Blackcat
09-25-2012, 02:28 PM
I got my first moulds and ive been casting like crazy (many hours)
I think ive got a lot of it figured out but now I have many questions.
Using wheel weight lead:
1. How many times can you re use the same lead, or will it eventually burn out or something ?
2. Im using a small Lyman 10 pound electric dipping pot. It seems like the lead is still to cold even at its MAX setting. Could the pot be under powerd or what other possibilities could I look at ?
3. When I cut the sprue it tends to remove a small plug of lead. I read that this means im not letting the sprue cool enough before it is cut... If I let it sit long enough it seems to be an awfully long time. Im not in a hurry but does it normally take almost 2 minutes to cool before you cut the sprue ? I normally cut it as soon as the buttons on top start to solidify.
4. Lead toxicisity, how much does it take and is there a test for how much lead you have been exposed too. I was playing with lead long before casting. As a kid I would melt it on the stove and play around with it. Because of this im kind of curious to kno how much lead is in me. Also how much is too much... is the occasional exposure really bad or does it take quite a lot ? I use ventilation but no matter how well ventilated it is I can always smell it. Also what about handling solid lead like the finished boolits how risky is this exposure ? I usually carry cast boolits round in my pockets and handle them through out the day.
5. I am casting .300 grain with gas checks for .454 Casull. How hard do they have too be ? Im using wheel weights and hardening in water. Is this hard enough and how does the water temperature effect the hardness of the boolits.
6. Some issues I noticed while hardening in water. Some boolits seem to deform by the boiling of the water when they make contact. How do I reduce this ?
7. I do large melts for ingots and such in a cheap stainless steel pot... it seems to work fine... whats the benefit of cast iron if any ?
8. Before I knew not to tap the blocks to release the boolits I was doing that.
It was only lightly and with a wood dowel... I dont see any damage. Will my moulds be ok ?
Thank you for all the help ! :D
I think ive got a lot of it figured out but now I have many questions.
Using wheel weight lead:
1. How many times can you re use the same lead, or will it eventually burn out or something ?
2. Im using a small Lyman 10 pound electric dipping pot. It seems like the lead is still to cold even at its MAX setting. Could the pot be under powerd or what other possibilities could I look at ?
3. When I cut the sprue it tends to remove a small plug of lead. I read that this means im not letting the sprue cool enough before it is cut... If I let it sit long enough it seems to be an awfully long time. Im not in a hurry but does it normally take almost 2 minutes to cool before you cut the sprue ? I normally cut it as soon as the buttons on top start to solidify.
4. Lead toxicisity, how much does it take and is there a test for how much lead you have been exposed too. I was playing with lead long before casting. As a kid I would melt it on the stove and play around with it. Because of this im kind of curious to kno how much lead is in me. Also how much is too much... is the occasional exposure really bad or does it take quite a lot ? I use ventilation but no matter how well ventilated it is I can always smell it. Also what about handling solid lead like the finished boolits how risky is this exposure ? I usually carry cast boolits round in my pockets and handle them through out the day.
5. I am casting .300 grain with gas checks for .454 Casull. How hard do they have too be ? Im using wheel weights and hardening in water. Is this hard enough and how does the water temperature effect the hardness of the boolits.
6. Some issues I noticed while hardening in water. Some boolits seem to deform by the boiling of the water when they make contact. How do I reduce this ?
7. I do large melts for ingots and such in a cheap stainless steel pot... it seems to work fine... whats the benefit of cast iron if any ?
8. Before I knew not to tap the blocks to release the boolits I was doing that.
It was only lightly and with a wood dowel... I dont see any damage. Will my moulds be ok ?
Thank you for all the help ! :D