Look where I spent the day

[10mmShooter]

I spent a peaceful Saturday afternoon casting away. :castmine: I ditched my 4-banger molds and have found I'm better able to control the mold temp and get a better production rate and less rejects by just using two 2bangers. I cast today alternating between my 44-250-SWC and my 10mm-205-SWC, cast up about a 1000 rounds. I would fill the two molds and then empty, and repeat, if one mold got to hot, I would double up on the other one to let it cool, you cant see in the picture, my spong is on the lower shelf on my talbe. The picture is from early on. Kinda a Zen thing, very peaceful no distractions, just concentrate on the job at hand.


http://www.keithrussell.net/casting.jpg

[Trey45]

Looks like you have a nice shady spot there too. One of these days I'm going to have an RCBS bottom pour like that one. Is that a table leg you have for a sprue knocker?

[10mmShooter]

no talbe leg..just a piece of wood Midway sells, when it breaks, I think I'll go to Lowes and just get a "table leg" probalby cheaper. I paid like $8 from Midway. I could use a big dowel rod too I guess.

[crabo]

I buy a hickory sledge handle for the same price and cut it in smaller pieces. I then drill a hole and pour lead in the end. It works out really well and I have more handles for the same price.

[45-70 Chevroner]

If you will cut a nice size about 4" long and 2" indiameter piece of hard wood and drill a hole in the side of it. And attach it to the table leg kind of like a hammer it will work a lot better. It will last a lot longer like 10 times longer than hitting with the side of the table leg. I can see that your mallet is wearing or chipping away. I have a wood mallet I bout about 15 years ago and it is still going strong.
The piece of hardwood is better if it is round.

[Bwana]

I don't use a wood "knocker" anymore. Several years ago I bought a 12"X3/4" piece of round high density poly. No splintering, same weight, wears like iron.

[gray wolf]

Now that looks like a nice day well spent. I have many under my belt also.
I love to here that a casting brother had a nice day.
Many more to you--
P/S Your knocker looks good to me, I use an old ax handle--but I like the piece of poly idea.

[Fixxah]

That looks like a re-painted Mag20.

[anachronism]

That looks like a re-painted Mag20.

It's not repainted. My Mag20 looks exactly like that too.

[longbow]

I have to agree about the two cavity moulds. I have one six cavity that does pretty well as it has fairly light blocks and two 4 cavity NOE .30 cal moulds. All are beautifully made and do cast well but I do not think I am getting double the production rate. They take longer to heat up (I use a hot plate too), and it seems I spend more time knocking boolits out of cavities. I also find I have to cast much hotter to keep mould temperature up ~ maybe the mould blocks are large for the lead mass.

I find the two cavity moulds more "comfortable" and easier to keep working in a rhythm.

Maybe I will get used to these but I almost wish I had gotten all two cavity moulds.

Also nice to hear you had a good day casting. I find a day of casting very therapeutic as well.

Take care and enjoy.

Longbow

[Fly]

I did my FIRST cast yesterday.They turned out pretty good after I finally got the hang of
it.But dam you go threw a bunch of WW's.I just had no idea?