casting bullets for a webley mkVI

[linus9]

i am just starting to cast my own bullets for my .455 webley as buying the correct 455 hollow base bullet is cost prohibitive. im using the rcbs 45-265-RN-HB and im having a hell of a time getting the bands to fill out all the way. im using wheel weights. do i need tin in the alloy? i thought i had the mold and alloy heated up enough. what am i doing wrong?

any help would be much appreciated, im brand new at this.

thanks, mike.

[MtGun44]

First make sure your HB pin is staying hot. Lots of ways to do this, but I
have kept a propane torch at very low idle with a coat hanger wire cradle
bent up which will hold my HP pin in the flame. Many find that by increasing
the temp of the metal and casting very quickly they can keep the heat up,
and no air motion to cool the HB pin when it is out of the mold. I'm assuming
that this is a wooden handled separate pin - I am not familiar with the
RCBS HB setup, just Lyman and Lee. Lee's is attached to the mold and seems
to stay warm pretty easily.

If the problem isn't a cold HB pin, then try the normal things for a regular
mold.

In the rough order of ease and cheapness.

1. Scrub mold cavity with Comet and an old toothbrush. Of course, dry fully
before adding any molten metal!

2. Increase casting temp until you are getting frosty looking boolits after they
are fully cooled.

3. Add about 2% tin, no more is needed to reduce surface tension of the
molten alloy. Tin-lead solder is easy.

These are very likely to solve it.

Bill

[linus9]

thanks.

is solder the best way to get tin, or can i buy it somewhere?

mike

[Nora]

Solder is the easiest way for me to measure it. I buy the 95-5 lead free (tin - antimony). I cast using a Lee 4-10 with muffins in the 1.75# each range. For each muffin I'll add about an inch and a half of solder (1/8" dia) to ball park me at 2% tin. If you'd prefer to buy the 50/50 (lead - tin) then just double that to get the same results.

Nora

[geargnasher]

thanks.

is solder the best way to get tin, or can i buy it somewhere?

mike

I try to find solid core solder on sale, the best buys are usually on "stained glass 60" solder (60% tin) if you don't mind doing the math. I find the little added pure lead with ww helps malleability ever-so-slightly.

If you want pure tin, contact rotometals (link at top) but roll solder is easy to cut, measure, and add, no more than it takes per pot.

+1 on MTGun44's tips for good fillout. Keep that pin HOT, and have fun!

Gear

[linus9]

finally, success!

i bought a new lee 4-20 lead furnace, turned it up high and got the mold good and hot over the pot, also i scrubbed the mold with lacquer thinner and the bullets started coming out nice. i think the trick with this mold is to get the alloy REALLY hot.

[dromia]

finally, success!

i think the trick with this mold is to get the alloy REALLY hot.


You've got it. :cbpour:

[The Virginian]

This is a good lesson to learn for me as well as I am going to buy this mold and cast for my .455 Webley. Thanks for the tips!

[Bret4207]

Mould temp, pot temp- two different things. A HOT MOULD produces good boolits over a wide range of pot temps. In this case the base plug is part of the mould, works the same way with a HP pin.

Another of the few "rules" in this game I've found.