First Cast Disaster

[LenH]

I have a 6 cavity mold from lee and the hardest lesson to learn is to not grip the sprue handle. It caused a gap between the mold blocks and the plate.
Good luck on your casting venture. It isn't that hard or I couldn't do it.

[vrod1023]

I have a 6 cavity mold from lee and the hardest lesson to learn is to not grip the sprue handle. It caused a gap between the mold blocks and the plate.
Good luck on your casting venture. It isn't that hard or I couldn't do it.

As soon as I get that mold I will get back on that pony and pump the heat up on the pot and the mold.

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[Willie T]

Been following along. Your mold pictures are telling. All that pookie on the mold faces has to come off. Same with the top of the mold and the sprue plate. If anything is stuck to the pins or cavities it had to come off as well. Same with the vent lines. Don’t scratch the mold faces removing all of that mess. You have received some good advice on how to remove all the boogers. I will add that a clean lead ingot will not scratch aluminum and is what I use to scrub stubborn boogers off the mold faces.

[vrod1023]

Been following along. Your mold pictures are telling. All that pookie on the mold faces has to come off. Same with the top of the mold and the sprue plate. If anything is stuck to the pins or cavities it had to come off as well. Same with the vent lines. Don’t scratch the mold faces removing all of that mess. You have received some good advice on how to remove all the boogers. I will add that a clean lead ingot will not scratch aluminum and is what I use to scrub stubborn boogers off the mold faces.

Will do. Got new mold. Should be easier to get some boolits with this but we will see.

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[john.k]

Rub some moly (MoS2) grease into the top and underside of the sprueplate to stop scoring ..........if bits come loose ,as they sometimes do,simply wet the part with beeswax ,which will carbonize and set the bits permanently........Several of my Lee 2 pacs had the alignment pins and guides come loose .......dont lose them ,as they can fall out......use the beeswax and push the pins back into place.

[owejia]

A #2 graphite writing pencil, or a carpenters graphite pencil will work to lube the bottom of your sprue plate . I quit using syntenic 2 stroke oil on my sprue plates because the oil has a tendency to weep down into the cavities causing wrinkles on the boolits. Lay the pencil flat and rub across the bottom of sprue plate and you can see the thin film of graphite on the surface. Also works on top of the mould to keep smearing down. I sometimes rub the faces of the mould also to keep splatter from sticking even coat the sprue pour hole so the cut sprues releases easily. Bullet casting is enjoyable to me when I get the kinks worked out. The micro film of the graphite does not change the dimensions of your boolits. I found that the graphite pencil lead was a lot less hassle to use than having to keep up with a small container of oil for lubricating my moulds. Almost forgot to mention the graphite pencil lead can be used on the pins of the hollow point mould to help them release the boolits also. Just reapply as needed. Just use common sense when rubbing so not to damage sharp edges.

[2TM101]

Another thing to watch is those two little black plugs at the bottom. They can get pushed into the mold and then it won't align right, and you may not notice until you cast a lot of unusable stuff, which can be real discouraging. Its no that hard to fix when it happens, but I cast a *lot* of bad .54 ball because of that when I was just getting back into this.

All of which got fired out of a .60 smoothbore flintlock pistol instead of being remelted, but you probably do not have that option.

[Willie T]

Will do. Got new mold. Should be easier to get some boolits with this but we will see.

