Casting in cold weather

[louscip]

Has anyone had experience casting bullets in cold weather? I'd like to cast in my garage with the doors open and it will probably be around 20 degrees. Any issues I might run into?

[brad925]

I am just getting into this and wondering the same things. My biggest fear is dropping a sweaty ingot into the melt and getting a visit from the tinsel fairy. I just want to smelt my ww's in the winter but i think i will be putting them in the bbq and bringing them up to temp. first.

As for casting bullets i would think you would have to cast fast to keep your moulds up to temp.

[Pystis]

I've cast at about 20F several times and haven't had any serious problem. When casting at extreme low temps, like below zero, problem is that outer parts of the mould are too cold and inside is too hot. You get boolits that are frosty on the midsection and wrinkled on the nose and the base. I've only cast with aluminium moulds so I'm not sure if the iron or brass moulds act alike.
It is always a good idea to warm up the ingots before tossing them on the melt. Wear warm clothes, you don't want to drop a drop of snot in your molten lead! No kidding really -I've had some close calls.
Haven't had any major visits by Tinsel Fairy yet, though.

[atr]

Ive cast in this type of weather and with the garage door(s) open also...
I sometimes find that the tops of the mold get cooler quicker and that it is harder to keep an even temperature in the melt and in the mold.
I have an electric 10 lb melting pot and when I cast in cold weather I surrrount the pot with brick to help keep in the heat....I find this help keep the pot and mold temperature more constant.
When I add material to the pot I make doubly sure that the lead Ive gragged in from the outside is completely free of moisture.

hope this helps

[awaveritt]

Not quite as cold as you but I cast a hundred last night in my garage at about 34 degrees with no perceptible problems using a full 20# bottom pour pot and aluminum molds.

[DanOH]

I don't think I've ever cast any boolits in any weather warmer than 30 degrees.
I like being covered from head to toe in nice thick clothes...just in case the tinsel fairy
might decide to arrive unannounced (never has yet).
Can't comment on how casting in warmer weather would effect boolits...
Come summertime I usually have a pile of boolits that need shooting!

[jdgabbard]

I do a lot of casting in the cold, as I'm an apartment caster/reloader, and its just not practical to do so inside. Below are a list of things that will help you get through...

When possible, get iron molds. Believe it or not, the iron holds more heat and helps you get better boolits. It will give you much better results....

If possible, use some kind of wind break to shield you're pot from the wind. I know that is opposite from what we've learned to do, but the cold wind will knock the temp on you're pot down fast. Causing it to continue to cycle the heater band.

When getting ready to add ingots to the melt, sit a few on the rail on the top of you're pot. After sitting there for 5/10 minutes they should be warm enough to drop into the melt without completely freezing the melt. Trust me, if you drop a cold ingot into the melt you will 1) Freeze the melt, 2) may meet the fairy as a light layer of from may have developed on the ingot.

I know its cold, but don't wear your big heavy nylon jacket... It does melt... Instead go with a good pair of coveralls. They should be enough in that temp to keep you warm. If not you can always add another coat of the same material, on that is not meltable... Wear a hat. It keeps a lot of body heat in.

Hope this helps.

[Spudgunr]

I'd just close the garage doors personally. Otherwise you'll be cold! (See one of my posts I had on here on why I don't think it is a big deal to cast indoors)

[azcruiser]

I'LL never know think it could get that cold at night but not in the daytime here

[louscip]

I casted a couple hundred bullets this evening. I did have to pay attention to the temperature of my mold. I was able to drop some good quality bullets by dipping the mold into the pot every three or four casts to keep the mold hot. Thanks for the advise! I can't wait for summer here in Minnesota. Then I can see what casting is like in the heat!

[Bret4207]

Get something insulated to stand on. I've cast at well below 0 and while it's not the best time, you can do it.

[RobS]

What Brett said does help alot.......once the feet start getting cold it's over. :grin: The only thing that I've run into is with a Lee pot. The thermostat in the pots are in the housing unit and my pot would run hot, hot, hot as the heating element would be running almost straight time putting my alloy on heat darn near all the time. This was when I was casting at 30 degrees or below. If you have a lee pot the only way to know for sure what your alloy is doing is to have a thermometer handy. My pot is the 20lbs pot and with the changes in ambient temps, it's not too much of a problem I just turned it down to the lowest setting and then watched the thermometer and added a cold ingot if needed. In the summer when the temps are hot outside then my pot setting of course change to.

The other suggestions are all good as well.

[Storydude]

I ran 500 10mm and 250 Mihec 45HP's last night...Temp in the garage was 18* when I fired up the coleman.

when lead was melted it was 35* due to the stove heating.

Only problem I had was I couldn't keep my molds COOL enough. After about 100 10mm I plopped my Lee mold onto the snow outside the door for about 1-2 seconds...Let it sizzle off and back to casting.

I won;t rough up my Miha mold the same way...she gets hot, she sits for 10 min or so.

Only reason the molds were so hot is I prefer to not stay out in the cold if I can avoid it :)