I jumped in with both feet! 1st casting session

[paraord]

I wanted to say hello over in this sub, I have poked around in the wheelgun section as thats what Im casting for. But this was my 1st casting session last week!

I started with a good amount of battery intercell connectors. This is from a big battery, like 2000lbs plus. No I didnt go into the cells, just the interconnects on the top. So between a pile of those and a folgers can of range scrap I ended up with 55 ingots. That scentsy thing is just some wax that I used to flux. Wife didnt like the smell of them, so in a block went! I thought it smelled pretty darn good.

http://i823.photobucket.com/albums/zz154/paraord1911/Mobile%20Uploads/20160410_100039_zpseffbw1rj.jpg (http://s823.photobucket.com/user/paraord1911/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160410_100039_zpseffbw1rj.jpg.html)

Next stop for the lead was a Lyman 429244 mould. It was a nice day so I just kept on a-goin after a 4 hour break for farm work.

http://i823.photobucket.com/albums/zz154/paraord1911/Mobile%20Uploads/20160410_115327_zpsehbne9gn.jpg (http://s823.photobucket.com/user/paraord1911/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160410_115327_zpsehbne9gn.jpg.html)


120 boolits, all cast just about .431! It cast wonderfully. A little sticky on the cavity closer to the handles after a while but nothing too awful. Ill get to figuring out why it was sticking in a bit. Water quenched this time.


http://i823.photobucket.com/albums/zz154/paraord1911/Mobile%20Uploads/20160410_133558_zpstzxulfdc.jpg (http://s823.photobucket.com/user/paraord1911/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160410_133558_zpstzxulfdc.jpg.html)

Lubrisized to .430 and gas checked

http://i823.photobucket.com/albums/zz154/paraord1911/Mobile%20Uploads/20160415_194925_zps4o1nxzjq.jpg (http://s823.photobucket.com/user/paraord1911/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160415_194925_zps4o1nxzjq.jpg.html)


Anyways I wanted to say hello and show you guys what this forum has given me the push to get up and do finally. Feed my .44, dont mind the eggs those are for me.

http://i823.photobucket.com/albums/zz154/paraord1911/Mobile%20Uploads/20160306_112720_zpsrzgphxlx.jpg (http://s823.photobucket.com/user/paraord1911/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160306_112720_zpsrzgphxlx.jpg.html)

[OS OK]

That's an 'A no. 1' effort in anyones book, nice work. Now, if you can get your lead supply backed up real good, you're in business. Ain't it sweet to be independent of the boolit supply houses?


OS OK

[paraord]

Thanks OS OK! Yes it is indeed. Next up is a freechex once I can afford one. Hopefully this year's sweet corn does well and I can scoop one up and have one more step be in my hands.

At 28 boolits per pound you are right, I gotta lock down a decent supply pretty quick.

[Mica_Hiebert]

your alloy might be prety soft. I wouldnt push them real hard.

[paraord]

your alloy might be prety soft. I wouldnt push them real hard.

That's what I thought too but an HB pencil writes on them, so from what I found around here that's about a 15 bhn. My plan is around 1300-1400 fps. I was getting good accuracy and ease of shooting out of that load with commercially cast if the same design.

[lightman]

It looks like you are off to a good start. Welcome to the addition.

[1989toddm]

Looks great!! Good on ya for reading and learning. It is a great feeling to be free from buying boolits. Next step is to be free from the powder source! [emoji4]


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[LenH]

Welcome to the addiction, looks great for the first time out.

[Mica_Hiebert]

That's what I thought too but an HB pencil writes on them, so from what I found around here that's about a 15 bhn. My plan is around 1300-1400 fps. I was getting good accuracy and ease of shooting out of that load with commercially cast if the same design.

Thats usually the hardness I aim for. With a gas check should work great! Suprised that battery lead isn't just pure lead. Good job on your first run. Them 10-13 cent mag loads get kind of addicting!

[paraord]

Thanks Lightman, 1989Toddm and LenH



Thats usually the hardness I aim for. With a gas check should work great! Suprised that battery lead isn't just pure lead. Good job on your first run. Them 10-13 cent mag loads get kind of addicting!

I thought it was pretty pure myself before melting down. I think I had about 45 lbs of that and 10-15lbs of range and random lead that included a handful of wheel weights. Maybe it was just enough to get them harder with the water quenching. I did just a couple without water quenching and they are very soft. That BH pencil gouges them very easily. Ill have to get the rest of the pencils for estimation.

I did some more casting the other day with a 429421 I got from jroc, but with that I had 7lbs of my ingots and 1.6lbs of 63/37 bar to harden them up being they would be plain base. No idea if thats enough, too much, just right but Im sure ill find out haha.

[fecmech]

Brings back memories of my early casting days,4 cav 429421,8 lb kegs of 296 and whoo doggy lots of fun! Looks like you're off to a good start. Good luck and welcome to the board.

[paraord]

Brings back memories of my early casting days,4 cav 429421,8 lb kegs of 296 and whoo doggy lots of fun! Looks like you're off to a good start. Good luck and welcome to the board.

Thanks! Looks like you are just down the road from me. I'm Between Rochester and Buffalo, Brockport area.

[Walter Laich]

You'll be giving lessons on casting in no time. Those are mighty fine looking bullets.