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Those tumble lube molds are easy to cast with. Before you start:
1. Make a billet and get a pair of welding gloves. A wooden hammer handle with the last 3”-4” of the big end wrapped in duct tape will work for a billet.
2.turn your pot all the way up and melt your alloy. After things melt, flux 2-3 times. Bees wax or saw dust are probably the two most commonly used fluxes.
3. turn the rheostat down to about 75% and let it stew for a half hour with your mold on top of the pot.
4. you can get by just fine without a thermometer. Holding the mold firmly closed, dip the bottom front 1/2” of the mold under the alloy and hold it there for 30 seconds and take it out. Keep the mold firmly closed. The alloy will harden. Then the color will turn dull. Keep the mold held closed and use your billet to rap the hinge bolt on handles a couple times. If the lead falls off you are ready to start. If not, dip it back in and heat for 15 seconds and try again. Repeat till the lead comes off and then start casting.
5. Fill the mold in one motion. Fill until the cavity on top of the sprue plate remains full in one continuous pour. Immediately fill the second cavity.
6. Watch the sprue hardening. Then watch the color turn dull. Open the sprue plate with your gloves hand. If it is difficult to open use the billet to rap the tab on the sprue plate to cut the sprue.
7. Open the mold. If the bullets fall out on their own, great. If not, rap the hinge bolt on the handles a time or two and they should fall out. Don’t hit the mold or the handles.
8. Refill and repeat.
9. Learn to watch what the bullets look like. If they are shiny and wrinkled turn up the heat a smidge and keep going. If they look frosted turn down the heat a smidge and keep going.
10. After the last cavity is filled, keep a count in your head how long it takes for the sprue to harden and turn dull. As the mold heats the timing will change. When you find the sweet spot you can then hold that timing. You may need to tweak the temp after everything comes up to temp to stay in the sweet spot.
11. Think of filling the mold with alloy as pouring heat. Getting the mold up to temperature and keeping it in the sweet spot is the key.
12. After things come up to temperature if your bullets start frosting and sticking your mold is getting too hot. Slow down a smidge or turn the temperature down. If they start getting wrinkles again, speed up your timing or turn up the heat a smidge.
13. If the base of the bullet has a divot where you cut the sprue, it has not fully solidified and you are cutting the sprue to soon.

The bullets that are dropping from your mold are what gives you the feedback to make adjustments. Be safe and enjoy learning with your new mold.
Willie

[vrod1023]

Those tumble lube molds are easy to cast with. Before you start:
1. Make a billet and get a pair of welding gloves. A wooden hammer handle with the last 3”-4” of the big end wrapped in duct tape will work for a billet.
2.turn your pot all the way up and melt your alloy. After things melt, flux 2-3 times. Bees wax or saw dust are probably the two most commonly used fluxes.
3. turn the rheostat down to about 75% and let it stew for a half hour with your mold on top of the pot.
4. you can get by just fine without a thermometer. Holding the mold firmly closed, dip the bottom front 1/2” of the mold under the alloy and hold it there for 30 seconds and take it out. Keep the mold firmly closed. The alloy will harden. Then the color will turn dull. Keep the mold held closed and use your billet to rap the hinge bolt on handles a couple times. If the lead falls off you are ready to start. If not, dip it back in and heat for 15 seconds and try again. Repeat till the lead comes off and then start casting.
5. Fill the mold in one motion. Fill until the cavity on top of the sprue plate remains full in one continuous pour. Immediately fill the second cavity.
6. Watch the sprue hardening. Then watch the color turn dull. Open the sprue plate with your gloves hand. If it is difficult to open use the billet to rap the tab on the sprue plate to cut the sprue.
7. Open the mold. If the bullets fall out on their own, great. If not, rap the hinge bolt on the handles a time or two and they should fall out. Don’t hit the mold or the handles.
8. Refill and repeat.
9. Learn to watch what the bullets look like. If they are shiny and wrinkled turn up the heat a smidge and keep going. If they look frosted turn down the heat a smidge and keep going.
10. After the last cavity is filled, keep a count in your head how long it takes for the sprue to harden and turn dull. As the mold heats the timing will change. When you find the sweet spot you can then hold that timing. You may need to tweak the temp after everything comes up to temp to stay in the sweet spot.
11. Think of filling the mold with alloy as pouring heat. Getting the mold up to temperature and keeping it in the sweet spot is the key.
12. After things come up to temperature if your bullets start frosting and sticking your mold is getting too hot. Slow down a smidge or turn the temperature down. If they start getting wrinkles again, speed up your timing or turn up the heat a smidge.
13. If the base of the bullet has a divot where you cut the sprue, it has not fully solidified and you are cutting the sprue to soon.

The bullets that are dropping from your mold are what gives you the feedback to make adjustments. Be safe and enjoy learning with your new mold.
Willie

Thanks for making this list.

