Saving sprews for your next casting session.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I have been casting sense 1971 and only for a couple of sessions did I save sprews for my next sessions. I then figured out that it only takes a couple of seconds to pick them up and put them back in the pot with no effect on the temp of the melt, and also that gave my mold enough time cool for the next sprew cutting. My method is to fill the mold wait a few seconds cut the sprew dump the boolits fill the mold pick up the sprews put them in the pot and then cut the sprews again and continue the process. This is done with gloves on of course, the trick is to keep the melt from splashing. What I do is as I put the sprews back in the melt the glove hand with sprews opens over the melt to prevent any splash from coming out of the pot. By doing this I get the full use of all the lead I've melted in that pot of lead.

[Taterhead]

This is an interesting strategy, and this new guy is always looking for ideas. One advantage of doing it your way is that the pot won't drain as quickly.

What types of molds and bullet styles do you cast?

[NoAngel]

I add mine back during casting in a similar fashion. I actually use them to help maintain the pot temp. Watching my thermometer, if it gets a little high, add a few and the temp will drop a hair. It's just part of my rhythm and I don't even think about it. I just do it.

[Pawpaw757]

That sounds like a good idea. Think I'll give it a try.

[Strtspdlx]

I dump them back in right off the sprue plate. It does tend to splash but I try to drop them on the nozzle pin bracket and slide them to the side and ease them in. It all happens pretty quickly but it works for me. I hate picking up sprues and having to wait for the pot to get to temp again.

[JBinMN]

I put mine back in while pouring, but in a different way. I use a #10 can & lay a 2x4 block across the top so it sits there & when the sprues harden, I smack the tang of the sprue cutter on the 2x4 to drop the sprues into the can, then I drop the boolits into the water & go back to fill again. Then after about 10 repeats, I stop & take the tin can, pointed away from me to protect from any possible splash, & slowly add the little sprues back to the melt. (If there are bigger sprues from a 6 pack mold I don't hit the 2x4 & I place the sprues in the pot by gloved hand rather than pouring them out of the can.)
I do this several times, then as the pot gets lower, I take a short break, add some molded ingots, throw some sawdust on, & prepare for the next run. (< I think I described that good enough.)

Anyway, it is pretty close to the method I have used for jigs & sinkers, but with those molds you have another step to cut the sprues off since there is no cutter mounted to the molds.

I like reading this stuff here, I learn new stuff every day.
:)

[popper]

I dump the sprue in a sauce pan and add them back when I get tired. Prevents adding junk to the melt and lets you reduce the oxides back in.

[flint45]

I put them back when I get a small hand full.Been casting that way for more then forty years also I have never once used a thermometer.I am just not very technical but I still have fun .:lovebooli

[45-70 Chevroner]

I put them back when I get a small hand full.Been casting that way for more then forty years also I have never once used a thermometer.I am just not very technical but I still have fun .:lovebooli

If it"s not fun, it's a drudge. I really injoy casting.

[mold maker]

A small metal slide fastened to the bolt on top of my pot receives the sprues and allows them to enter the melt without drama. Dropped directly from the mold it doesn't add time to the cycle and takes no more energy. The slide is lifted and turned to the side to add ingots from the hot plate or the upper pot is allowed to use the same slide to refill the lower.
It took years to figure out a simple way to save time and be consistent.

[45-70 Chevroner]

This is an interesting strategy, and this new guy is always looking for ideas. One advantage of doing it your way is that the pot won't drain as quickly.

What types of molds and bullet styles do you cast?
I cast swc rn I even have some that are kind of pointy.
I cast with single, double, six cavity, with weights ranging from 52 gr all the way up to 500 gr. 22 cal. to .457. I have some where around 50 molds.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I see a lot of variations in styles here. Mine does not mean mine is the best, it just works for me.

[Pawpaw757]

That's what's so great about this place, so many different ways of doing things. all kinds of cool stuff to learn.

[Whitespider]

I don't use, and have never owned, a casting thermometer.
My "pot" is an old cast iron sauce pan (holds 20 pounds) that sits on the electric burner of an old kitchen electric range out in the shop.
I dip from the pot with a modified RCBS dipper (I put a longer wooden handle on it).

I let the sprues fall into an old frying pan, and return them to the pot whenever it's time to flux and/or add more metal to the pot.

That's the way I've done it from the very first boolit I cast... and I ain't seen any reason to change the way I do it yet.
*

[robg]

As they are still hot I keep putting them back in pot every few minutes .

