(Ugly) Things I've learned about casting, a newbie.

[sawinredneck]

Many here know this and will bash, but being what it is, a lot of us are on budgets and have to justify every expense to our better halves, not always easy. So some perspective from a "budget minded beginner" if you will.
The Lee pro 4-20 pot, doesn't matter what you do, it's going to drip! I'm VERY mechanichly inclined, yeah, it's gonna drip, just deal with it!
Lee bullet molds, hmmmm. I always wondered why someone would pay triple the price for a bullet mold, I know now why!
Will they make a great bullet? Absolutely! And they will do it consistently, BUT, you will pull your hair out doing it! Getting the temp right, holding your tongue right to get the pins to line up, getting the nubs to fall off the sprue plate, I can go on. But I can seriously see the justification for a better mold now!
Powder coating, wow can I tell you how this goes wrong! DO NOT cook your bullets at 350deg for 30min! They melt!
Harbor Frieght powdercoat sucks! At least two coats.
Don't use the green air soft beads, they don't create enough static, regardless of the powder you use.
I'm sure most of this is covered, but probably not all in one lump sum! I don't regret my Lee mold purchases, I have three now, and I can make decent rounds out of all of them as long as I pay attention. The Pro 4-20, meh, I'm still on the fence.
Then trying to make rounds that cycle in my AR-10, well, when you call the Sierra help line and they laugh at you, what can go wrong?
Its been a journey, but don't give up!

[mozeppa]

uhhh.... no ....don't know what you are cooking them in....but ...they will not melt at 350 deg.

whatever oven you are using is going way over 350 if they are melting.

take out the rod from your pot put the top end of rod in a drill and use lapping compound on the other end and the hole. now spin it in the hole. clean it and you are ready to use.

and since steel will float like a cork in melted lead add a pound of weight to the top end of the rod. this helps stop the drip.

mine still dripped but only about one drop per 2 minutes.

[tsubaki]

Inanimate objects will tell me what I am doing wrong.


as long as I pay attention.

[Finster101]

I am using the same equipment as you and do not have these issues. I'm not flaming you but you might want to work on technique a bit.

[dilly]

Lee molds can be a bit squirrelly. It happens sometimes but not always.

Ideally, over time you will flesh out your hobby with equipment you like a little better. Maybe someday you will get a raise or will just keep adding the good stuff over time. I have an RCBS pro melt and even though they are quite a bit of money they are an excellent machine. I like to stay subscribed to NOE's specials. Until then there is a lot to learn and it sounds like you are on the right track.

As far as powder coating, I know that the lessons you learned are common knowledge on the PC board. The devil is in the details but they are all posted pretty much. Of course the thermostats on those ovens are wildly off. I've melted bullets too, and it's pretty discouraging. Perhaps you could do a bit more reading over there and it might pay off in time saved.

Still, it's kind of fun isn't it?

[BNE]

I had almost the same problems, but most of mine boiled down to my lack of experience.

Don't give up. Use the search function here and then post questions. Good people will soon help you out.

PS If you're melting Boolits at "350 F," then your oven is not reading correctly.

Also, try putting a desicant pack in with the green asbbs when not in use. Helped me.

[Half Dog]

I enjoyed your post.

[GhostHawk]

#1 good post. Don't get discouraged.

#2 I had similar experiences with a lee bottom pour pot back in the early 80's. I gave that one away. Still don't own one and probably never will.



For near 35 years my casting was done with a cast iron fry pan on a heat source. Kitchen stove, campfire, I've tried em all. But I got pretty good at running the lyman ladle.

And then one day 2 years ago my wife brought home a little Lee dipper pot that appears to have been full of nearly pure tin. Now I have a nice casting setup in the basement and can cast whenever I like without the cleanup the kitchen woe's.

On Lee Molds, Don't consider them a completed finished product. They are a "Kit" that with some additional work from you, and you learning their in's and outs will make cast boolits.

You can easily destroy them if you are not careful. But if you learn to recognise what it is they need they can be coaxed into producing good boolits. Heck some of them just WANT to cast.

Some are fussy.

Some need to be run hot, some cold, with many variations in the middle.

A little bit of tin helps a whole lot when talking about molds. Better quality bullets, life is just easier. But it does not take a lot. Wheel weights and or with range scrap with 1 to 1.5% tin is what I mostly run.

There are things you can do to make the boolits fly out of those Lee Molds.
Liquid Wrench Dry Lubricant is the one that works best for me.

