Wish me luck

[mattbowen]

Well I got my mold in and am going to start casting one day this week after work when the temp. gets up a little. There is a first time for everything and I am looking forward to it, I am going to try to remember most of what I read but with old times I will take some of the pages out with me. I do have a question how is the best way to heat the mold? I have read that some say to put the mold into the melt and others say over a burner or torch, I will be using a two burner cooker so either way can be done. What would y'all sagest?

Thanks


Matt

[1_Ogre]

I have always put the lead in the pot, heat the pot with the molds sitting on top of it. I have 4-5 castings that just go into the spru box, but after that it's fine. I don't put torches near my molds, I like them too much.

[HATCH]

I have tried it both ways. Heating the mold up on a hot plate, or just casting it cold and letting it warm up.
Both work just fine.
Last time I cast it cold. I let the lead sit in the mold for a minute to let it heat the mold up. Did that the first couple of cast and it was fine after that.

Where the fun comes is when you start casting perfect boolits every time.

[iron mule]

hello matt
i place the mold across the top of the pot and let it heat while the lead is melting
one word of advice if you are casting with a 6 cav start with filling 2 cavs a couple of pours then do 3 for a couple then 4 and so on till you get the mould heated up it will take a lot of strain off the cutter
mule

[crabo]

I always start my mold heating on a hotplate, when I turn on my pot. They are both ready to go at the same time.

[mattbowen]

Thanks for the replies, mine shouldn't be bad I have a one bullet mold for 45/70 I ordered a two cavity mold but they sent a one cavity no big deal as long as I can start casting.

Thanks again

Matt

[1Shirt]

I dip my molds in the lead. About a min for iron molds and about 15-20 seconds for alum. Good advice on the 6 cavs.
1Shirt!

[casterofboolits]

I pre-heat my moulds by sitting them on top of my lead pot for the most part and they are ready to go when the lead is up to temp. I only cast with iron moulds. Even the eight cavity H&G moulds work fine this way.

Two of the eight cavities cover the top of my RCBS 10 kilo pots.

I cast indoors with a commercial exhaust hood over my casting area and in the winter time I have a space heater at my back and set the moulds on it, brings the moulds up to temp even faster.

[mattbowen]

Thanks again guys I think I will try it when I get home if it isn't to late

[stainless1911]

I use a stainless steel brush (toothbrush size) on the mold to get the lead off of it after letting it warm up in the pot.

It might be better to use a brass one in you are using aluminum molds.

[mattbowen]

Thanks I think I have a brass brush the I use on the golf clubs. I just finished casting about 120 and I got about 76 that I can use. I tried to keep the temp at about 725 but that wasn't easy in these temps. I bought the lee 458-405 HB and really don't like the way the nose comes out since the lead is poured through the nose, but I don't reckon that it will hurt and I sure don't think the deer that gets hit with it won't notice. I can say one thing and that is (I DIDN'T WANT TO STOP). I am going to try and get about 200 or 300 done by the end of the week end and I hope I can get a lot better at it. One question " do you clean and flux the pot every time before you cast"?

I am addicted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks

Matt

[stainless1911]

I do clean and flux each time. A dry popsicle stick works pretty good. I just wish they were a little longer.

[mattbowen]

I might try to tape several together