Help with cast boolits

[jankoz1983]

Ok did some further testing

I've noticed that filling of the mold would take significant time, around 4 seconds, decided to unclog the LEE POT. Ended up in hospital almost dead - nah just kidding

This improved significantly the flow. I could fill the form in 1-2 seconds now. Before I did that I checked another method of pouring lead - with a kitchen spoon. It turned out that somewhow it works better than a clogged LEE After that fact I decided to unclog the sprout - bullets came out a lot better.

Before all of this I tried to use my "pure" (8 BHN so not so pure) lead to check if it has to do with the mixed TIN or something. Cleared POT from the mixed LED, pourned 8 BHN - same result. After that I started checking filling speed, used spoon, unclogged etc.
Anyway pictures here:

https://imgur.com/a/rMFno

Anyway, I've no idea what that means, maybe I'm just retarded or maybe it's an issue with filling fast 500 grain mold Clueless. Let the pictures say for themselves.
I know the spoon bullets aren't the best in the world but somehow look a lot better.

[Dusty Bannister]

You seem to be proving that ladle cast is better for very heavy bullets. And that pretty much agrees with the usual practice. May want to consider a real casting ladle if you are going to make these large bullets. Good observation about the fill rate being a possible factor as well. Pretty sure your lead is a blend of something else as well. Most of us tend to be pretty frugal with added tin. I will mention that when trying to cast with pure lead, I do bump up the temp. For me, I use a PID and cast my usual mix at about 720 but pure lead or lead/tin mix at about 800 for a better fill out. It also seems that ambient air temp and amount of distance between the nozzle and the sprue hole can make a difference. What part of the world are you in? Some can only cast in the open air, and that makes changes in what may or may not work. Dusty

[jankoz1983]

I'm living in Poland, currently around 3-4 degrees Celcius outside. Yes I'm casting outdoors for safety. Bit windy too

[LenH]

Shoot those monsters, a little frost never hurt anything.

I started casting with a PID about 4 years ago and casting became a whole lot more predictable.

Casting outside in the winter can cause problems of it's own, especially with the wind. I have to cast outside also but only in the spring or fall. Summers here are brutal
but if you need bullets you just have do deal with the heat and humidity. But with the cold you are casting in I am wonder ing about the frost on the bullets now.

[swheeler]

4* maybe it's REAL frost!

[swheeler]

SWheeler, you beat me to it.

John, welcome to CastBoolits!

Straight lead and tin wouldn't frost. Pure tin has a BHN of 7 and lead with 10% tin has a BHN of 11.5. It would take almost 19% tin, a waste of good metal, to get to a BHN of 14. You probably have at best wheelweight metal as your lead to get to a BHN of 14. It will only frost with antimony in the mix, further suggesting that you have WW rather than straight lead. 10% tin in WW would give a BHN of 14. There's a Sticky at the top of Lead and Lead Alloys that has an alloy calculator in it.

You don't generally need hard boolits unless shooting at high pressure or velocity and if you do tin is not the way to harden lead. Lyman #2 alloy has 5% tin and 5% antimony and most consider that a waste of tin. Just 2% will give you all the flow you need for good fillout. Antimony is the great hardener and it also aids in hardening if you water drop to enhance hardening. There's also usUally about 1/4% arsenic in clip on WW and that helps with hardening as well.

Fluxing with sawdust cures all sorts of issues. (Hint: this is the most important thing I wrote.)

David

Good catch David, I was wondering when someone would pick up on that!

[243winxb]

Lee 10 pound pot- I opened the bottom pour hole with a drill. I don't remember the drill size. I read it on this forum. It helps fill out , getting more alloy into the mold, faster.

Pressure casting- have the spout in contact with the mold. Watch you dont get sprayed with hot lead when the pot is full.

Maximum heat cant hurt, just makes frosted bullets. Only problem i found with frosted is a little loss of diameter.

When there is unknown* metals in the alloy, more heat has always help me.

Copper can plug the bottom pour spout.

[jankoz1983]

I actually tried pressure casting today without knowing what it is lol
Will try all the ideas
Thanks all

[gwpercle]

I'm living in Poland, currently around 3-4 degrees Celcius outside. Yes I'm casting outdoors for safety. Bit windy too

Casting outdoors when it's cold is tough and if windy , even tougher .... all this presents it's own problems.
I see why you are having problems...too cold outside.
When the weather warms up , casting will be a lot easier.
Gary

[nh7792]

How much tin did you add to get the BHN form 8 to 14? Something's not adding up. As far as dull vs. shiny, that's mostly temp related.
Without a thermometer trying to guess the temp will be tricky, you,ll have to play with the temp until the bullets come out close to perfect, and then mark the temp dial so you know where your starting point is at and adjust accordingly as you go.

[swheeler]

The frosting is directly related to mold temperature not alloy temperature, keep the mold at a temp that casts fully filled out and not frosted, the alloy just has to be hot enough to flow usually somewhere around 100*F above full liquid state

[Tom W.]

Poland? Maybe we're related! All of my grandparents came from Poland. I'm 2nd generation, pure blooded!

[jankoz1983]

Thanks all, already thinking about casting in the garage, will have to figure ventilation first

Poland? Maybe we're related! All of my grandparents came from Poland. I'm 3rd generation, pure blooded!

Haha, maybe we are Pozdrowienia dla rodziny

[mehavey]

Cast next to/near the fully open garage door.
That should alleviate any problems.