heating moulds

[riverrat1940]

Is their a faster way to get steel moulds up to operating temperature than casting bullets in them. It seems to take forever to get moulds hot enough to cast properly by casting bullets. Laying the mould on the edge of the pot while melting and bringing the bullet metal up to casting temperature helps. Bringing the mould in contact with the melted metal speeds the process, but I've heard that this can damage or warp the moulds. Any ideas or suggestions appreciated.

[44man]

I use a hot plate with a little mold furnace on top of it. I take the mold to 500*. You can use a propane torch and play it all over the mold, do NOT hold it in one spot.
I detest casting 50 boolits to bring a mold to temp. My first boolit is perfect.

[docone31]

I set my mold in the pot melt. When it is hot enough the melt falls away from the mold, I start casting. If the casting does not freeze, I let it cool a bit.
Basically, I let the pot heat up, then set the bottom of the mold into the molten metal. It doesn't take long.

[13Echo]

I do like 44Man. I have a hot plate with a little sheetmetal rack to hold the mould off direct contact with the coils and a small box to cover the mould and hold in heat. A Bar-B-Q thermometer helps me monitor the heat. I start the metal melting, clean the mould and put it in the box. By the time the melt is ready to pour the mould is heat soaked and the first or second bullet is a keeper.

Jerry Liles

[Cloudpeak]

I set the mold on a Walmart hotplate. Around $13.00. I also use the hotplate to pre-melt lead destined for the Lee bottom pour. For Lee 6 cavity molds, I just set an ingot on the top of the mold so it sits flush on the coils. My Lyman 4 cavity 45 mold is heavy enough it lays flush.

Cloudpeak

[Willbird]

I set the mold on a Walmart hotplate. Around $13.00. I also use the hotplate to pre-melt lead destined for the Lee bottom pour. For Lee 6 cavity molds, I just set an ingot on the top of the mold so it sits flush on the coils. My Lyman 4 cavity 45 mold is heavy enough it lays flush.

Cloudpeak


I do much the same but I place a piece of 1/4" aluminum plate on the coils. I set the dial to "med" on the heat range. I usually cast about 80% of the lead in my promelt, then turn the hot plate on and set the mold down on the plate top keep it hot during remelt. I do premelt sometimes but currently I just go over and lube size the last batch of bullets while the pot remelts.

Bill

[wildwilly]

As I usually utilize two to three moulds per casting session, I place the moulds in a small cast iron skillet atop a single burner Coleman stove. It takes no more than ten minutes to bring them up to adequate casting temperature. This can be done just as the casting furnace is coming up to the desired temp.

[HeavyMetal]

set molds on top of pot right after I turn it on. Takes 30 Minutes or so to melt alloy and another 20 to add ingots to fill to the top so the mold is pre heating all that time.

Then I dip the front of the mold in the alloy until the metal falls away when I lift it out. First boolit might be a bit frosted, but thats cool, from then on the mold self regulates based on casting tempo.

As far as molds "warping" from being "dipped"? Never had it happen in 40 years even with cheap Lee 2 bangers!

Never seen a warped mold either, although a member here did mention one and how he fixed it. I have always felt "warped" molds were caused by users who were careless and then blamed dipping the mold for the "warpage" rather than man up and admit they made a mistake.

So fastest way to heat a mold is dipping it in the alloy!

[44man]

set molds on top of pot right after I turn it on. Takes 30 Minutes or so to melt alloy and another 20 to add ingots to fill to the top so the mold is pre heating all that time.

Then I dip the front of the mold in the alloy until the metal falls away when I lift it out. First boolit might be a bit frosted, but thats cool, from then on the mold self regulates based on casting tempo.

As far as molds "warping" from being "dipped"? Never had it happen in 40 years even with cheap Lee 2 bangers!

Never seen a warped mold either, although a member here did mention one and how he fixed it. I have always felt "warped" molds were caused by users who were careless and then blamed dipping the mold for the "warpage" rather than man up and admit they made a mistake.

So fastest way to heat a mold is dipping it in the alloy!
RIGHT ON! :drinks:

[1Shirt]

Heavy Metal and I have been dipping the molds in the pot until the mold comes out clean for a long time. Think I have got him by a couple of years, but like him never had a problem. First or second opening of the mold for sure produces a ready to size and lube blt. Am sure all of the other methods work just fine as well, but seem like a lot of extra work or trouble to me.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[BillDan]

I've been dipping them in the melt for years also. Haven't had one warp yet. Go to the hotplate in winter. That way, working 2 or 3 molds at a time, they all stay at the right temp. About 500 degrees is right. My hotplate keeps them @ 480. That's just where the index mark on the thermostat falls.

[riverrat1940]

Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions. The hotplate idea sounds really good, especially when using 2 or more moulds. Glad to hear that no one has had a problem with dipping the mould in the melt. Sure seems the fastest way to get to operating temp. Riverrat

[rockrat]

Same here with hotplate. Just bought it a few months ago. Use to heat moulds and to melt lube so I can make my formula and not risk "smoking" the lube.

On my old Saeco pot, would put the mould on top and it would heat up fairly well. On the RCBS pot, it doesn't work and like you, got tired of casting to heat mould. Hot plate works very well.