[Echo]

I knock the sprue off, dump the boolits (after glancing to ensure good bases), pick up the sprue (gloved hands), put back in pot, and refill mold. Sometimes I refill first, then return sprue to pot...

[Whitespider]

Hmmmm... I check the bases after cutting the sprue and before dumping the boolits... that way I know whether-or-not to dump the boolits on the folded towel, or in the sprue pan.
Most all of my shooting is bouncing beer cans, knocking over steel plates, and other types of plinking enjoyment... I don't get too concerned with the occasional minor defect as long as the front edge of the forward driving band and the base bottom are both sharp and well defined. I'm a bit more picky if the boolits are intended for serious work, such as hunting and longer range shooting.
*

[TexasGrunt]

I have a metal one cup measuring cup. I put the sprues in there as I cut them. When it starts getting full I pour them back into the pot. I pour against the back wall of the pot and splashing has never been a problem. I do keep a quart of sprues in each alloy mix I use so I can use them to start the pot when I switch alloys.

[gpidaho]

45-70C; I add them back in as I cast like you mentioned in the first post. I rarely have less than 1/2 a pot full of lead and I don't believe adding back hot sprues makes much difference in pot temp. Just the way I do it. Gp

[gwpercle]

Not having anyone to teach me the proper way to cast boolits, I would just cut the hot sprue so that it would fall back into the pot ! Didn't know this was wrong. Just seemed like the logical place for the sprue to go. I didn't even wear gloves.....
To be honest I still do it this way ....but I wear some gloves now.
Gary

[Oklahoma Rebel]

GW that's how I do it too...I AM NOT ASHAMED!!! lol

[bedbugbilly]

Whenever I have read about anyone "saving sprues" I could never figure out "why"? I cast with a pot and ladle on a propane hot plate and for over fifty plus years have always cut the sprue over the pot and let it fall in. By the time I open the mold and drop what's inside, the sprue cutting is no more and it's time to lade and pour.

[fredj338]

I use an old wooden salad bowl to collect my sprues. When it is full, about 1.5 cups worth, they go back into the pot. Takes about 3min or so for the 20# pot to come up to temp if it is half full & it's almost always half full or better.

[Soundguy]

I recycle my sprue Immediately into my pot.

[Morgan61]

I just let the sprues pile up until my pot gets low.
By then I need a break so I'll dump in those sprues, sit back and fire up a cigar and wait for the temp to come back.
I'm in no hurry.

[PtMD989]

I usually let them pile up along with first castings boolits. Then I drop them into the pot with my gloved hand. Then I remember it's hotter than chili so I use my stirring spoon to slide them back into the melt.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hick]

45-70 Chevroner-- I do just what you are describing-- and it seems to work just fine.

[Whitespider]

I cast with a pot and ladle on a propane hot plate and for over fifty plus years have always cut the sprue over the pot and let it fall in.
Casting with a ladle (as I do), and dropping the sprues in the pot, don't you end up with a lot of oxidized metal to deal with on top of the melt??
*
*

[lightman]

I'm like Morgan, I let them pile up until the pot gets low and then add them back along with a few ingots. I put my mold on the hot plate to keep it warm and stand up to stretch. I hold my mold in my left hand and use a plastic hammer in my right hand to cut the sprue and close it back and a finger to operate the bottom pour lever. I never put anything down so messing with the sprue breaks my rhythm.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I will dump sprues directly back into the pot from the sprue plate while casting pistol boolits, and sometimes with Rifle boolits, depending on how the mold likes to be run.
NOW, I don't get any splashing as I always kept a 1/2" layer of dross on the top of the melt, mostly I do this to insulate the alloy to hold the temperature more consistent, as well as, keeping more oxides from forming. But a bonus, when a sprue is dropped, it doesn't splash and basically floats on the layer of dross and slowly melts/seeps down into the alloy, and any oxide on the surface of the sprue should be staying with the dross.

[1989toddm]

A small metal slide fastened to the bolt on top of my pot receives the sprues and allows them to enter the melt without drama. Dropped directly from the mold it doesn't add time to the cycle and takes no more energy. The slide is lifted and turned to the side to add ingots from the hot plate or the upper pot is allowed to use the same slide to refill the lower.
It took years to figure out a simple way to save time and be consistent.

Could I persuade you to take a picture of that slide/ramp and post it?

