How to Ladle Pour a Multicavity Mould

[milrifle]

I used to cast for more modern arms with smaller bullets, and had several multi-cavity moulds. I always bottom poured and had no problem. Then I got involved in black powder and the larger projectiles involved and found that ladle pouring gave me more consistent results on these larger bullets. That was not a problem either, as most were single cavity. But now I have ordered a two cavity mould that I would like to ladle pour. When ladle pouring, I always turn the mould 90 degrees and tilt it and the ladle simultaneously upright to pour the cavity. So, how do you guys do this with a multi-cavity mould? Do you wait for the first sprue to cool before pouring the second? Or do you leave the mould upright and just tilt the ladle to pour? Or......?

I would think pouring from a ladle into an upright mould would yield about the same results a bottom pouring. Your thoughts?

Thanks

Hal

[Greg S]

I just pour once and slide it along uphill to the next hole. I maintain a tall sprue. Some pour to overflowing and let it go back into the pot. I can do that with some molds but a majority of my pistol molds are Cramer style. You could also pour the first, slide to the second and dump the remainder over the top and back into the pot if you have a problem maintaining mold temp.

[kungfustyle]

With the correct amount of tin and hot enough alloy you should be able to just ladle pour like bottom pour, however, the head pressure stays the same so you get very good results. If you need to re-dip your ladle to get enough lead get a larger ladle. You can drill a hole about 1/3 of the way down and you are off to the races. If you run the alloy about 750 deg that should really help.

[trapper9260]

What I do for more then 2 cav., the ladle I use for smelting that is a good size one that been usen for years is about the size of a soup ladle and fill is fast and all will cool about the same amount of time. I do have the small one of Lyman I use on the 1 and 2 cav.

[jmort]

I like the technique invented, to my knowledge, by one of our members, aka Grumpy Old Man. 3/32" hole in a soup ladle. I think it is around 6:40 in this video.
The video shows there is no need for pressure casting. Worth watching whole video.

[bmortell]

if your holding the mold upright the whole time and in one motion rotate the ladle to start pouring in the hole and lower it to seal "assuming you have the kind of ladle with a chamfered pour spout that matches a sprue plate hole" just hold it there for a second so the weight of lead pressure fills the cavity and quickly tip the ladle back upright with the mold tilted slightly so that the next cavity to be filled is slightly uphill of the current one so a drop don't fall in it. you only need a small amount of sprue on top if your holding the ladle sealed to injection fill like that. weather you need to wait for the sprue to cool between cavity's is just dependant on weather it will run off or not with that individual sprue. you can also just seal it to the first cavity for a sec then quickly shift it to the next one and seal again pour spout straight down the whole time. quickly transitioning from a pour to a sealed pour is just as good as your old method as long as your not so slow that it starts to cool before it seals.

[Eddie17]

I use a Lyman Laddle with the hole on the side. Fill ladle, bring to mold an run ladle along spur plate while tilting to fill cavities. Along the way createting a bridged spur along the spur plate above the cavities. This allowes me to obtain filled out an good weight for my boolits. Works for me.
I think keeping metal to metal to liquid LB, helps keep the mold produceing good Boolits

[rking22]

I like ladle pouring as well, and use multi cavity molds. Some of my molds like pressure, put the mold and spout together and rotate to fill, hold a bit then roll the ladle off leaving some spill/puddle. Rotate mold back when spru freezes and repeat. It helps to come from lower up as dezcribed in several posts. If the mold likes no pressurr, like a bottom pour, then I just fill half the cavities, one at a time but joining the sprues. Then dip and finish. I bought a Lee bottom pour this fall, not real sure I like it much, really like the control ladleing provides. I don't need "mass production" but do prefer to maximize my good bullet production with multi cavities!

[country gent]

I pour 2 cavity big bullets ( 360-550 grn) with the ladle. I get very good consistency. I keep the ladle in the pot except when pouring. My moulds have had the sprue plates vented and my rcbs ladle has the spout opened to .210 dia. I start with a ladle full of lead and fill the front cavity with a quick pour moving to the back pour I then continue pouring the lead until ladle is empty. Keeping sprues and bases molten longer. I hold the mould over the pot and let the excess run back into pot. Ill run a few hundred bullets in a setting. I pre heat the mould and the first 12-15 pours/drops go back in the pot. After those its all casting for keepers. Most days my run will be within +- .5 grns. Personally I like the vented sprue plate and recommend opening the spout up on the Lyman or rcbs ladle.

[milrifle]

Guys, i really appreciate your input. I have several ideas to try out. I'm sure one will be to my liking.

Thanks again,

Hal

[Beeks]

I like the technique invented, to my knowledge, by one of our members, aka Grumpy Old Man. 3/32" hole in a soup ladle. I think it is around 6:40 in this video.
The video shows there is no need for pressure casting. Worth watching whole video.

I had the dangest time drilling my stainless steel ladle... broke 2 drill bits! Got the hole, slightly off center... waiting on some good weather to give it a try!

