Saving sprews for your next casting session.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I have been casting sense 1971 and only for a couple of sessions did I save sprews for my next sessions. I then figured out that it only takes a couple of seconds to pick them up and put them back in the pot with no effect on the temp of the melt, and also that gave my mold enough time cool for the next sprew cutting. My method is to fill the mold wait a few seconds cut the sprew dump the boolits fill the mold pick up the sprews put them in the pot and then cut the sprews again and continue the process. This is done with gloves on of course, the trick is to keep the melt from splashing. What I do is as I put the sprews back in the melt the glove hand with sprews opens over the melt to prevent any splash from coming out of the pot. By doing this I get the full use of all the lead I've melted in that pot of lead.

[Taterhead]

This is an interesting strategy, and this new guy is always looking for ideas. One advantage of doing it your way is that the pot won't drain as quickly.

What types of molds and bullet styles do you cast?

[NoAngel]

I add mine back during casting in a similar fashion. I actually use them to help maintain the pot temp. Watching my thermometer, if it gets a little high, add a few and the temp will drop a hair. It's just part of my rhythm and I don't even think about it. I just do it.

[Pawpaw757]

That sounds like a good idea. Think I'll give it a try.

[Strtspdlx]

I dump them back in right off the sprue plate. It does tend to splash but I try to drop them on the nozzle pin bracket and slide them to the side and ease them in. It all happens pretty quickly but it works for me. I hate picking up sprues and having to wait for the pot to get to temp again.

[JBinMN]

I put mine back in while pouring, but in a different way. I use a #10 can & lay a 2x4 block across the top so it sits there & when the sprues harden, I smack the tang of the sprue cutter on the 2x4 to drop the sprues into the can, then I drop the boolits into the water & go back to fill again. Then after about 10 repeats, I stop & take the tin can, pointed away from me to protect from any possible splash, & slowly add the little sprues back to the melt. (If there are bigger sprues from a 6 pack mold I don't hit the 2x4 & I place the sprues in the pot by gloved hand rather than pouring them out of the can.)
I do this several times, then as the pot gets lower, I take a short break, add some molded ingots, throw some sawdust on, & prepare for the next run. (< I think I described that good enough.)

Anyway, it is pretty close to the method I have used for jigs & sinkers, but with those molds you have another step to cut the sprues off since there is no cutter mounted to the molds.

I like reading this stuff here, I learn new stuff every day.

[popper]

I dump the sprue in a sauce pan and add them back when I get tired. Prevents adding junk to the melt and lets you reduce the oxides back in.

[flint45]

I put them back when I get a small hand full.Been casting that way for more then forty years also I have never once used a thermometer.I am just not very technical but I still have fun .

[45-70 Chevroner]

I put them back when I get a small hand full.Been casting that way for more then forty years also I have never once used a thermometer.I am just not very technical but I still have fun .

If it"s not fun, it's a drudge. I really injoy casting.

[mold maker]

A small metal slide fastened to the bolt on top of my pot receives the sprues and allows them to enter the melt without drama. Dropped directly from the mold it doesn't add time to the cycle and takes no more energy. The slide is lifted and turned to the side to add ingots from the hot plate or the upper pot is allowed to use the same slide to refill the lower.
It took years to figure out a simple way to save time and be consistent.

[45-70 Chevroner]

This is an interesting strategy, and this new guy is always looking for ideas. One advantage of doing it your way is that the pot won't drain as quickly.

What types of molds and bullet styles do you cast?

I cast swc rn I even have some that are kind of pointy.
I cast with single, double, six cavity, with weights ranging from 52 gr all the way up to 500 gr. 22 cal. to .457. I have some where around 50 molds.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I see a lot of variations in styles here. Mine does not mean mine is the best, it just works for me.

[Pawpaw757]

That's what's so great about this place, so many different ways of doing things. all kinds of cool stuff to learn.

[Whitespider]

I don't use, and have never owned, a casting thermometer.
My "pot" is an old cast iron sauce pan (holds 20 pounds) that sits on the electric burner of an old kitchen electric range out in the shop.
I dip from the pot with a modified RCBS dipper (I put a longer wooden handle on it).

I let the sprues fall into an old frying pan, and return them to the pot whenever it's time to flux and/or add more metal to the pot.

That's the way I've done it from the very first boolit I cast... and I ain't seen any reason to change the way I do it yet.
*

[robg]

As they are still hot I keep putting them back in pot every few minutes .

[Echo]

I knock the sprue off, dump the boolits (after glancing to ensure good bases), pick up the sprue (gloved hands), put back in pot, and refill mold. Sometimes I refill first, then return sprue to pot...

[Whitespider]

Hmmmm... I check the bases after cutting the sprue and before dumping the boolits... that way I know whether-or-not to dump the boolits on the folded towel, or in the sprue pan.
Most all of my shooting is bouncing beer cans, knocking over steel plates, and other types of plinking enjoyment... I don't get too concerned with the occasional minor defect as long as the front edge of the forward driving band and the base bottom are both sharp and well defined. I'm a bit more picky if the boolits are intended for serious work, such as hunting and longer range shooting.
*

[TexasGrunt]

I have a metal one cup measuring cup. I put the sprues in there as I cut them. When it starts getting full I pour them back into the pot. I pour against the back wall of the pot and splashing has never been a problem. I do keep a quart of sprues in each alloy mix I use so I can use them to start the pot when I switch alloys.

[gpidaho]

45-70C; I add them back in as I cast like you mentioned in the first post. I rarely have less than 1/2 a pot full of lead and I don't believe adding back hot sprues makes much difference in pot temp. Just the way I do it. Gp

[gwpercle]

Not having anyone to teach me the proper way to cast boolits, I would just cut the hot sprue so that it would fall back into the pot ! Didn't know this was wrong. Just seemed like the logical place for the sprue to go. I didn't even wear gloves.....
To be honest I still do it this way ....but I wear some gloves now.
Gary