Beginner ladle caster here. I've read conflicting remarks about modifying a Lyman or RCBS ladle. Should I drill the exit hole out or not? If so, what size?
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Beginner ladle caster here. I've read conflicting remarks about modifying a Lyman or RCBS ladle. Should I drill the exit hole out or not? If so, what size?
I wouldn't worry about drilling the hole out. I did shorten the handle on a new Lyman ladle to make it easier to use.
Some grind/file the outside of the spout down so that it fits the hole in the sprue plate a bit better.
Yup, I also grind the spout down a little to fit the sprue-plate hole better. Maybe even file a small slot in the side of the hole on top of the plate ... might let any air out of the mold better.
YMMV
Jim
I have played with ladles. I did drill out a spout to .200 or so. and it helped speed the fill some. I have cleaned up the angle on the outside and cut a .030 slot up the side to let air out helps when pressure pouring more. I have an rcbs ladle with the original spout plugged and cut off and 2 spouts on center line for my double cavity moulds. This fills them fast and speeds casting but also makes it easier to over heat the mould blocks. On a plus it does help get them up to temp faster.
I drill them out to .200 -.205 dia set up in drill press with a drill that fits snug in the hole and clamp solidly in a vise. change drills and drill out. I then lightly chamfer the edges inside and out. A little heavier on the inside. For the inside a ball stone long in a dremil tool works.
To clean up the mating taper I have a dowel rod with a small hole drilled and chamfer cut with a countersink. I use this with coarse lapping compound to polish the angle up . The small slot is then cut with a .030 cutoff wheel and dremil tool.
Both these mods tend to help me out and make casting good bullets easier.
The double spout was a lot of work to do. I made a fixture to hold the ladle with the new holes drilled in it to provide alighnment. I tapped the original out to 1/4 28 -.005 and ran a bolt in. peened it over on the inside and backed it out to tighten it up. I cut the spout off cleaned up the outside and lightly peened the bolt on the outside. I then used a center drill with a bushing to spot holes. a letter R drill to drill. taped 18 27 NPT. Installed 2 - 1/8" 27 pipe nipples and cut off then formed the noses. I may shorten the handle to give better control As per Don McDowels recommendation.
Another little mod that can be handy I do is add a stop collar to the shaft. just past center from the ladle so head hangs heavy. I can hook this on the pot edge keeping the ladle in the lead and the handle back some out of the heat and easier to grab.
The #1 rowel ladle works very well as is but is on the big side at 1Lb capacity.
i use both of those ladles and i've had no need to do anything to either other than use 'em a lot - for trad muzzleloader .32 to .62 balls, and .358 to .459 bullet moulds for handguns and bpcr/btpr guns, with moulds of aluminum, brass or steel. i clean up the hot ladle after a casting session with a wire brush and the rest is in yer casting technique. it ain't rocket science, but it is an art of sorts.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irascible
Having both, plus a couple Rowell's, I found I prefer one over the other. For whatever reason, the RCBS is my favorite and I put a new handle on it whenever the old one gets worn and crispy. Rehandled it 3 times already, but it is 20+ years old. I have opened the spout up a small amount, but it is more about cleaning it out than needing more flow. After every couple sessions, I take a stiff steel brush to it. As to whether you need to modify them or not, I would use it first and see if it works the way it is first. I've never needed to cut a slot for air to escape. Good idea though.
The only thing I use the large Rowell ladles for is making ingots.
I have cast the RCBS 40-400 with the standard Lyman ladle unmodified with both pure lead and 30-1 without problems. No need to modify. I have also cast the Lyman 457125 520gr boolit the same way. In fact, I only ladle cast and have never modified my ladle.
I have been pouring 505 grain 575-213 hollow base minie balls for 55 years with a Lyman bottom pour ladle with no modifications at all and have never had an issue - you'll be fine with out any alterations. Make sure your mold is hot nd they'll pour just fine.
OP-Try it first........
Don't 'fix' what ain't broke.
LG
I am a life long caster and have three ladles, Four really, but I dan't count the Rowell as a bullet casting ladle. Tried it. No up side - all down side for bullets. They can make great looking ingots.
Of the three casting ladles:
One each Lyman egg shaped, Rapine and an RCBS ladle.
I will throw in with the "use them as they come" crowd.
One time, I had a bunch of crud build up in the Lyman. On a whim, I chucked up a handy drill bit into a cordless drill and cleaned it out. The bit turned out to be about one size larger than it needed to be and the ladle now pours bullets as well as the others, but much quicker to fill and that is Okay, but don't mess with drilling them. Just get some casting time on yours and you will be fine.
If it's a new Lyman dipper it doesn't need drilling. The spout hole is the size I drilled the old ones to.
There is no reason to make the hole in a ladle larger then the hole in the sprue plate or have a vented sprue plate as well as a vented ladle. The hole on the sprue plate from Buff Arms, Brooks or Paul Jones run about .156" and the RCBS ladle is .165" when it's clean :) The mould will only take so much at a time through the hole. I have some of my moulds I ordered with a .100" hole and it casts a lot more uniform weight then the .150" plus do.
As far as vented sprue plates, what are you venting out when the alloy completely fills the sprue plate hole, all you do is loose the alloy that fills the cavity. That is the purpose the vent lines on the mould block are for. Start the pour slow with the cavity horizontal so the air bleeds off through the vent lines and rotate the mould slowly and you will have a clean bright bullet with out the gray blemishes you will get holding the ladle above the plate and dumping the alloy in.
OK, thanks guys. Shortening the handle sounds like a winner, it did seem a bit unwieldy.
I shortened the handle on the new Lyman ladle to closer match the length of my 60 year old Ideal ladle. The new handle was so long that it made for some really tiring casting sessions, and was a bit unwieldy. Punched out the pin holding the wood handle on, cut the rod shorter, and drilled a hole for the pin. Much better.