Well all of my drilling from the other night put a crack in the spout, just not where I wanted it to be. So the new pot should be here Monday and I will be able to start pouring from the spout.
I hand poured another 120 last night with a dripping pot, these were 230 gr RN.
I am heading up to Wallyworld in a little while to get my powder coating supplies and I will get all my casts coated and baked.
Then I will put a charge behind them and takem to the range.
"The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms."
- Samuel Adams
COTEP CBOB0736
I've run thousands of those Lee 200gr SWC's through 1911's and they feed without issue. I'll second the suggestion that you clean the smoke out of the cavities though, you really don't want anything in the cavity other than lead. If you have problems with the boolits dropping simply polish the cavities with comet on a cast boolit with a little water and a screw in the base and you're in business. I understand that the Lee instructions for their molds say to smoke the cavities but it really isn't necessary.
As far as your spout not pouring, I've found with the Lee bottom pour pots that a between 700° and 750° is necessary. Heat rises and the spout is of course at the bottom of the pot causing it to be slightly cooler than where your thermometer probe might be. Also with a bottom pour you're not constantly "stirring" the pot with a ladle so theoretically you will have cooler temps at the bottom.
Another tip for controlling you temperature is to leave the adjustment knob alone once you find your sweet spot. You can adjust the temp down by adding back your sprues and the chunk from your drip pan (small tart pan works good on Lee bottom pours) if you notice it creeping above 750°.
my drip o matic is set at 5.5-6 on the knob and really never change it, just get your mold hot first.
Reminds me to buy a small electric stove thing to put mold on.
Personally I've never understood the hotplate thing. I just set my mold(s) across the top of the pot after I've got my alloy up to the level that I want and preheat them there. Within five pours I'm dropping purty boolits.
Great looking bullets. Let us know how they shot for you.
WOW, look at those beauties. Well done for your first time. CAST ON!!!
May all your bullets find the Bullseye.
Wayne in post # 5 suggested "Enjoy. I can't respond to the pot issues because I ladle pour everything. My advice is to re-clean your mould and cast with it bare naked."
WOW, I want to be wearing all the protective gear I have when I cast. - LOL But if Wayne is 6' 0", Blonde, 38,24,36 and female and casting bare naked THEN I want to be standing with her - pouring lead !!! - LOL
Ron H
Yes I use the same setup but with the 20 lb version from lee. Only time it started to drip I followed the instruction and moved the flow screw in and out a few times. No more leak. Also your idea of testing a few boolits is a good one. These shoot fine in my Kimber and the ruger sr 1911. Hope they work well for you too
Nice looking boolits. Me thinks your significant other won't see you for a while between the casting testing and repeating!
jeepyj
Sometimes it takes a second box of boolits to clear my head.
Feed back thread http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...?261449-jeepyj
Good job, welcome to the affliction!
Endowment Life Member NRA, Life Member TSRA, Member WACA, NRA Whittington Center, BBHC
Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe
I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call, Lonesome Dove
Some of my favorite recipes start out with a handful of depleted counterbalance devices.
Nice looking boolits. I like that 230 rn tumble lube mold, it has shot real well for me
Never liked the lee 200 swc, too many problems that were IMMEDIATELY overcome by the h&g 68 clone from accurate. But plenty others like it
Did i mention, nice looking boolits? How soft are they? So shiny and pretty, it usually takes me pouring near pure lead for that. Are you maybe doing a 20:1? Or even 30:1?
I cast another 180 a couple of nights ago. Still working on PCing them. These are cast from range scrap ingots so they are fairly soft. I haven't tested the hardness but I get a full melt around 600 degrees F.
"The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms."
- Samuel Adams
COTEP CBOB0736
I found that if I keep the molten lead around 700 degrees F they turn out real shiny. Below 650 and they have a little frosted look to them.
"The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms."
- Samuel Adams
COTEP CBOB0736
I,m still gearing up for my first pours and I already have 15 Molds hmmmmmmm
You're gonna do well tiger!
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