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WRideout
08-01-2010, 09:47 PM
Although I was a pretty active Boolit caster and shooter a while ago, I had been hit pretty hard with a dose of "real life" and was unable to keep up with casting for about ten or eleven years. I kept all my stuff; my new bride accepted into the household a pile of reloading equipment and several canisters of smokeless powder; which was how I knew this marriage would last. I finally got things together and cast a batch with wheelweight I had been hoarding for a while.

The pictures below show the results of my session. The mold is a 308403 Ideal; it is a bequest from my stepfather. I read in an old Lyman book that this was also called a "Pope bullet", and found a load that called for 12.5 gr of Unique in the 30-06 case. This mold in the Lyman brand is called the 311403, as I understand it. To my everlasting shame, I found that the mold had become slightly rusty in storage, but I attacked it with a brass brush, and it seemed to work okay afterward. I cast 142 keepers that day, and test fired a few later, with no signs of pressure problems. Next event will be to accuracy test. I am using an old Interarms Mark X in 30-06, also a gift from my stepfather.

There are slight ridges on the boolits, but no fins that I can tell. The bases are a bit rough, but they look, overall, like adequate shooters. Is there anything I can do to get those bases a little more smooth? Thanks.

RobS
08-01-2010, 09:57 PM
Welcome back into the world of casting glad to have you here at the forum. Bullets aren't looking too bad either.

WRideout
08-01-2010, 10:13 PM
Welcome back into the world of casting glad to have you here at the forum. Bullets aren't looking too bad either.

Thanks, RobS. I forgot to mention that the recipe for the loads called for water pump grease, smeared on by hand. I am the proud owner of a one pound can of said grease, which is older than the hills. It seemed to work fine; my one question, if anyone can answer, what kind of water pump was this stuff used for? It occurred to me that it may be left over from the days when automobile engines had rebuildable water pumps. I have never seen it on the shelf, anywhere.

Wrideout

Artful
08-01-2010, 10:38 PM
http://greencouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/water_pump.jpg
could be these type of water pumps - had a couple of leather washers that needed greased.

WRideout
08-01-2010, 11:11 PM
http://greencouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/water_pump.jpg
could be these type of water pumps - had a couple of leather washers that needed greased.

I thought about that too; I wonder if this stuff is FDA approved for human consumption?

Wrideout

Bill*
08-01-2010, 11:33 PM
When everyone was using a pump like that, I don't expect there WAS an FDA:mrgreen:

qajaq59
08-02-2010, 09:18 AM
They always called it that, but I don't ever remember anyone using it on a water pump?

beagle
08-02-2010, 09:56 AM
Welcome back into the fold. After 11 years, you'll have some catching up to do. Many changes in that time and you'll be amazed what we have learned and have developed.

Got an old pump like that in the yard. Think it has a couple of sucker washers in it so it may well have been used to grease it and the other innards.

I've sure had some good, cold water out of all those old pumps and FDA aside, I enjoyed it./beagle

Echo
08-02-2010, 01:47 PM
They always called it that, but I don't ever remember anyone using it on a water pump?

Well, >I< did - when in HS, I worked one summer at a Texaco station, and doing a grease job included greasing the water pump. Zerk fitting...

DLCTEX
08-02-2010, 02:07 PM
It was supposed to be somewhat resistant to water contamination. There are better lubes available and most can be smeared on by hand, but check out the threads on pan and tumble lubing.

geargnasher
08-02-2010, 02:20 PM
Water pump grease is used on windmill leathers and cylinders. It helps the standing valve find it's seat when you drop it home, and is a break-in lube that seals and protects the brass cylinder walls until the leathers properly swell to fit. I have no idea what's in it, or even what the base is (probably some kind of metal soap), but it is coffee-colored and stinks to buggary.

Those boolits don't look too bad, but you might get sharper bases if you cast a bit faster to keep the mould hotter and add 1-2% tin to your melt to make the WW flow better.

