First smelting session lessons learned

[robertbank]

Let them cool more in the mold. If you drop them to early they will do that because they have not set up yet. Usually when they get dull on the surface they are ready to be dropped out.

Take Care

[454PB]

It's not unusual for them to break if they are dumped while too hot. I wouldn't call "spongy" normal, they usually look crystalline on the broken edge.

[Pawpaw]

I did my first smelting this weekend and some of my ingots broke when I dropped them out of my mold. The lead looks kind of spongy inside. Is this normal?

Yup! You're not letting them cool long enough before you drop them. The middle is still soft. What you are seeing (spongy) is the metallic crystals partially formed.

You'd be surprised how many broken ingots I drop into the pot. They work just fine. Anecdotally, I was casting hot last night and let the mold get too hot, and I dropped some bullets that broke. I've gotta remember to cool the mold more often when I am casting fast.

By the way, that six hole 311041 we bought as a group-buy sure casts a pile of bullets in a hurry. Good, clean bullets that are suprisingly uniform. This mold is the first six-hole I have owned, and I don't know how I made do with smaller molds.