Mold Filling Order

[Danderdude]

I was just curious, in which direction do my fellow casters fill their molds?

[skandic]

I start with the furthest and after all are full hold the nozzle open run the stream back over all

[btroj]

I vary. Sometimes front to back, other times back to front. I may vary every few pours too.

I don't think it matters at all.

[blaser.306]

I generaly pour the furthest cavity away, But I also have tried alternating the order to see if it helped to equalise the heating and cooling of the cavities.

[MUSTANG]

I generally fill mine from the bottom to the top. For some reason they don't fill the mold out well when the top gets filled and hardens first.

[olaf455]

I generally fill mine from the bottom to the top. For some reason they don't fill the mold out well when the top gets filled and hardens first.

Now that's funny...lol...

I actually used a mold with more than 2 cavities for the first time today, and I am so never going to buy double molds anymore without a very good reason... The production rate was absolutely stellar in comparison.

I started with the hole closest to the handles and with 1 nonstop pour. I like having 1 long sprue stick as opposed to individual sprues.

[Reload3006]

I used to go the nearest cavity first and broke my sprue cutting cam. So started going the opposite way and have had better luck. But if I am to tell the honest truth I probably do a mixture of both.

[Shuz]

Depends on the mould. I have some moulds which turn out better boolits filling back to front, and others just vice versa. I've never been able to determine why!

[RobS]

I run all over the place to keep the mold and sprue plate heat displaced more consistent across the mold. It seems that if I continue to run the same way each time the first cavity filled sometimes results in that end of the mold being hotter and can leave lead smears under the sprue plate easier. So I run one direction for a few drops and then the other way a few..........repeat etc.

[H.Callahan]

I run all over the place to keep the mold and sprue plate heat displaced more consistent across the mold. It seems that if I continue to run the same way each time the last cavity filled and that end of the mold will be hotter and leave lead smears under the sprue plate easier. So I run one direction for a few drops and then the other way a few..........repeat etc.
That actually makes some sense. In the past I have been a back to front guy, but may have to try changing it up a bit to see if it makes a difference.

[Cadillo]

The correct sequence is dictated by the mould. My Lymans like to be filled from the back near the hinges and then toward the front. My brass Mihec's demand that they be filled front to back in order to get good fillout with all cavities.

Go figure!

[geargnasher]

If you alternate directions in a multi-cavity mould, you're actuall exacerbating the temperature issue. Think about it: The last cavity to fill had hot lead in it last, and when you swap directions, it's the first one to get hot lead. The last one on the second fill has been empty for the longest. Empty cavities cool quickly.

Gear

[Hamish]

Depends on whether North or South of the Equator. (dictates whether the lead swirls clockwise or counter clockwise filling the mold.

Seriously, the mold ends up telling you how it wants to run. YMMV, the universal Truth.

[RobS]

If you alternate directions in a multi-cavity mould, you're actuall exacerbating the temperature issue. Think about it: The last cavity to fill had hot lead in it last, and when you swap directions, it's the first one to get hot lead. The last one on the second fill has been empty for the longest. Empty cavities cool quickly.Gear

I hear what you are saying Gear however it sounds like I'm unclear. Let's say a six cavity mold beginning filling the mold cavity closest to the handle first etc. and do that until there starts a small bit of lead smear on the sprue plate of the first cavity filled. Switch directions to fill the furthest cavity and the cavity closest to the handles now has more time without lead in it, more time to cool.........more air time.

The continuation of filling the same way means the first cavity filled has more time with something hot in it (molten alloy or solidifying boolit) and less time with open air to cool things down. The hot boolits all drop from the mold at the same time and at this point until a person starts to fill the cavities with lead all cavities are open to the cooling effect of the air.

[Dave C.]

The nearest first! It's easier to pull an eight cavity mould on the guide than push it!

Dave C.

[largom]

Depends on the mould. I have some moulds which turn out better boolits filling back to front, and others just vice versa. I've never been able to determine why!

Same here. Let the mold tell you what it likes.

Larry

[Muskyjerk]

Nearest to farthest

I can't see what's going on unless it's tipped toward me, and if I over fill the farthest or mis pour it would partially fill the nearest.

So I fill the nearest first and if a little runs to the handle oh well. I only have Lee so a hinge type may be different.

Mj

[Fishman]

I fill the ones closest to the sprue plate attachment screw first so that when the sprues are cut the ones farthest away are not as hard and it's easier on me and the mould.

[GP100man]

I also alternate to balance the heat in the mold.

Fishman brings up a viable point especially for 4+ cavity molds .

[Chicken Thief]

I fill the cavaties from the top, each and every one!

[Shiloh]

I voted wrong. I start with the furthest cavity and push the mold forward under the spout.

Shiloh

[mold maker]

I'm with Fishman. Most my molds are 4-6 cav, and especially with the 6s, it makes it easier to cut the sprues.

[dromia]

Furthest cavity first, I angle the handle end of the mould up slightly and any excess sprue run off goes over a filled cavity not into an empty one also it is running away from my hands.

As has been said it helps with the sprue opening on Lee six hole type sprue plates. Lee moulds being a bit femme they need all the help they can get.

