Lurking days are over

[Alchemist]

Howdy to all you boolit makers!

I've been lurking around for a month or so, learning new stuff & re-learning some things I'd forgotten. It's been about 10 years since I did any casting, am I out of practice!

I cast for .38, 9mm, .44, .45, & .30 carbine. I ladle pour, and can't seem to get good fill-out unless I pressure pour. Alloy is usually ww/lino @ a 2:1 ratio. Don't have a thermometer, so unsure of temp....but hotter doesn't seem to make a difference.

What say some of you more experienced/practiced-up lead lovers???

Alchemist

[cbrick]

What say I? I say hi Alchemist, welcome to castboolits.

I'm not very experienced at ladle casting so I'll leave your question to those that are and I'll learn something too.

Rick

[Ghugly]

If you're having the same problem with all of your moulds, I'd have to go with heat being the issue. Try getting the mould so hot that it starts casting frosted boolits. If that cures the problem, and I think it will, back off a bit 'till they lose the frosting. Or, load them that way, a little frosting never hurt a thing.

Another thing that is unlikely, but possible, is that your alloy was contaminated by a zinc wheel weight. 10 years ago that wasn't an issue, but it is getting to be more and more common.

[Leftoverdj]

I've never had a lead thermometer. Drop a crumb of wax or paraffin onto you molten alloy. If it bursts into flames very quickly, you're probably too hot. If it does not catch fiire at all, it's certainly too cold. I haven't timed it, but 15 seconds sounds about right.

My first guess for poor fillout is always mould contamination, and if your moulds are either new or have been stored for 10 years, oil or grease has had plenty of time to get into the pores. I clean by boiling in soapy water at least half an hour and rinsing.

If you insist of using some other method, make sure you are not using a petroleum product . That's just adding a different contaminant. Acetone, denatured alcohol, and MEK work.

Your mix should have enough tin in it. There's a remote possibility that your lino was tin depleted by being used too many times before you got it, so the second thing to try would be to add tin in form of solder. I don't consider that at all likely.

Only other thing I can think of offhand is that you need to be sure your ladle is well up to temp. Cold ladle can cool the alloy before it gets to the mould, but that's rarely a propblem after the first few casts.

[Bigjohn]

Welcome to the Nuthouse, Alchemist. Stick around here long enough and you will become truly addictted.

Heat of the metal would be my assessment of your problem. However, you did not say what brand of mold you are using. Try the method Ghugly mentioned.

John.

[Onlymenotu]

umm my guess is venting,,,, check the mold to see if all the vent lines are open- clean when the alloy goes in,,,,,, the air had to go somewhere.... poor venting = poor fill out,,,, but if it's all boolits/ molds,,,,,, i'm going with heat issuses to cold of mold/alloy.....

good luck

[Bret4207]

Welcome!

[Alchemist]

Thanx for the input fellers...moulds are all RCBS, and I get a few whiskers from the vent lines when I pressure pour so I guess venting is O.K. I'll turn up the heat a little and try some more. It isn't that big of a problem, it just takes a little longer for each mould fill. BTW, I use 2 at once (moulds), alternating...seems to keep mould temp more consistent.

And ya'll are right about this site being addicting...I've never posted anything before...complete newb to posting. I've been reloading for over 30 yrs however.

Alchemist

[Onlymenotu]

and I get a few whiskers from the vent lines when I pressure pour so I guess venting is O.K. I'll turn up the heat a little and try some more.
Alchemist

if your get'n whiskers the venting should be good....... so should the mold/alloy temp,,,,,, try turning-angling- cocking the mold.....slightly as you fill it... and let the alloy swirl in.....

[fishhawk]

wait untill you try the chat some night! you will be a oldtimer befor you know it!

[BigGun]

Ghugly:
Welcome back to this crazy world of bullet casting.
I am also a ladle caster, sounds like your temp of metal and mold are ok from your
comments. try puring from ladle to spur opening without contact between ladle and
mold. If none of the tips here help, start over , let mold cool and start from scratch
with degreasing the mold and etc.etc. Must have the mold grease or lube free......
Biggun

[Sherlok]

I agree with GHUgly. Get it a little too hot, then back off some.

The others are right too. Make sure to clean the moulds with alcohol to get all oil off. Sometimes it takes several cycles (like 50) to get it all out and real good bullets after that. I'm very reluctant to spray oil all over the mouds when I'm through cause it's so hard to get off. So make a year's supply over several days before putting the moulds away.

