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castalott
07-08-2005, 08:51 PM
Just for fun, I thought I would post a pik of my homemade bullet casting machine. It normally uses one 4 cavity Lyman or one 6 cavity Lee mold and makes 800 to 1200 bullets per hour. It is powered by air cylinders which are controlled by electric timers.

This is a picture of my friend Greg at the controls taken in '99? The plastic is draped to get the smoke/fumes outside. This is the 3rd or 4th model. I want to build one more to add 'improvements'.

the 2nd pik is an example of the production...

Dale

Willbird
07-08-2005, 09:19 PM
Wow like most machinest bullet casters I dream of things like that on the way to and from work (40 minute drive each way) but in my mind it wasnt that BIG an apparatus hehe, can you also make it lube size too ?

I am thinking a PLC would make it much simpler


Bill

castalott
07-08-2005, 09:41 PM
Hi Bill!

I know what you mean...I'm a rural mail carrier- 6+ hours a day stuck in a car...yeeech! yep, next one will be smaller, more balanced weight wise, have 2 pots (keep the bottom pot the same level and temperature and let the top pot help with melting the added metal...one pot can't hardly keep up), and more adjustments from the control panel.....just finding the energy to do it....

There is a guy in Ohio with a much smaller/simpler one that uses 2 cavity molds. It is ingenius to behold....

Dale

Willbird
07-08-2005, 09:57 PM
I have always wanted (100) metalform 1911 mags, 8 rounders, I figuire I could load them at stoplights, make a nice oak box for them to fit in rounds down.


Bill

castalott
07-08-2005, 10:05 PM
lol...you think like I do....

BUT here in Illinois.. that may get you arrested! If not for some really goofy firearm charge...then they would FIND something....be warned...

A few years ago, a man was driving thru Chicago with a legal shotgun in a case...he was stopped and the cop asked him to take it out of the case so he ( the cop) could see it...he was then arrested for having an uncased gun...took years to get his case to one of the higher appeal courts to get it overturned...a true story as I remember it....

Dale

LAH
08-06-2005, 09:48 AM
Are any of these machines still around? I get through you're country from time to time and I'd love to take a look. My hat's off to ya.

Linstrum
08-17-2005, 06:56 AM
Hey, there, we're gonna have to call you Sir Castalot of the Round Table!

That's round, as in cartridge.

That's a purty slick set-up ya got running there.

Wholy cow! That three hours and 15 minutes worth of casting will take about 6 pounds of Red Dot to shoot in a .30-06! Or more than 23 pounds of WC860. If you need powder, we can tell ya where to get it cheap! Can't help ya with lead, though, outside of wheel weights.

castalott
08-18-2005, 07:25 AM
LAH and Linstrum...

Thank you for your kind words. Of course either of you may inspect it if you are passing thru.

This machine has over 65,000 cycles on it and needs rebuilt. I want the next machine to be different and use 2, 4, and 6 cavity molds.....

hmmm...... Sir Castalott! Brings up thoughts of 'Monty Python and the Casting Machine!' lol! it's about that goofy when we all gather to cast...

I'll try to add a few more piks soon...time for work.....

Dale

Willbird
08-18-2005, 09:12 AM
If you cook up a design I would be more than willing to make some parts if you wanted to do a joint effort, I have bridgeport, lathes, shaper, welder, etc.

I wish I knew more about PLC's because they seem like just the ticket, maybe a PC would could be used to run the machine ?? it would seem nicer to be able to change timing between events with the stroke of a keyboard. cheaper too I bet.

Bill

castalott
08-22-2005, 12:11 AM
Hi Bill

I would be glad of your help. Wish you lived across the road...

I really need the most help with the mold mounts. One setup for each size mold.. They need to be fairly precise and interchangeable...

The moving pot will hang on an inline bearing on one side and a wheel on the other so it can be turned upside down for cleaning. It can't fall off the machine that way either.

I have all the electric and air parts needed...including 3 digital temperature controllers.One for the top pot, the bottom pot , and one to monitor the mold temp.I might learn something about casting if I would keep careful recods....

The very first machine was run by 'buttons'...switches, if you will...Kinda like 'Atari'..it was fun and efficient....But auutomatic is the way to go.

