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Thread: Spur Trough

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy Smk SHoe's Avatar
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    Spur Trough

    Was wondering if there are any pro's and con's to having a trough milled on the spur plate. I like to pour one continuous stream to fill the mold. Makes putting the spurs back into the pot easier when they are all stuck together. I also seem to get better consistency then starting and stopping each bullet. Lots of guys here have been casting way longer than I have and wondering if it's a good idea or a PITA and not worth the effort.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    Czech_too's Avatar
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    The only downside I can see, with some commercially made sprue plates, is that they lack the thickness necessary to machine the trough.
    Now if you have the material and machinery to make your own, that's a moot point.
    I've never tried using one of that design, but I like the idea.
    https://wbrpc.org/

    genealogy, another area of interest

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  3. #3
    Boolit Master


    Finster101's Avatar
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    I have a couple of molds with a trough and I like it.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master



    skeettx's Avatar
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    No issue as long as your alloy and mould (sprue plate) is hot enough for a good flow.
    Mike
    NRA Benefactor 2004 USAF RET 1971-95

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    I tried the continuous flow filling the Lee 6 cav mold and found that the flow did not seem to fill the cavities as well and resulted in light and sometimes undersized castings. But when I started at the far hole, with the mold tilted slightly down and away from me, any over flow of the sprue puddle attached to the previous pour and the metal going straight into the cavity resulted in nice consistently filled bullets. The sprue is one piece, and looks like a weld bead. Perhaps you are not leaving enough sprue puddle when you fill the molds in the start/stop manner? If you have unexplained size or weight variation, you might consider that your method needs review.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    I have a couple of Lee 6 cavity molds that if they are hot I can tip one end down and fill the whole works with a single long pour.

    And on the rest of them trying to do so results in half not forming correctly and half of those having pour fill. So you get one or 2 possible boolits instead of 5 or 6 good ones.


    It is nice where it works.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Trough on the H&G mold I had and it worked very well. It is more expensive to do and I suspect that is why it is not more common.
    Don Verna


  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I do my troughs with a dremil tool and grinding wheels. I lay the centerline and edges out with a square and scribe the grind in by hand. I also polish the surface with a rawhidide bob and a felt bob with jewelers compound. This smooths so theres no marks for sprue to grip. I do this on my moulds leading off the front edge so I can over pour the mould with a full ladle of lead keeping the base hot as long as possible and the same size sprue every time. With a little work sprue plates can be made with a drill press and hand tools. I have made them for some moulds. I normally by pass the 3/16" (.1875 gage stock) and go to 1/4" ( .250) as I find this makes a better more stable sprue plate the added thickness holds heat better and gives a better sprue with the trough. I normally cast and when I pour I fill the cavities letting the left over in the ladle run through the trough back into the pot. Since doing this with my big bullets ( 400-550 grns) I normally have very few culls and most are within .7-1grn of each other.I feel the trough used like this is a big benefit.

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy spfd1903's Avatar
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    LBT molds are made with a trough on the sprue plate. I still line up to pour on each cavity, but the trough starts the fill. Leaves a solid, uniform mass .
    "Semper quaerendo plumbum"

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I just cast with my first one recently and I liked it. Having the sprue connected makes dumping them easier but I suppose it would empty the pot a little sooner.

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy PaulG67's Avatar
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    Even with a trough I find one must still line up the stream with each hole or lack of fill out results.
    Paul G


    I am Retired, I was tired yesterday and I am tired today!!!

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy Smk SHoe's Avatar
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    I still fill each hole individually, but having the spur in one long piece helps to get it back in the pot vs having small spurs to deal with.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master


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    sprue sprue sprue
    Charter Member #148

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master

    dragon813gt's Avatar
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    It's personal preference. I don't like the troughs. I pour a big enough sprue that they all connect. You don't need a trough to do this.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    spur spur spur

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by MT Chambers View Post
    spur spur spur
    Make horse go fast!!!
    R.D.M.

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by blackthorn View Post
    Make horse go fast!!!
    both ends of the horse
    Charter Member #148

  18. #18
    Boolit Master FISH4BUGS's Avatar
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    I can't imagine doing with WITHOUT a sprue. All my H&G moulds have it. But those are all 4 cavity and above.
    Whack the sprue plate, and while the mould is cooling, put the sprue trough excess back in the pot. Seems to help in the rhythm.
    YMMV
    Collector and shooter of guns and other items that require a tax stamp, Lead and brass scrounger. Never too much brass, lead or components in inventory! Always looking to win beauty contests with my reloads.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    I bought some lyman molds the previous owner had a trough milled into the SPRUE plate. He had additional done too. They make it easier to continuous pour. Boolits shoot the same.

  20. #20
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
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    They work good for ladell pour, not sure the are needed for bottom pour.
    Whatever!

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check