Figuring out how to get my production rate up

[dbarnhart]

Yesterday morning I had a great 4-hour casting session. I have two 10-lb pots side-by side. I bottom pour from one and then use a ladle to keep it full from the the second pot. It's working out really well. I have a 2-cav brass mold from Accurate. The whole session yesterday went really well and when I was done I'd made a little over 800 boolits.

So I started doing the math. That's 200 boolits/hour or 100 pours per hour, which works out to about 35 seconds per pour. I'd like to be more productive than that. I need to either:

- Figure out why each pour is taking so long, or
- Stop over-analyzing and just buy a 4-cav mold.

[Fishman]

A six cavity lee sure makes things go quicker. I use exactly that setup and you should have seen the pile of .357 158 gr boolits I made the other day.

[Bwana]

Using a six cavity mold I get about 700 an hour (while actually casting). Using a two cavity it drops to around 550. I use a Lee 20# pot and ingots and water drop.

[geargnasher]

I run all of my brass moulds with 650-700 degree wheel weight alloy plus 1-2% tin added at about 3-4 pours per minute steadily, this seems to keep the mould and sprue plate in the optimum temperature zone and doesn't overheat the alloy. Production with a bottom pour and two or three cavity mould is very high. My MP 4-cavity brass mould drops boolits like rain and empties a 20-lb pot very quickly.

If you run your alloy hotter than about 100 degrees over full-liquidus (my WW mix is fully liquid at exactly 570 degrees) you're being counter-productive to both dross formation on the alloy, the oxide barrier that tin provides to the molten stream going into the mould, and to mould temperature. If the alloy is hotter than it needs to be, you have to slow down the pace to prevent overheating the mould.

Lee six-cavity moulds like to run hot also, and three pours per minute keeps them happy, which is about as fast as I can cycle them comfortably for long periods of time.

Gear

[warf73]

Yesterday morning I had a great 4-hour casting session. I have two 10-lb pots side-by side. I bottom pour from one and then use a ladle to keep it full from the the second pot. It's working out really well. I have a 2-cav brass mold from Accurate. The whole session yesterday went really well and when I was done I'd made a little over 800 boolits.

So I started doing the math. That's 200 boolits/hour or 100 pours per hour, which works out to about 35 seconds per pour. I'd like to be more productive than that. I need to either:

- Figure out why each pour is taking so long, or
- Stop over-analyzing and just buy a 4-cav mold.


You are doing great in your average pour per minute over a 4 hour casting session. People fail to realize that if there isn’t a stream of silver coming out of the pot your average drops rapidly.
You transferring alloy from one pot to the other takes what 1 min maybe 2? That’s 3 to 6 pours you missed out on, you probly average what 4 transfers per hour maybe 5? That’s 12~16 pours per hour in just transferring alloy. Now take that into the 4 hour run you did, that’s 48~64 pours gone.
Now I bet you had a bathroom break and drink break in those 4 hours. What’s that 15 mins maybe 20 mins over the course of 4 hours? Now you’re talking 45~60 pours in 4 hours just in breaks and I bet it was more than that.

So you add that up its 93~124 pours lost out on in a 4 hour run in just 2 things, you lost 186~248 boolits. So you add all that up your time is pretty good if you ask me.

I used 3 pours per min as the mean average when you’re going which is about perfect if the alloy is at the right temp using a brass mold.

[runfiverun]

the best way to increase production without changing your equipment, is to cut out any unecessary motion.
the ladle is slowing you down.


i use a 40 lb pot with a 1/2" cover on top where my ingots sit.
as it get a little low i drop my sprue,grab a warmed [hot] 2 lb ingot thats 3"s away and slide it in the pot, [that's a slow down in my flow]
dump the boolits and fill.
the pot temp doesn't change.
i use either 2 or 4 cavity molds and the pot fills 2 cavities at a time.
i don't have to hurry,i can loaf along and do about 3 pours a minute.
i run the pot at 675 [or lower]
the molds sit on a box i made to fit under the spout,till i pick it up,break the sprue and dump the boolits.
i built a high bench and raised the pot's stand up 1" at a time so,i can look directly in at the pour without stooping.
i keep a damp rag close by to help if the mold starts getting hot.
i only slightly shift to the left to empty the mold unles waterdropping, then it's to the right 90*.
the mold and sprue plate are being closed on the way back to the pot.
the tap stick, when needed, is placed so it's natural to pick up and set down without reaching for it.
everything flows smoothly,too smoothly at times, my legs/feet start to go to sleep from not moving.
i am not twisting or shifting much, just a slight weight shift to the side, and a raising and lowering of the arms with a flick of the wrists.
all in a little circle.