A little twist of steel wool down the hole for the sprue screw will lock it in place.

Preheat the mold, either a hot plate, or dip it in the pot, ladle lead over it. Get it HOT.
Then cast, top and bottom, don't forget the sprue plate.

Lee 6 cavity molds appear to be a law unto themselves.
These cost more, but appear to have many fewer problems.
They still have their idiosyncrasy's, but fewer mechanical issues. But again, you do need to learn how to run them.

I am slowly changing over from all 2 cavity molds to all 6 cavity.

Boolits "rain" out of them.

[OS OK]

If you hang one of these things in the oven, 'you know they suggest using a convection oven', but if you put one of these in there it will show you for sure and certain that your temperature dial on your unit is incorrect. When it's figured out a paint pencil can remark the dial so you will know in the future when you bump it like I do...
186138Then after you have done whatever your going to do about the valve leaking...usually it takes a good pot cleaning and a renewed effort in using clean lead and fluxing with say parafin...as sawdust will eventually find it's way to the valve after a few pots of lead have been cycled through...but in the end, if you hang a big old square nut...say 3/4" on the handle behind the knob, it will go miles toward keeping that pot valve shut off. You will still have to reach up with a stubby screwdriver to twist to clear and adjust the valve for flow but your pot will stop making those little sculptures underneath...(See the attached photo)


Then when I'm ready to fire the pot up, I'll put the selected mold on the hot plate and turn my 1.2 KW hot plate temp knob up to exactly 1/2 way. I know previously from using a digital temp. probe on a successful mold run with this particular mold how hot it needs be to run flawlessly...


186140
Another little tip is to try to organize your work together in a single spot, don't need to much room as here...I pull those trays out under the pots and I have a tray for new boolits and one for sprue cuts, I'm a leftie so I keep the hot plate to my left and that little bucket with the yellow thing sticking out in the top left of the picture is where I put the dross off the pots when I skim...you know that there is tin coming out through oxidation so I save it and re-run the skim as I make up new batches of ingots...
(See the attached photo) But you still have to learn to hold your mouth right!

[Cherokee]

I want to hear more about Sierra laughing.

[GLynn41]

Sawinredneck-- hang in there -it gets better--as mentioned before -- I use a dipper too because of the drip-I have a 20# dipping pot----Lees molds will work -- --try not to slam them back together as this causes a wear pattern and keep the handles tight so one mold block doesn't drop down and then is forced up as they close-- and lube them--instead of the oven try water dropping them..-- I am with Cherokee tell us some more about sierra laughing :) you really sound like you have things going ok--

[TexasGrunt]

The green bbs work just fine for me.

[lightman]

Enjoyed your post! It brings back memories! Most casters or reloaders started off with small budgets. The drip you describe is common with Lee pots and the techniques discussed above will help. Same thing with their molds. Each cast differently and will have a learning curve. The whole casting game is really a learning curve! Hang in there!

[dverna]

It always frustrates me when people recommend a Lee mold to a beginner. It will be a **** shoot and beginners have enough to deal with. Same with the drip-o-matic.

A good mold mold has a better chance of working well, and a standard pot with a ladle is easy to use. If money is tight, you can melt in a pot over a camp stove.

Read the thread on Ben's Liquid Lube (BLL). It is a good way to lube, cheap, and idiot proof.

Start with a good alloy. 2% tin helps a lot.

I was poor when I started but had a good mentor who told me to buy good equipment....you will never regret it. But there was no Lee stuff 50 years ago. Started with an H&G mold for .38's, Lyman mold for the .308, Lyman furnace, and Star lubrisizer.

Don Verna

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

sawinredneck,
A good and entertaining post. I think many of us have experienced many or all of what you have lamented. I know I have.

Yeah, the Lee pot is prone to dripping, Keeping it clean (by using only clean alloy) solves most of that issue. Weight on the lift handle helps a lot as well. I always suggest to lap the valve mating areas with abrasive and a battery drill, but in all honesty I'm not sure much lapping is happening, but on a new pot, it should remove any leftover burrs...and on a pot that has been used and is having issues, it should 'clean' the crud out of that area.

