rickomatic
05-19-2008, 01:08 AM
:castmine:
Fired up the Lee 10# pot today, and put in a bunch of WW ingots I had made up on Friday. It was my first WW score too, so this was truly my "virgin" run.
Threw in the lead, started reviewing the mold instructions (LEE 158 TL >38...don't remember the actual number), and DANG :-x I forgot to clean the new mold....Doh!!
So I run into the shop and slop some MEK on the mold and wipe it off, hoping for the best. Smoked the boolit cavities with a butane lighter, and give it a go.
Hmmmm....not too bad.....not real good either...but..hey...it's a learning curve right?
First dozen or so were kinda wrinkly, so I turned up the heat a bit. Got a little better, but still a little wrinkly. Then I chucked in maybe an oz. of pewter I had melted down the other day. Fluxed it in, and they started looking a little bit better. Finally, once I got into a rythem, and I think the mold was keeping a more consistent heat, they actually got pretty good.
All in all, I think it was a good experience. I got a pretty good percentage of useable boolits out of the maybe 300 I cast today. A good 50 went back into the pot. I finally ended up with 235 pretty decent boolits.
Thanks for all the help with my new addiction, guys. If it wasn't so dark out right now, I'd probably grab the new .44 mold, and give that one a go....LOL.
To paraphrase another well known saying.........."Hi....my name is Rick...and :castmine: . It's been 6 hours since my last casting session.............one day at a time.... :mrgreen: "
Fired up the Lee 10# pot today, and put in a bunch of WW ingots I had made up on Friday. It was my first WW score too, so this was truly my "virgin" run.
Threw in the lead, started reviewing the mold instructions (LEE 158 TL >38...don't remember the actual number), and DANG :-x I forgot to clean the new mold....Doh!!
So I run into the shop and slop some MEK on the mold and wipe it off, hoping for the best. Smoked the boolit cavities with a butane lighter, and give it a go.
Hmmmm....not too bad.....not real good either...but..hey...it's a learning curve right?
First dozen or so were kinda wrinkly, so I turned up the heat a bit. Got a little better, but still a little wrinkly. Then I chucked in maybe an oz. of pewter I had melted down the other day. Fluxed it in, and they started looking a little bit better. Finally, once I got into a rythem, and I think the mold was keeping a more consistent heat, they actually got pretty good.
All in all, I think it was a good experience. I got a pretty good percentage of useable boolits out of the maybe 300 I cast today. A good 50 went back into the pot. I finally ended up with 235 pretty decent boolits.
Thanks for all the help with my new addiction, guys. If it wasn't so dark out right now, I'd probably grab the new .44 mold, and give that one a go....LOL.
To paraphrase another well known saying.........."Hi....my name is Rick...and :castmine: . It's been 6 hours since my last casting session.............one day at a time.... :mrgreen: "