bullet fill out

[hedgehog]

looking for a little help. smelted a bunk of outdoor range lead yesterday. about 200# finish weight. lots of work , but this site helped a bunch.

received my used lyman 358477 two cav. mold today and gave it a wurl. I know range lead will be short on tin to fill the mold but i wanted to try it out.

strait outdoor range lead
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/hedgehog23/gun090.jpg


outdoor range lead with some lead shot.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/hedgehog23/gun091.jpg


notice the wrinkles and the rounded bases on some


the rounded bases only seem to be coming from one of the two cavities in the mold. kinda odd

so this is my conclusions. tell me if im on the right track.

1st picture. not enough tin
2. picture to much heat.

[trk]

A few wrinkles in the bullets - both sets - to me indicates the mould is coolish.

I like to cast with a melt at 700-750 and a mould temperature of at least 400 df.

[hedgehog]

the only thing i did to heat the mold was pour the mold full maybe about 15-20 times. no oven preheat or anything.

ill get some temperatures next time.

[Springfield]

My opinion is both pictures not enough mould heat. I can get pure lead to fill out bullets like that, it is just more difficult. The tin just makes it easier.

[Rex]

I agree with trk. I just came in form casting with a 358156 mold and it wasn't filling out quite right on just one side. I had put it on an electric hot plate while the lead melted but still had to dip the end of the mold in the melt and count to 10 to get it on up to temp and it started filling out a lot better.
Rex

[sheepdog]

1.) The word bullet is dead to you. Thats those horrible inaccurate things they mass produce that cost way too much. Boolit is your game now, live it, love it.

2.) As said might be mould temp. Might be lead temp, might be sprue temp. I'd open stick the corner of your mould down in the lead pot where lead can't get into the mould and let it warm for 10 to 15. Then cast and see.

If that doesn't work let the mould get cold, clean it of all grease oil, etc and start over with the above. Don't add tin unless you need to bring up the hardness along with the antimony mix. Alot of people waste tin cause they don't wait for right mould temp.

Save the lead shot for when you do magnum loads of rifle loads, same to waste it on pistol fodder.
Best wishes and welcome to the CB family.

[243winxb]

More heat is needed. Do not dip an iron mould (Lyman) into the hot alloy, only aluminum.

[sheepdog]

More heat is needed. Do not dip an iron mould (Lyman) into the hot alloy, only aluminum.

Why? I have done this to my Lymans many times, works fine.

[Trey45]

Do not dip an iron mould (Lyman) into the hot alloy, only aluminum.

Why? What's wrong with dipping an iron mold in the melt to preheat it?

[243winxb]

Why? What's wrong with dipping an iron mold in the melt to preheat it? Lyman instructions that come packaged with new moulds. Lyman>
Never dip your cold mould into molten metal because the rapid temperature change may cause permanent block warpage. Same type of warning on other Iron moulds. Your mould, do as you like.:)

[hedgehog]

will it come up to temp by just filling the mold over and over? or do i need a hot plate in the gun room now too?

[243winxb]

I set 4 cavity moulds on the top edge of my Lee 10lb pot as the alloy melts. Pot at maximum temperature, then just keep casting till you have no wrinkles. Make sure the mould is free of all oils. Hot soapy water, and rinse, Or clean with 91% Isoprotyl Alcohol from the drug store. Make sure mould is dry before casting. Other thing can cause the boolits not to fill out. The mould is trapping air, faulty mould. The mould may not be filling fast enough. This may require opening the hole in the bottom pore pot, and/or the mould. 2 ways to fill the mould, alloy dropping free fall into the mould or the bottom pore tight to the mould, like in pressure moulding.

[Shiloh]

Turn up the heat.

The top picture is a text book example of a mold not up to temperature.

Shiloh

[Bret4207]

Get your mould as close to surgically clean as possible, get it HOT and you'll have good boolits. Nothing in those pics that isn't oil in the mould or heat related. I like brake cleaner for cleaning moulds. Don;t be afraid to dip a corner of the mould in the melt. We're talking 10-15 seconds here, not 2-3 minutes!

[hedgehog]

casting as i type. Getting great looking BOOLITS right now with all your help guys. cleaned the mold , got the mold nice and hot and just like that.

ill get some pictures up tonight so you can be the judge. right now im trying a batch of lead minus the lead shot.

thanks again all

[lurch]

casting as i type.


If you cast like I do (messy), remind me not to buy one of your used laptops...

:kidding:

[jdgabbard]

I think both sets of pics could use more heat. Your alloy is cooling off too fast in my opinion.

[hedgehog]

cant remember which is which they are so close. first picture is a few after being pushed threw my new used lube a matic.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/hedgehog23/bullets006.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/hedgehog23/bullets007.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/hedgehog23/bullets008.jpg

[Rex]

Nice looking bullets!
Rex

[Dennis Eugene]

Them are boolits and yes there very nice looking. You've got it now. Dennis

[runfiverun]

let them sit for another second before you open the sprue.

[Trey45]

I have the same mold you do, you're gonna dig that boolit, really accurate. Nice looking boolits you got there too, good job! Do you water drop or air cool?

[hedgehog]

let them sit for another second before you open the sprue.


how can you tell ? i know i pop that sprue plate early judging from what iv seen on utube.

[hedgehog]

air cool for the test. i dont own a .357 gun right now but wanted to test the lead i got , and all my new casting gear. im guessing a water drop would be a good idea for the .357mag load?

ill be on the look out for a nice 9mm mold now , as thats what i shoot the most. i also have to get the lube a matic up and running right. and slug my bore.

[sagacious]

how can you tell ? i know i pop that sprue plate early judging from what iv seen on utube.
Funfiverun is right about letting 'em cool another few seconds. It's easy to tell from your photos. Some of the folks here have keen eyes!

The bottom of the bullets show that the sprue was not cut cleanly, and was cut when the alloy had not completely soldified. The difference in sprue-cut with your previous "wrinkled" bullets is clear to see. Just let 'em cool for a few more seconds, and you'll cut the sprues cleanly.

Nice job, keep up the good work! :drinks:

[Echo]

Them's GOOD lookin' boolits! Way To Go!

[hedgehog]

Got ya, that makes sense. Thanks again everyone.

anyone have or recommend a good mold for 9mm. i like the TC shape myself but....

[runfiverun]

nothing wrong with the t-cone shape.
R5R

[Bret4207]

An alternative to waiting a bit longer is to use the Bruce B Speedcasting method. Basically you cool the sprue on a wet rag. Look it up in the "Classics and Stickies".

[sheepdog]

Good golly Rex those are purdy boolits.