Wrinkled bullets after an hour trying

[wiliamr]

Title pretty much says it all. Three molds, wheel weight ingots. Preheat molds on hot plat while lead is melting. Start to cast and for 1 1/2 hours no matter how or what I do to melt temp (change from 625 to 900) the bullets keep coming out wrinkled and refuse to cast. Heck I even tossed in about 1/3 of a lb. tin to 20 lb mix... Any ideas?

[osteodoc08]

Take a deep breath.

Let the molds cool. Scrub with toothbrush and dawn and dry. Set pot temp at 700 by thermometer. You do have one, correct?

Place back on hot plate to get molds up to temp. Flip over onto the sprue plate to make sure it's hot. If you used sprue plate lube, it needs to be very sparingly and should be smoking at this point.

If bottom pour, allow alloy to run free into catch basin underneath for the first pour. This gets rid of the cooler alloy sitting in the nipple which can cause wrinkles. I use a small SS shot glass. Fill molds with generous, overflowing sprue. Wait to harden and count to ten, allow the heat to soak in. Repeat a few times until sprue cools over a count of 5-6 seconds. By now you should get into a nice rhythm. I often have to stop every 3-4 casts to let the blocks cool. You can use a damp sponge or fan of it suites you. I typically cast with 2 molds. One cools while the other casts.

Report back.

[HATCH]

Get a can of brake cleaner (non-chlorinated) and spray the mold when its COLD (don't do it hot)

Then cast away. 700 to 750 would be just fine.

[Janoosh]

Wrinkled boolits. Usually cleanliness or temperature. All those that posted above are spot on.

[williamwaco]

All the above + 99% sure your mold is not hot (enough) if the sprue puddle is not still liquid two to three seconds after you close the valve, cast faster.

You can cast perfect bullets with your pot at 900 degrees down to cool enough the spout freezes.

( if your mold is clean!)

[country gent]

Give the molds a good scrubbing to remove oils waxes and crud. Very lightly lube sprue plate pivot and pins. If ladle casting also clean ladle I recently boiled mine in 50/50 white vinegar and water and was surprise to see how much crud was in it. If bottom pour pre heat nozzle with long nose butane lighter or propane torch just before casting starts. Run a fairly quick pace and pour large sprues to start. I over pour to keep base hot as long as possible. I ladle cast and pour a full ladle of lead letting excess runn off the side of the mould. As stated above between 700*- 750* on a thermometer should be about right. Flux your pot heavy with sawdust or wax before starting also. Be sure to scrape sides and bottom to dislodge crud.

[wiliamr]

This is my frustration today....
I scrubbed the molds to start with brake cleaner and my trusty toothbrush, then smoked them. While melt was heating, the molds sat on hot plate upside down then flipped to right side up to come to heat. Used lube on sprue per instructions). Watching the thermometer, when melt was at 625, I started to pour (Big Lyman bottom pour) usually when I do this it takes about 10 to 15 minutes for blocks to come to temp.. The alloy was very silvery very clean poured very liquidy, no clops or grainy inclusions. Dross was grey powder first flux was Franklin casting flux.
I was using 1 brand new Lee aluminum 7mm rifle mold, 1 30 cal lee aluminum mold and my trusty RCBS 45 ACP mold. Filled one, sat off to side, filled next (all with generous puddle on sprue plate) then open 1st mold, filled third mold, dumped 1st, opened 2nd, refilled 1st after 15 minutes, I upped the temp to 700, tried fluxing with saw dust (mixture of walnut and pine)then in another 15 minutes, to 800. bullets at this point were slightly frosty but still silvery and I fluxed with candle wax. All fluxes were stirred deep stirring and when melt hit 900, I called it a morning. I poured the melt into the Lyman ingot molds, they looked frosty because of the 850 temp by the time I got to the last 5 lbs, temp and dropped and the ingots are pretty, shiney silver. I think a coke and bourbon now as I scrub the molds again, and wash with denatured alcohol (ethyl), then re-smoke. I've been casting 30+ years and never had this problem.... Thanks for reading guys I needed to ask for help

[osteodoc08]

Skip the smoke. Try juggling less molds. The molds are still cold and you're trying to overcompensate with too hot a melt. Back it to 700 and let your molds heat up more. If you're getting frosted boolits with a melt temp of 700, allow mold to cool a bit. I've found that my steel and brass molds hold heat and are less finicky about my timing once up to temp. Let an aluminum one sit too long and it'll get too cold.

[wiliamr]

I tried that too, just started casting near the end with the RCBS mold alone.still bullets were wrinkled and very pretty silver.