[Iron Mike Golf]

None of the above. I put my mold under my 10 lb bottom pour from the left and fill left to right hinge-side cavity first)

[MT Gianni]

I have molds that prefer front to back and others that go the opposite. I have a few that just don't care. That is why I read my notes before I cast.

[saint_iverson]

Agree w Dave c.... That's a lot of weight to start out on the end, some may think it negligible, but after an hour of pouring..... Almost all of my molds are 6 cavs and 200+ gr each, starting near the handle means less out board weight throughout the pour

[largom]

I have a Lee 20 lb. bottom pour pot. Sometimes while casting I notice a small "hair like" piece of lead hanging from the pot spout. This "hair" has cooled and could cause voids in my boolits. So, regardless which cavity I pour first, just as the sprue starts to harden, I wipe the sprue against the spout to remove any "hairs".

Larry

[imashooter2]

I prefer farthest first, but some molds demand near to far.

[no34570]

I usually fill the furthest cavity,but I also vary for on some moulds,as it likes to be filled the closest cavity first,don't ask me why,it just does?

[Jeff.L]

Far to near

[Marlin Junky]

Being a dedicated Rowell user, the only way pouring makes sense is to go from the nearest to the farthest cavity. I can't imagine pouring toward oneself... that would just be silly.

MJ

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

I always use a ladle (a Rowell for my 6-cavity molds), and start from the far end, moving to the next cavity in line after sufficent puddling to ensure no voids. I always have the mold pointed far end down so the runoff goes back into my pot. It's what works best for me. The times I tried to pour beginning from the closest I experienced incomplete fillout at a high frequency.

[brghp]

My experience has been with Lyman 4 cavity moulds. I alternate nearest to farthest and vice versa to help the heat balance in the mould.

[John in WI]

When I use my Sharpshooter buckshot mold, whenever I try to do the close end first, I often get just enough lead running over that it partly clogs the next cavity. I find if I got far to near, if I do it just right I can pop all the balls out in one piece and it makes it easier to separate them from the mold.

[huntrick64]

I used to fill farthest first until I got a Lyman Mould Master. This thing has a mold guide/stop on it and I LOVE it for my heavy brass 4-cavity molds. I adjust it so that when I stick the mold in a far as it can go and hit the stop, the nearest cavity is right under the spout. I can stick the mold in there and open the spout without even looking to see if it is lined up, then move it from cavity to cavity, nearest to farthest. I really speeds thing up over several pots of lead. I will fabricate one of these for my Lee pot as well.

[stubshaft]

Furthest away for me. I like to have the runoff go over the cavities and keep the sprues the same temp.

[tward]

Did some casting yesterday. Beautiful day 70 degrees slight breeze. Had a bunch of different molds I had not used before so just trial cast most. I did find that my 4 cavity MiHec 180 gr hp likes to be run very hot, order of fill did not seem to matter. My RCBS 148 gr wad cutter liked the near cavity first. Also solved the mystery of why people call the Lee 10 lb bottom pour a drip-o-matic. Lucky I had a drip pan to hold the whole 10 lbs. Tim:lol:

[Inkman]

Lee 20#er and Lee 6 cav molds.

Near to far works best for me. Tried far to near and just didn't like it. Boolits all came out the same either way.

Al

[MikeS]

When using a Lee 6 cavity mould, it's important to remember that if you cast from the furthest to the nearest, then opening the sprue plate is easier as the cavities that have cooled the most are the ones closest to the pivot point, and the last cavity you poured (the softest) needs less mechanical advantage to break the sprue. If you fill it the other way it's going to be harder to break the sprue. I bet most people that complain about breaking the cam lever either fill from nearest to furthest, OR just wait entirely too long before opening the sprue plate.

[Inkman]

When using a Lee 6 cavity mould, it's important to remember that if you cast from the furthest to the nearest, then opening the sprue plate is easier as the cavities that have cooled the most are the ones closest to the pivot point, and the last cavity you poured (the softest) needs less mechanical advantage to break the sprue. If you fill it the other way it's going to be harder to break the sprue. I bet most people that complain about breaking the cam lever either fill from nearest to furthest, OR just wait entirely too long before opening the sprue plate.

Agreed. I broke the wooden handle early on when i started early last year by letting the first couple casts cool too long. Learned from that experience real quick. I should have noted that now i run the first pour far to near to get the mold up to temp and then near to far for all after that. It is only the first pour though.

Al

[Wal']

When using a Lee 6 cavity mould, it's important to remember that if you cast from the furthest to the nearest, then opening the sprue plate is easier as the cavities that have cooled the most are the ones closest to the pivot point, and the last cavity you poured (the softest) needs less mechanical advantage to break the sprue. If you fill it the other way it's going to be harder to break the sprue. I bet most people that complain about breaking the cam lever either fill from nearest to furthest, OR just wait entirely too long before opening the sprue plate.

+1 :cbpour:

[SWANEEDB]

Well, now I only start from the nearest, have my RCBS pot tilted just a few degrees toward me, now I get a very heavy sprue, no problem cutting the sprue with my new Lee steel sprue cutters, even with the Lee cam, I did buy some of KAL's cams and they are great, before when I was starting at the back I would get run-overs but not any more now, lead runs toward me to the filled cavity.