What causes dimples all over boolits

[Conditor22]

Did you heat cycle the mold several times before you started casting?

Rub the edges of the sticky cavities with the base of a carpenters pencil (to remove any burs) then use the lead to coat the pins to prevent them from sticking.

I'm not familiar with the mold release agent you used, I'd be tempted to use chemical warfare (brake cleaner or ?) then dish soap to make sure you got it all out and the cavities are clean.

if a mold is really problematic I'll smoke the cavities lightly with either a butane lighter of wood match

[Tripplebeards]

I think my lead got really, really, hot and I should have bumped my temp down. I believe the extremely hot lead caused the tinning issues as well.

I plan on heat cycling this mold a few times along with my .358 HP mood I haven't used yet as well. Didn't do my research before casting with the new brass mold to realize I needed to heat cycle it first a few times to get some oxidation/patina on it.

I used salt mixed with vinegar to patina my 1907 sling. It turned out beautiful. You have to keep the brass suspended above the liquid for a few hours. Quite a few YouTube videos on it.

I believe once I PC these I won't see any difference in accuracy as commented above.

[cwlongshot]

I agree with your last comment.

I also agree with heat cycling yes it helps allot. Many have differe t opinions on what happems. But most everyone agrees new molds dont cast as well as seasoned molds. Seasoning comes with use. Cycling is pseudo use.

CW

[Tripplebeards]

Dimples all filled in and feels as smooth as glass after I tumble coated with smoke’s clear PC.

[Winger Ed.]

I I had ALOT of oxidation build up in my pot and it was a dull glowing red at the bottom. .

My old RCBS does that when it's empty. I try to keep at least a couple of inches of lead in it.
20-odd years later, it's still on the job.

I do all my stirring and fluxing all the way down to the bottom & against the sides with a old, real big flat screw driver.
I get all sorts of dirt and mess floating up off the sides & bottom until it's been fluxed a few times.

[Tripplebeards]

I heat cycled both my .358 unused mold and my .452 I used to cast these boolits. Two 10 pound casting sessions plus three half hour oven bakes at 400 degrees. You can tell the unused mold as it still looks new after three heat sessions VS the mold I used twice. I might try and heat the new mold up a few more times with the mold halves open this time to get some oxidation on it.

[Tenbender]

Rusty mold.

[Tripplebeards]

Rusty mold.

It’s a brand new brass mold...brass doesn't rust. But an rusty old iron mold I’m sure would made some nasty looking boolits.

[W.R.Buchanan]

3B: Nothing wrong with that mould. I have no Mihec Moulds that don't produce perfect boolit almost from the first pour.

The dimples might be because of using Pewter instead of Tin.

In any event the dimps will only enhance the adhesion of the your Powder Coat. That's a good thing.

Randy