I have been casting ! (lots of questions)

[Blackcat]

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

[lwknight]

1. Forever and ever.

2. Yes but not real likely. Maybe its just slow to get there.

3. Probably need a little tin in the mix. Sounds like the straight WWs is a little bit brittle Also your molds might be getting too hot.

4 Lead does not give off vapors unless you get it like red hot. Ingestion is the path of contamination.

5. The water temperature does have an effect. The question back to you is : Do you get desired results with what you are doing?

6.Those are large slugs and will heat up the molds fast. It sounds like you are going a little too fast. Maybe slower pace and try letting the molds breathe a bit between casts.

7. Hmmm,, thats a good question. Thicker metal has better heat distribution if that even really matters.

8. You probably did not harm the molds unless you whacked the whey outta em.

[44man]

WOW, what a bunch to consider.
First lead will not hurt you unless you ingest or breath it and casting temps do not get hot enough. Wash hands and do not breath dust when you remove junk after fluxing.
If boolits deform when they hit water they are too soft.
All boolits do not fall from molds and you need to tap the hinge pin, does no harm, never hit the mold.
If you don't over heat lead, it will remain the same. The Lee 10# CAN get too hot but your mold can be cold. Your molds can also get too hot.
You are out of pace and 2 minutes to cool a sprue shows something out of whack.
Stainless works fine for ingots.

[MtGun44]

Too hot if you are taking two minutes to cool a sprue. Turn down the temp.

You can get a lead blood test at the doc. They should use the purple capped tube.
OSHA says you are OK up to 40, many docs are not really up on the latest and they
only remember the kids level, max of 10. Don't freak if you are 18 or 22 or something,
no big deal, but if you are not eating or drinking with lead contaminated hands or
shooting regularly on an indoor range, you should likely be in the single digits.

Start with NO water dropping and water dropping, then compare targets or see if
there is leading. I have never found any benefit up to .44 mag or .45 "mag" loads
with WD hardening, but some report better results. .454 Casull is a really hot number
so possibly harder will help, but it should be a tool to use if there is a real problem
seen. AC WWts are all I use for any pistols, including max pressure magnums.
Also, I never use GCs in pistols, not necessary with a good design, good fit
and good lube. I agree with Elmer that the GC is a bandaid fixing sloppy
work for pistols.

YMMV.

Bill

[blackthorn]

Unless you are anal about washing your hands, keeping lead bullets in your pockets and fondling them all day is not a good idea.

[Wayne Smith]

Solid lead really does not transport (move from one surface to another) very easily. Fondling your boolits isn't a problem as long as you wash your hands before eating or otherwise putting them in your mouth. Lead is an element, it doesn't change. You are shooting an alloy, it is possible, especially with excessive heat, to oxidize out some of the tin. Over time this can become cumulative, so yes, over time the alloy can change. There are reams of information on this topic on this website. At casting temperature you are in no danger of breathing in anything dangerous.

You will see a change in appearance as the lead in the sprue puddle solidifies. Cut the sprue as soon as this happens. Wait a second or two and dump the mold. If you are getting changes as you water drop wait another second or two before you drop.

How hard they have to be depends totally on the velocity you intend to push them. The higher the velocity the more likely you will overpower the alloy and experience leading. Your barrel will tell you if you have a poor fit, lube problems, or soft boolits.

No extra benefit to cast iron. I do not know the pot you are using so I cannot comment on that.

There is a sticky for the free download of the book "From Ingot to Target". Get it and read it. It will answer all your questions.