[mold maker]

To disparage the LEE pots and molds, and then recommend a lube for which the ingredients are no longer available, made me giggle.
I started casting in the early 60s and there wasn't even a reloader near by to ask for advice. In the interim, I have had or used about everything available as far as equipment. I have made all the mistakes for myself and still learn daily. There are presses and tools of every color and description in my inventory.
Every piece of equipment has proved to be able to produce quality ammo. Some are more or less user-friendly, but without exception if properly used, they work. It's up to us to learn and accept the limitations.
Yes, LEE tools are of slightly lesser quality, but good enough. You don't ever get a Cadillac at the price of a YUGO, but both get you to your destination.
Best advice I can give a new caster is, seek out an experienced caster and ask questions, before spending your money. Take advantage of the mistakes he's already made. Let him show (not just tell) you the ins and outs. Buy the best you can reasonably afford, and learn to treat it with respect. It doesn't matter what color or label, it's your attitude and willingness to learn that makes for success.

[mdi]

I'm very mechanically inclined too. My Lee pot, that I bought 18 years ago has not leaked for many years. (I just looked at why a needle valve would leak, and corrected it. Although the valve didn't leak a lot). Every mold I own seems to have it's own personality, my Lee, Lyman and Lochmiller molds, and I just have to remember what mold likes what. Like you said, just pay attention and I'll add; research.

I read a lot about powder coating and didn't have too much trouble getting good, clean bullets (HF red is the good one, the rest aren't very good, never bothered with air soft BBs, adapted my HF tumbler to tumble bullets in a square plastic container, and a few other things.). My Garand functioned well with some green 160 gr. cast gummy worms...

One thing I learned that helps speed up my learning with anything new is taking notes. I have a 3 ring binder with notes and printed articles about casting, and a large section for powder coating. I like to skim through my notebooks once in a while to "refresh" my memory...8-)

Just like any hobby, there is a learning curve, and you seemed to have passed the "hump" and are on your way to an "easier, softer" approach to your hobby...

[sawinredneck]

No raise in my future, broken back.
Im not giving up, not even really that discouraged, other than the powder coating. I attribute a lot of that to the black Harbor Freight paint I bough. (Flame on)
I've honestly had good luck with the Lee molds, as long as I do my part and pay attention. It's not the molds fault I don't get it closed properly to be fair. I warm the mold over the pot as the lead is melting, normally within two drops I've got good castings. But I can see why the better molds cost more!
The oven, I know the temps off, I've had good luck in the past, just cranked it up higher last night in an attempt to get a better coating. I got molten bullets instead, lesson learned!
As for Sierra, call them sometime, tell them you are trying to find a .308 load using the Lee 180grn mold AND you want it to cycle an AR-10. It was an interesting conversation. We both chuckled over the idea of 12grns of Unuiqe, as I'd just load 6grns in some 9mm, and settled on Varget. Yes, I've read BruceB's thread numerous times, but it's a little different animal and getting the COL right has been fun?
Ive read the stickies, I've read everyone else's mistakes and learned from them. This forum is the only reason I'm as far along as I am, so thank you all, very much for that! But this isn't something you read about then run out to the garage and achieve exclence at in an evening, it takes time, and a lot of mistakes, to get it right. I didn't mean my post to be disheartening, more tounge in cheek about the growing pains and learning curve involved. Maybe someone even worse off than I can read this, chuckle and figure out it's not so bad after all!
Again, thank you all.

[runfiverun]

I learned long ago to take casting and shooting projects on in little chunks then practice it over and over to streamline things. [what you gonna do throw back some boolits?]
once you got it your gonna move on and forget.
so write it down or your gonna struggle a bit again when you come back to it.

[kmrra]

mold maker (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?3424-mold-maker) I'm not disputing what you said about the ingredient[COLOR=#a04e40] not being avaliable for Ben's Liquid Lube, But if you hunt you can still find Johnson Liquid[COLOR=#a04e40] Wax, I ordered 2 cans day before yesterday here



Dont know how much they have left , but its the cheapest I have found on line ....I figured that 2 cans will last me a while , as I plan on trying other lube and coatings later on ...


Disregard that link , I took it out , I went to the bank and stopped that charge ... I read on another Post where they dont deliver and dont answer the phone , I will try the substitute

[dverna]

To disparage the LEE pots and molds, and then recommend a lube for which the ingredients are no longer available, made me giggle.
I started casting in the early 60s and there wasn't even a reloader near by to ask for advice. In the interim, I have had or used about everything available as far as equipment. I have made all the mistakes for myself and still learn daily. There are presses and tools of every color and description in my inventory.
Every piece of equipment has proved to be able to produce quality ammo. Some are more or less user-friendly, but without exception if properly used, they work. It's up to us to learn and accept the limitations.
Yes, LEE tools are of slightly lesser quality, but good enough. You don't ever get a Cadillac at the price of a YUGO, but both get you to your destination.
Best advice I can give a new caster is, seek out an experienced caster and ask questions, before spending your money. Take advantage of the mistakes he's already made. Let him show (not just tell) you the ins and outs. Buy the best you can reasonably afford, and learn to treat it with respect. It doesn't matter what color or label, it's your attitude and willingness to learn that makes for success.

