I just got home and discovered that my Lee 2-Cavity TL358-148WC 38 Special mold arrived. Sor far, all I have to try it with is a basic melting pot and ladle, a pretty powerful one burner camp stove, a collection of mixed lead of unknown orign and type, and a couple of pounds of pure Tin Foil (dental grade from the 1940's).
Assuming that my pot holds 10 lbs, would I add 1/2 pound of tin? Some of the lead may have been culled from a berm at an outdoor range years ago, and would already be alloyed, but everything is in ingits so I can't tell which is which (inherited lead). Would adding tin to this cause any adverse effects if it was already properly alloyed?
I've read about casting on this forum, but wonder if someone could give me a few tips to help me avoid ruining my mold. I think that passing a bic lighter under the inside of the mold is advisable to assist in bullet release. Should I have ordered some sort of lube for the hinges?
What is galling, and how do I avoid it?
I was also wondering if I would I be able to shoot pure lead from my S&W 642 .38 SPCL Snub without fouling since from what I understand it's normally a low pressure load.
Thanks,
Randy