Getting ready for 1st casting session, and need some advice.

[lumberjacklurch]

I looked at the Lee C press, and thought about it as a possibility. However, I think that if I'm going to forego the cheapy Lee press, I'd rather get the Hornady Classic press ($130). I already have the Hornady progressive press, and I really like the bushing setup they have where you can set your dies in the bushing and interchange them within seconds. I think it would be a nicer alternative from a turret press if I was going to use a single stage press. Just my noobie opinion though.

[hutch18414]

You really should think about trying Ben's liquid lube. I just ran 30 full house .44 magnum loads, no leading, no smoke, and a clean bore with just a dry patch. Quick, simple and easy,no mess and no fuss. And lubed boolits store well with a hard finish. No sticking together or lube melting in hot weather.

[Nose Dive]

lumbrejacklurch: Those are some spiffy looking boolits buddy! Wish my first castings had looked that good!

I feel too a bit of the pewter may help the overall 'shinnyness' of the product. You got some, dump it in the smelt pot! But, save the boolits you have...those are dandy boolits!

Did you spend the time on this site, in this section, LEAD-LEAD Alloys" and read all of the stickies? Budget some time, but, there is a wealth of information, technical data, 'custom' smelting and casting techniqes in there that you cannot, cannot, cannot dig out of 20 other information locations. Also, there is some good 'cheat sheets' that tell you how to save time, money, heartache, and tricks to get good boolits out of some not so good smelt materials. And some darn good safety steps while smelting and casting. Again, it will take some TIME, but TIME SPENT LEARNING is not wasted time.

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm
http://ww1.pewtertankardsflagons.com/

Above are two other sites and info sheets that are jam packed with casting and smelting steps.

You mentioned you were going to water drop. I do that too! Yep...from the mould into a bucket of cold water! I cheat down on my WW and lead mix...by weight I use about 35 to 40% WW and a bit of pewter and water drop. This makes me feel like I am conserving my WW's smelt 'bisquits' and still get my brinnel that I target. But, who knows? And since my smelts are the 'bad news bears' on what is in there, sometimes things come out OK,,,sometimes I have to resmelt to get the desired fill out and appearance I like.

Be sure to read in the stickies about smelting. You can get into trouble and get hurt without know why, how or how come. It is all in there. Just read all you can and learn from the fellas who have been casting boolits for a few years.

Again, Good Work! I want to see your loaded boolits and maybe a few pics of your targets after sending those little honies down range.

Nose Dive

Cheap, Fast, Good. Kindly pick two.

PS..be sure to read the info about how to make your own lube in Ingot to Target data above. ND

[RogerDat]

....I really like the bushing setup they have where you can set your dies in the bushing and interchange them within seconds. I think it would be a nicer alternative from a turret press if I was going to use a single stage press. Just my noobie opinion though.

Those bushings are nice, they fit in some other presses. I have sort of been considering a Lee Classic single stage and with the stock threaded bushing removed it can take the quick change bushing adapter instead. Hornady makes a good press, Lee does too, as does RCBS. I'm not sure how much price is or should be a factor. It is a tool, has to be comfortable to your hand, suit what you desire to see sitting on your bench.

That hollow ram spent primer collection was the feature that really made the lower price Lee presses stand out for me. Other people have different criteria. I also do use a couple of older C presses just not for primer removal. I do take some enjoyment from how solid a tool they are.

[lumberjacklurch]

Just a quick update, I decided to buy the Redding T-7 turret press. Brownell's has it on sale right now for $270!

[popper]

50/50 COWW/pure will do fine, WD if you want. Reduce the pure for hotter loads. Works for 40SW which is much higher pressure than 44 special. Get some ECO 100 AC oil, wipe it on the top of the mould (it sure is vented nice on top), then wipe off with paper towel when mould is up to temp. Debur the sprue plate on that mould.

[jsizemore]

Did all your thrift store finds have PEWTER stamped into the bottom?

[lumberjacklurch]

Yes, they did. However, I don't think all of them were actually pewter. In the pic I posted, there is a heart-shaped dish. Even though it has "Pewter" stamped on the bottom, when I went to smelt them, it didn't melt. I even let the pot sit longer than necessary for the other pewter to melt. Not sure what it's made of, but it doesn't seem to be pewter.

[lumberjacklurch]

Popper, thanks for the tips. Where can I find that oil?

[Hickok]

Lumberjack, what brand of .44 are you casting/reloading for? Different makes have different needs when shooting cast.

[jsizemore]

The heart shaped piece looks to be Wilton which is an aluminum alloy. If the others melted about the same time as the mug/flagon then they probably are pewter. I treat it as pure tin and start by adding 1-2% and check my boolit fillout. Higher percentage lead requires either more casting alloy temp or tin/pewter to get complete fillout. Higher percentage lead alloys will shrink more the higher the temp. If your mold casts a borderline boolit size wise, then you can drop your temp and add a little tin to get the size and fillout you need.

[popper]

ester 100 (viscosity - medium) ice32 AC oil (no dye), local auto parts store for $6/pint. It will last for your grand kids kids. I smear the sprue plate, top of the mould and pins with a 'Q' tip when cold, heat on the hot plate and wipe off with a paper towel when the mould is up to temp. I quit using 2 stroke oil after I tried this stuff, thanks to Gearnasher. Cast several hundred from a 2x mould before needing to relube.

[lumberjacklurch]

Hickok, I am reloading for a Taurus 44 Mag Tracker. Not my first choice in a revolver, but the price was right at the time.