Read the BLL thread. There s another wax that is working.....
BTW, I have a Lee bottom pour and a few Lee molds. We can agree to disagree. A beginner will have a better chance of success with better equipment.

One last thing for the OP....get a thermometer

Don Verna

[MT Chambers]

I think the OP has stumbled onto something, it's why I recommend good equip. to start even if it means used equip. to new casters.

[Blackwater]

Sawin, you really remind me of my own early start in it. Married with a kid, going to school on the GI bill. We wuz PO' folks for SURE! But we made it. I started out with a lee mold, a SS sauce pan I found somewhere, and some pan I found to pan lube with. Used the stove with a vent out back for the fumes for heat source. And I learned to cast good bullets, and plenty of them. Had I not learned to cast, I'd have never been able to shoot one tenth as much as I did! Maybe 1/20th? I was getting WW's for free and lube and powder and primers were cheap, and I didn't shoot any GC designs. You couldn't get any simpler, basic or more bare essentials. And yet, those bullets really taught me how to shoot.

One of the good things about doing it on the cheap, is that it kind'a forces you to watch what you DO have, and monotor temp of pot and mold better, I think. The more "stuff" we have, the more we depend on them, and the less we tend to learn, and the less we tend to pay attention. So in a way, you're really blessed, though like me, you probably want all that other "good stuff" out there. But you should be casting better bullets soon, that may indeed be better and more consistent than those of casters who have much more "stuff" to work with than you.

There's an old saying: "A good workman doesn't blame his equipment." And there's a good bit of truth in that. What you're learning now will serve you SO well in the future, that like me, you may well be glad, in the end, you've started out like you have. I'd bet on it, anyway.

[kmrra]

dverna (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?11080-dverna)
Thanks for the lead , I haven't read that one yet ,, good to know that there is a substitute

[TexasGrunt]

mold maker (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?3424-mold-maker) I'm not disputing what you said about the ingredient not being avaliable for Ben's Liquid Lube, But if you hunt you can still find Johnson Liquid Wax, I ordered 2 cans day before yesterday here
https://www.hammerheadsupply.com/product/s-c-johnson-wax-00125-johnson-wax-22-oz-one-step-fine-wood-floor-care


Dont know how much they have left , but its the cheapest I have found on line ....I figured that 2 cans will last me a while , as I plan on trying other lube and coatings later on ...


That $24+ shipping charge is a bit hard to swallow.

Some 45-45-10 from White Label would be cheaper.

[TexasGrunt]

Read the BLL thread. There s another wax that is working.....
BTW, I have a Lee bottom pour and a few Lee molds. We can agree to disagree. A beginner will have a better chance of success with better equipment.

One last thing for the OP....get a thermometer

Don Verna

It would be nice if they would put the working substitute into the first post. Otherwise you have to hunt for it.

[John Boy]

Sawinredneck - Good Luck with your endeavors. There are other days that lemons turn into lemonade

[slownsteady22]

All I can say is the answers are here, I too have fought pc. And have moved to just bullet lube, waiting for the carnauba blue. Before long you will get lost in hours of lead heaven. Good luck and welcome.

Sent from my SM-G925R4 using Tapatalk

[gwpercle]

If one method doesn't work for you , try another.
What works best for me is a lyman ladle w/ spout , open top Lee Magnum Melter pot , 2-3-4 cavity moulds ,
I pressure cast and lube with a Lyman 450 lube/sizer. I've tried other methods, this is mine.
There is no right or wrong method, the bottom pour pot didn't work for me so I went to pressure casting...that worked best ! I'm no powder coater either, conventional lube works best for me.
If one method isn't working for you try another . Remember, there are always more than one way to cast a boolit and they all work !
Budget casting can be done and still produce good boolits...I've been on a shoestring budget for 50 years now.
Gary

[fredj338]

There is almost nothing in the OP's post I can agree with but Lee molds being hit or miss;
My 20# Lee never drips, just don't smelt in it or drain it ever.
HF red works fine, smoke's works better, even with green bbs.
You aren't melting bullets @ 350deg, check your oven temp.
Can't help with the AR10, but I get good functioning in my ar6.8 w/ 126gr @ 2000fps.