[country gent]

Sometimes taking a fine flat stone and lighting cutting a flat on the cutting edge so its not as "sharp" helps keep it from grabbing when cutting lightly. The other way is to resharpen with less relief angle. instead of the 5-7* standard for steel go to 3-4* this helps keep it from grabbing and sucking in to hard

[dale2242]

Not trying to hijack this thread but H&G sold open top ladles for casting with their molds.
I am assuming that`s why there is a channel between the holes in their sprue plates....dale

[bedbugbilly]

I use a Lyman ladle- keep my mold hot by resting it on the pot (I use a cast iron pot on a propane hot plate or recently changed to a Lee 20 # dipper pot which works equally as well) I keep the lead hot and the mold prong and just pour - usually the sprue nearest to me and when full slide the ladle to the next. The biggest slug I pour is a 255 grain (for 45 Colt) - a DC Lyman/Ideal is no issue and I usually pressure pour by raising the ladle a bit above the mold.

Works O.K. for me - YMMV. I only ladle pour and I do have a 5 cavity NOE clone of the 454-190 - keep the mold hot - keep the lead hot - set the mold on the pot while pouring to keep heat up. With the Lyman bottom pour ladle - I pour two - dip and fill ladle - pour next two - dip an fill ladle - pour fifth cavity. Cut sprue - dump back in pot - open and drop and then go right back to pouring. For me . . the secret is to keep the mold hot and the lead hot - keep your cadence up. I'm older- been ladle pouring boolits for 55 years. I stand up - never sit and too many things can happen with hot lead. If my mold starts heating up too much, I stop, sit a minute and let it cool as well as rest - and then go at it again.

It's a "personal thing" - but I tried a Lee bottom pour pot - hated it. I had always used a propane hot plate and cast iron pot with Lyman ladle. That worked just fine. I moved a couple of years ago from the farm in to a condo so I now cast in my garage. I bought two of the Lee 20 # Magna electric pots - one for our lead for BP and one for range lead for my new fangled cartridge guns. I still have the propane set up but after using the Lee pots for ladle pouring - the only thing I'll use the propane set-up for now is to melt down scrap lead, flux and pour it in to muffing tins to use in the electric pot. To each their own . . . .

[country gent]

One plus to ladle pouring over the bottom pours is the ability to over pour the mould. When Im casting these big bullets ( most are in the 1.3-1.4" long range) I start at the cavity away from me and fill it then move to the second cavity and fill it pouring the contents of the ladle into the spru and letting it run back into the pot. The first sprue hasn't solidified yet usually. This keep the bases and bullet molten longer allowing gasses to vent and mould to fill better. The longer time is a plus on casting very good bullets for mid to long range use. Another small plus to ladle pouring is the "head " pressure is more consistent from pour to pour. On the ladle a full ladle every time produces the same stream pressure every time, With the bottom pour as the pot level drops so does stream pressure and fill rate. Ideally you need to fill the mould fast while the metal is all molten, when its cooling to fast you get wrinkles and flaws. The ladle with its spout opened up to .200
-.210" hole size makes for a fast even pour. ( I have thought about tapping the hole out to 1/4 20 to try to get a stream that swirls some.).
I ladle cast these big bullets over a propane fired 125lb pot ( these bullets empty a 10 or 20 lb pot very quick). I run it around 725* and the ladle only leaves the pot to pour. Moulds set on the warming shelf. With the mass of 125lbs of lead temp varies very little when burner is turned down to maintain it takes a lot to change it much. Burner does need to be "adjusted" as the pots level drops. I cast normally with 20-1 alloy.
When casting I rest the mould over the edge of the pot and fill overfilling and letting the excess run back into the pot.

[gwpercle]

I do like you , Lyman ladle , turn mould 90 degrees , press spout to sprue opening and turn upright . Pressure casting works best .
Here is the tricky part....leaving a puddle in the sprue hole without over filling and lead going into the next cavity. I fill the cavity furtherest away from me first , with a gentle slope on the mould away from me, If I overflow the sprue the lead flows away from the next cavity . The puddle will firm up enough in two - three seconds and I will fill the next cavity the same way, tilting the mould away when filing . I fill 2 cavities then dip my ladle back in the pot and refill it.
After filling all the cavities I usually count to 5 before opening the mould....too fast and you get smearing.
Gary

[Eddie17]

I use the Lyman ladle myself. I will ladle pour a ton of boolits at a seating.
Bring the ladle to the the mold with contact, keeps the mold hot an ladle at temp in line! 500 plus keepers in an hour or less of casting. My 2 cents.

[country gent]

I have a rcbs lalde ive modified 2 a double spout for my 2 cavity moulds so I can fill both cavities together, 1 pour 2 bullets. Chose the rcbs ladle since it has more capacity than the lyman. Plugged off and removed existing spout then drilled and tapped for 2 om the center line of my moulds ( .800). Haven't tried it out yet. Thinking is the bullets and sprue plate will benefit from the faster dual pour, will be more consistent since mould temp wont be changing a lot between bullets, and both bullets will me going thru the solidifying stages together. Will be interesting to try it and see.