More questions?

[Sax.45]

Hello Folks, I have a few more questions, You guys didn't think you were going to get off easy did ya.

So far I have been using Lee molds, Actually been having fairly good luck with them. I also have some lyman molds and just bought another, Just a Ideal single cavity mold for .38 wadcutter. My question is I guess I got used to aluminum molds. I had to work at a pretty fast pace with the iron mold. I thought it would be the other way around.

I'm guessing being it is a single cavity mold I would need to go at a slower pace so it wouldn't get to hot. I started pouring at 650 deg but no luck, uped it to 700 deg and started to get much better boolits. I was using range lead and had to add some tin. Boolits were a nice silver gray to just a bit frosty. But still had to go at a pretty fast pace. Any and all info would be greatly appreciated.

Btw the way, I have been a dedicated handgun hunter for years, Bagged my first buck on the second day of the season using a cast Boolit. Thanks to info I got from people on this forum. .480 Ruger SRH fixed 4x scope, 400 gr lee boolit, clean thru the deer, I think the boolit stoped in the next zip code.

Sax.45

[R.M.]

I'll probably get heckled for this, but I have thick skin. Don't be afraid to raise your pot temp temp to 750. It might help get that mold up to temp without running you ragged.

[Wolfer]

When using lee 2 cav molds I usually use two to keep them to temp. Once a iron mold gets up to temp I can cast a long time if I dilly a little. Once it's too hot it takes longer to cool down.

[mpmarty]

Iron molds hold heat much better than aluminum molds and you don't have to cast as fast.

[Sax.45]

Thanks for the reply's guys

R.M.When using lee molds I had to run it at 750 to get good results.
Wolfer. That's what I thought also, But when I slowed down it was hard to move the sprue plate, real hard.
mpmarty. I am a bit confused, If I wen't at a little slower pace that's when I ran into trouble.

[runfiverun]

the single cavity mold doesn't have the mass to hold the heat,and every time you open it you just doubled the surface area available to the air.
i run a single cavity mold about as fast as i can to keep the mold warmed up.
i keep my alloy temp in the 700 range,and open the mold just long enough to dump the boolit out.

[Sax.45]

Thanks guys.
runfiverrun. Yeah that sounds right. I knew the mold would get hot quicker but never realized it would cool that fast.
Like I said, I have a Lot to learn...

Thanks for the reply's guys..

Sax.45.

[mdi]

I ue a single burner hot plate set on med to heat up my single cavity Ideal wadcutter mold (i really like this bullet). I like to run the melt as low as possible to get less shrinkage, and have to keep the mold up to temp, so I set it down for a few seconds on the hot plate now and then.

R.M., I don't know of any "rules" that say 750 is too hot. I have been casting for only 13 years and quit using a thermometer a few years back. If a certain mold likes a bit hotter melt, I'll use it...

[**oneshot**]

PM sent

[Sax.45]

Thanks Again guys. Casting at a quicker pace worked pretty good. Also I got less weight variation in the process.

Thanks.

Sax.45

[41 mag fan]

If you're using a hotplate to preheat mold while your lead is melting, you might make a box to put on hotplate, similar to an oven.
What i use is a big can of green beans we had, I cut a hole big enough to get my biggest mold in it, and place it in it while my pot gets up to temp. I take a break, back into the oven it goes.

I was wondering though when someone would say the single cavities heat up fast but lose their heat what seems like twice as fast and R5R hit it on the mark.

Sometimes with a single mold, about every 3-4 casts, I'll cut the sprue, but leave the casts in for a few seconds longer. the casts will heat transfer to the mold blocks helping to keep it hot.

[Sax.45]

41 mag fan, I use a hot plate to preheat the mold. I like your idea with the can. Thanks for the tip...

Sax.45

[44man]

I cast everything at 750* except pure, then I go 800*. My casting is slow and relaxed with any mold. I really can't tell a difference between molds. My pace does not change even if I am using two molds.

[casterofboolits]

Cast iron moulds hold heat well when up to casting temp. Lyman four cavity moulds, IMHO, like to run hot. I rest my moulds on Lyman/RCBS one pound ingot moulds which I also preheat. Makes casting much more uniform for me. I normally cast with two to three Lyman four cavity moulds in series. I'll make a couple thousand boolits, clean and lube the moulds and put them up until I need more.

I do not have any aluminum or brass moulds that I presently cast with. I did feed my IPSC habit for a couple years with a pair of Lee two cavity moulds back in the 80s.