I've seen the stuff for computer control on ebay..a 12 solonoid valve setup was under $50. The progam to use your computer as up to 8 timers was $40. I don't know about the position sensors...

I look forward to building but my projects are low...very low ...on the list of things to do...maybe this winter!!!

I would like to take pictures and have my own thread as I build...but only if others really want to watch the progress...

These machines are really simple...I am sure you could build the mechanical part in a weekend... I wired the last one in a short day The hardest part after that is carrying lead to it...(lol)

Dale

Iron River Red
08-30-2005, 12:56 PM
If you gents want to combine forces and make several of these machines, I'm your PLC man.

I also have a pile of used parts for the pneumatics and depending on how much I/O have the pLC's too.

I'm wanting to use my 2 cavity units and also others as necessary.

Keep me in mind.

No_1
08-30-2005, 05:43 PM
That is a very impressive setup. I have looked (teary eyes) at the commercial auto machines knowing that I will never be able to afford one. I would love to see your build-up series. Do it yourself projects is right along my style lines. Please provide more pictures. I also agree that computer control system is the way to go.

V/r

Robert


Hi Bill

I would be glad of your help. Wish you lived across the road...

I really need the most help with the mold mounts. One setup for each size mold.. They need to be fairly precise and interchangeable...

The moving pot will hang on an inline bearing on one side and a wheel on the other so it can be turned upside down for cleaning. It can't fall off the machine that way either.

I have all the electric and air parts needed...including 3 digital temperature controllers.One for the top pot, the bottom pot , and one to monitor the mold temp.I might learn something about casting if I would keep careful recods....

The very first machine was run by 'buttons'...switches, if you will...Kinda like 'Atari'..it was fun and efficient....But auutomatic is the way to go.

I've seen the stuff for computer control on ebay..a 12 solonoid valve setup was under $50. The progam to use your computer as up to 8 timers was $40. I don't know about the position sensors...

I look forward to building but my projects are low...very low ...on the list of things to do...maybe this winter!!!

I would like to take pictures and have my own thread as I build...but only if others really want to watch the progress...

These machines are really simple...I am sure you could build the mechanical part in a weekend... I wired the last one in a short day The hardest part after that is carrying lead to it...(lol)

Dale

Willbird
08-30-2005, 06:56 PM
I'm very interested.............

I can hold .001" on a manual lathe or mill.

Even if the deal isnt super fast, if it chugged along at 500 bullets an hour while you could devote time to other tasks nearby it would be great.

PLC sounds like the best deal to me as well,

While we are at it we need to cook up some push thru lubesizers too, maybe strikingly similar to commercially made ones of a certian brand, but machined from billet, and semi-automatic.

Bill

castalott
08-30-2005, 08:00 PM
Here's a couple more piks..

One shows bullets dropping from the mold...at the very bottom you can see the sprue in a separate place.

The other shows the control panel...electric on top...air on bottom

Looks bad but really isn't...

Dale

Willbird
08-30-2005, 08:19 PM
So it rotates the mold 90 degrees to drop the bullets ?

Bill

castalott
08-30-2005, 08:46 PM
Hi Bill...

yes....I've started 3 times with expalnations but Firefox hates this site...locks the comp up and I have to pull the plug from the wall and start over..

castalott
08-30-2005, 08:55 PM
the top thing is a temperature readout

the next 3 are timers in seconds and are adjustable to almost any setting I wil ever need

up time is the time the mold is under the pot
down is the time the blocks are open
pour is the time the nozzle is open and the pot is moving

up time minus pour time = the time the sprue has to cool before being sheared
example....8 seconds up with 5 seconds pour = 3 seconds to cool the sprue

the fan is essential...it cools the sprue and the open blocks

up time plus down time = cycle time..
example........7 seconds up plus 8 seconds down = 15 seconds per cycle...or 4 casts per minute

it has 2 counters...one to track total cycles...and one that is resetable to keep track of one 'box' of cycles...it's used to count cyclesand therefore bullets

castalott
08-30-2005, 09:05 PM
a good running Lyman 4 cavity mold will run more than 4 casts a minute. (16+ bullets/minute)

The best running Lee mold is 3 casts a minute..most run better at ~2 casts per minute (12 bullets/minute)

Bigger bullets = less mold metal AND more heat to get rid of.... which equals faster heat buildup..which requires a slower pace to cool the mold. ( It means you have to wait longer to cool the sprue, the bullets and the mold.)

the mold is horizontal under the pot but vertical when the sprue is sheared and the bullets dropped...

castalott
08-31-2005, 07:29 AM
Oh, I forgot my manners..

