first time casting ?

[rfg]

this is my first time casting bullets. i tried useing a poor boy set up to melt the lead (8" cast iron skillet on a elec. hot plate). i don't have a themometer to test how hot the melt is, i belive that may be most of my problems.

i'm useing a new 9 mm/ 124gr. lee double cavity mould (tl 356-124-2r) lightly sprayed with drop out. useing a lee dipper and w.w.

i'm having trouble getting constant cavity fill out. the cavity closest to the hinge make a complete bullet about 50 % of the time, the other about 90%. i guessed that the temp. might be too low causing that.

the bullets that i measuerd vary in size form .3545 to .3575 (too small to just about right, my barrel sluged .355). could temp variations cause size variations?

thanks for your input

[snuffy]

First, welcome to cast BOOLITS!
Second, I suspect you are right about too low a temperature on your boolits. That hot plate probably doesn't have the capacity to keep the lead hot enough. Not having a thermometer, you're just guessing.

If you are always going to ladle cast, then a simple electric melter would be something to look at. Lee makes 2, one is small, holds about 5 pounds, the other holds 20 pounds.

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1231032920.4925=/html/catalog/melters.html

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=709235

Then get yourself one of these thermometers, you'll be good to go.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=595204

[runfiverun]

put your lee mold in the pot till it gets hot and try again and go a bit faster. keep the lead and mold hot.
i hope you cleaned your mold.

[DLCTEX]

Yes, temp can vary boolit size. I'd try preheating the mold on the hotplate and/or casting faster. Bullplate lube for the mold and sprueplate allows faster cutting of the sprue and increase of rate. Generally hotter casting, particularly with aluminum molds, results in larger dia boolits. Lee molds usually like to be run hot. If you can get the mold hot you may be able to cast with your current system. The Lee pots are relatively inexpensive and are so convenient compared to the way you are doing it. personally I would skip the drop out and use Bullplate, smoke the mold with a butane/propane cigarette lighter, and/or use a #2 pencil in the cavities. DALE

[Bret4207]

Cast fast, fast, fast. Your temp is low. FWIW- mould release just made things worse for me in every mould I tried it in and it insulates the mould from the hot alloy and tends to make the mould cast smaller.

[rfg]

[QUOTE=runfiverun;
i hope you cleaned your mold.[/QUOTE]

did you mean before or after casting?

i'll have to wait till i can afford a melting pot. ladel or bottom pour? which would you start off with?

thanks for your replys,
richard

[Lead melter]

i'll have to wait till i can afford a melting pot. ladel or bottom pour? which would you start off with?

For the caliber you have mentioned, get the bottom pour. Seems like most of the guys using the ladle do so for the bigger boolits like 45/70, 50 cal., etc. Bottom pour will also allow you to get your technique of casting, heating, cooling, water quenching, fluxing, and all the rest, down.

[runfiverun]

before you start.
molds come with oil,and consequently dirt.
you will have to cast 100 or more pours to burn the oil out of the mold.
boil the mold in some slightly soapy dish water and clean with a toothbrush.
i like to follow with brake cleaner and a rag.
then heat up the mold in your pot till the lead don't stick to it.
when i start with aluminum molds i usually pour into them and the lead don't wanna solidify.
for a few seconds i pour this out into the pot and wipe the mold down with a rag.
then start pouring.
break the sprew as soon as the lead changes color.
dump and fill,don't look at them ,just keep going you can cull them later.

[mroliver77]

You can get by just fine with a hotplate and ladle. The Lee ladle is not good for filling molds. It makes a good scraper and spoon but thats it. I use a cut down strong steel can or cooking pot on a hotplate when ladle casting. Skillets loose too much heat. If yor hotplate is keeping lead molten I would get a Lyman ladle and have at it. I have a couple molds that just prefer ladle to botom pour. Like has been said, read,cast and melt down the failures and cast again.
J

[Bret4207]

I'm a confirmed ladle caster. It ALWAYS works.

[copdills]

Welcome to the forum , Man and to the Brotherhood of the Silver Stream