how to heat the mould

[Chrome1981]

Hello

The thing that makes me lose more time is to heat the right temperature to my mould (Lee 452-230 Cavity 1R 6).

I try to warm up by pouring molten lead..... until i don't see more wrinkles on mu boolits( i feel a newbie!):-(

but is there something to warm the mold?, is there a special technique?

Thank you!

[P.K.]

I use a colman stove to heat my pot and just lay the mould on top of the pot while my mix melts. By the time it has my mould is pretty warm.

[Springfield]

I dip the corner of mine into the molten lead for a count of 100. Saves doing 6-10 pours while waiting for the mould to heat up.

[94Doug]

I think the general technique would be setting the mould on top of your heat source for some time before you cast... a lot of folks are now buying a hot plate and placing a pc of metal on the burner, then placing the mould on that for warm up. (If you can get a "lab" style hot plate, that part is done for you) Other than that, you are using the same form as I have, heat up with lead.

[94Doug]

Wow, all three posts at the same time.

Doug

[montana_charlie]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showpost.php?p=115198&postcount=25

[Springfield]

I could use my hotplate but it just takes more energy that way. My hotplate actually has a ceramic burner so it is flat on top. Sometimes I use it to keep moulds hot when I cast with 2 at a time.

[seagiant]

Hi,
To the OP. With the LEE type 6- cav. (I have a 6-cav Mihec) You need to preheat the mold so you do not break or damage you're sprue plate handle when you break the sprue! FWIW ACE Hardware sells a nice single hot plate and a old wore out 7 1/4" circular saw blade fits it perfect and will protect the mold from hot spots. Once you get used to this set up you can make perfect boolits from the first cast! No wrinkles and better for wear and tear on the mold! Remember, keep it simple!

[thehouseproduct]

ACE! I didnt check there. In california, a single burner hot plate is made of unicorn horn. I eventually had to order one online after visitng too many stores.

[Dan Cash]

I cast over a double burner gas fire. One burner melts lead and the other heats moulds.

[462]

ACE! I didnt check there. In california, a single burner hot plate is made of unicorn horn. I eventually had to order one online after visitng too many stores.

Don't know where you looked, but they are readily available from Walgreens and the dollar stores.

[insanelupus]

I have an old hotplate plugged in close to the lead pot. I have an older circular saw blade on top and place the mould on that. I also cut an older metal 1 lb. coffee can in half and use that to cover the top of the mould, effectively making a cheap oven. Works good.

[mold maker]

Yep,,, $10. Hot plate with saw blade and #10 food can cut in half with a window for an oven.

[Mike W1]

Or make a shelf and use the heat that's already there!

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u310/Mike4245/HPIM1075.jpg

[sabot_round]

Or make a shelf and use the heat that's already there!

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u310/Mike4245/HPIM1075.jpg

This is a great idea!! Thank you Sir!! BTW Did you have to get longer screws for it to fit??

[geargnasher]

I find that the open-style heat sinks unsatisfactory for my commercial aluminum and brass moulds, especially for heating the sprue plates. Too much radiant heat loss from the blocks being in the open air like that, even sitting on top of the hot plate.

Here's my solution, shamelessly copied (in concept) from a picture Monana Charlie posted a while back:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094e5ad65ae2e31.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1966)

Leave the 100-watt open-coil hotplate on nearly high, the air inside gets to about 450 degress, leave the mould inside with the block halves open a bit for at least 15 minutes to get a good heat soak. I leave it on during a casting session and dock the mould back in there if I need to pause for even a few seconds during a casting session, that way I don't lose any time or have extra culls getting it going again after a break.

Gear

[seagiant]

Hey Gearnasher!
Thanks! Another project!!! Nice setup! Ha!

[Mike W1]

This is a great idea!! Thank you Sir!! BTW Did you have to get longer screws for it to fit??

Used the factory screws on mine. I'm thinking it was 1/8" aluminum. An earlier discussion on the CB-List talked about the shelf drawing heat from the pot and not to make it any bigger than necessary. I've not noticed it to be a problem. The lip is there but spaced so it keeps my 2-cavity mould lying flat. Also nice to prewarm the ingots on it.

[byronw999]

If I'm in a hurry and need to cast several different bullets I use a single burner hotplate to warm up all the molds I need... When not in any particular hurry I just leave the corner dipped into the pot...

[JSnover]

I find that the open-style heat sinks unsatisfactory for my commercial aluminum and brass moulds, especially for heating the sprue plates. Too much radiant heat loss from the blocks being in the open air like that, even sitting on top of the hot plate.

Here's my solution, shamelessly copied (in concept) from a picture Monana Charlie posted a while back:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094e5ad65ae2e31.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1966)

Gear

Nice. My solution would have been to buy an old toaster oven (yard sales are full of them), replace the glass window, with a piece of sheet metal cut out the way yours is.