you could move your catch box up higher to where your ladle is.
or lower your pot..
build a bracket so that your second pot dumps right over the edge into your main pot.
get a larger ladle that will fill all three cavities without a refill.
or change how you cast, either the methods or your whole routine.

[Suo Gan]

You can only go so fast with equipment and your body, as long as you have good boolits, I think you did fine.

[Certaindeaf]

Use a gloved hand to open the sprue plate. One less thing to pick up and then put down.

[MBTcustom]

Use a gloved hand, and get a dad-blamed 6 cavity mold if you really need production.
I use single or double cavity molds for my rifles, but when it comes to pistols, accuracy is negligible for the style of shooting that I do, so I want to make the best use of my time. I use 6 cavity Lee molds and TL with 45/45/10. Life is good and accuracy is actually quite good if I do it right.
If you are shooting groups off of sand bags, its worth your time to do it slow and sure. If you are rippin up silhouette targets and steel plates as fast as you can pull the trigger, who cares if the pistol shoots a 1" group or a 4" group? They all go "DING" ya know!

[HangFireW8]

- Stop over-analyzing and just buy a 4-cav mold.

Bingo! Unless you go to 5 or 6 cavities.

HF

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Stop over-analyzing and just buy a 4-cav mold.

I'm in this camp, except I think you should go up to a six cavity aluminum mold. Why?

A couple reasons:

1. The bigger the mold, the greater the production per cast. Six cavity is the largest available and therefore makes the most boolits per cast. That's pretty simple math there.

2. The bigger the mold, the heavier the mold. If you go into a long casting session, eventually any mold gets heavy. Aluminum molds get heavy the slowest, especially in the larger cavities.

3. Aluminum molds are the least expensive, so you can afford to buy two molds. See the stickies on BruceB's speed casting articles and pics for more information about casting with two molds for maximizing production.

4. Aluminum molds like higher temps, so you can drive them a bit longer before switching molds. (Refer to #3 for why you want to switch molds)

If I were reloading pistol and I reload several pistol cartridges, I want to load reasonably accurate (I'm not shooting bullseye.) boolits, but I'm also concerned with getting some bullets up to load in the least amount of time.

My preferred .45ACP boolit is an H&G #68 clone done in Lee six cavity molds I bought during a group buy. I shoot a lot of these, so it's in my interest to cast a lot of them.

I use two Lee custom six cavity molds at a time. I keep one warm on a dual hot plate I bought while I cast with the other, doing the "BruceB." When the temp of the mold I'm using gets too hot, I switch molds and use the second mold while allowing the first mold to cool.

I also have set my 10 pound Lee pot above my 20 pound Lee pot so I can dump lead directly from one bottom pour to the other, then place ingots in the top pot along with sprues. This keeps my "supplying my pot" to a minimum time.

My wife, who loves me dearly (and owns both a 1911 and a .38 special she wants practice ammo for) is kind enough to keep my sprues policed up and in the top pot along with feeding it ingots.

With this setup, I am able to cast enough boolits in a two hour session to fill all the .45ACP cases I have on hand and have a couple boxes left over. I also am ordering a second molds in all my high volume molds to be able to do the "BruceB" with all of them.

If you want production, that is how to get it. BTW, using two of any sized cavity mold and doing the BruceB will increase your production rate a good bit.

