Switched ladles........

[WILCO]

Did some Boolit casting Friday evening and was using a cast iron ladle with my LEE 110 volt melter furnace. This ladle was my first casting ladle and I’ve always used it. I like it. Never gave a thought about how it performed. Just used it every time. No train of thought from that point on. Casting boolits? Grab my only ladle. Done and done. Now, I’d like to say I’ve cast thousands and thousands and thousands of beautiful boolits, but that number is still in the hundreds and I’m learning as I go, so when I realized that my boolits weren’t filling out every time and I knew my temp was good, fluxing okay, the alloy is good, mold was hot enough, cavities were smoked, tin added, I’m stumped as to the problem. Then I suddenly remembered I had an old RCBS ladle set aside from a while ago. I grabbed it and was pleasantly surprised as to the ease with which I was able to cast! Boolit fill out was improved greatly. I believe this was due to the fact that the RCBS ladle has a large capacity which provides some pressure as the molten lead works it’s way through the spout when pouring. Couple that with pouring off to the side of the sprue plate hole, creating a swirl effect and pouring a big “button” whilst giving the mold a slight downward bump on the bench, I was very happy with the end results. Long story short, I’ve switched ladles. :happy dance:

[WILCO]

Well, I just learned it's really called a RCBS Lead Dipper..... :shock:

[imashooter2]

Good tools certainly make a difference. I cast for many years with a Lyman dipper as did my father before me.

What were you using for a ladle before you pulled out the RCBS? I've never tried a genuine open top ladle, but they seem much more difficult to work with right on the face of it...

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

WILCO,

The best ladle I have used is the Rowell bottom pour!

Far better then the RCBS or Lyman or ?? side pours, even if they have a spout.

I have one of them, which has not been used in years!

The Rowell comes in sizes from small to ones for foundry use which are two man size.

Used to be available from Car Mover Company, but if you do a search you should find how and where to get one.

I have tried and rejected the bottom pour pots, just this Ol'Coot's opinion, and found a 40 + pound pot on top of my very old Colman gas stove, coupled with the bottom pour ladle is a great way to go!

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[WILCO]

What were you using for a ladle before you pulled out the RCBS?

I've been using a number 2 1/2 open faced cast iron ladle. It's easy enough to work with as I've cast some good boolits with it, but the RCBS lead dipper appears to be the cat's meow.

[imashooter2]

I just can't see how a Rowell ladle would be easier to use than a dipper like the Lyman or RCBS. I've never tried one, but I just can't see it in the design...

[WILCO]

WILCO,

The best ladle I have used is the Rowell bottom pour!

Thanks for the heads up!

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

There is no doubt that good boolits are cast with open ladles, the RCBS and Lyman side pour through the small nipple, but I have just found the Rowell bottom pour to be the best.

One reason is the availablility of a number of sizes.

If I recall correctly, and it has been a good number of years since I bought mine, I bought the second one up in size and I think this one had the option of a longer handle which I took.

Another reason for choosing this ladle again relates to the size.

Casting boolits in the larger sizes and with multipal cavity molds this ladle holds enough metal to fill all the cavities with one filling if I am careful.

I like molds of 4 or more cavities, and with the 310gr LBT in .44, 355gr LBT in 45/70 and the 465gr also in 45/70, this takes a good bit of alloy.

I begin my pour slightly to the side of the first cavity, move the established stream to the first cavity and then without stopping the flow of metal, move from cavity to cavity.

The RCBS or Lyman ladles would require refilling at least once for these molds and a lot more movement and rotating of the wrist/hand/arm.

Also, and this is an important factor, because the ladle pours from the bottom of the alloy pool it helps to avoid inclusions of the impurities many times floating on the top of the alloy pool.

Either way, we all pay our money and make our choice and I have just found the Rowell to be a top notch option.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[WILCO]

Bump! Old topic. Brought back to the top.

[Maven]

Here's the site referred to in an earlier post re Rowell ladles: http://www.advancecarmover.com/
Btw, they really do make a device which allows one man to move a fully loaded rail car on level track. (I've seen one in use and it works.)

[Wayne Smith]

Both the Lyman and RCBS are 'bottom' pour in that they do not pour from the top of the melt in the dipper.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm Wayne,

Then they must have changed since I bought mine.

