it helps to tip the blocks away from you and fill them towards the handles so you don't slop into the next cavity. If you attempt trickling the lead in watch for good fillout on the bands. You may also get some light frosty spots where it didn't fill out well. A sure sign you need more pressure. Pour height will increase pressure when trickling. Increase height will also leave some discoloration (ugly spots) on your boolits as opposed to a pressure pour. You can fine tune the trickle pour by how the alloy enters the mold. Straight through the SP hole without touching the sides, or let it flow to one side. In all cases leave a good, big sprue of alloy. A little nubbin in the SP hole will usually guarantee a bad base or air pockets. A ladle just won't duplicate a bottom pour with all that alloy weight driving it.

Try all the different techniques and learn to read there effects. It will make you a better caster all around.

[HORNET]

I agree with BABore, even if I usually use a little different technique. You've usually got to play with a new mold for a while to find out how it wants to be run. It'll tell you if you're paying attention to the boolits you're making. If you've got more than a couple of molds, it's a good idea to make a notebook to record what works so you don't have to repeat the process every time.

[GLL]

BABore's response agrees with my observations as well. I also recommend a bored-out RCBS ladle for increased flow.

Jerry

[44man]

I have 50+ molds of every size and there is not a single one that needs a different style of casting then putting the ladle tight against the sprue plate and tipping up. The only secret to ladle casting is to hold the ladle tight to the mold until the boolit gets all the lead it needs. Larger boolits need more time to draw lead from the ladle.
NEVER depend on the sprue to feed a boolit.
Since molten lead is a liquid and a liquid can't be compressed, I think the pressure thing is a myth. Doesn't matter if the ladle is full or half full as long as there is enough lead to let the boolit pull what it needs as it sets up and shrinks. A 10 foot column of lead will not add more lead to the boolit.
Those that trickle lead into the mold lose the advantage of molten lead feed and get light boolits of all weights. Common sense if the sprue hardens before the boolit draws enough lead.
I hate to read the pressure thing! [smilie=1: Smack the molten sprue with a punch and sledge and there will not be any more lead in the boolit. That will only drive lead out of the air vents.

[hyoder]

I'm with 44man. When I'm dipping I try not to dipe the dipper spout - keep it clean. I first make a sweep across the top of the pot with the dipper, toward the spout. with the spout tipped upward, then make the actual dip going back through the clean area left by the first sweep. Then I tip the dipped slightly toward the spout just enough to clean spout and then place the spout against the sprue plat with the spout still dripping to help insure a clean pour.

[floodgate]

44man:

Actually, according to the "Handbook of Chemistry and Physice" - my "last word" reference - lead IS quite compressible, at least in solid form; but I agree that at the levels we are using in either bottom-pour or dipper casting, the effect is just about nil. I use the same dipper technique as you and hyoder recommend, and it works fine for me with tin/lead alloys up to 1:16, even in the older un-vented Ideal moulds.

floodgate