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[Willie T]

You are welcome but no thanks are necessary. Just post up a few pictures of some 9mm bullets you cast! Make sure to scrub your mold well before you start. There will be instructions inside the box.
Willie

[muskeg13]

Oh my! You were doomed from the start. Trying to produce good boolits with a Lee 6-cavity mould, and hollow points to boot, is a recipe for a first cast disaster, but it's not your fault. I've been casting for 49 years, and I'll admit what you attempted is something I'd have difficulty being successful with today. To produce good boolits from a multicavity mould becomes more difficult as the number of cavities increases, particularly when you exceed 4 cavities. Casting good hollow point (or hollow base) boolits is always harder to do than with solids. I was lucky to begin casting with a heavily constructed 4-cavity iron Lyman 429421 that is VERY forgiving. I use a Lee 20# dipper (not bottom pour) pot these days, and getting good boolits every pour sequence with more than 4 cavities being filled is not easy. Lee aluminum moulds are lightly constructed compared to other makes, and their 6 cavity moulds are quite flimsy. I'm always worried about breaking something when I go to knock the sprue plate loose, even without the resistance of hollowpoint pins. I sometimes get better results by only filling 4 out of 6 cavities at the time on a Lee 6 cavity mould.

In the future, if you can get and afford them, I strongly recommend investing in multi-cavity moulds, particularly hollow point or hollow base moulds, from MP Molds in Slovenia. I believe these are the finest production moulds you can buy, particularly their brass offerings, absolute works of art.

[vrod1023]

Oh my! You were doomed from the start. Trying to produce good boolits with a Lee 6-cavity mould, and hollow points to boot, is a recipe for a first cast disaster, but it's not your fault. I've been casting for 49 years, and I'll admit what you attempted is something I'd have difficulty being successful with today. To produce good boolits from a multicavity mould becomes more difficult as the number of cavities increases, particularly when you exceed 4 cavities. Casting good hollow point (or hollow base) boolits is always harder to do than with solids. I was lucky to begin casting with a heavily constructed 4-cavity iron Lyman 429421 that is VERY forgiving. I use a Lee 20# dipper (not bottom pour) pot these days, and getting good boolits every pour sequence with more than 4 cavities being filled is not easy. Lee aluminum moulds are lightly constructed compared to other makes, and their 6 cavity moulds are quite flimsy. I'm always worried about breaking something when I go to knock the sprue plate loose, even without the resistance of hollowpoint pins. I sometimes get better results by only filling 4 out of 6 cavities at the time on a Lee 6 cavity mould.

In the future, if you can get and afford them, I strongly recommend investing in multi-cavity moulds, particularly hollow point or hollow base moulds, from MP Molds in Slovenia. I believe these are the finest production moulds you can buy, particularly their brass offerings, absolute works of art.

Yes totally inexperienced. But we live and learn. Will take a look at MP molds.

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[vrod1023]

Oh my! You were doomed from the start. Trying to produce good boolits with a Lee 6-cavity mould, and hollow points to boot, is a recipe for a first cast disaster, but it's not your fault. I've been casting for 49 years, and I'll admit what you attempted is something I'd have difficulty being successful with today. To produce good boolits from a multicavity mould becomes more difficult as the number of cavities increases, particularly when you exceed 4 cavities. Casting good hollow point (or hollow base) boolits is always harder to do than with solids. I was lucky to begin casting with a heavily constructed 4-cavity iron Lyman 429421 that is VERY forgiving. I use a Lee 20# dipper (not bottom pour) pot these days, and getting good boolits every pour sequence with more than 4 cavities being filled is not easy. Lee aluminum moulds are lightly constructed compared to other makes, and their 6 cavity moulds are quite flimsy. I'm always worried about breaking something when I go to knock the sprue plate loose, even without the resistance of hollowpoint pins. I sometimes get better results by only filling 4 out of 6 cavities at the time on a Lee 6 cavity mould.

In the future, if you can get and afford them, I strongly recommend investing in multi-cavity moulds, particularly hollow point or hollow base moulds, from MP Molds in Slovenia. I believe these are the finest production moulds you can buy, particularly their brass offerings, absolute works of art.

I went onto their website. Confusing. What selections do I make to find the right mold? I want 9mm, sizing to .356 HP. They have brass, steel, cast iron as options. Which is easiest to heat?

