Virgin Casting session!

[kmw1954]

Today I couldn't wait any longer and jumped in with both feet. I was a little bit breezy outside today so it seemed to take forever to heat up the pot and melt the ingots. After I got to what I thought was a good temp I wax flexed the pot and looked good to me. Then dropped the ladle into the pot to heat it and the pot just about froze up so I put the cover back on and let it cook. After back to a good temp in went the mold and again pot freeze! Finally got everything up to what I thought was a good temp I took a deep breath and poured my first boolits!

It was UGLY! There was lead everywhere. The sprue plate was covered, lead pouring down both sides. I stood there looking at it thinking to myself, What an Amateur!

With a little time the technique improved and things weren't so messy and the sprue puddle became smaller. Then I started getting incomplete fills and ones tat looked like they were separated. Like a start and stop fill Nice thing is that they all looked filled out and well formed and dropped pretty easily from the mold. Though somewhere about half way thru I was getting bullets that looked like the mold didn't close squarely and the lube groove didn't line up evenly.

I didn't get to cast a lot of these but by the time I was about done for the day they were starting to come out pretty nicely. Keepers I believe! I have some pictures but I need the wife to resize them as they won't upload to the forum.

So a huge thank you to all of you that helped get me this far!

[redhawk0]

Congrats....now you'll be hooked like the rest of us....I do suggest you turn up your pot a little more. You shouldn't freeze the pot just by putting the ladle in it. You didn't say what pot you have...I use a lee...and the dial of 1-10 is a bit vague to say the least. I built a PID temperture controller...and now I can say with certainty what my cast temp is. I like between 725 and 750.

redhawk

[Eddie17]

Try a hot plate to pre heat your mold.
Works for me.

[country gent]

When its cool and breezy / windy use a piece off plywood Styrofoam or other wide piece and create a wind break it helps a lot to maintain heat and control. When ladle pouring keep the ladle in the pot when not pouring. And last:
When casting cast, cast at a brisk pace and maintain the pace. When your sorting / inspecting then sort. Don't try to do both at the same time.

[JBinMN]

Keep at it. It may take a bit of time, but you should come up with a good method that suits you in no time.

Kind of like learning how to ride a bicycle. Even if ya fall down a bit, get back up & try again..

Let 'er Buck! & don't let the horse that bucked ya win!


Looking forward to more of your adventures!

[kmw1954]

Some quick answers to questions. The pot is a Stainless sauce pan of about 1qt. and the nest I can tell it will hold about 15lbs when 3/4 full. Heat source is a 1500watt hot plate and it is turned all the way up. I do have boxes set up around the sides as wind brakes. It will get everything hot enough, it just takes awhile.

Rhythm and pace along with co-ordination I've learned goes a long way. Hope to get out and try this again later in the week.

[lightman]

It sounds like you are off to a good start. Many of us did not do as well on the first attempt. Looking forward to seeing your pictures.

[StuBach]

Kudos and welcome to the obsession.

[kmw1954]

Thank you everyone for the comments and encouragement!

Thought I put this in the Cast Boolit sub-forum only to see it's in Equipment so if a mod would like to relocate this topic to the appropriate forum that would be good too.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

My first casting attempt was a disaster.
Zero keepers. Wrinkles galore' due to cold mold.
I had no idea about temperature and casting rhythm.

One little hint, don't worry too much about lead getting all over...That is much better than too small of a sprue puddle, which it sounds like you found out. Once you start getting real good, I would recommend striving for leaving as large a Sprue puddle as possible...that helps the mold keep up temperature.

PS, I moved your thread

[Cast_outlaw]

Also try making a metal or stainless ring around your pot to help focus heat up the sides will also prevent cold wind from affecting the sides where you are loosing heat

Good luck and cast em like you mean it
Best of luck
Cast outlaw

[kmw1954]

My first casting attempt was a disaster.

PS, I moved your thread

Yes I had visions of all sorts of catastrophes So I have to say I am quite pleased with my first attempt and I owe much of this success to all of you here. Yes I have been paying attention folks!!! Sometimes it really pays to just shut up and listen.

JonB thank you for moving this to the correct place.

[kevin c]

Wisconsin, eh? Can you cast indoors, maybe in your garage? Maybe put up a wind screen around the pot or work area? I like the mold preheating idea; works for me even in nice weather here in California.

[kmw1954]

kevin c, yeup. the frozen tundra! Actually yesterday it was very pleasant outside other than the wind was blowing about 20mph with strong gusts. As to a wind screen, yes I built on out of cardboard and it wrapped around 3 sides. Also the pot has a lid that really helps retain the heat while melting ingots or trying to bring the temp up.

Still just at the beginning of the learning curve and there is a long way to go. But I'm in no hurry.

[kmw1954]

Last night before bed I went in and measured and weighted those bullet I had cast and here are the results. Sizes were from .3565" to .358; with most at .357. Weight was a bit more wide spread. Lightest was 105gr and the heaviest 108.4gr... Is this normal, to be expected? How does the lead alloy makeup effect final weight? Guess I'm asking is this weight normal for COWW to be that much heavier in what is supposed to be a 102gr bullet mold?

[Conditor22]

Asking questions/for help is the quickest way to get good results. The search box in the upper right of the forum and the stickies are a wealth of information posted on CB.

You didn't mention what alloy you were casting with. To little tin or too soft will take longer to come to temperature. (the softer the alloy the higher the melting point)

If you have a gas camp stove it might work better/faster than a hotplate

Weight can be effected by hotter or colder alloy or mold as can size

your big size differences could be caused by not having the mold fully closed of some of the casts.

Knowing the temperature of the lead in your pot is important (and will make your life much easier).

2 options:
1) Get/Make a PID (ever since I made mine Id never go back to a thermometer)

2) Get a casting thermometer

Make sure your mold is oil-free (scrub well with dish soap and an old toothbrush)
sometimes a little smoke from a wood match or butane lighter helps to get smooth (purdy) boolits

Getting a hotplate (apr $5 at a thrift store) with a piece of metal on it to pre-warm your mold is also helpful.

I'm an addict, I have a venting system set up in my garage so I can cast/powder coat year-round

This is an easy way to post pictures ---> http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...es-using-IMGUR

first time you load and shoot one of your own boolits you will become seriously hooked

[robg]

A bit of metal as a partial lid helps keep the temp up on the pot .just think of the money you'll be saving !its a slippery slope .

[kmw1954]

Condditor22, Thanks for the lesson.

I have been on this forum for 3.5 years and others for many years longer than this, I am well aware of the stickies and search functions that all forums have. I use them very frequently as a matter of fact.

Yes as discussed previously a gas stove may work better than my hot plate but the hot plate is what I have at the moment. I also believe in my last post I mentioned Clip On Wheel Weights, COWW's, is what I am using. As for a thermometer I have asked here and elsewhere about them and have received very mixed responses. Many stating, Don't Bother.

It's great that you admit your addiction to the endeavor and have taken it as far as you have. At this point I don't have the money, space or interest to take this into full production. So I will muddle along with my simpleness and enjoy what I'm doing.

And I will repeat, I wouldn't be this far without the help of all of you. Thanks!!!

[mdi]

I've seen it written often; "The only way to learn to cast boolits, is to cast boolits". You can read volumes on the subject but when it comes right down to it, actually doin' it is when you learn the most. Practice, practice, practice...

[kmw1954]

Got out to try again today and found I just couldn't get the alloy hot enough. Everything came out with wrinkles so instead of fighting it I just shut it down. Time to invest in an electric pot.