First time question

[Caster456]

Just cast my first batch and about half of them look like they have cracks in them.
I'm using WW, is this normal or I'm missing something?
Are they still usable for simple target shooting?

Any tips would be great. Thanks C

[runfiverun]

clean the mold well then do it again.
get the mold hot and keep it there.
if it's a lee read the instructions.

[Caster456]

clean the mold well then do it again.
get the mold hot and keep it there.
if it's a lee read the instructions.

It is a lee mold. What's the best way to clean it.

[BrianB]

I've just used alcohol in the past to clean and never had any problems with Lee or Lyman. Sounds like temperature to me. Your lead probably just isn't hot enough. Heating your mold according to the instructions will cut down on the time it takes to get it up to temperature. It isn't uncommon for your first few bullets to look like your description. After a few though, you should start getting good fill-out and clean, crisp edges on the bands.
Make sure your mold is bone dry before you use it. Water/liquids and molten lead do not work or play well together, though you probably already know that.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Lots of help here on the cast Boolets site, but I also read that Lyman is coming out with a new cast bullet book.

The last one was a good read as to your questions, plus all the loading info it contained, so you should watch for the new book as soon as it is available.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Wayne Smith]

Cracks, as in open splits, or lines where the mold halves come together?

[runfiverun]

look up the leementing sticky here.
most boil in water with dawn soap then a good hot water rinsing.
a scrub with a toothbrush during the soap round helps a ton.

[Caster456]

Cracks, as in open splits, or lines where the mold halves come together?

it looks like its got a fold in it.

[MtGun44]

Mold cavity not clean enough or metal and mold not hot enough, likely both.

Simplest and easiest cleaning for me is a bit of Ajax or Comet with an old
toothbrush, scrub rinse with very hot water so it dries quickly. Get your
metal hotter, you will need to cast at least 15 times to get the mold up
to temp so just cast cut and dump into a trash pile or can for about 15
times, then start looking at them and see if the mold is up to temp. If
it is still wrinkly by the 25th cast or so, increase the metal temp some more
and start over as the mold will be cooled down by the time the metal is
hotter.

Good luck. Please browse the stickys and use the search function. There is tons
of info and we get the same questions about 10 times per week in many cases
so you can piggyback off somebody else's answers for free and much quicker than
waiting for an answer.

[armyrat1970]

Many guys here use them and I just bought one a couple of weeks ago. A hot plate.
When I turn on my pot, I turn on the hot plate and set the mold on it. I turn it all the way up to the highest setting. Once the alloy is melted and my temps get to around 650 I'll try to cast. If they come out nice I'll roll with it at that. If they start to get some wrinkles after 20 or so boolits I'll crank up the heat on my pot and set the mold on the hot plate while waiting for the alloy to get hotter.
Using Lee molds I have found they really like to be run hot. Really hot. If it is a little cold outside, they will start to cool if your alloy temps are not high enough. I have found my molds drop better when the alloy temps are around 780.
Maybe others have different results but I have tried to cast with lower alloy temps, like 650 or 700. It will work for a few cast but then the mold starts to cool off. I always have to get the alloy hotter to keep dropping good boolits for awhile. If I take a break I throw all the sprues back in. Check my boolits and throw in all the rejects. Place my mold on the hot plate. Smoke a cigarette or two. Stir the pot. Drink a beer. By that time the alloy, and mold, has heated back up and I can roll again.