Started Casting

[.5mv^2]

I got a nice present from my wife recently. She got me a bottom pour 10 pound pot, a 105g SWC mold and a .358 sizer.

My background: We have been shooting precast and jacketed bullets for some time. Our berm has been recycled a few times, I havve smelted a fair quantity of lead into small cupcakes.

I have made a couple hundred bullets so far. Once I got everything hot enough I was making good looking bullets. I miced them and they were .359-.360"

I have shot them in both 9 and 38 Most I lubed and sized. No failures Not too much leading. Today an old friend promised me a 45 mold.

[bobthenailer]

ALERT !! another shooter hooked on casting pb bullets ! welcome to the fourm! Bob

[Ben]

Yep, after you've spent the standard $4,000.00, things will slow down and you'll begin to save some money.............

Welcome.

Ben

[docone31]

With bottom pours, especially a small one, melt the findings in a seperate pot, then put them in the bottom pour. Occasionally, scrape the inside while it is melted with a long handled screw driver. It is amazing how much crud settles on the bottom, even with clean lead.
You need to keep the heat up on those. The nozzle is temperature sensitive. If you are casting in a cool room, it can slug up. I run mine HOT. When I shut down, I turn the tip several rotations then let it all cool down. I have yet to see the drip monster after all these years.
If the nozzle cruds up, take a paper clip, put in a pencil, or hold it with needle nose pliers, then clean out the nozzle. Flakes of crud will go to the tip.
Personally, I like mine. I have used bottom pours for years. I have run zinc through mine. Troublesome, but it can be done. A mix works better. I use Kitty Litter for a top cover while melting and pouring. I water drop, so I can take rejects, put them on the litter, and they will melt back into the pot.
I do not directly place rejects in molten lead. I preheat them first.
Good luck, and good casting.
The journey begins.

[mdi]

Let's see, you're taking lead and melting and casting it into bullets. Then yer loading them and shooting 'em outta yer gun. I do believe YOU'RE HOOKED!...

I too recommend you smelt in a different pot than you pour from to keep your alloy as clean as possible (and to keep the spout from getting clogged or drippy). I flux with sawdust and stir with a wooden stick (paint stir sticks) and it seems to work well for me. Keep in touch with this forum and you'll find a bunch of good info, thar will serve you well in your casting endeavor.

Welcome to the Brotherhood of The Silver Stream...

[.5mv^2]

Thanks for the replies,
I make my cupcakes on an outside gas burner. I agree that there is a lot of dirt and debris even after that. I am thinking eventually I am going to have melt what is in the pot into more cupcakes and discard the rest.
MDI are you advising throwing in a small quantity of sawdust into my bottom pour or on my outside cupcake maker? Or Both?

I wanted to start with something simple and a round that would shoot in either 9 or 38. As my precast rounds dwindle I will probably get other calibers. I imagine that I will either add or streamline techniques to make better bullets.

I am more of a reader than a writer. Keep posting and I'll keep reading.

[geargnasher]

Sucker! Yer hooked now!

Soon you'll be making cash deals on used wheel weights behind service stations after closing time, searching curbs at intersections late at night for them, trolling the S/S section for used moulds and solder ingots, you'll withdraw from your family and friends, soon they'll ask for an intervention......

Gear

[Boolseye]

I love it. What a wonderful present! You did well (on both fronts, casting and marriage).
Welcome to the board. That sounds like a wonderful little boolit to start with, everything you need for 9mm and .38/.357–very versatile. I hope it's a six-banger! If they make it in 6-cav, that's the one I will always choose. They're robust, well-machined and sooo much faster. I have a few 2-cavs, and they're fine as well.
-jp

[Boolseye]

yep, after you've spent the standard $4,000.00, things will slow down and you'll begin to save some money.............

lmao.

[Harter66]

yep, after you've spent the standard $4,000.00, things will slow down and you'll begin to save some money........


More truth than poetry.

The guy that gives you a mould is not your friend , he just doesn't want to go to the meetings alone anymore.

Welcome to the fold!

[.5mv^2]

Although I do the casting, she helps to make them go away. It's a partnership.

Mine is a 2 holer. Thought that would be best for a new caster. I see the advantage to having a 6 holer but thought that I would rather make two rejects than do it 6 at a time.

[Boolseye]

Awesome. How's the accuracy in 9mm?

[johnho]

I thought you guys were trying to scare the new guy with that $4,000 stuff. So I checked on my costs-I keep track of all my costs for this casting and reloading game. Well, I am only up to $2,480 for casting so you guys stop scareing him.
Best $2480 I ever spent too. Other than the reloading costs of course.

[.5mv^2]

Hi
So far no accuracy testing. Maybe can check it out tomorrow. My wife hit our 6x12 gong with one @ 70 yards with her glock 19 v2.

We are using 4.8gr of w231. in the 9s. It cycles in all of the 9mm lugers that I have tried. I have tried it a glock, Keltec a springfield. 38's in a smith, so far. Going to get the Chrony out to see what happens.

Not worried about spending a lot of money. No way to pay for it. Just cruising.

[MtGun44]

KE -
Congratulations, great choice. This is the first mold I bought in 1976. Still have it, still a
good mold and good design.

Bill

[Boolseye]

When I first got interested last year, I told the guy I was buying boolits from, "I think I'd like to try casting." He told me I couldn't afford it. One year later I cast for almost every caliber that I shoot (I don't cast .22), and a couple others besides. I actually don't think my layout has been much over $500, total, though I'm probably being optimistic. Lee is pretty darn affordable. A lot of the outlay is time, gathering range scrap, smelting, experimenting...and I enjoy every minute of it.

[MikeS]

I thought you guys were trying to scare the new guy with that $4,000 stuff. So I checked on my costs-I keep track of all my costs for this casting and reloading game. Well, I am only up to $2,480 for casting so you guys stop scareing him.
Best $2480 I ever spent too. Other than the reloading costs of course.

Another $1520 to go!

[MikeS]

MDI are you advising throwing in a small quantity of sawdust into my bottom pour or on my outside cupcake maker? Or Both?

I'm not MDI, but I would say both. Or in other words, use the sawdust as your flux. For making the cupcakes (AKA ingots) I would flux with sawdust, then once it's burned up, and you've mixed it thru your alloy, skim it off so you can get to the lead. On the bottom pour pot, flux with plenty of it, and you can basically use it to keep your alloy covered, rather than the kitty litter. The 2 best forms of sawdust flux (IMHO) is PatMarlin's CFF flux (best), and pine small animal bedding (2nd best). Either one is fairly cheap to buy, and will last you a long time. I would say the CFF alone would be good for fluxing your smelting pot, and either CFF followed by the bedding, or what I do, a mix of the 2 would work well in the bottom pour pot. I find the bedding makes a better cover over a bottom pour than the CFF alone, and by mixing them together I get the best of both worlds! I find that the CFF alone tends to become ash much quicker than with the bedding mixed in, and so doesn't make as good a cover (although it's the best just to flux the metal).

[220swiftfn]

I got a nice present from my wife recently. She got me a bottom pour 10 pound pot, a 105g SWC mold and a .358 sizer.

I see your wife likes her "alone time".......





Very understanding wife, congrats!!!


Dan

[Boolseye]

MDI are you advising throwing in a small quantity of sawdust into my bottom pour or on my outside cupcake maker? Or Both?

+1 on both. Sawdust is your friend.