Need Help

[boatswainsmate]

Have had this problem at times and found that leaving a larger puddle on top of the sprue plate and lightly dropping the mold onto a hardwood block while the puddle was still liquid would cause the problem cavity to fill.

Thanks for the advice.

[Wayne Smith]

So, have you solved the problem??

[boatswainsmate]

So, have you solved the problem??

I haven't a chance to cast with the mold again yet. Thanks

[Bazoo]

One thing I've noticed that helps with fillout problems is having more of a freefall. I ladle pour, so my description is based on that. If I rest the ladle on top of the mould (not spout to sprue plate) while pouring I get maybe 1/4" freefall. But if I hold the ladle over the mould a bit to get 1/2-3/4 freefall I get better fillout. Especially using wheel weights and little to no tin.

[boatswainsmate]

One thing I've noticed that helps with fillout problems is having more of a freefall. I ladle pour, so my description is based on that. If I rest the ladle on top of the mould (not spout to sprue plate) while pouring I get maybe 1/4" freefall. But if I hold the ladle over the mould a bit to get 1/2-3/4 freefall I get better fillout. Especially using wheel weights and little to no tin.

Thanks for the advice.

[Dragonheart]

One thing I've noticed that helps with fillout problems is having more of a freefall. I ladle pour, so my description is based on that. If I rest the ladle on top of the mould (not spout to sprue plate) while pouring I get maybe 1/4" freefall. But if I hold the ladle over the mould a bit to get 1/2-3/4 freefall I get better fillout. Especially using wheel weights and little to no tin.

Good advice, and a big advantage with a bottom pour pot and a mold rest because you have reasonable consistency in the pour. I noticed this when I purchased my RCBS Pro-Melt a number of years ago.

[boatswainsmate]

I changed to my homemade version of hardball alloy and got great fill out. The mold makes HP's also so I'll need to figure out a good lead to tin combo for this mold also. Thanks for all the advice.

[Bazoo]

If I pressure cast like I describe and run the mould just below frost temperature I get good fillout with wheel weight alloy and no or very minimal tin.

[Mitch]

I did not see if this is a brass mold.i had the same problems.mostly with brass molds.adding more heat will not help.cleaning the molds seems to make it wors.in fact nothing in general seemed to help me.this was with MP 4 cav hp 38 molds.
OK my alloy is 2.5%sb 2.5%sn 95%pb.Heat the mold realy well on the hot side on a hot plated.I have a Pid a themometer will work just as well.heat alloy in the casting pot to 740 deg f.Now start casting i found that your timeing has everything to do with the problem.i cast very fast npt time to look at your bullets.no dallying.when i cast with these molds it is cast dump cast dump.it seems to me the temp where the mold likes to be cast is kinda narrow.so the time witch in my case is realy fast is the key to keeping the mold at happy temp.this was with the large HP pins in the mold.Each mold will be different so you may have to play with the temp a bit.And as you cast more time with the new mold it will get better.good luck with the new mold when you put the hp pins in happy to see you have it casting solids.

[boatswainsmate]

If I pressure cast like I describe and run the mould just below frost temperature I get good fillout with wheel weight alloy and no or very minimal tin.

Thanks

[boatswainsmate]

I did not see if this is a brass mold.i had the same problems.mostly with brass molds.adding more heat will not help.cleaning the molds seems to make it wors.in fact nothing in general seemed to help me.this was with MP 4 cav hp 38 molds.
OK my alloy is 2.5%sb 2.5%sn 95%pb.Heat the mold realy well on the hot side on a hot plated.I have a Pid a themometer will work just as well.heat alloy in the casting pot to 740 deg f.Now start casting i found that your timeing has everything to do with the problem.i cast very fast npt time to look at your bullets.no dallying.when i cast with these molds it is cast dump cast dump.it seems to me the temp where the mold likes to be cast is kinda narrow.so the time witch in my case is realy fast is the key to keeping the mold at happy temp.this was with the large HP pins in the mold.Each mold will be different so you may have to play with the temp a bit.And as you cast more time with the new mold it will get better.good luck with the new mold when you put the hp pins in happy to see you have it casting solids.

Thanks

[Phlier]

I changed to my homemade version of hardball alloy and got great fill out. The mold makes HP's also so I'll need to figure out a good lead to tin combo for this mold also. Thanks for all the advice.

Good to hear.

When you say that you changed to a home made version of hardball, does that mean that you used more tin than you did previously?

Whenever I've had a mold that just refused to fill out properly, even if I did all the things mentioned in this thread, adding additional tin always solved it for me. I have an old (circa 1955) Lyman mold that just won't fill out unless I use at least 5% tin. When my Dad gave me the mold, he had even put a note in it "use 5% tin minimum with this mold." I tried pretty much all of the advice given in this thread on that old mold, and it turns out Dad was right... that mold insists on eating large quantities of tin in order to produce a fully filled out boolit.

[boatswainsmate]

Good to hear.

When you say that you changed to a home made version of hardball, does that mean that you used more tin than you did previously?

Whenever I've had a mold that just refused to fill out properly, even if I did all the things mentioned in this thread, adding additional tin always solved it for me. I have an old (circa 1955) Lyman mold that just won't fill out unless I use at least 5% tin. When my Dad gave me the mold, he had even put a note in it "use 5% tin minimum with this mold." I tried pretty much all of the advice given in this thread on that old mold, and it turns out Dad was right... that mold insists on eating large quantities of tin in order to produce a fully filled out boolit.

Yes. The alloy I used had more tin and antimony in the mix. This is the first MP mold I have needed to do this. Thanks

[samari46]

I use a rowlladle. You see the adds rifle and handloader magazines.Think the company that sells them if I remember right is advanced car movers. Think mine about 2.5" in diameter and hold more lead than your standard ladles. Bought a couple as I plan to start casting 45/70 500 grain bullets for a Pedersoli Sharpe. Alloy is nothing fancy just wheelweights with 2%tin. Frank

[boatswainsmate]

I use a rowlladle. You see the adds rifle and handloader magazines.Think the company that sells them if I remember right is advanced car movers. Think mine about 2.5" in diameter and hold more lead than your standard ladles. Bought a couple as I plan to start casting 45/70 500 grain bullets for a Pedersoli Sharpe. Alloy is nothing fancy just wheelweights with 2%tin. Frank

Thanks.