FWIW,

Gear

qajaq59
08-02-2010, 02:40 PM
At times I wonder if there is anything in the world that's slippery that one of us hasn't used to lube a bullet? :mrgreen:

Wayne Smith
08-02-2010, 02:50 PM
How tight is your sprue plate and have you discovered the Bullshop's Sprue plate lube? That and beeswax makes a good high speed lube. Go to the BullShop logo at the bottom of the page and send a letter and check. Dan posted a few days ago that his internet was down.

WRideout
08-02-2010, 08:20 PM
Water pump grease is used on windmill leathers and cylinders. It helps the standing valve find it's seat when you drop it home, and is a break-in lube that seals and protects the brass cylinder walls until the leathers properly swell to fit. I have no idea what's in it, or even what the base is (probably some kind of metal soap), but it is coffee-colored and stinks to buggary.

Those boolits don't look too bad, but you might get sharper bases if you cast a bit faster to keep the mould hotter and add 1-2% tin to your melt to make the WW flow better.

FWIW,

Gear

You got the description just right on the grease. That does explain a few things. Also, I will probably try the added tin; I have always used straight WW, but a little 50-50 solder wouldn't hurt.

Wrideout

WRideout
08-02-2010, 08:21 PM
Thanks for all the info, guys, it helps.

Wrideout

AZ-Stew
08-02-2010, 09:23 PM
W,

OK. I'll go along with the guys who mentioned automobile water pumps and windmills. They're probably right on the money. If you want some good Blue Grass/Folk-style music about "priming the pump", look up the Chad Mitchell Trio's song, "Desert Pete". It's a real toe-tapper!

As for the boolits, I'll say +1 with geargnasher. Your mould isn't quite hot enough, you may or may not need some tin in you mix and you surely want to leave a generous puddle on your sprue plate with each cast. It provides a reservoir from which the boolit can draw alloy as it cools and shrinks in the mould right after casting. Wait until the puddle hardens before cutting the sprue.

Now that I've given you some free info, where can I get a pistol like the one in your avatar?

Regards,

Stew

geargnasher
08-02-2010, 09:32 PM
Now that I've given you some free info, where can I get a pistol like the one in your avatar?

Regards,

Stew

Brings new meaning to the term "Wrist Wrecker". I bet that baby plows the turf when it torches off.

Gear

Papa Jack
08-03-2010, 03:24 PM
You got the description just right on the grease. That does explain a few things. Also, I will probably try the added tin; I have always used straight WW, but a little 50-50 solder wouldn't hurt.

Wrideout

Just another note on the "Water Pump Grease", a lot of the old pumps and shaft driven machines had threaded cups over the shafts, these cups were filled with the grease and a couple times a day while running you would simply turn the cup down a part of a turn to lubricate the shaft or bearing or what ever it was....
I have a couple cans of that old VEE DOLL pump grease too...A lot of the older loading and casting manuals used a lot of automotive lubricants to lube the bullets, a lot I have use Lithium based grease, or soap based grease..... "Papa Jack" ( new guy.....)

AZ-Stew
08-04-2010, 10:56 PM
Oops.

The Desert Pete song is by the Kingson Trio, not the Chad Mitchell Trio. Here's a link...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP7ggY2cNcs

Regards,

Stew

WRideout
08-21-2010, 11:14 AM
W,

OK. I'll go along with the guys who mentioned automobile water pumps and windmills. They're probably right on the money. If you want some good Blue Grass/Folk-style music about "priming the pump", look up the Chad Mitchell Trio's song, "Desert Pete". It's a real toe-tapper!

As for the boolits, I'll say +1 with geargnasher. Your mould isn't quite hot enough, you may or may not need some tin in you mix and you surely want to leave a generous puddle on your sprue plate with each cast. It provides a reservoir from which the boolit can draw alloy as it cools and shrinks in the mould right after casting. Wait until the puddle hardens before cutting the sprue.

Now that I've given you some free info, where can I get a pistol like the one in your avatar?

Regards,

Stew


Stew,
If you are talking about the M110A2 Howitzer, it was a gift from my uncle. I think they have all been sold to someone in South America or the Middle East by now. I loved it; it would put 200 lb. HE projectiles into a 55 gal drum all day.

Wrideout