[paraord]

Haha Walter, I don't know about that but I'm pretty proud of what I've done. I got home today, put another batch of 44 mag brass in the tumbler, lubed and sized a pile of 429421 with some white label BAC. It was fun yesterday getting all the super moly out with the missus' old hair
http://i823.photobucket.com/albums/zz154/paraord1911/Mobile%20Uploads/20160422_165745_zpsldsd7plu.jpg (http://s823.photobucket.com/user/paraord1911/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160422_165745_zpsldsd7plu.jpg.html)
http://i823.photobucket.com/albums/zz154/paraord1911/Mobile%20Uploads/20160422_165759_zpso5dayd2n.jpg (http://s823.photobucket.com/user/paraord1911/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160422_165759_zpso5dayd2n.jpg.html)

[g17]

Outstanding! I recently started casting myself with excellent results. I only wish I had done this 30 years ago.

[gwpercle]

Nice job , those boolits look just fine. You must have the knack , most first time caster's usually have all kinds of beginner problems...there is a definite learning curve to casting .
I'm glad to see another ladle caster , most would have you believe you can't cast boolits unless you use a bottom pour pot , but you have laid that thought to rest .
Congratulations , well done and welcome to the club .
Gary

[tward]

Your results look great, welcome aboard! Tim:bigsmyl2:

[gray wolf]

My one word response
Excellent

[blikseme300]

I love it when a plan comes together!

[crowbuster]

Welcome. Very nice job. Much better than my first session many moons ago

[NM156B]

Nice job, nice posting, and nice 44!

[Echo]

Great lookin' boolits, paraord! Welcome to the addiction! But that last batch of alloy you put together has WAY more Sn than you need. About 7.6 lbs of Pb and ~1 lb of Sn gives about 13% Sn, which is wasteful. Yeah, the boolits look great, and shoot great, but you don't need that much Sn - generally, 2-3% is sufficient, so you can probably cut the remaining alloy about 5/1 with your original alloy and still have dang good alloy. Unless you cast it all up with the -421's...

[paraord]

Thank you everyone! I love the satisfaction of doing things myself and this just adds to it!


Great lookin' boolits, paraord! Welcome to the addiction! But that last batch of alloy you put together has WAY more Sn than you need. About 7.6 lbs of Pb and ~1 lb of Sn gives about 13% Sn, which is wasteful. Yeah, the boolits look great, and shoot great, but you don't need that much Sn - generally, 2-3% is sufficient, so you can probably cut the remaining alloy about 5/1 with your original alloy and still have dang good alloy. Unless you cast it all up with the -421's...

I cast it all into either the 421 or the 244's. It was only 8.5lbs, I didn't recast my ingots or anything. I think I have a good 3 lb disc from the bottom of my pot that I can melt with some of my original lead next time I cast. I used the alloy calculator and I think it put me at 12 bhn, which is why I added it. Looks like I overdid it huh?


Hopefully they will be alright. So 2-3%. Got it. I'll adjust accordingly on the next run.

[Taterhead]

That looks great. Nice photos. That's very encouraging. Reading and learning ahead of time paid off, it seems. That is my aim too.

I'm right behind where you are. I'm nearly done gathering gear. My Pro Melt arrived this week, I have my first mold plus handles, thermometer, Hi-Tek coating, oven, etc. I also have a source of lead that will become ingots soon. Just need to decide on a propane burner for making ingots, plus build mesh racks for oven baking Hi-Tek coating. Then I'll be off. It might be 3 weeks until softball and baseball season are done.

[Jim..47]

Nice work indeed. What is a BH pencil and how do you use it ? Must be something I have not used.

[pjames32]

Nice job. Better start than most of us ever had!
PJ

[gwpercle]

Just thought of something, get a Q-Tip and Liquid Wrench Dry Lube (it's micro Teflon particles in an alcohol suspension base) and apply a thin film to your cold mould before starting. It's a good non stick release agent that doesn't contaminate the cavities and cause wrinkles. I put a film inside the cavities , to the top of the blocks , to the underside and top side of the sprue plate and around the sprue plate holes. The stuff keeps the lead from sticking to the hot mould surfaces .
Gary

[whisler]

"What is a BH pencil and how do you use it ?"
That is HB pencil and it designates a certain pencil lead hardness. Art pencils come in different hardnesses. You can determine Pb hardness by seeing which pencil hardness scratches the Pb.

[wistlepig1]

Great looking bullits. You are hooked now, more mold and stuff in your future!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[paraord]

Taterhead, my suggestion is find the cheapest dirtiest burner you can. Craigslist or a friends garage who used it once for frying a turkey. Now if we were talking making beer, sure I would suggest something a little fancier, but my take on it is that for smelting down its going to be dirty work. No need to booger up something fancy or spend excess unneeded money.

Jim47, to piggyback off of what whistler said, here is the link I found helpful on this forum regarding the pencil test. Just remember this is a ballpark, not an exact. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?75455-Testing-hardness-with-pencils

gwpercle/Gary, Thank you for the tip, I need to run up to the store for a fresh can of black and white paint for my 6"x6" gong so Ill toss one of those in the cart as well. It started to be a real bugger to get them out of that rear cavity towards the end. Could have been my alloy Sn level but I would do anything to get it to cast easier.

pjames32 and whislepig1 thanks guys, its encouraging when things pan out just right!

[Michael J. Spangler]

Awesome first session for sure.

I always love to see the new pots and moulds. So clean! It just doesn't last long.


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[runfiverun]

1-2% is more than enough.
I used to use 2%
then I tried 1%
and unlike milk 1% was fine.
so fine in fact, that I often put about half that amount in and feel just fine about myself.
yeah I'm cheap, and yes I have Tin, I just mailed off 6 ingots of it.
I just don't need a bunch of it in my casting pot.