starting out casting boolits and round ball

[d.thomson]

Im just starting out in bp,and casting bullits and I was wondering about the prosses. I have heard that beffore casting you candel black the molds as a release agent, but I need to know what to look for in melting lead temp, the actuall porring pre heat for your mold time left in the mold ect. I have just perchased a Lee double cav roundball/ real mold. Any feedback would be apreciated, thanks, Dave T.

[Maven]

Dave, Candle soot is too oily and will result in poor mold fill-out: The flame from a butane lighter or wooden matches applied to a hot mold (no condensate that way) works much better. Also when casting "pure" lead (doesn't need to be laboratory grade), I get better results when molten metal is 800 deg. F. You can lower it to ~750 deg. after a few dozen casts. Wheelweights, Lyman #2 alloy, etc., generally cast well at <800 deg., depending on the size of the mold blocks, the size of the cavity, whether the mold is aluminum, brass, or iron, etc. You'll also want to read a book or two on bullet casting, e.g., RCBS' "Cast Bullet Manual, Vol. 1 (1986)." Yes, it's 20 yrs. old, but it contains good information and can be found in used condition pretty easily.

[d.thomson]

thanks for the quick reply do you use the butane lighter bettween each boolit or just in the bigining thanks Dave T.

[robertbank]

Just in the beginning. Another good source is Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook. Very good reference book.

Take Care

Bob

[Hunter]

I started out with the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook and Bob's advice the first of the month and already have had 1 successful range trip with my own cast. I have had no need to smoke my moulds or use any sort of release agent. The bullets that stick I just give the handle hinge a gental rap with my rubber mallet (I use for the sprue cutter) and they fall right out.