1st two Boolits

[peter nap]

I didn't have time to cast anything today...but just had to.

I had enough time to cast two boolits from one of my molds.

I got the mold almost too hot. They were frosted anmd didn't use my pot, just ladled it and the w
2end didn't fill out.

Still, it felt good. :drinks:

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa57/peternap/b1.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa57/peternap/b2.jpg

[Trey45]

Lube em and shoot em!

[arcticbreeze]

Great, You will find that they will get better with a few more cast at a time. I usually end up rejection the first 4-6 boolits.

Welcome to the addiction:mrgreen:

[tiny]

that looks like the rd350. i just got one too.am going to try blue soft lube tiny

[462]

You're on your way. Next you will be casting them by the hundreds.

[mooman76]

Frosty bullets shoot good too!

[AZ-Stew]

Please indulge me an opposing viewpoint. Your mould and alloy are too hot. Dull gray is OK, but boolits this frosty take too long to cool, encouraging lead smears on the bottom of the sprue plate if you cut too soon, and they may have internal voids caused by the cooling boolits sucking air, instead of alloy from a puddle on the sprue plate.

In addition, the corners of the bases are rounded, instead of square, which will result in inaccurate boolits.

Work on your technique a bit. You're starting down the road of a pastime that will provide you with years of shooting pleasure.

Regards,

Stew

[peter nap]

Please indulge me an opposing viewpoint. Your mould and alloy are too hot. Dull gray is OK, but boolits this frosty take too long to cool, encouraging lead smears on the bottom of the sprue plate if you cut too soon, and they may have internal voids casued by the cooling boolits sucking air, instead of alloy from a puddle on the sprue plate.

In addidion, the corners of the bases are rounded, instead of square, which will result in inaccurate boolits.

Work on your technique a bit. You're starting down the road of a passtime that will provide you with years of shooting pleasure.

Regards,

Stew

Thank you Stew. Your advise is understood and appreciated.

Actually, I knew they weren't shooters last night...but they were bullets and that just tickled the hell out if me:roll:

I did just about everything wrong last night. I hadn't cleaned the drip pots yet and just heated some lead in a small pot on a hot plate. I don't have a proper dipper and was using a small Lee ladle that doesn't hold enough lead for a good cast. The mold temperature puzzles me but I did have the hot plate I was using to heat it, cranked all the way up. It does have a plate I made that suspends the mold above the element...but the answer still, is to turn it down.

Today I concentrated on good technique using the 10 pound bottom pour (and I had forgotten it splatters:() but I did finally start getting what I consider acceptable bullets.

There is still a lot to learn and so little time....but because of this board and it's members, I'm getting there.

Thanks!

[runfiverun]

that is where i start my casting with aluminum.
they start out frosty and i let the mold cool down to where it needs to be it seems faster to me doing it that way rather than trying to get it hotter.

[45nut]

Thank you Stew. Your advise is understood and appreciated.

Actually, I knew they weren't shooters last night...but they were bullets and that just tickled the hell out if me

Yep,, thats the path,, get started,, refine your procedures and soon you will be just pouring the perfect boolits over and over and over. Have fun,, keep pouring and be safe.

[Trey45]

If you don't already have some, I recommend Bullshop Bull plate sprue lube! I will not cast without it. Link can be found at the bottom of this page.

[John Boy]

Peter, give this a read ... http://www.longrangebpcr.com/8Phases.htm

[stubert]

Throw those frosty boolits in a tumbler for 1/2 hour, they will look pretty then.

[ddeaton]

Good job, get some time and some numbers through the mold. Even with preheating the mold you will still have to drop more than a couple to get all warm and dropping good. You now have the disease that we all have, there is no cure. Again, good job, you will get a good feel for it when you get some time on it.

[Shiloh]

Loos like your mold or alloy is too hot. Those will shoot though. Mr. LEE said in his casting book, that a little frostiness holds lube better.

Shiloh

[leadman]

Bull Plate lube is a very good product.
I also keep a wooden popsicle stick handy in case I do get some lead on the mold or sprue plate. Scrapes the lead off without hurting anything.

[qajaq59]

Just for laughs you should make a little frame and hang up in the reloading room.