Sprue plate with a trough or not?

[bearcove]

Always had without and now have a few with a trough connecting sprues. I bottom pour with a RCBS most of the time.

With a trough I have a tendency to spill over into the next cavity while filling the sprue on the first.

This cools and then the second pour tends to be defective. has a wrinkle where the overflow cooled and didn't remelt.

So? What is the intended purpose of the trough? and does it work for you?

[crabo]

It works for me. I hold the mold higher in the front, (closer to the handle) so the lead runs to the back. Then I push it through to the next hole. I think the trough helps the mold to fill out better.

[rockrat]

I am like "bearcove", it seems to cause more problems than it solves

[bobthenailer]

After having a few 8 cavity moulds with sprue plates trough from the factory , and liking that feature ! i had trough machined into all of my moulds sprue plates. I personaly see no negative effect only positive results .

[chboats]

bearcove - I have a few molds that have the trough sprue cutters and most without. Like you I use an RCBS bottom pore. The ones without the trough I start and stop the pore at each hole. The molds with the trough I can just start the pore and move it along as each cavity fills. I find this works well for me and is quicker and easier.

Carl

[MT Gianni]

I like a trough. I find if my mold is up to temp, there is no ill effect from any spillover.

[40Super]

I can see the benifit of the trough for continuous pouring. I have a new Accurate brass mold that HAS to have a heavy and fast pour so I get a lot of spillovers into the next hole, very,very,very irritating! I started to do the continuous ,and it was better for that mold anyway,haven't tried it with any others. I need to mill me a tough in that sprue now.

[pistolman44]

I asked Tom at Accurat Molds about the trough in the sprut plate if it had any benifits before I orded a mold from him. He said he prefers the single hole on a multable cavity mold. I guess it's realy a personal preferance.

[GLL]

I like the trough on my 4-cavity Ballisti-Cast molds. Since I ladle cast I just gently tilt the mold away and pour . The "backwash" does not climb up into the adjacent cavity. I can see how a bottom-pour might be a problem though depending on your "aim"!

Jerry

http://www.fototime.com/B9B9633AFF48197/orig.jpg

[gray wolf]

I have used both and find each one takes a little different approach.
My H&G mold has the trough and I have no problem with it,
however I find it uses more metal cause of the bigger sprue.

[Mk42gunner]

One thing the trough on a four cavity H&G mold does is give the sprue enough mass to fall away cleanly. I really detest having to poke the srue away from the plate, talk about ruining your casting rhythm.

Robert

[geargnasher]

I detest sprue plate troughs on any boolit mould.

Gear

[Advil]

I can see it being a royal pain if you ladel or pressure pour into each cavity for carefully casting absolutely perfect boolits. You'd never be able to keep it from splashing into the next cavity before you are ready.

However, my casting involves making enough for a lot of competition shooting, and the trough is awesome once the mold is up to temp for being able to just constant pour from a bottom spout.

And I agree completely with MK42 about the sprue in the trough breaking away easily. When I tap the sprue plate to open it the sprue flies off almost every time without having to flip the mold over. Way less movement.

Depends on what you are trying to do.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

All my H&G molds have the trough so no choice for me; learned how to make it work and it does well. Like any other skill it takes some practice. Sprues are heavy if one does a "double pass" under the spout and consequently that method uses even more metal, but the quality of the casts is good...consistently. With no-trough molds, especially two holers its not a problem once you get the timing right whether it is a bottom pour or using a ladle. Some casters can effectively run a ladle over multi cavity molds and get good quality casts...like previously said- it takes some practice. LLS

[Ben]

I detest sprue plate troughs on any boolit mould.

Gear

I'm a ladle caster and I'm with Gear on this one, for me personally a trough is an answer to a problem that I don't have.

Ben

[John Boy]

Molds with troughs are for those that pour the melt into the sprue hole instead of putting the ladle spout hard in the hole for a good head pressure. Those that pour will have bullets with a larger bell curve weight variance

[MikeS]

I see several folks say having a trough allows them to pour constantly from first hole to last, rather than starting/stopping the pour for each individual hole. What I'm curious of is why folks think they can't pour constantly from first to last without a trough? That's how I cast all my boolits, and I prefer not to have a trough if I have a choice in the matter. I have a couple of moulds that do have a trough and I manage to cast good boolits with them too, I just prefer not to have the trough.

[paul h]

I've cast from molds with a trough and without, personally I haven't found it to be a benefit or detriment. As far as lead flowing prematurely into the next cavity, start with cavity furthest from you, angle the mold slightly down and you won't have any problems.

Some of the most bullets I've ever cast have been from a 4 cavity balisticast with the trough sprue plate.

[runfiverun]

i don't have any molds with the trough but have often thought about having one cut into all my 4 cavity molds.
i use the two hole spout in my magma pots and a trough would definately speed up the filling and keep the alloy in the right place.
not having one is no detriment but you do have to pay attention especially with two cav's that need the stream shot into the cavity.

[delt167502]

I use h&g ,cramer,lyman,saeco,in 4 to 10 cavitys.I'm with Paul H . I can see no problems with or without a sprue trough,using a botton pour pot. I started casting in 1963 or 64 the only thing I would is buy the best moulds you can afford,then learn to use them.(it's what works for you) takes practice.

[bearcove]

Only been casting for about 35 years, Guess I'll go practice some this weekend.

Thanks for the input everyone.

[quasi]

I prefer the trough, and trough my Lee and Ranchdog 6 cavities, and am starting on my NOE 5 cavitys.

[41 mag fan]

I bottom pour, I've got 2 from Tom at Accurate now with the trough. I, myself don't care for the trough...it can be a pain.

But with both molds, i learned to deal and adapt to it...it's like MikeS does and said...with them I continuous pour

[myg30]

I purchased a 4 cav .44 cal mold that had the trough. At first it was a turn off but as I used it and got the "Nack" to cast with it its a pleasure to work with. No more picking up little spruces that fall or trying to gather them up with heavy gloves.
I collect a few on the bench,then put them back into the pot. I run the pot hot when casting the 44's, adj the pour [drip screw] so I get a faster flow. It works for me. No run over cause I never stop till all 4 are filled one quick fill cycle.

Mike

[bearcove]

I'll have to try continuous pour. I bet it will be messy.