Also iron moulds take a bit of cycles to break in. Once you do then they pump out great bullets.

Good luck, Sherlok

[Buckshot]

Howdy to all you boolit makers!

Howdy right back. Glad you found us and quit lurking!

I've been lurking around for a month or so, learning new stuff & re-learning some things I'd forgotten.

I can forget daily.

It's been about 10 years since I did any casting, am I out of practice!

It's like riding a bike. What's nice is you can remelt your mistakes.

I cast for .38, 9mm, .44, .45, & .30 carbine.

Great. Another peestol guy (insert sarcasm here)

I ladle pour, and can't seem to get good fill-out unless I pressure pour. Alloy is usually ww/lino @ a 2:1 ratio.

In ALL the moulds, ALL the time?

Don't have a thermometer, so unsure of temp....but hotter doesn't seem to make a difference.

Hmmmmmm, how hot to begin with, and how much hotter is 'hotter'?

Since you've been out of it for awile, how did you prep your moulds for storage. Better yet, how did you er, UN-prep them? Poor fillout can be:

1) Cavities not clean
2) Alloy not hot enough
3) Slow pour
4) Poor venting
5) Alloy needs a tad of tin (but your indicated alloy 'should' be sufficient unless it's old burned out lino. In that case you have a load of antimony and lead. If you can stand it, buy a LB of lead free solder and add about 3 oz's to a 20 lb pot of your mix and see what happens.

................Buckshot

[dromia]

Helloooooooooooooo Alchemist

[WHITETAIL]

Alchemist, Welcome to the forum!

[Alchemist]

Howdy to all you boolit makers!

Howdy right back. Glad you found us and quit lurking!

I've been lurking around for a month or so, learning new stuff & re-learning some things I'd forgotten.

I can forget daily.

It's been about 10 years since I did any casting, am I out of practice!

It's like riding a bike. What's nice is you can remelt your mistakes.

I cast for .38, 9mm, .44, .45, & .30 carbine.

Great. Another peestol guy (insert sarcasm here)

Is that a bad thing?

I ladle pour, and can't seem to get good fill-out unless I pressure pour. Alloy is usually ww/lino @ a 2:1 ratio.

In ALL the moulds, ALL the time?

Don't have a thermometer, so unsure of temp....but hotter doesn't seem to make a difference.

Hmmmmmm, how hot to begin with, and how much hotter is 'hotter'?

Lee precision melter, turned up from about 6.5 to 8

Since you've been out of it for awile, how did you prep your moulds for storage. Better yet, how did you er, UN-prep them? Poor fillout can be:

Moulds were in thier boxes sitting on my loading bench, with a coating of Midway Drop-out. Never have oiled them since I got them new and de-greased them.
1) Cavities not clean
2) Alloy not hot enough
3) Slow pour
4) Poor venting
5) Alloy needs a tad of tin (but your indicated alloy 'should' be sufficient unless it's old burned out lino. In that case you have a load of antimony and lead. If you can stand it, buy a LB of lead free solder and add about 3 oz's to a 20 lb pot of your mix and see what happens.

Unsure what the history of my alloy is. A buddy found about 100# of used type-metal in a dump and gave it to me. Is there a way to determine % of tin or do I have to go by how the alloy "acts" ? I'm using Marvelux to flux with...metal seems real "runny" for a while, then gradually "thickens up". I usually re-flux at that point, as I've read somewhere years back that the tin was floating off in that dull looking "scum" on top. I have some 50/50 bar solder and a few #s of pure tin, but haven't added any yet, as IIRC anything over 2% in the mix is "wasted".



Thanx for all the inputs...wish I'd found this site sooner; it inspired me to get my moulds back out of the box!



................Buckshot

Alchemist

[waksupi]

Welcome aboard. I know I miss some who climb in over the rail, and don't say howdy to every new member. That ain't because you're being ignored, it just reflects the fast growth of the board!

[sundog]

Hi, Alchemist. 30 years of reloading.eh? I bet WE can learn something for YOU!

How do those not so well filled out boolits shoot?

Also, what type moulds are you using, i.e, aluminium, mehanite, brass...?

Clean and heat, usually helps. If they are clean, chances are vent lines are open. May need a user induced vent line under the sprue plate.

What about sprue hole size?

I've gone as far as degreasing an offending mould and cold bluing the cavities.