my first batch

[walker77]

Any thoughts on these? Seems like what ever i tried they still didnt really come out looking right. Im using a lee 429-240-2R Thanks!

[RayinNH]

Walker, 1,3,4,5 don't look bad. That last one has driving band fillout problems, #2, well leans to the right. Jack up the heat on you pot. Frosted boolits are almost always perfectly filled out...Ray

[walker77]

I had the pot around 800 but they were coming out all wrinkled around the nose. I dropped the heat down a little below 700 and thats what these came from. Thanks for your imput.

[RayinNH]

Well that hot enough. If they're wrinkled you probably have some leftover oils from the manufacturer still on the cavities. A good scrubbing with hot soapy water and a toothbrush or a spraying down with carb cleaner should help...Ray

[walker77]

Ill give that a try, when i got it all i did was wipe it down with a cloth. What should my temp be running ?

[HammerMTB]

I use Lee molds and find I need to do ALL the steps detailed on the instructions with the package. If you did that, my apologies.
I don't worry too much about a bit of wrinkling, as long as it's not severe. Smoking the mold is what seems to help that most, but clean 'em well, too.
My criteria for rejects are filled out, clean line around the base, and reasonable sprue cut-off. I can even accpt a very tiny divot in the sprue, if I'm making close range or plinking bullets anyway.
I also weigh a fair # of bullets, and reject any that are more than 3 gr out of median. Most out of spec will be light, but now and then a heavy comes along- don't know why.
If you're so inclined, you can do some testing with variables, one at a time, and see what is and isn't acceptable. My opinion is we do a lot that's for looks, not for accuracy.

[RayinNH]

I don't cast with a thermometer, but I would say around 700 would be good. If you go too hot the sprue puddle takes too long to harden. If you go too cold wrinkling happens. If you use a single cavity mould you need a bit more heat than say a three or four cavity iron mould. The larger moulds hold heat better than the small moulds. Now if your a quick caster ala Bruce B you could probably cast with room temperature lead. The speed of the casting and the friction generated would melt the lead. Just kidding of course. Experience will let you know when things are right. In the mean time enjoy the process, even wrinkled boolits shoot just fine at plinking distances...Ray

[geargnasher]

Your mould temp and your alloy temp are two completely different things.

I have always had to cast hot and fast with the Lee moulds, even to the point of getting sprue plate smears until I quench the plate on a wet sponge. If your boolits are wrinkled, as has been said, you either have grease/oil in the cavities or the MOULD isn't hot enough. If the mould is hot enough you can cast at 700* all day, but if it's cold you could pour 900* lead in it and it still won't work.

I still get a few that look like I ladled them in with a dirty spoon. Oh, well, keeps me humble!

Also, I don't know about other folks, but I usually have to cast 20 to 30 pours in a Lee before the temp evens out and consistency develops. The drive band fillout causes the most culls, usually due to uneven mould heating.

Gear

[DLCTEX]

+1 on cleaning the mold. Lee molds seem to have oils in the metal that is hard to get out. I recommend Bull Plate lube be used on the mold. I preheat the mold by dipping a corner in the melt until the lead no longer sticks to the mold.

[44man]

From the pictures, everything is too HOT. Frosted, rounded edges of lube grooves instead of sharp clean edges is just too much heat.

[walker77]

I thought it was too hot too, but what temp should the mold and the lead be running?

[44man]

If those are WW's, from 700 to 750*.

[soldierbilly1]

Only a suggestion, but you might try adding a little tin. Wheel weights, like everything else, aint what they used to be.
billy boy

[soldierbilly1]

I am assuming they are pistol bullets, not ML. billy boy
not familiar with the Lee 429-240-2R.

[Shiloh]

Ill give that a try, when i got it all i did was wipe it down with a cloth. What should my temp be running ?

Not being a smart ass mind you, but the right temp is the one that produces good boolits. Around 800+ works for me. Sometimes less. It seems to be alloy specific. If it is a low tin content, higher temp may produce better boolits. If needed, I add some tin, but I don't keep adding it. I turn up the temp.

I also touch my LEE molds on a wet sponge in a shallow bowl of water.
The sprue when it solidifies, and the base when I start getting frosted boolits.

Shiloh

[runfiverun]

clean the mold run pot at 750 and preheat your mold.
if they are not still well filled out [after about 10 pours] then throw in some tin.

[fredj338]

Yep, depends on the alloy, but I cast ww about 700-750 & get good fillout in the two Lee 6cavs I have. I hold the spout in contact w/ the sprue plate & then when the cav is full, lift it off & form a puddle. This almost always gives good fillout but does take some practice to not fill the other cavs. I rest the mold on top of the pot while the alloy melts, then evrything is hot & ready for casting. It usually only takes one fill to get the mold right & away you go.

[ddeaton]

clean the mold like above have said, run them until you get the mold good and hot. You may have to sacrifice 5, 10 or more runs back into the pot until you get the mold good and heated up. After you get the hang of it there are some shortcuts that all will let you know about on this forum, like preheating the mold on a hotplate before starting. Get the basics going. Very clean and hot mold. Temp running between 700 and 800 with just wheel weights, you should be frosting the boolits entirely after they cool a little. This is fine and should show good fill also. Add a little tin and the frosting goes away and fill is better also, then you can lower your temp a little till you feel good about it.
Nice thing about this is just throw them back in and keep practicing. When I started a little over a year ago, I didn't want to throw nothing back. After casting a while and getting the hang of it, its no big deal. Wait till you try a new mold, they are casting like jewelry, you run a whole pot of nice slugs, then you realize, I forgot to check the size at the beginning. Then you check and the mold is casting undersize for what you need. Then you dump the whole batch back in the pot while cursing. Never happened to me, I have just heard of this somewhere.

[AZ-Stew]

All the mentions of temperature here assume you're using a good thermometer. The markings on the dial on your lead melting pot (especially the Lees) means little to nothing. All they are is index marks. I have noticed my RCBS pot runs close between the dial markings and my thermometer, but it's not exact.

That said, the thermometer won't tell you what temperature to use for casting, but once you've established the right temperature for your alloy and mould by finding a temp. that produces good boolits, the thermometer makes it easy to return to that temp for your next casting session.

Regards,

Stew

[hugh]

Iam also just learning tanks fellas.