[country gent]

I flux every 100 or so bullets on my pot. Ussually there are 3 of us casting together so that 300 or so bullets. We add the sprues back just before fluxing the pot each time. My casting pot holds just over 125Lbs so the sprues don't make much difference in the temp

[runfiverun]

I break them off right in my hand so they go right back into the pot.
then I open and dump the boolits from the mold.
the good ones go in the pile, the bad ones go into the ingot mold sitting there.

[ioon44]

I drop my sprues in a box and then use 6" needle nose pliers to add the sprues back to the pot this keeps the lead from splashing and gives the mold time to cool before cutting the next sprue.

[EMC45]

Mine get dropped back into the pot when I amass a large pile on the casting bench. Usually about 6-10 pour cycles and I scoop them up in gloved hand and drop them back in the pot, avoiding splashing.

[trixter]

My pot sits on the corner of a huge bath towel that is doubled, and that is on a piece of concrete wallboard. I drop all of my sprues right next to the pot. when I get a little tired I put the mold on the hot plate, add the sprues back in, go pee or whatever needs to be done and come back and I am ready to go some more. If if just keep going I get all stove up, so the break works for me.

[David2011]

The mold I'm using at the time dictates how I handle sprues. Some of the large iron and leaded steel molds retain heat well and are very tolerant of the delay while picking up the sprue and returning it to the pot. Small aluminum molds cool too quickly so I let the sprues collect and add them back when I'm ready for a breather. I intend to start dropping sprues into a small second pot so they'll be molten when returned to the pot. Been intending to start doing that for years. I have the pot; just need to introduce it to the routine.

David

[dragon813gt]

I tired putting them back as I go. But I cast one large sprue. This keeps everything up to temp and good bad fill out. Tried smaller sprues but got poor fill out. The large sprue drops the temp in the pot by over twenty degrees. That's to much and I've seen larger weight variations when doing this. So I cast until the pot is almost empty and then dump all the sprues back in. This gives me a short break to rest. I'm in no hurry so this pace is fine.

[dale2242]

I am retired so time isn`t a big issue.
I made a box 16"X 16" with 2" tall sides. I have a piece of 3/8" thick felt in the bottom to drop the boolits on.
In a corner near me I keep a small bread loaf pan to drop my sprues into.
I cut the sprue into the loaf pan and drop the boolits onto the felt pushing then to the end of the box farthest from me.
Went my back says it`s time to rest, I place the full mold onto my hotplate and put the sprues back in the pot.
I then add more alloy if necessary.
By the time the thermometer says it`s time to cast I am rested and start again....dale

[toallmy]

I cut the sprue and drop it in my left hand adding it to the pot right away , this makes me hesitate for a couple seconds witch let's the cast boolits harden before dropping them in the pan . I pore a big continuous sprue so I would only get 8-10 pound out of my 4/20 if I didn't add them back wile casting . I wear a thick glove on my left hand all the time with a thin glove on my right hand about half the time , cutting with my thumb , unless I'm using the 6 cavity lee with the cutter handle . When I'm in my happy place casting it works for me - most of the time .

[Mk42gunner]

I break them off right in my hand so they go right back into the pot.
then I open and dump the boolits from the mold.
the good ones go in the pile, the bad ones go into the ingot mold sitting there.

This is pretty close to how I do it too; except I don't have an ingot mold small enough to fit next to my boolit casting pot.

Once the mold is up to temp and I start cutting the sprue with my right hand; most times the sprue ends up in my hand anyway, and needs to be put down somewhere, might as well go into the pot now instead of later.

Robert

[Victor N TN]

I used to use a metal trash can slightly smaller than a 5 gallon bucket. The sprue harden and cool a bit until I get a quart or so. Using a 6 cavity mold with the trough cut in it, it drops something that looks like a wheel weight each time the sprue plate falls.

Other molds don't drop as big a sprue.

Good luck. I hope this helps.

[DocSavage]

I have a reenforced cardboard box that I drop my sprue into. My pot is an RCBS and once it gets half empty I return the sprue with ingots to make up the difference. I cast for about 1 hour at a time which results in 5-6 lbs of bullets.

[DerekP Houston]

I use a towel on a half-sheet pan for dumping bullets and sprues on. Sprues to the left, keepers to the right. Once the pile gets big enough I set the mold down on the hotplate dump them all back in and take a break. I like to look over the 'keeper' pile while I wait for the PID to get it back to proper temp. Works well enough for me.

[Walter Laich]

I would put them back when I had 15-20 but have gone to a pot cover and now just want till the casting session is over.

