The Joys of learning new to me molds, or not...

[Mk42gunner]

Well today was the first time in a long, long time that I have felt like casting; so I thought I would try out a couple of new to me molds.

First up was an old single cavity Lee .358 82 grain wadcutter. This came to me in the box, and looks like it may have casted two or three boolits; just a slight smear of lead on top of the sprue plate, the rest of the mold looks new.

The first two boolits stuck as I was getting it up to temp, then they just fell out. .359-.360", sharp bands and bases. I only cast a few as I was waiting for the other mold to heat up. It worked well with either the RCBS dipper or bottom filling from the Promelt. I did not weigh any, maybe tomorrow.

Next was the one I really wanted to work, a 32-98-SWC by RCBS. It came to me looking almost new, and seems to be in good shape. Alas, I believe it has venting issues. I got a few (very few) decent looking boolits from it by pressure pouring using the aforementioned dipper, the Promelt produced half to two thirds of a blob.

The sprue plate doesn't act like it is too tight, but maybe it is. I didn't have my allen wrenches handy to loosen the lock screw.

After messing with it for about a half hour, and having about a cup and a half of rejects; my hips were saying to give it a rest and maybe try tomorrow.

To prove to myself that it wasn't me, I grabbed the Lyman 257420 and a Rapine 43 Spanish mold from the shelf. No problems with either of them so I will work with the RCBS mold some more.

Robert

[Walter Laich]

You being a seasoned caster (pun intended) I know you let the mold heat up enough before starting.

I have 3-4 .32 caliber molds and find the sprue plate needs to be very warm as the holes in it are on the small side. When the lead goes through it can harden on the plate and not make it into the cavity. I've found a quick and dirty way to check it hit the plate with a torch for a few seconds and try again. Lead flows wonderfully through then.

I had to open a few holes a time or two to help the casting process

[runfiverun]

you might just have to break the top edges of the mold with a sharpening stone.
nothing radical just a pass or two at a 45* angle.
the sprue plate heat idea is a good one too, my 5 cavity 9mm mold has to have good heat in the sprue plate for it to make good boolits.
it will pour out super shiny [cold mold] boolits if I have heat in the sprue plate.

[Mk42gunner]

Both good ideas. The mold should have been hot enough, but maybe not. I did pour four or five ladles full of lead over the sprue plate to get it hot enough that the lead would flow off of it.

I will try it a few more times before I take the irreversible step of breaking the edges with a stone.

I will get it working, I think it will do good things in both the .32 S&W Long I Frame and .32 H&R Ruger SSM's.

Robert