Nice to meet you all....Thanks for your interest in my goofy project.

You guys don't want to build like I do...you want to build better! I like to build...it has the same satisfaction as casting. I think my machine has few advantages over a commercial one...

you can use your favorite molds
you just need 1 copy of each mold...not 6 or 8
you can run every part of the cycle at the 'time' you want ( means you can adjust to make the mold work right)
you can even heat treat right out of the mold and do a good job


It will never have the production of a commercial...never. The commercial ones make the bullets!

Oopppss.Time for work...We'll talk more....

Dale

Willbird
08-31-2005, 09:17 AM
Well I think with group input we CAN build better, lots of the guys on here do just that at work and play, a good machinest/toolmaker can play with a mechanism that sort of works and re-work the whole concept into something that works like a swiss watch, mostly by taking into consideration how to best make the parts, or in other words how to make the thing work it's very best taking into consideration that mfg. isnt perfect.

One thing that keeps entering my mind is how do you make sure that your not closing the mold on a bullet that did not fall from the cavity.

If we can get an design to run perfectly, it can run slow to medium speed because we can do other things while it is casting away.

I know it is probably fruitless but I have thought quite a bit about a single cavity casting machine that used a THREE piece mold not 2...this would make it very unlikely for a bullet to stick......one place I worked we made the collet that Champion Spark plug uses to swage the thing onto the end of a sparkplug that your plug wire fastens to..the inside form had some of the shapes we use in cast bullets.

The added factor that would probably kill the deal is getting it to work while heated to 500 degrees. Plus the level of complication increases at the exponant not the factor when you add another piece to the mold.

Bill

Willbird
08-31-2005, 09:22 AM
Another idea that keeps rattling around upstairs is to make a fixed volume lead drop apparatus like a powder measure, with a slide, this could drop for 1,2,3,4,6 cavities probably, but we are filling the same sized hole every time (for a given bullet)and I think it would even make manual casting simpler and more consistant.

the problems there are getting once again to work HOT, and not leak......

this device would probably have to be heated to work properly, maybe a few degrees warmer than the molten alloy. One could build the rest of the pot around it.

castalott
08-31-2005, 08:19 PM
Hi Bill!

yep..it would work..mount it inside your pot...probably a moving cylinder that closed off the holes to the mold...when it moves- it closes off the pot and opens the drain holes.. but keeping all 6 holes ( actually 12...bottom and top ) in perfect shape would be difficult...

But the pot pouring the 1st cavity and moving on a timer works well and is easy.

2 more piks...1st is closeup of bullets from machine before inspection...

the 2nd is the mold filled and cooled...rotating down to shear the sprue and open the blocks...note the quality of the sprue...

castalott
08-31-2005, 09:16 PM
2 more piks...

the 1st is a look at the bottom of the machine with the mold up....

at the top is the mold mount rod...this is what the molds rotate on.....the air cylinder to the left raises and lowers ( it is fairly well balanced) the mold

the black thing to the imediate right is an adjustable hydraulic 'bumper' to cushion the stop ar 'down'

The next thing to the right is the sprue shear...it has a big cylinder with a long lever...It mearly cuts the sprue...another cylinder moves the free sprue plate up & out of the way...(don't get your finger in there...!!!) (also note the shear arm is back at the 'out of the way & ready position)

down from the shear rod assembly is an electric switch...this says..'the sprue is sheared..open the blocks!'

in the upper right hand corner is another switch...it says..'the mold is down...shear the sprue!'

the 2nd is the rcbs pot...note the air cylinder on the side...and the spring set up on the pour valve..it can be overridden (by hand) in either direction.

castalott
08-31-2005, 10:12 PM
Hi Bill!