I'll refill the pot so it's ready to go--know I'm heating the lead twice but I enjoy the process and want to start as soon as possible at the beginning.

I can last for about 45 minutes before it begins to look like a 'job' and I need to step back (usually on a sprue that I just cut--did I mention I don't wear shoes a lot of the time?)

[mold maker]

The sprues have lots of heat in them that you've already paid for. Why allow them to cool, and pay to reheat them? If you need a break, take it without paying to reheat cold sprues.
At the bottom of the pot, how many times have you reheated the same alloy?
My folks lived through the depression and taught me to be frugal. Mom used to send me to trade 4 eggs for 3 shotgun shells. When I brought home 3 rabbits it fed the family lots better than the 4 eggs would. She thought ahead and we ate good. the same principal applies.

[yondering]

You fellers save your sprews? Shoot, I allus figgerd them sprews was junk. Hate to waste nothin though, so I been planting them out back and waterin em regular, should have a nice row of spruce trees some day. Don't know fer sure, but I guess they'll be silver spruce?

[ioon44]

:groner:

[lightman]

:p:p:p

[KCcactus]

I drop the sprue on a cookie sheet. The boolits go on a slanted cookie sheet with 4-5 layers of paper towel on the receiving end. Most roll down, but I occasionally have to pick up the high end of the paper towels to help them along. The timing of the sprues going back in pot depends on the mold I'm using. Some of my molds are more picky about casting speed than others. For the last pot of the session, I usually let the sprues from the bottom half pile up because by then my back is acting up and I want to finish. They are the first thing in the pot for my next session.

[Grmps]

A layer of clay kitty litter or burnt pine sawdust (that I use for fluxing) does double duty, it helps keep the melt from oxidizing and stops the lead from splashing when dumping in sprues.

[Josh Smith]

Hello,

I use a small pot.

The temp is regulated to a point by a hotplate on the same circuit -- a cheap way to regulate current and make use of waste heat to keep molds hot, especially when rotating them.

However, the melt does get a bit hotter than I'd like, so I add either sprues or half-pound ingots or both, depending on the level of the melt.

This cools it nicely.

Regards,

Josh

[Shiloh]

When I get a pile of sprue and rejects I pause and put them back into the pot. In a few minutes, I up and running again.

SHiloh

[plainsman456]

I cut the sprues then dump the boolits on the towel then the sprue goes back in the pot.
Usually on top of some of the wood ash floating on top.

That way i don't have to remember what type of alloy it is later.
When i cast i do a run of 10 or 20 lbs at a time.

Works for me.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I dump the sprue in a sauce pan and add them back when I get tired. Prevents adding junk to the melt and lets you reduce the oxides back in.

I do the same thing, although I use old metal cake pans the Frau was tossing out. I use up most of my RCBS pot and by then am getting tired and arthritis crampy. I add all the sprue catchings and bad boolets back into the pot, which I have turned off, for the next session. At my age I don`t need to find new ways to save time by doing things faster.Robert

[pjames32]

I throw them back into the pot when I need a break and add alloy at the same time. When I end my session I let them cool and tag a bag with the BHN to use next time I cast that bhn to top off the pot.

[JSnover]

I also drop the sprues into a cardboard box. When the pot gets low I'll dump them in along with any bad boolits and take a short break while the temp comes back up.
At the end of the session all sprues and all culls from the boolit box go back into the pot along with enough ingots to refill it for the next time.

[HangFireW8]

I found that constant sprue replacement pushed impurities that floated to the top, down into the mix.

Now, I run the pot down to 10-20%, stir/scrape/skim, dump in sprues, pre-heated ingots, take a break, flux and skim, and resume. Cleaner boolits that way.

[armoredman]

I guess I'm really small volume - I cut the sprue, dump the boolits, then place the sprue back in the pot. When the pot runs dry, I'm done for the time. I have a less than ideal casting table, so my back hurts after about 150-200 boolits, then I'm done. No big deal, still fun and productive. I'm like some here - I had to learn every bit of my reloading knowledge myself, no teachers.

[T-Bird]

I do exactly what 45/70 does

[44MAG#1]

Maybe I am dumb but I thought everyone put the sprues back in the pot as they cast. Trying to not splash the hot lead would be a good thing, right?

