Survey: What Lead Temperature do you Cast?

[noylj]

Steel/iron molds--675-725.
Aluminum--800+ or dip the corner of the mold in the melt prior to each case. Damn things cool off so fast...

[MikeS]

I voted 650-675 as I normally keep my lead somewhere in that range. I also agree with keeping the pot 100 degrees over the temp where the melt is fully liquid. I even cast pistol HP boolits at these temps, I've never had a reason to crank up the temp just because I'm casting hollow points.

[RobS]

That's a loaded question. The answer is determined by the # of cavities, alloy, weight/cal of boolit, and mold type. Even the ambient temp changes it.

Bingo....... along with tempo/rate of casting.

[geargnasher]

The poll reflects a lack of understanding of the whole situation.

Mould temp makes good boolits, alloy temp just needs to be hot enough to be liquid, plus a little margin to impart plenty of heat to the blocks. If you're casting with 800-degree wheel weight metal (for example) in order to keep the mould hot enough for good fillout, you're slacking severely in your casting rhythm, because all you're accomplishing above 750F is burning out tin.

100-degrees above full-liquidus of the alloy is almost always plenty, often less depending on the things Mold Maker mentioned, particularly the ambient temperature and drafts in the casting area.

Pure lead is a different animal, and often needs to be about 150-200 above it's liquidus point in order to achieve good fillout. Adding 1% tin to pure lead and casting at 725-740 will do wonders for fillout of shotgun slugs, Mini balls, HB wadcutters, etc.

Almost universally it will be found that the guys who insist on running their pots "wide open" with typical ternary boolit alloys in the 500-600F full-liquidus range haven't learned how to control mould temperature with casting pace.

Gear

[willy3]

I use single, double and six cavity molds both steel and aluminum.. 600 usually works but I can adjust up or down a little depending upon how well they are dropping from mold.

[RobsTV]

The poll reflects a lack of understanding of the whole situation.

.......(snip)........

Gear

And a perfect example is what I just discovered.
Voted 550-600.

After having issues with heat treating oven monitoring, did some thorough inspecting, and found my Tel-Tru thermometer was off by about 100 degrees. Seems that if you turn the probe shaft, the dial pointer can turn separately from the numbered face. Luckily I already had found best casting results at 100 over full liquidus point, so the actual temperature did not really matter. And that is the biggest flaw with this type of poll. I would change my vote to 675-710, but the actual temperature does not really matter.

[hickfu]

Right around 700, my boolits come out the best at this temp, If I am pouring the big 540gr's I may up the temp a little.



Doc

[dragon813gt]

After getting a PID I now know actual temps. 700 for regular and 740 for hollow point. I started low and worked up to a temp that works for my pace. I refuse to treat casting as work or as a process that wears me out. If I have to turn the temp up or put the mold on the hot plate more often, I will. Now that I know I'm staying below 750 I'm not really concerned about losing tin.

[Gar]

On an average, around 680. Like most of the folks have said, depends on the mold and alloy I'm casting with.
I have a PID on the pot and have written down the temperature for most of my molds, some like it hot, some not

[Treetop]

BTW, if your spout ever freezes up, a quick pass with a propane torch or even a "hot" cigarette lighter will free it up in seconds. Once the lead starts flowing it should stay hot enough.

Thanks for that tip, rbertalotto! As I read through this thread, I wondered how folks could pour at 650 degrees, because neither of my RCBS Pro Melts will pour at that temperature, it takes about 725, to get a flow, so that's where I normally pour. Except for aluminum and hollow point molds, which I necessarily run hotter. Tt.

[geargnasher]

Thanks for that tip, rbertalotto! As I read through this thread, I wondered how folks could pour at 650 degrees, because neither of my RCBS Pro Melts will pour at that temperature, it takes about 725, to get a flow, so that's where I normally pour. Except for aluminum and hollow point molds, which I necessarily run hotter. Tt.

Again, like most of those posting in this thread, you completely ignore the fact that slight variances in alloy composition can have drastic effects on the melt temperature. Saying "it takes about 725 to get it to flow" means absolutely nothing if you don't know the temperature where your alloy melts and don't mention the ambient temperature conditions. I can cast with Zamak #3 at 725F, and believe me, that's more than hot enough to cast with any typical boolit alloy. My pot will cast at about 20F over full liquidus with anything I put in it, but if I was out on the porch in a 30 MPH "blue norther" with a wind chill of 25F I'd have trouble getting my bottom pour to even melt the metal, much less dispense it.

So take what some of us have said into consideration, and think past pot temperature. Think about alloy kelt point, slush point, full-liquidus transition, your ambient conditions, and the most important one, MOULD temperature.

Gear

[stubshaft]

There is no "IDon't know" on the poll. I've been castong for over 30 years and never found the need for a thermometer.

[rintinglen]

Hot enough for good fill out at the speed I cast at. Given that I seldom know what the metal is alloyed of in my pot, and that my lead Thermometer bit the dust, it is silly of me to state unequivocally that "I cast at 'X' temperature." I fiddle around until I get good boolits. If that means crank 'er up, then that's what happens. If It takes too long for the sprue to cool, then I turn it down. Different molds will need different temperatures, and maybe techniques, for good fill out.
HOWEVER, when in doubt, go hot. Life's to short to fiddle with a mold trying for that "perfect" sweet spot. A pile of rejects is not a good afternoon.

[Shiloh]

As low as I can and get good, complete boolits with good bases.

SHiloh

[mpmarty]

Now that I have a PID and know full liquid state is at or a bit above 650* F I set the PID to 750* F and use a propane torch on the spout to get it to flow. It's cold here and the wind is howling.

[Phoenix]

Wow, I cant possibly answer that as I cast using a half dozen different alloys. The casting temperature varies by alloy, number of mold cavities, Mold Material, Bullet shape. anywhere from 600-800 altho I try to keep it between 600 and 700.

[dave_g]

I had trouble with the melt getting too hot so I built a PID. I set it at 700 to start and I haven't felt the need to move it yet. From 105 grain to 230 grain boolits it works great at 700. I only have Lee molds.

[geargnasher]

I had trouble with the melt getting too hot so I built a PID. I set it at 700 to start and I haven't felt the need to move it yet. From 105 grain to 230 grain boolits it works great at 700. I only have Lee molds.

All good info but meaningless to others unless you also mention the liquidus point of the alloy you're using when you cast at 700F.

Gear

[Recluse]

The poll reflects a lack of understanding of the whole situation.

Gear

Wow, I cant possibly answer that as I cast using a half dozen different alloys. The casting temperature varies by alloy, number of mold cavities, Mold Material, Bullet shape. anywhere from 600-800 altho I try to keep it between 600 and 700.

Yep.

Depends on which molds I'm using, which boolits I'm casting for, what blend of alloy I'm using, what I'm going to be using the boolits for, what BHN am I shooting for, etc etc.

Granted, it's not a huge variance, but certainly more than the 50F variances in the original poll.

[Hondo 60]

Just started casting & voted 675-700.
But it's still winter here, so when the weather warms up I may have to lower that.
(I know the calendar says Spring - but the weather, with at least a foot of snow on the ground, says winter)