Just my .02

[prs]

Well, I may have to read up on Bruce B, but the arrangement I have developed for myself lets the boolits pile-up mighty quick. I have two 20# bottom pour pots going at once. I cast from one until it is about 3/4 depleated, drop in ingots and go to the other pot and so on. I am depleating those pots pretty fast with two 6 cavity moulds used in rotation thusly: Preheat both moulds. Fill mould one and rest it on a plywood slab, fill mould 2 and exchange it for 1. Empty 1 and refill 1, exchange for 2, adinfinitum. I don't time myself, I never wear a watch. But from kick-off to half time of a Saturday afternoon collegate football game I have gone through more than 50# of alloy. If I load two different boolits this way, it only slows me a little. If a mould gets too hot, I lay it on an aluminum angle instead of the plywood. I keep my pots covered with clay based oil dry and dump spru right back in. Even at 250gr per, 50# or boolits is a hefty number. And listening to a pro baseball game from Star Spangled Banner to God Bless America can net me a 100# of production.

prs

[flipajig]

I use a Lee 20-4. It runs just fine for me.

[milprileb]

Just a comment, this is not a race is it? Its a hobby .. right?

Go as fast as you enjoy bullet casting and with the mold that suits
your technique.

I go as fast (you would say slow) as things are working right for me
and bullets dropping are keepers.

I consider casting a labor of love.

[lathesmith]

And, of course, once you've maximized your mold and pot's production rate, get rid of the other bottleneck in the assembly line, if you haven't already: get a Star or Ballisti-cast sizer and slice your lube/sizing time by 2-4x or more.

lathesmith

[BruceB]

It amazes me, how quickly our amassed knowledge drops "out of sight".

Go to the the "SClassics and Stickies" forum, the very first forum on the list here at Cast Boolits. At the very bottom of Page One is an article I wrote some time back, called "BruceB's Speedcasting Method" (or something like that).

A REASONABLE expectation for production for me is FIVE HUNDRED PER HOUR with a TWO-cavity mould, and EIGHT HUNDRED PER HOUR with a four-cavity mould.....with ONE mould in use. (More than one mould slows the rate down.) These are realistic and sustainable rates, and require no special equipment whatever. As stated, it's all in the efficiency of the method.

[Huntducks]

At my age about all my hands and shoulder can stand is a 4c mold, and to me it's not a race, when your racing you make mistakes and when you do you can pay with hot lead.

I sold all my steel 6c-8c-10c on ebay now some other poor smucks can feel it because they want to cast fast.

Enjoy life it's to short.

[btroj]

Bruce is right, it is all about finding an efficient method. The OP is wasting time ladling lead from one pot into another.
My suggestion for the OP is to have both pots ready to go. Cast from one til it is almost empty, then cast from the other til it is likewise almost empty. Add more lead to both and while waiting for it to melt start sorting the bullets you, get a drink, rest, or do whatever. Then come back and cast 2 more pots full.

Every one of us has a slightly different routine. Find what is slowing your up and make it more efficient. I can cast plenty fast enough to keep me well supplied with bullets.

[41 mag fan]

Just a comment, this is not a race is it? Its a hobby .. right?

Go as fast as you enjoy bullet casting and with the mold that suits
your technique.

I go as fast (you would say slow) as things are working right for me
and bullets dropping are keepers.

I consider casting a labor of love.


BINGO!!
We got a winner.....

[BruceB]

BINGO!!
We got a winner.....


Speak for yourself, pard.

Is CASTING your hobby, or is SHOOTING your hobby???

Ever since I began posting my results with quick casting, there has been a certain reactionary faction hollering about, " OHhhhh....., it's a hobby, take your time, enjoy the process, you make POORER bullets than *I/WE* do," and on and on ad nauseam.

NEWS FLASHES:

-My hobby is SHOOTING.

-I CAST and HANDLOAD to SHOOT. Anything I can do (without extra effort) to streamline my ammunition production enables more SHOOTING in the same time frame. For those Zen masters who (apparently) cherish and covet every single bullet they cast, maybe this constant drumbeat about "Slow down, too fast", and especially " FAST= INFERIOR" makes some sense .... to them.

-My bullets are just fine, thank you, and I make that statement on the basis of 45 years ' casting which includes a couple decades of Bullseye pistol competition. That competition used almost a quarter-MILLION of my own cast bullets. I do know what a "good" cast bullet looks like.

