Bottom Pour Pots

[John J]

To all that use a bottom pour pot...how far from the spout to the top of the sprue plate do you leave/prefer?

Thanks

John J

[x101airborne]

i am currently set at 3/8 - 1/2 inch. Usually around 3/8. Much more, and I start having all kinds of trouble.

[skeet1]

Around 1/2 to 3/4 inch.

skeet1

[trk]

I have a Lyman Mag 20.
I will first adjust the rate of flow to where I don't get fins around the base next to the sprue cutter, and then cast - adjusting the height from 1/2" to 1" for the best fill on the bullets.

Temperature of pot, temperature of the mould, rate of production, rate of flow, pressure. They all interact. It's an art. Pay close attention to what's coming out of the mould.

Did I mention alloy?

[HammerMTB]

Usually "zero" makes the most consistent results for me. I do have 1 mold that doesn't like pressure pour from the spout and in that case it's about 3/8"

[Calamity Jake]

I let the mold tell me what it wants for good boolits, I have a couple that require pressure casting, a couple that require a laddle the rest 3/8-1/2" away.

[wallenba]

Just enough so that It won't drag a smear of alloy from the bottom of the spout, plus about 1/16 of an inch.

[Moonie]

1/3" to 1/2" works best for me for all of my molds. Enough to see the stream and have some clearance between the guide and the spout so I don't drag on one or the other.

[runfiverun]

i'm closer to 5/8ths- 3/4".
and often i let the alloy run into the mold from the sprue plate.
occasionally a mold likes to have the stream shot directly into the cavity.
i use a 40 lb pot though.

[mdi]

For me it depends on the mold. Most molds 1/2" or so is good, but one mold I use preferrs contact with the spout, aka; "pressure pouring".

[SP101GUY]

I'm in the 1/2 to 3/4" range myself.

AJ

[snuffy]

I never bothered to measure. I'd have to guess less than ½ inch, enough to be able to see the stream entering the sprue hole.

I've never had a mold work well WITHOUT the stream going right into the center of the sprue hole. But then, the bigger 45 rifle boolits require a ladle to fill out, I AKA pressure cast.

[Mk42gunner]

I let the mold tell me what it wants for good boolits, I have a couple that require pressure casting, a couple that require a laddle the rest 3/8-1/2" away.

I do like Calamity Jake.

The mold will tell you how it likesto be filled, they aren't all the same.

Robert

[Echo]

+1 for 1/2", +/-....

[John J]

thanks to all your help..gives me a place to start

John J

[WHITETAIL]

I watch when I pour so I would say 1/2 inch will do.

[mdi]

Experiment a bit. You may see differences in finished boolits if you let the stream go straight down the sprue hole, or flow on the side of the hole, or tilt the mold to one side, nearer or farther from the spout, etc...

[GaryM]

Around 1/2 inch. I don't really watch for the distance, I just hold it so i can see the stream pouring in and how big of a puddle I get on the sprue cutter before moving to the next cavity.

[dverna]

The alloy and pot temperature you are using may affect this as well.

Don

[44man]

About a foot or so! I plug the silly hole and ladle cast.