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[Thumbcocker]

Strongly advise against sizing 9mm to .356. Most shoot best at .357+. I personally size to .358 for all 9mm. Slug your bore. As for MP molds, the brass ones are absolute jewels. Tip, brass molds like to run hot. Once up to temp they make beautiful boolits. Be sure to use the mold lube that they come with. I put it in a needle oiler and use tiny drops. A Q tip will also work. As stated before, turn the pot up to maximum with a layer or cat litter or oil dry on top and let the mold heat for one hour on top of the litter before casting. Very important to degrease the mold. I have put brass molds in the dishwasher with good results. The nose pins are hosed down with brake parts cleaner while laying on a clean cloth or paper towel.

[muskeg13]

I went onto their website. Confusing. What selections do I make to find the right mold? I want 9mm, sizing to .356 HP. They have brass, steel, cast iron as options. Which is easiest to heat?

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Like Thumbcocker says above, slug your bore. Some of my .380/9mm pistols can digest up to .358, but one needs to be sized to .356. If yours is not over .357, I'd go with this one: https://www.mp-molds.com/product/mp-...5-hp-pb-4-cav/ This is a 4-cavity brass plain base mould that casts .357 125gr HP and 130gr solid flat nosed bullets.

I have two MP Brass 4-cavity moulds, a .314 HP/solid (100/106gr) that I size to either .311 or .313 for several .32-20 and .32 S&W Long revolvers, and a .402 HP/Solid (190/200gr) for several 10mm or .38-40 handguns and carbines. I think MP specializes in brass because it machines well, is durable, doesn't corrode easily and retains heat well. I'm not sure if the heating properties of brass is any better than iron or steel, but my limited experience with brass moulds is that they cast more good bullets quicker with less fuss than most of my aluminum or iron/steel moulds. Brass moulds usually cost a bit more and are a little heavier than iron/steel, but MP offers them at reasonable prices.

I "smoke" newly cleaned moulds with a butane lighter or wood match to deposit a thin carbon layer. This seems to help getting bullets to drop free easier, and I only need to do this once prior to heating the moulds. If the carbon layer seems too thick, just lightly rub the inside of the mould with a cotton Q-tip swab. Unlike most advice given here, I don't spend a lot of time/effort pre-heating the moulds. I usually just set the moulds on the rim of the Lee pot while the alloy is heating and begin casting as soon as the alloy is up to temp and fluxed. If the moulds are still too cold, they'll quickly come up to temp after a few pours.

[vrod1023]

Strongly advise against sizing 9mm to .356. Most shoot best at .357+. I personally size to .358 for all 9mm. Slug your bore. As for MP molds, the brass ones are absolute jewels. Tip, brass molds like to run hot. Once up to temp they make beautiful boolits. Be sure to use the mold lube that they come with. I put it in a needle oiler and use tiny drops. A Q tip will also work. As stated before, turn the pot up to maximum with a layer or cat litter or oil dry on top and let the mold heat for one hour on top of the litter before casting. Very important to degrease the mold. I have put brass molds in the dishwasher with good results. The nose pins are hosed down with brake parts cleaner while laying on a clean cloth or paper towel.

We don't have oil dri here but I can get clay based cat litter. Apart from layering the cat litter on the top how do you later get rid of it?

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[Thumbcocker]

I don't. The cat litter stays put. It prevents oxidation of the lead. I also think it reduces splashing. It gives protection for the mold so it doesent have direct contact with the hot lead. You just drop sprues, reject boolits, or more alloy through the litter. Every once in a while I change out the litter just scoop it off with a spoon. This assumes you are starting with clean lead and are adding clean ingots. I do not flux in the pot. I start with clean alloy and add clean ingots.

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[Dusty Bannister]

Just skim and scoop off the dry material as you would with the dross left after fluxing. I use a cheap spoon with a small hole drilled in the bowl to allow the hot lead to drain out while retaining the trash in the spoon. I drill the spoon handle and attach to a wood handle to get the fingers a little further away from the pot and to insulate the handle. The spoon can be used to scrape or rub the sides of the pot either with the side of the spoon edge or the bottom of the bowl to loosen dirt that forms on the side of the casting furnace.

[mehavey]

Pictures 1 & 2 look perfectomundo, pic 3 a little cold yet
(but certainly just as perfectly shootable no problemmo at all.)


CONGRATS !

[vrod1023]

Thanks mehavey! I made an error the first pic is not mine it was a pic sent to me by HermanS. I have deleted post and will repost my photos. But it is encouraging and once again thanks to all and particularly Dusty Bannister and HermanS.