If you haven't tried it, and especially if your casting time is limitless, carry on old boy. For my part, watching those EXCELLENT bullets piling-up with very little effort is highly gratifying....and, I DO enjoy the process (and the subsequent shooting, with a LOT of bullets). There are no "Brownie Points" awarded for INEFFICIENCY, any more than there are for quality or speed in production. It is indeed a hobby, and we are our own critics.

My method works well for me, and that's what matters. Others have tried it and found it also works for them.

[btroj]

Like Bruce, I enjoy shooting. I cast because it works for me, makes shooting more affordable, and gives me something to do in my spare time.

I want, and need, a large number of good bullets and don't have all darn day to cast them. I want my casting to be as efficient as possible. To me efficient means no wasted motions, no wasted time. Why spend an hour to get 200 pistol bullets if I can get 700 in the same time?

I don't use the same method as Bruce, or at least I don't think I do as I haven't really looked I to his method. I will say that I can drain my 22 pound RCBS pot in about 30 minutes using a 4 to 6 cav mould. I figure on 700 200 swc for my 45 ACP per hour of actual casting time. That is good enough for me.

I ony have so much free time in a day and casting isn't the only thing I need to accomplish. Efficiency is the key, it isn't just "speed". I want as many good bullets as is possible in the time I have to cast. It really isn't that difficult.

[runfiverun]

i don't work for speed i work for efficiency.
i could hold my breath and make a dash to the end, i choose to maintain a pace that gets me as good as i can make and a many as i can make.
i don't know if that boolit is gonna be the one for the group,the rock,or for the 5 dollars.
consistency is my goal, speed is part of that, volumn is a necessity.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=143420&page=2
these groups were shot from a mold run on a mastercaster the wife made them.
and were checked and lubed on a star.
so quality and speed can go hand in hand.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

+1n what BruceB said. What he didn't doesn't mean "fast." It means efficient operation. You aren't working any harder or faster, you're just turning out more bullets. I added a second mold to my process, varying from what he did, because I'm using inexpensive aluminum molds and don't want to over heat them and damage them, though I'm not positive it would. I just don't want to take a risk.

I don't work any harder or faster piling up huge piles of boolits in short periods of time than I did piling up small piles before I read his article. The work effort is about the same, perhaps even less. But two things occured:

1. I produced a lot more boolits.

2. My boolit quality improved significantly.

I think both results are extremely positive. I can work one time period stint and have enough boolits to shoot a lot, enjoy it and have time for other things, like playing with my grandchildren. I can't find any negatives to doing things this way.

BruceB,

Thank you for posting where your article is located and thank you for writing that article.

Best regards,

Dave

[Mal Paso]

Six cavity is the largest available and therefore makes the most boolits per cast. That's pretty simple math there.


Not true. Our Sponsor Ballisiti-Cast is offering 10 cavity molds. Que es muy macho?

Run the Mold Hotter and Alloy Cooler.

[dbarnhart]

As a follow-up, today after making a few adjustments I cast 565 boolits in 1n hour and 45 minutes. That's a little over 300 per hour.

In my first post of this thread I mentioned switching to a 4-cav mold and I think it was Gear who suggested a 6-cav mold. The reason I said 4-cav is because that's the biggest that Accurate makes in brass.

[mpmarty]

I run six banger molds in 45acp and 10mm with a single LEE 4-20 bottom pour pot. I cast as fast as I can and when the pot is down enough I reach under my bench and add another ingot. I run at around 725* so adding an ingot doesn't slow me down by freezing the spout or anything like that and by constantly adding ingots I keep the temp down to where I want it. I do use a shallow pan with a cotton cloth in water to cool the mold once in a while but as I don't mind frosted boolits that isn't often.

[nanuk]

I think I could get by on a single cavity mould

cause even with reduced loads, component is so expensive up here, I simply can't afford to shoot that much

[41 mag fan]

Speak for yourself, pard.

Is CASTING your hobby, or is SHOOTING your hobby???

Ever since I began posting my results with quick casting, there has been a certain reactionary faction hollering about, " OHhhhh....., it's a hobby, take your time, enjoy the process, you make POORER bullets than *I/WE* do," and on and on ad nauseam.

NEWS FLASHES:

-My hobby is SHOOTING.