[sabot_round]

Used the factory screws on mine. I'm thinking it was 1/8" aluminum. An earlier discussion on the CB-List talked about the shelf drawing heat from the pot and not to make it any bigger than necessary. I've not noticed it to be a problem. The lip is there but spaced so it keeps my 2-cavity mould lying flat. Also nice to prewarm the ingots on it.

Thank you very much for the tips.:drinks:

[a.squibload]

If you're gonna just dip the mold in the lead, dip the sprue plate handle too,
somebody posted that, works good.
I set the mold on the saw blade on the hotplate in between casting.
I leave the mold blocks together for even heating, probably not necessary in the little oven
(I gotta make one of those!).

[Chrome1981]

Or make a shelf and use the heat that's already there!

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u310/Mike4245/HPIM1075.jpg


Nice solution!
But I have some questions, does not remove heat to the furnace? is sufficient to heat the mould?


I find that the open-style heat sinks unsatisfactory for my commercial aluminum and brass moulds, especially for heating the sprue plates. Too much radiant heat loss from the blocks being in the open air like that, even sitting on top of the hot plate.

Here's my solution, shamelessly copied (in concept) from a picture Monana Charlie posted a while back:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094e5ad65ae2e31.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1966)

Leave the 100-watt open-coil hotplate on nearly high, the air inside gets to about 450 degress, leave the mould inside with the block halves open a bit for at least 15 minutes to get a good heat soak. I leave it on during a casting session and dock the mould back in there if I need to pause for even a few seconds during a casting session, that way I don't lose any time or have extra culls getting it going again after a break.

Gear

Great Solution!, I had thought of a 1000 Watt electric cooker. That looks like a mini-oven, do you have made your "mini-oven" ​​of aluminum, it is difficult to build?
thank you very much!

Sorry for english!

[LUCKYDAWG13]

thats a nice hot box need to make one of them

[Mike W1]

Nice solution!
But I have some questions, does not remove heat to the furnace? is sufficient to heat the mould?






It apparently sucks enough heat from the pot that by the time the melt is up to casting temperature the first bullets cast are visually fine. I usually dump the first one or two mostly because of habit. Now mind you I only use Lyman moulds. I've no idea how aluminum blocks would do with a shelf as I've never had much consistent luck with them. Usually I cast with 2 moulds and I normally set them in the cooling fan box located to the left of my pots while filling the other

[Sonnypie]

I'm always looking at new ideas.
Thus far, since I'm not in any hurries anyway, I simply balance my mold I'm planning on using directly on top of the furnace.
That way the heat transfers directly into the mold and the radiant heat from the pool is searing it acrossed the air space.
One heat source doing two jobs.
If I stop for any reason, I set the mold directly back on top of the furnace to keep it warm.
So far, so good. (Simple mind, simple pleasures) :veryconfu

[JSnover]

Balancing the mold on the furnace is the simplest way but I don't like the way mine sit. Always seems like they'll try to leap to the floor as soon as I turn my back. I bought a lee precision melter years ago (can't remember why). It's the perfect size for 1-2 cavity molds, they drop right in there and stay put while the big pot heats up.

[winelover]

I currently use a hot plate now. However, in the past, I have been judiciously using a propane torch. Just don't leave it in any one spot too long! I tend to accumulate the disposable tanks and like to empty them before I discard them.

Winelover

[geargnasher]

In my picture I just stuck a Lee two-cavity in there to show the scale, my six-cavity and large brass moulds were put away. I preheat all my two-cavity moulds including the steel ones by closing the mould tightly and dipping the bottom corner 1/4" into the melt or so for about 30 seconds or until lead no longer sticks to the blocks when they are pulled out.

The problem with preheating arises with the bigger moulds, I've never been able to get a six-cavity mould anywhere near casting temperature by setting it on top of the furnace, even for a half-hour or more. Being very frustrated with trying to get these moulds hot initially led me to use the hotplate and a sawblade, then cut a 3 pound coffee can with a window and use it for a cover, and finally I modified the galvanized steel electrical box and cover that I pictured above, complete with grill thermometer. It works better than anything I've tried, and keeps the whole mould/sprue plate unit hot while I take breaks during a casting session.

The hole in the side is just large enough for my big brass Accurate moulds to pass, otherwise I would have made it smaller to slow the heat loss from inside.

Gear

[JSnover]

Speaking of preheating 6 cavs, I learned the hard way to leave the mold slightly open while it is heating or cooling. I only have one, so maybe it's just a quirk of that one mold. Whether I'm heating it up or letting it cool after I finish, the pins always bind until the temp stabilizes between the two halves. The problem disappears if I leave it cracked open a little.

[P.K.]

I currently use a hot plate now. However, in the past, I have been judiciously using a propane torch. Just don't leave it in any one spot too long! I tend to accumulate the disposable tanks and like to empty them before I discard them.

Winelover

About that spent bottle problem, is that it's a problem for me too. The wife said once a month was to long a wait to hit the recycling center.


As to the OP, when I am going to do short runs ( 100 boolits or so) I use a screw on burner for a 1 lb bottle. My pot sits on top and the burner is just wide enough to accomodate my mould standing up.