With the nipple on the side of the Lyman and from what I have seen on the RCBS, the alloy pours from the top of the pool as you tip the ladle and then if the ladle is tipped far enough, it would be from the side or bottom of the pool.

With the Rowell, it is always from the bottom of the alloy pool.

Plus, the Lyman and RCBS are much smaller then the available Rowell products.

My Lyman ladles are someplace with the rest of my unused casting stuff, and except for the one time I tried something with a different mold a couple years back, that is where is does and will remain.

CDOC

[Bret4207]

I have the smallest available Rowel. For anything under 4 cavity I find it too big and awkward, even with the drastically shortened handle. It's fine for 6 and 10 cav moulds, okay for 4, ridiculous for 1, 2 and 3 cavs IMO.

[WILCO]

Btw, they really do make a device which allows one man to move a fully loaded rail car on level track. (I've seen one in use and it works.)



Have to check youtube for a video on that. I'd like to see it in action.

[H.Callahan]

Here's the site referred to in an earlier post re Rowell ladles: http://www.advancecarmover.com/
Btw, they really do make a device which allows one man to move a fully loaded rail car on level track. (I've seen one in use and it works.)
BTW, just bought a #3 Rowell from them this past week for smelting and pouring ingots. Excellent service and ridiculous shipping. Ordered it one evening, went out the next day, arrived here the following day -- and all with USPS.

[alamogunr]

BTW, just bought a #3 Rowell from them this past week for smelting and pouring ingots. Excellent service and ridiculous shipping. Ordered it one evening, went out the next day, arrived here the following day -- and all with USPS.

Good choice! When I first started cleaning up WW, I bought a #5 Rowell. Good thing I was in relatively good shape. Using that to cast 500-1000 lbs of ingots in one day will kill you. I think I lost 10 or 12 lbs one session. One of these days it will be in the S&S section.

I agree with Bret on the #1. I use it only on .45 and .475 molds. Bottom pour just doesn't seem to work on the bigger ones.

I have a #2 Rowell but only use it on smaller ingots such as solder or a small amount of range scrap. It was an ill advised choice when I bought the #1 and was trying to save shipping if I wanted a bigger one. Should have waited until I had more experience.

[Larry Gibson]

I've used the smallest Rowell ladle and agree with Bret, it is too large for my use also. I've also used a couple RCBS ladles and they work fine also. However, my own 2 ladles are both Lymans. I've drilled the hole out of one of them to use on bullets of 300+ gr. The more open spout gets the alloy into the cavity quicker with much better fillout.

BTW; when used crrectly the Lyman and RCBS ladles are bottom pour as the hole is rotated down so the alloy comes from the bottom of the alloy in the reservoir, not the top or side.

Larry Gibson

[Marlin Junky]

I use the 2 pound Rowell for just about everything and I love the results I'm getting. I'm hanging on to the 1 pounder just in case I start casting .22-.25 caliber boolits from a 2-cavity mold some day.

MJ

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Well, I guess it depends on how you use the Lyman or RCBS ladles.

I have tried putting the spout in contact with the mold and rotating them together, but have not liked the results, Plus I like multiple cavity mold. To a point, the more the better.

So, that means the Lyman or RCBS will pour from the top or sides of the pool at least during part of the pour.

The Rowell on the other hand, is a true bottom pour ladle and simply cannot pour from anything other then the bottom of the alloy pool.

Not sure which size I have, but there is no size issues as per being to big or heavy.

I like to have my alloy stream flowing before the stream begins to flow into the mold, and smaller ladles or those offered by Lyman and RCBS, simply can't cut it.

Not enough volumn!

I'm sure I have something to learn, probably lots, when it comes to casting, but have been doing so since the late 60s or early 70s and the Rowell ladle just out shines any and all I have tried.

Guess it is great that we have so many choices, making it possible for all of our boats to float, no matter what the choice.

CDOC

[Marlin Junky]

Guess it is great that we have so many choices, making it possible for all of our boats to float, no matter what the choice.

CDOC

Yup, long live capitalism! :D

The others with their tiny little girly ladles will figure it out someday... if they live long enough. :kidding:

MJ