[alamogunr]

I drop my sprues into a small bucket. Since I always pour a continuous sprue, they can pile up quickly because of the random way they land in the bucket. When the pot gets down to about half, I stop, put the mold on the hot plate and put the sprues back into the pot and add ingots until the pot is full again. Since I use a PID, I sit down and wait for the temp to come back up and I'm ready to go again.

[DerekP Houston]

I like to cast with a faster cadence, so the sprue pile tends to build up a bit before adding it. If you are casting slower it would be easier to add them as you go.

[ghh3rd]

Really, you can use those things over again? I've been throwing all of mine away!

[alamogunr]

Really, you can use those things over again? I've been throwing all of mine away!

There should be a smilie to go with this post. Someone might take it seriously.:p

[Cord]

I cast with a thick layer of sawdust ash on top, keeping the air off the melt,
using up about 2/3 -3/4 of the pot until the melt gets too hot when near the bottom.
(Need to finish building that PID!)

Then I completely remove the ash out of the pot before adding sprues and ingots.

While casting, I drop the sprues into a piece of 12" wide aluminum flashing
14" long, bent up 1"along the sides and pop riveted to make a box on one end only.
The open end kinda rolls up, almost into a tube, and I can slide the sprues
into the pot from more than arms length without splashing lead out.

When the pot is full and the melt is back up to temp, I thoroughly scrape the sides,
add the old ash back on top, flux with new sawdust, finish with more new sawdust
spread evenly over the top, light it off, and then I'm good to go again.
.

I love threads like this where casters describe their personal way of doing things;
that is how I've learned the most here. My thanks to all....

[Boolit_Head]

I save mine till the end as much as possible then after I turn the pot off toss them in. It helps get the temperature of the melt down quicker. A lot of times the melt has solidified as soon as I put the last ones in.

[white eagle]

I ladle cast and I also put the sprues back in after i break them off the mold
never effected adversely what I was casting

[ghh3rd]

Ok ... :p

[JeffG]

I use a gloved hand to cut the sprue and let it fall in the same hand, then right back in the pot. Then I tap the mold handle pivot with the brass hammer to open the mold and drop the bullets.

[Beau Cassidy]

Cut sprues go right back into the pot. Why waste the energy used to heat that lead? Put it to good use and drop it right back in. It doesn't drop the pot temp- at least not on a Magma 40. It seems like double the work to initially heat the lead then throw the sprue in a box only to have to heat it again.

[45-70 Chevroner]

Cut sprues go right back into the pot. Why waste the energy used to heat that lead? Put it to good use and drop it right back in. It doesn't drop the pot temp- at least not on a Magma 40. It seems like double the work to initially heat the lead then throw the sprue in a box only to have to heat it again.
Not that it was a contest, but beau wins for the best reason for putting them back in the pot as you cast.:D

[Bazoo]

I keep a round cake tin at the front of my set up, to which I drop sprues and deformed bullets. After 2 or 3 castings I return them to the pot with a tablespoon. I dont notice any ill effect on the temperature doing it this way. And it keeps my pot full longer.

I might add that I ladle pour. When I had used a bottom pour pot before.... I didnt add them back as often as I kept a faster pace.

[Soundguy]

I'll add another variant. Many times I cast with a buddy or two. If 2 of us, one guy collects sprus and moves bullets from drop pot while I pour ( bottom pour pot ). If 3 of us, one guy is usually pan living, or punching wads and cards .

[deadeye ruck]

For me it depends which type of bullet I am casting. I cast primarily boolits for blackpowder rifles from .50-69 cal. I have several gang moulds but mostly single cavity because the bullets are usually between 400-550 grains. These big bullets like the lead (850+) and like HOT moulds. I have a 50 cal 6 gang mould. By the time I get the bullets out of the cavity and the giant sprue off, sometimes the mould has cooled just enough to give slight imperfections at the beginning of a casting session. On the other hand, I like to dump the sprue back into the melt when using my single cavity moulds to allow the bullets time to harden before dropping.

[rototerrier]

Same as most everyone else.

1) Cut the sprue and let it drop in my pile of cooling boolits.
2) Dump boolits
3) Place mold under a fan
4) Drop sprue in pot
5) Quickly inspect boolits and return any rejects into the pot.
6) Grab cooled mold and pour and repeat.

I never stop moving using this method and when I'm done, I'm done. No fiddling around with cold sprues or reject Boolits. Every boolit in my pile is good and doesn't require any further inspection.

Even with this method, I can mix in a second mold. I do have to move a bit quicker and increase my cooling fan speed, but running 2 molds at once takes up all available time and really increases production.