6 cavity ladle pour

[arcticbreeze]

Hello everyone,

I have been casting for a couple of weeks now with a 2 cavity lee mould (175 tc, .401) with good results. I recieved my first 6 cavity mould today (same boolit, just 6 instead of 2) I could not get even one to fill out allthe way and i think it is just that i can not pour fast enough (ladle dipper). Does anyone hear ladle pour with 6 cavity lee moulds or do i just need to buy a bottom pour pot?:-?

[testhop]

make sure you clean mould good and it is heated up
then if you have the same problums get a bigger latlei it takes more lead to fill 6 holes that 2
i am not trying to be a smart ass as i have never been known as smart the last maybe
you might trying to fill 2 or 3 holes and if you still get bad boolits look for cleaning mould ,to cold a mould even to cold an alloy

[NuJudge]

If you are using a Lee dipper, there is no way you can keep up:
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=161177

I have cast with a 6-cavity mold using an RCBS Dipper:
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=283142

Bigger dippers are available:
http://www.theantimonyman.com/ladles.htm

I typically use a 20-pound bottom pour furnace, backed up by a 10-pound furnace acting as a melter. I have both furnaces turned up all the way, with ingots pre-heating on top of both furnaces. With a pile of ingots, and a bucket of water to receive bullets I can cast 24 200-grain .45 SWC bullets a minute for long periods of time. I cast them frosted, and use wheelweights with Tin to get good fill-out.

[Sprue]

Yep, first get it clean.

Is your ladle large enough to to fill all 6 cavities with one scoop of alloy?

The Lee 6 cav's, it takes them a little time to get up to casting temps. Just toss the bad ones back into the mix. Be patient, they should start producing good boolits shortly there after. They can be finicky at startup.

Mine seem to run best when it starts producing frosted boolits.

[mooman76]

You work your a$$ off trying to keep up. You need a bigger ladle. Nothing fancy. I made one out of a metal juice can and a stick. You could get a cheap metal ladle from a $ store.

[Maven]

arcticbreeze, I converted my Lee furnaces to ladle pour long ago since I wasn't happy with their incessant dripping and thus, use a Lyman ladle for all my casting. With a Lee 6-cavity mold, I fill the ladle, then the first 3 cavities. I then fill the ladle a second time and fill cavities 4 - 6. This works for me since the CB's weigh 139grs. apiece, but I don't know whether two ladles full will fill six 240gr. cavities.

[Bigjohn]

Just my .02 cents worth; with most of the ladels available you are not going to be able to fill all 6 cavities at once. Paul Matthew's in on of his books describes how to make a larger capacity ladel for cast the big 550grs boolit for BP Cartridge Rifles.

The other option may be to find a ROWELL 1pound cap. bottom pour ladel; I believe they also make a 2 pounder.

John

[montana_charlie]

The other option may be to find a ROWELL 1pound cap. bottom pour ladel; I believe they also make a 2 pounder.
Rowell ladels come in many sizes. The Rowell #1, #2, and #3 are designed for one-hand operation...while the others require two hands.

There is a Rowell #4 on eBay right now that (probably) holds about six pounds.
CM

[GLL]

I use a reamed out RCBS ladle on LEE 6-cavity moulds all of the time with no problems ! It is important to bore out the spout to get good flow rate. Lyman ladles will not hack it for me ! I have a couple Rowell models but prefer the RCBS for most moulds.

Use two dips per cycle for bullets such as these 454424 Group Buy examples which produces a large sprue and keeps everything hot.

Easy to make 500 per hour with a big enough pot.

Jerry

http://www.fototime.com/7754EF81239E149/standard.jpg

[HeavyMetal]

Use the Rowell # 1 myself works well once the mold is up to speed heat wise.

This ladle will do most 6 banger's with one fill up!

[arcticbreeze]

Thanks guys for all the advice. I am going to do some experimenting this weekend with the different methods you guys have mentioned. I am an AC contractor here in FL and we have been slammed, I am going to have to work Sat but come hell or high water I am going to put some time in with the mould on Sunday.

[arcticbreeze]

Oh yeah, it is the small Lee dipper I have been using, but i just talked myself into ordering the Lee 4 20 bottom pour furnace.

[yodar]

Yep, first get it clean.

Is your ladle large enough to to fill all 6 cavities with one scoop of alloy?

The Lee 6 cav's, it takes them a little time to get up to casting temps. Just toss the bad ones back into the mix. Be patient, they should start producing good boolits shortly there after. They can be finicky at startup.

Mine seem to run best when it starts producing frosted boolits.

Antimonyman's description says the 1 lb #1 ladle is excellent for 6 cav moulds. I am ordering it to make ingots (corn meal mold) from the pot, 1 ingot at a time.

Yodar

[mooman76]

To do ingots I just took a 6oz juice can and Bent it at the top a little and grab the can with a pair of vice grips. Does ingots qite nice. Does a set of 4-1# ingots with 2 scoops.