-I CAST and HANDLOAD to SHOOT. Anything I can do (without extra effort) to streamline my ammunition production enables more SHOOTING in the same time frame. For those Zen masters who (apparently) cherish and covet every single bullet they cast, maybe this constant drumbeat about "Slow down, too fast", and especially " FAST= INFERIOR" makes some sense .... to them.

-My bullets are just fine, thank you, and I make that statement on the basis of 45 years ' casting which includes a couple decades of Bullseye pistol competition. That competition used almost a quarter-MILLION of my own cast bullets. I do know what a "good" cast bullet looks like.

If you haven't tried it, and especially if your casting time is limitless, carry on old boy. For my part, watching those EXCELLENT bullets piling-up with very little effort is highly gratifying....and, I DO enjoy the process (and the subsequent shooting, with a LOT of bullets). There are no "Brownie Points" awarded for INEFFICIENCY, any more than there are for quality or speed in production. It is indeed a hobby, and we are our own critics.

My method works well for me, and that's what matters. Others have tried it and found it also works for them.


So what you're saying is I should follow what you just posted and not what I like to do?
Thats great you CAST and HANDLOAD to SHOOT.
I CAST and HANDLOAD and SHOOT because that is my hobby and my as Milprileb posted "MY labor lof love". Thats my BINGO we have a winner, as I posted.

Thats great you posted an article in the stickies on speed casting and effiecency. Some will take it up, some wont. It's a matter of personal preference, not what one person thinks you should do.
It's one more thing about this forum that makes it so great and why I keep coming back..to learn and pass on a tidbit to someone of what I've learned over the decades.
Whether it be to streamline their production or to just get out and cast a few hundred up.
Some of us have the time to shoot in competitions, some don't. Some have no desire to shoot in competitions, some thats all they desire.
Some are retired and have the time to enjoy our sport or hobby more than some who are still in the working gene pool.
I myself, on a normal basis, work 10 hrs a day, 6 days a week. So I don't get much time to enjoy more of my passions or sports. My Sundays off are either spent catching up around the house, or recouping from a job thats a 2 week rotation, from days to nights.

So basically in a nutshell, I enjoy CASTING, I enjoy HANDLOADING and I enjoy SHOOTING. This is my passion and this is my hobby and this is my sport.
Just because I, or anyone else on this forum enjoy all aspects of it, does not give someone the right to make another person feel chastised for that enjoyment, or because they don't speedcast or streamline their casting, or because they don't enjoy one aspect of the hobby or sport over the other.

You sure don't nor ever will see me chastising someone for wanting to streamline their casting for efficiency to put out more boolits, or chastise or condemn someone who'd rather just enjoy casting a few hundred up then go shoot them and redo it all over again.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Not true. Our Sponsor Ballisiti-Cast is offering 10 cavity molds. Que es muy macho?

This a mold for use by hand and is it made of aluminum to where the weight is reasonable? If so, I may have to buy some.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

As a follow-up, today after making a few adjustments I cast 565 boolits in 1n hour and 45 minutes. That's a little over 300 per hour.

In my first post of this thread I mentioned switching to a 4-cav mold and I think it was Gear who suggested a 6-cav mold. The reason I said 4-cav is because that's the biggest that Accurate makes in brass.

As much as I like the longevity of the brass molds, I'm wondering what the weight is like when one casts for long periods, say over an hour. One of the major reasons I use the aluminum molds is weight.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

So what you're saying is I should follow what you just posted and not what I like to do?
Thats great you CAST and HANDLOAD to SHOOT.
I CAST and HANDLOAD and SHOOT because that is my hobby and my as Milprileb posted "MY labor lof love". Thats my BINGO we have a winner, as I posted.

Thats great you posted an article in the stickies on speed casting and effiecency. Some will take it up, some wont. It's a matter of personal preference, not what one person thinks you should do.
It's one more thing about this forum that makes it so great and why I keep coming back..to learn and pass on a tidbit to someone of what I've learned over the decades.
Whether it be to streamline their production or to just get out and cast a few hundred up.
Some of us have the time to shoot in competitions, some don't. Some have no desire to shoot in competitions, some thats all they desire.
Some are retired and have the time to enjoy our sport or hobby more than some who are still in the working gene pool.
I myself, on a normal basis, work 10 hrs a day, 6 days a week. So I don't get much time to enjoy more of my passions or sports. My Sundays off are either spent catching up around the house, or recouping from a job thats a 2 week rotation, from days to nights.

