New Caster! Thanks for the Help!

[mikegray0422]

I've been gathering information from the forums for the last couple of months trying to decide if I should start casting or not. I finally decided to jump in....slowly... I've been building up my Lead WW stock and acquiring other equipment for a couple of months now. It finally all came together this afternoon. I cast my first pile of boolits and I couldn't be happier with the results!
The first few were rejects while the mold came up to temperature but the next 200 came out beautiful! Hardly a single reject in the pile!

Next goal.....hardened boolits for my Mosin-Nagant!

Thanks folks.
Mike Gray

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Welcome to the forum Mike! Congratulations on your first casting. Sounds like you done good.

[DrCaveman]

You get any pictures? That is always helpful and satisfying to see. Few enough cast (around my place) that seeing what everyone else is doing is socially rewarding.

And, if you have any questions, or awesome discoveries, there are many here to help answer or help test.

Is your first batch for the mosin, or something else?

And, welcome to the best website there is.

[Woody3]

Welcome mike!!
Sounds like you did good and had a fun time. Not that it needs saying, keep it up :D

[Cherokee]

Welcome. The fun will continue as you fire your first rounds.

[mikegray0422]

I've only got a few pictures. We were so psyched about getting started that neither of us bothered with the camera until we were about 50-60 bullets in. I'm not sure how much detail you want so just skip over the parts that aren't interesting. :-)

http://s1099.beta.photobucket.com/user/mikegray0422/library/First%20boolit%20casting%20session

My equipment:
- Lee TL356-124-2R mold
- Lee Production Pot IV
- Scavenged Lead wheel weights (My neighbor manages the Costco Tire Department.....SCORE!)
- Lee Alox to lube the boolits
- A discarded Vanilla scented candle for the first flux and sawdust for the final flux.

I wanted a separate pot to process the raw WW so I picked up a steel pot, ladle, slotted spoon muffin tin and a few other odds and ends at a local thrift shop for about $5.00. The electric hotplate was on sale so I figured I'd give it a try. I'm not sure if the hotplate just doesn't have the oomph to melt lead or if the 28 degree weather was taking away heat as fast as it could make it. Bottom line is the hotplate was a waste of time. After 45 minutes I only managed to get a puddle of melted lead at the bottom of the pot. Everything else was still quite solid.
If somebody knows of an electric burner that works well, please let me know. I'd rather not use a propane burner if I can avoid it.

We are only casting for 9mm right now but my neighbor has a Lee Enfield and I own a couple of Mosin-Nagant M91/30's that have the same bore so that's our next project. More investigation is needed to see if heat treated or quenched boolits will do the job.