I just now noticed your post #20....

a few answers to your questions and a few thoughts...

the next one will be similar to a set of handles...just think of a set of handles mounted on the rotating rod...when the mold blocks are OPEN...they will look like they are mounted on an upsidedown Y... ( to explain better...all the cavities on both blocks will be pointing 'somewhat ' down. Loose bullets will have to fall out.

I have seen loose bullets ride on the mold halves...the new design will fix that. I am also excited to try the 'Beagling' method. WooHoo if that works good!!!!

Casting is usually a social event...we drink sodas or coffee and shoot the breeze while we watch the thing run...some molds will 'stick' bullets. An observant caster will knock these loose with a lead bar. ( Boy I hope Beagling works!!!) The molds that do run good....you can just leave the machine run...but it sure goes thru the lead..so you can't get too far away. The 2nd pot will help a lot! And you always add clean lead...you won't have time to clean while casting..and dirt plays havoc on quality and how the pours work....

If a bullet sticks in the mold and we miss it...no problem. The machine runs thru the next cycle and the sprue is bigger by the amount of lead that should have went in an empty cavity. For some reason, I have never seen a bullet stick twice. It always comes out the 2nd time.

This thing pours fast..the entire sprue is molten from one end to the other... You can watch the lead being drawn into each cavity as it cools.

3 piece molds are possible...but complicated and I have not the ability to make them....

I have the next design 'mentally' finished....just needs a few experimants while building to test some things..I try to make each build a 'quantum' leap above the last.....2 of my buddies say this one is perfect....I say 'no'

I can see there are a few tinkerers here...So Good! I am always open to new and better ideas..Please let me hear them.. And I don't mean to ignore you other guys who have chimed in...please forgive my rudeness.

This has been a labor of love for more than 15 years...and saved a great deal of work too!

I hope we can discuss computer control and better design soon...

Dale

hammerhead357
09-04-2005, 12:18 AM
Hi Dale good to see you here. It's been a while since we have talked. Glad to see you are still working on your casting machine. I still haven't gotten started on one due to work. I am working a sort of TDY assignment 110 miles from home and working 7 days per week and 12 and 13 hours per day.

I am interested in the idea of using the handles as mounts because of my inventory of H & G moulds. Could you please explain this further.

Oh by the way people I have seen a video of Dale's machine in operation and it is fascinating to say the least.

Willbird I have an idea for a manifold pouring device that would pour all cavities of a mould at once from a specially made furnace but need a machinist that is willing to work with someone that doesn't have a clue about machine work and is only good at simple sketches and not blue print drawings.
Oh yeah and does work cheap. Ha Ha Ha.

Well gotta go will check back later. Wes

castalott
09-04-2005, 08:04 AM
It's good to see old friends! How are you? Been doing anything fun? I'm still snowed under with work.... Still dreaming of new toys....
We'll have to meet in the chat room and have a long chat..

I need to go....Take care ,my friend...

Dale

hammerhead357
09-05-2005, 11:41 PM
Wish I had more time but have to leave for work at 6 in the am. Will be gone for about 2 weeks at least. I do wish we could get in a chat room because I have a lot of questions for you. Anyway will see ya later......Wes

castalott
09-06-2005, 07:59 PM
Here's another pik of the mold up under the nozzle. Note the window opener behind the pot. that is what moves the pot. The air cylinder that moves the sprue plate out of the way is easily seen. You can also see the nozzle stationed over the first cavity. Also note the white wheel that one side of the pot rolls on. The black things with knobs are 'quick' adjustments. Also note the whole pot assembly sits on a steel plate that can be moved any direction and tightened down by levers.. ( look between the lead ballast ( Lee lead bar) and the quick adjuster for the pot travel...) The entire pot assembly can be lifted from the machine in a short time....

Chucky
10-31-2006, 03:58 AM
[Hello from New Zealand I allways wondered if there was anyone else who has made there own casting machine and came across this site WOW I have found heaven I will post some pics of my setup soon its based on a picture I saw of the master caster. 3 years later my mate brought a master caster and I was amazed when I saw it how close it was to my version will talk to you all soon

redneckdan
10-31-2006, 09:40 AM
I'm now looking forward to taking the PLC class here at Michigan Tech. I will take careful notes, for future use on casting machines!

castalott
10-31-2006, 08:43 PM
I would very much like to see the machine you made. I like to see others solutions to problems.

Dale