So basically in a nutshell, I enjoy CASTING, I enjoy HANDLOADING and I enjoy SHOOTING. This is my passion and this is my hobby and this is my sport.
Just because I, or anyone else on this forum enjoy all aspects of it, does not give someone the right to make another person feel chastised for that enjoyment, or because they don't speedcast or streamline their casting, or because they don't enjoy one aspect of the hobby or sport over the other.

You sure don't nor ever will see me chastising someone for wanting to streamline their casting for efficiency to put out more boolits, or chastise or condemn someone who'd rather just enjoy casting a few hundred up then go shoot them and redo it all over again.

To be honest, those that posted in this thread about slowing down were, did, in fact, sound like they were chastising those of us who were posting to help the original OP increase his efficiency and therefore his total produced in the same amount of time.

Also, I think I made the point in my post after BruceB's that increasing one's efficiency does NOT reduce either the quality or pleasure I get from casting. It just provides me with more boolits for the same amount of work. I get pleasure from wrapping up my casting session and seeing not only good boolits, but a huge pile of them providing me with lots of cartridge fodder for a long time to come. Hence my need for a Star luber sizer.

Finally, I think BruceB's commentary was more a defensive reaction to that "chastising" (as you call it) from the "slow and hobby" crowd than he was chastising others.

It's certainly a free country and if you want to do things inefficiently, that's your prerogative. But if someone has pointed out you can get more quantity without working harder and without sacrificing any fun, you might want to ask yourself if you're being reasonable about it or is your reaction one of: "don't confuse me with facts, my mind is made up."

My challenge to you is if you haven't tried it, how do you know? Maybe you should try the method and see how it goes. You may be pleasantly surprised.

For my part, when I first read Bruce's article, I was casting slowly, producing some good boolits and some crapola. Following his article and with some practice/experience/experimenting, my quantity and quality of good, useable boolits and my satisfaction with my casting experience went up considerably. Your mileage may vary.

[prs]

After having read BruceB's fine article, I realize I am an old dog and his new trick will allude me. I am set in my way and although my method of using two 20# bottom pour pots and droping spru waste back into the pot has its own hazzards and expenses, I will stick with running two moulds of 6 cavitires and two pots. No water.

prs

[Mal Paso]

This a mold for use by hand and is it made of aluminum to where the weight is reasonable? If so, I may have to buy some.

Yes it is a Hand Mold BUT I am fairly certain it is Iron hence the Macho Line.

[dbarnhart]

I think I could get by on a single cavity mould

cause even with reduced loads, component is so expensive up here, I simply can't afford to shoot that much

Components are quickly starting to get more expensive here too. That's why I buy in large quantities when I can find a deal. I ended up with about $150 of 'mad money' in the budget this month so I bought 5000 large pistol primers, which is about a year's worth. The next time that happens I'll probably buy 8lb of Unique which would be about a two year supply.

I'm fortunate that there is a small independently-owned reloading supply shop 10 minutes from my house and his prices are very reasonable.

I'm shooting more now and on a more regular basis that I ever have in my life and enjoying the hell out of it. It's been very satisfying to see the groups keep getting smaller and smaller. And I have casting and reloading to thank for it.

[Huntducks]

Some of you have so many posts it's a wonder you have time to cast-reload-shoot:razz::violin::kidding:

[357maximum]

I spend less time worrying about how many boolits I can make and more time/energy worrying about how to put all them handpoured beauties all into the same hole at 100+ yards. If I just wanted to make noise I would go buy some firecrackers.:roll: To each their own however. Personally I will stick with my ladle.

[BruceB]

Brother, you sure swung a wide loop this time.