[kmrra]

TexasGrunt (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?45934-TexasGrunt)
Yes i didnt like that shipping either , but if I was worried about money , I think I would be better off buying my bullets LOL , But I canceled that charge at the bank , They are scammers .....I use 45-45-10 already I just want to try them all.except the lube-sizer , I would never cast again if I had to do that, I had enuff of that back when My dad was alive , I hated that with a passion.

[sawinredneck]

Not having a great day so I haven't messed with much.
Tried the HF red PC today, didn't seem to work any better. I'm using a Glad plastic bowl, maybe it's that and not the green B.B.'s?
Ill get the pot to stop dripping, again! It's funny, I'd read about the dripping but mine never did for the first few runs, then it dripped! Cleaned it out, lapped everything in, adjusted it, didn't leak, then it did, it's a vicous circle!
Yeah, 2000fps is basicly what Sierra and I came to as well. Problem is we have to go off the 200gr load data for Varget and I'm having to load them at 2.6" OAL to get them to chamber. I was hoping to test some loads over Christmas but my family had other thoughts.
This is how we learn!

[sawinredneck]

TexasGrunt (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?45934-TexasGrunt)
Yes i didnt like that shipping either , but if I was worried about money , I think I would be better off buying my bullets LOL , But I canceled that charge at the bank , They are scammers .....I use 45-45-10 already I just want to try them all.except the lube-sizer , I would never cast again if I had to do that, I had enuff of that back when My dad was alive , I hated that with a passion.
Reading your signature, I have to ask where you came across a Llama .40? Years ago I had one in 9mm, single stack. Best shooting pistol I've ever owned! Sucked to find out it was stolen and had to turn it into the cops!

[RogerDat]

If you are doing small caliber (.223 in my case) and the bullets are right under or over a heating element they can and will slump if left too long. Depending a bit on alloy I suppose but I was doing Lyman #2 70 gr. for the 223 and left a batch in too long, three elements, three rows of slumped bullets, rows between were still ok but the paint was burnt looking.

Yep all that stuff can and will go wrong. I have a fair number of Lee molds, and some NOE. The NOE are better but... I'm not feeling any special need to replace the Lee molds in a hurry. Couple took a little work to adjust. And they don't have the locking screw on the sprue pivot bolt that NOE does but with the Lee I have been able to crank out many bullets for not many money. Over time I'll probably replace them with higher end molds, just not in a rush and some of the tumble lube designs I really like.

When just getting started spending big bucks never made any sense to me. Just try to avoid paying "Cadillac" prices for a Chevy Impala. And if it cost real money try to buy something that has decent resale value or get it used. Any decent press will hold it's value. Lee or RCBS or Lyman the used edition hasn't lost much value against the price of new.

Your sharing will encourage others that it isn't always a straight shot to success but don't get discouraged.

I cast, PC and load 223 that give zero leading or fouling. No reason not to go that route, now I'm not going to full on velocity but they do cycle the action. HF Red works with shake and bake ASBB's pretty decent, the other colors are not very good to use that way. They spray fine just not shake with BB's.

[paul h]

Just as when you started shooting you didn't get a bullseye with every shot, casting bullets also requires practice. Here's a secret, even though I've been casting for ~20 years, have cast a couple thousand pounds of lead and with molds from every maker, I still get reject cast bullets.

While I enjoy casting with a Saeco furnace and quality meehanite molds, I'm pretty sure I'd have no problem getting quality bullets with a lee furnace and lee molds. In fact, that's exactly what I started with. And as I mostly cast handgun bullets, lee six cavity molds are often my favorite in terms of return on investment and time.

[Soundguy]

I am using the same equipment as you and do not have these issues. I'm not flaming you but you might want to work on technique a bit.

Agreed,most of my molds are lee, and drop nice looking lead.

[Phlier]

mold maker (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?3424-mold-maker) I'm not disputing what you said about the ingredient[COLOR=#a04e40] not being avaliable for Ben's Liquid Lube, But if you hunt you can still find Johnson Liquid[COLOR=#a04e40] Wax, I ordered 2 cans day before yesterday here



Dont know how much they have left , but its the cheapest I have found on line ....I figured that 2 cans will last me a while , as I plan on trying other lube and coatings later on ...


