Question for Boolit Casters

[SgtDog0311]

Thanks oso, all easy adjustments. Appreciate the input.

[Frozone]

If it's on one side consistently, and not the whole base, I bet you hold the mold at a small angle.
Try loosening the sprue plate a little for better venting of the last little bit.

[Changeling]

I've always found Veral to be a very fair man. If you have a problem I strongly suggest you email him concerning it!

[Echo]

I call 'em 'roundheels'. Agree with not hot enough and/or too much surface tension (not enough Sn). The way I tell if the sprue plate is too hot is when the sprue alloy flows off the plate like water! Time to cool it down (lay upside down on a wet rag and let it steam for a few seconds). Too cold is when roundheels start showing up (among other things).

[guicksylver]

I'll go along with Wayne S. (Kinda) If you have to pressure pour then something is not hot enough OR your pour rate could be too slow.

With large boolits like these you need volume to maintain a hot stream, by the time the alloy makes it to the top of the mold the stream and boolit body have already started to cool off.

Just for grins back off the sprue plate screw and see what happens.

All the advice you have gotten is good.

Try to remember EVERY mold has its own personality.

Good luck

[a.squibload]

I have a 2 cavity mold that likes pressure-pour in one & swirl in the other.

Try some cheap pewter from the thrift store, even less than 1% seems to help.

[SgtDog0311]

Frozone, actually the "roundheels" are quite uniform, at least from a visual inspection. And I think (don't know, just think) the weight distribution of the entire session would show it more if they were not.

Changeling, I've found Veral to be the same. Thanks! Want to be sure it's not the bonehead on the end of the handles first. Perplexing to me was in having a couple LBTs for the 45 Colt, and one each for the 32-20 and 32-40 and never experiencing this…

I'm suspecting venting, even with the generous venting Veral cuts in the top. Could be my fault – if I neglected to clean the underside of the Sprue plate well enough. As for heat there… I'm pouring a Sprue puddle as large as it will go without overflow and I'm keeping the sprue hot enough to make for a very slow cool-down. For Echo.. I've HAVE had it hot enough to run like water... no impact to the heels, much as it surprised me.

So, I’ll loosen it – try it. Clean it – try it. Smoke it – try it. Lightly touch the corners of the mold top with a file – try it. All those are reasonable first-step suggestions picked up from you gents either in this thread or on MO. I'll do all that running the batch a little hotter and starting with hotter mold. If that does not do it then next step will be the tin.

For you fellahs suggesting I add tin, don’t think I’m stubborn on that. Just don't want to incur more costs or have a different mix for this one mold if that’s not my issue. Not till I'm sure anyway. Just don’t want anyone to think I don’t appreciate that suggestion or that I’m too stubborn to follow up on it. I will if I can’t adjust it out of the mold with technique or otherwise.

Too cold here for this fellah to work in the garage just now but I'll post what I find when I do. Again, Appreciate all your input. It's been very helpful.

[Greg B.]

I don't hesitate to pour with overflow and find I get better fill. Sometimes when the sprew plate screw gets loose on some of my moulds I get a bit of flashing on the boolit bases which is just the opposite of the bevel you are describing. Veral also has a question and answer section on the "Greybeards Outdoor" site and this would be an interesting question to ask him.