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Thread: Ingots with "shrink" holes in center?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Ingots with "shrink" holes in center?

    I've been smelting my cache into ingots and have another question. I hand sort all the lead as to type/source/whatever. example is battery cable ends, sorted and smelted out about 4lb. ie 2 ingots..... Well some of the ingots, mini, medium and regular muffin pans, have what I call "shrink" holes in the center. It is where the pour shrinks and leaves a "crystal" lined hole in the center of the ingot. This is not in all of the lead but some of the alloys have it in almost every ingot I poured. What is this telling me? The soft types seem not to have this. Any explanation? Thanks, 10
    10 gauge: as per Robert Ruark, "use enough gun"

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  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master
    btroj's Avatar
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    Alloys with more antimony will tend to do this more than pure lead. The alloy shrinks some as it cools. Not a problem at all.
    Think of it as a good way to help keep them separate.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
    lwknight's Avatar
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    Close anyway.
    Pure lead just gets a depression in it.
    Lead with a little antimony gets the shrink hole like you described.
    Lead with a lot of antimony does not shrink at all.
    I never really paid attention to the effects is tin in this case.
    Sent from my PC with a keyboard and camera on it with internet too.
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  4. #4
    Boolit Master sagacious's Avatar
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    My observations match LWKnights. Also, the higher the pour temp, the greater the shrinkage cavity on the ingots. Good luck.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check