Disregard that link , I took it out , I went to the bank and stopped that charge ... I read on another Post where they dont deliver and dont answer the phone , I will try the substitute

I have posted this a few times in different places, but DO NOT ORDER FROM HAMMER HEAD SUPPLY! You will *never* see your order, and they will never answer the phone or return emails.

You might as well call your credit card company right now.

[kmrra]

I did that today after I read you post about not getting your order , , thats why I took the Link out of the post

[kmrra]

Reading your signature, I have to ask where you came across a Llama .40? Years ago I had one in 9mm, single stack. Best shooting pistol I've ever owned! Sucked to find out it was stolen and had to turn it into the cops!
I picked it up at my LGS where I hang out everyday , I already had the Rock Island,But I picked the Llama up for 240, didnt think that was a bad deal , I can always use some trading material, I just got it a couple weeks ago

[Finster101]

I think the OP has stumbled onto something, it's why I recommend good equip. to start even if it means used equip. to new casters.

The best clubs in the world will not make me play like Tiger Woods.

[Finster101]

Keep working at it. It took me quite a while before I could get consistent results but it wasn't the equipment. I don't mean to sound like a know it all, I'm far from it and still relatively new myself. There were plenty of bullets thrown back into the pot, plenty of 9mm and 45s that wouldn't feed and so on and so on. Sort out one thing at a time and go from there.

Good luck,
James

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

yup it is harder than buy everything and assemble but I would have gotten bored with that years ago.

I started on the porch with a bucket of wheel weights a borrowed lee 1 cavity , a good will sauce pan 3 dollars ,a colman stove , a slotted spoon , and a ladle a soup ladle not a lead ladle.
3 kids my budget was almost non existent , I think I had 3 dollars in my first hundred bullets and my equipment.

I would smelt the weights , skim with the crud , then put some candle wax and saw dust on skim then warm up the mold and start casting , it was also actually dark and about February in Wisconsin

a block of 2x4 under the spout and a screw driver help with the 4-20 pot a lot , the block of 2x4 because who doesn't have some of that laying around and it gets the heigt about right for the mold , lead doesn't stick to the 2x4 and will drip and you can just nock it off with the screw driver and pick it up with a pliers and put it back in the pot

the other job for the screw driver is to turn the shaft this helps with much of the leaking , during warm up leave an ingot mold under the spout

yes you need to keep lubing the Lee molds I don't have any others so I have no idea what it is like to cast with them, Lee mold a small bottle of 2 stoke oil and a few q tips will keep you going

when the pot runs dry check the spreu plate screw , like you had something else to do but watch lead melt , a watched pot never melts.

so you lube the plate and screw , then stick the mold in the molten lead when the mold starts to smoke your getting close to hot enough wait about 10 more seconds then pull it out and start casting in the farthest cavity from the handles first I really like Lee 6 cavity molds so this is the instruction for that slop some extra lead on the sprue to help the plate heat up , when one cuts easy do 2 , when 2 cut easy do 3 and so on till your dropping 6 hot ones then cast at a good pace till you start making frosty boolits the let cool for a minute then cast slowing down the pace lee molds for me cast best right near the edge of frosty.
a thermomometer might be nice , a pid would probably be great bit if you listen to the pot it will tell you when it is on or off , when you get the lead flowing right were you like it slowly turn the knob down while the pot is running till you hear the pot shut off that's about the perfect place you may need to go back up just a hair

my biggest complain wit the 4-20 is I need a second one to be pre heating while I am casting from the first , when I empty the pot I am usually on a good roll dropping bullets nice and I hate to have to wait for things to heat back up

[Idaho45guy]

Also a newbie as I have only been casting my own for about 3 months and casting for my dad for about a year or so. I learned on his high quality steel molds using a ladle.

I bought Lee aluminum for my own and have actually found them easier to use. They heat up faster and drop perfect boolits within 15 minutes or so. I can't go as fast since they will frost a little quicker, but I only do 100 boolits at a time. Been very, very happy with them...

186230

[gnostic]

I'm with you on the 4-20, I'm hoping mine quits working so I can junk it.

[mdi]

sawinredneck, ye doin' fine. I've heard it said several times here; "The best way to learn to cast bullets, is to cast bullets"...

[shredder]

Yup, experience will smooth out the road for you. I know I started casting in small batches(no more than 100) of boolits so that if I was making mistakes I would not have too many to re melt. Many times I did return a whole bunch to the next melt!

On the whole though, anything worthwhile never comes easy, so keep at it and keep reading here.