[QUOTE=41 mag fan;16478"05]So what you're saying is I should follow what you just posted and not what I like to do? "

NO, that's not what I'm saying, and such language exists NOWHERE in my posts. There are OVER NINETY PAGES of my posts on this site, and I am neither stupid enough nor egotistical enough to think that "MY WAY" is the only way....in ANY field of endeavor. I defy anyone to find, anywhere in those 90+ pages, a SINGLE example wherein I said "Do it this way because I say so."


QUOTE:"That is my hobby and my as Milprileb posted "MY labor lof love". Thats my BINGO we have a winner"

Uh-huh....And, by what remarkable leap of 'logic' do you conclude that this is not MY hobby? Is fifty years of intense activity not a sufficient indicator? Fourteen years' CONTRIBUTING on this Board and its predecessors? Who are you, to look down your nose at other casters and shooters....oh, yeah...it's your HOBBY...

I plainly referred to my competition days in the PAST TENSE. I no longer have either the
needed physical ability OR the competitive opportunities. The competition generated a huge demand for CAST BULLETS, and that's the reason I mentioned those activities.


QUOTE:"Some are retired and have the time to enjoy our sport or hobby more than some who are still in the working gene pool. I myself, on a normal basis, work 10 hrs a day, 6 days a week. So I don't get much time to enjoy more of my passions or sports. My Sundays off are either spent catching up around the house, or recouping from a job thats a 2 week rotation, from days to nights."

You are far from the only one with work and family pressures. Even though I'm well past retirement age, I still work full-time shift- work in a gold mine. 12-hour shifts, a 100-mile daily commute, and weekly changes from days to nights and back make for a pressurized situation. Repeat: You are not the only one.

For someone who says he's so short of that precious time, I find it very strange that you would not aconsider or evaluate input on how to MAYBE increase the utility of whatever time you do have available

This thread was started by a gent in search of ways to INCREASE PRODUCTION. THAT is the question to which I was replying, and it's HIM to whom I was addressing the input.



QUOTE:"You sure don't nor ever will see me chastising someone for wanting to streamline their casting for efficiency to put out more boolits, or chastise or condemn someone who'd rather just enjoy casting a few hundred up then go shoot them and redo it all over again.

You do like that word, , "chastise", don't you? If there's any "chastisement" going on in this thread, it's YOUR doing, just as Dave in Flowery Branch stated. So.... you say you won't "chastise" anyone for SOME casting matters...but you are perfectly willing to chastise fellow members for what YOU perceive to be contrary to your personal beliefs. Again, I am not impressed. Also, your demonstrated personal concept of "chastisement" would seem to reflect either a persecution complex, or maybe just a thin skin?

I have assumed no "rights" to do anything at all. Just as I have no "rights" in this regard, it's equally true that you have no "rights" to "chastise" anyone, either.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Some of you have so many posts it's a wonder you have time to cast-reload-shoot:razz::violin::kidding:

You don't take your tablet to the range with you and do both?:shock:

[LAH]

Cool Hand Luke said: "I can eat 50 eggs." He did but it wasn't any fun.

I can cast 1200 bullets/hour but a 1000 is a more reasonable rate. Doing the BruceB will work if you will just set up & do it. My method will also work, again if you will set up for it & do it.

If you choose to use a single 2 cavity mold your numbers will increase if you listen to Bruce.

[BruceB]

You don't take your tablet to the range with you and do both?:shock:

Actually, if you divide my post total into SEVEN YEARS, it comes to just under one post per day. Not all that much; it just adds up as time goes on.

[fredj338]

Go to a 20# pot, that eliminates the ladling from one pot to another. That is adding time. You should be able to pour at least one every 20sec in a 2cav, 15sec if you get a good rhythm going. So that is about 400/hr+/-. A 20# allows you to drop a 2# ingot in every 5-10mi, takes les than 5sec if to you stack them near the pot. That small amoutn never depletes your large pots temp & you just keep casting. If you want higher volume, you have to have more cavs going or get a Magma for the 2cav. On mine I can do just at 600/hr w/ a 2cav mold as it fills 2cavs at a time & there is no manipulation of the mold halves.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Actually, if you divide my post total into SEVEN YEARS, it comes to just under one post per day. Not all that much; it just adds up as time goes on.

Bruce,

You make me feel like I've been slacking. I've been here six years this month and I'm only making about 0.57 posts per day.