[williamwaco]

I tried that too, just started casting near the end with the RCBS mold alone.still bullets were wrinkled and very pretty silver.

Absolute proof of too cold.

[Pilgrim]

2nd on 2 moulds and cast faster. However, your problem may not be temp of moulds or melt. But a problem with venting. With the mould cold, take a razor blade or exacto knife and carefully clean the vent lines. I don't trust myself to use a file, but a "razor" edged file is best, but mistakes with a file are not good!! Don't ask how I know this! I usually draw the blade edge across the vent line 1st, and then use the point of the blade as a finisher. Get your brake clean out and get ALL of the smoke out of the mould. Then start over. You can put the corner of your mould in the melt for a bit to make sure it is up to temp if you aren't sure the blocks are hot enuf. If your mould is not venting well, you can cast till hell freezes over and no matter the combination of mould and melt temperature you'll still get wrinkles. Smoke only helps insulate the cavity for a smidgeon longer so the mould can vent. It shouldn't be needed, but...FWIW Pilgrim

[Pilgrim]

Be aware that the smoke can be plugging the vent lines. I use smoke (rarely) but apply it with a kitchen match and try like crazy to keep the smoke in the cavities ONLY. Sorry for the yell, but plugging vent lines with smoke ain't good, and smoke outside of the cavity is pretty much useless.

[TomAM]

Cast at a brisk pace with one mold until the sprue takes 10 seconds to dry. THEN examine your latest boolits and see if there are wrinkles.

[Dan Cash]

You are trying to run too many moulds. Also, you don't say what you are using as a smoke source; some flames carry lots of oil with the soot. If your moulds are clean, you don't need smoke.

[wiliamr]

I think the vent lines may be the issue at least on the RCBS, I just came back in from cleaning the heck out of it and the vents seemed clogged. I am going to mess with the Lee molds. The Lee aluminum molds have always been, in my opinion, tempermental. Lezzzzz see what happens. I do thank ALL for their feedback.

[MT Chambers]

First you get good, then you get fast.....start with one mold and cast like hell, you'll get rid of the wrinkles.......when you start getting frosted bullets, it's time to get two molds going.

[geargnasher]

Read THIS: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...end-about-temp

Particularly post #10. "Cast like hell" is right, FOUR POURS PER MINUTE, time it with a wall clock. Your moulds are probably too cold like the others are telling you. You really need to focus on understanding the difference and importance of alloy temperature and mould temperature and how to maintain each, and WHY. Cranking up the pot dial past where the alloy needs to be does nothing good for bullet quality.

There is one other thing that may be an issue, I don't know what you did to lube your sprue plate, but any oil or even oil fumes that get in the cavities will wrinkle bullets. If you read any of the Lee instructions, try to forget every single word you read, burn them, and throw rocks at the place where you toss the ashes. Beeswax, bullet lube, and smoke are the last things you want near your moulds next to maybe salt water.

Read the sticky thread in this section about how to lube a mould properly, you shouldn't be doing it cold because you'll use too much, and a half drop will lube two moulds, any little bit too much and you're in trouble with wrinkles.

Study a bit, clean the moulds up with brake cleaner and a toothbrush again really well, and have another go. A sip of good whisky applied to the stomach while waiting for the moulds and alloy to come up to temperature might be helpful as well.

Gear

[MtGun44]

Do not smoke the cavities.

Cast as fast as you can. Fill, as soon as the sprue solidifies, cut and dump, then immediately
refill - do not look at the boolits, fiddle with sprues, etc. Do NOTHING but fill, cut and dump
until you get the mold hot enough.

Bill

[6bg6ga]

Do not smoke the cavities.

Cast as fast as you can. Fill, as soon as the sprue solidifies, cut and dump, then immediately
refill - do not look at the boolits, fiddle with sprues, etc. Do NOTHING but fill, cut and dump
until you get the mold hot enough.

Bill

I will add....sort them out later. You will end up with good bullets.

[koehlerrk]

I was given two Lee 30 cal molds... took a while, but I got them to cast, but I had many of the same frustrations you're facing. Here's what I did:

1. Clean the mold with Dawn dish soap and hot water with an old toothbrush. Then sprayed it with brake cleaner. No smoke or other mold releases!
2. Good, hot, clean melt in the pot, 700-750 is about the ideal temp.
3. Preheated the molds on a hot plate.
4. Started casting with one mold, and when it got hot, I put it back on the hot plate to "cool" while I used the other one. This keeps it from getting too cold.

Keep at it, hope this helps.