Cast my first boolits. Need some advice. With pictures.

[Voodoocld]

Ok, i've done a bunch of reading here, and finally starting casting tonight.
I used a lee pro 4-20 pot and lee 356-125-2R 6 cavity mold.
Fluxed with sawdust, i'm not sure what kind of wood it was.
cleaned the mold with acetone, and lubed with copper anti-seize (pretty sure i didn't get any into the cavities)
I want to use it in my 9mm's.

The lead i used was bought from ebay and was reclaimed range lead (im guessing indoors becuase i think it measures around 10 bhn on a lee hardness tester)

The lead is easily scratched with a finger nail after casting.

It seems like there is quite a bit "river like" shallow lines, how do i fix this? I was also getting voids on the base of the boolit, but i think i got that figured out (break the sprue sooner)

Any and all advice is appreciated!

Thanks

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z368/voodoocld/20130313_204225_zps44646c44.jpg

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z368/voodoocld/20130313_204219_zps7845cf19.jpg

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/z368/voodoocld/20130313_204213_zpsdeb7e22b.jpg

[Blammer]

you need to do two things.

FIRST, clean the mould.

SECOND, use MORE HEAT, not on the lead but on the mould, get the mould hotter.

break the sprue LATER, let it cool more before you do. Your bases are showing signs of ripping, it's still too hot. Let them cool more then they will cut.

add some WW's to your lead to make it harder, or some magnum shot.

For 9mm, really soft lead may not be good.

[USMC87]

With 6 cav molds you need the mold good and hot, The voids and lines in the bullets are from a mold being too cold. You can pre heat the mold on the eye of your stove to help get started. Start the casting on the far end of the mold, Fill 2 cavities until you get good bullets then fill #3 and so on until the mold gets up to temp.Make sure your alloy is hot enough too. I water quench all my auto bullets, I usually use a 5 gallon bucket filled about 5 inches from the top and add ice, The quench helps harden the bullets. Clean the mold with comet and warm water using a stiff bristle toothbrush.

[Randy C]

do you smoke your mold, good pic's

[Voodoocld]

Thanks for the advice. So you don't think its an issue with the alloy, and it's more of a mold heat problem?

I did not smoke the mold, or do anything to the cavities other than clean them.

Pics are from my samsung galaxy sIII phone. Trick is to use a separate fluorescent lamp, and turn off the phones internal flash. Then upload to photobucket, and use the img link.

[runfiverun]

yessir heat the mold up more.
pour each cavity in one motion and pour a good sized sprue puddle on top of the plate.
the trick is to get the mold heated up before you start,then cast fast enough to keep it heated up.
you wanna be doing 4 maybe 5 pours a minute. [12-15 seconds for a fill and empty] including a 5 second wait on the sprue.

[dverna]

Yep, mold is too cold. Follow advice above. Get her hotter and DO NOT admire your bullets very long as you cast them. That is a newbie mistake and the mold cools off. You need a hotter mold but you need to cool the melt puddle on the sprue plate.

The melt on the sprue plate will turn from shiny to dull. Do not cut the sprues off until that occurs. If in doubt, wait a few seconds after the melt turns dull.

I have used a damp cloth and put the sprue plate on it for a couple of seconds to chill it before cutting off the sprues.

Don

[MtGun44]

Std newbie question #1 answer:

Because the mold is dirty and too cold.

Like everyone else said. Near 100% of new casters have this problem, don't
be discouraged. Cast faster, this heats the mold. DO NOT admire your work,
cut the sprue, dump, pour, cut, dump, pour, as fast as you can. Once the mold
is up to temp, you will be good. Scrub the cavity with a toothbrush and comet,
it will not hurt it and will get it very clean.

Slow the casting rate and/or rest the mold on a wet sponge for a second to cool
it down if you get too hot.

Bill

[ReloaderEd]

Lots of good advice coming your way. Main thing is you have done it, made some boolits and with practice and good advice your next try will be perfect. I preheat molds on a hot plate until the first lead in the mold takes a bit to freeze up, it will cool down and you will get perfect projectiles everytime. have fun and be safe, gloves, safety glasses etc.

[Voodoocld]

I wonder if it was a combination of being dirty, as well as not being heated. I actually casted quite a few bullets, and towards they end i have the believe the mold was hot. Either way, I ordered a hot plate from amazon to heat up the molds, as well as a thermometer for the lead. I'm sure its been answered a million times, but whats the proper temp for the lead?

Thanks guys.

[runfiverun]

go with around 700-725.
i generally start there,i usually end up at 675.
once the mold is up and going i turn down the heat and maintian mold temp through speed.
if i have to stop for a bit i put the mold down to keep warm and bring the alloy temp up just a bit to start over.

it really is all about maintaining a consistent mold temperature.

[perry296]

As a newbie myself I had the same problem and like they said let the mold get hot and smoking the mold helps at least it did with me

[Texantothecore]

And don't pick up the bullet with your bare hands after dropping it out of your mold.

Or am I too late?

[Bullshop]

Unless your finger prints are on file and you need to change them.

[Voodoocld]

I do plenty of welding. Every set of prints I've ever given has been different!

[cbrick]

NO, don't smoke the cavities. The best casting mold is a CLEAN mold. Smoking a mold is nothing more than an old wives tale and will only serve to gunk up the mold and vent lines.

Rick

[Muddydogs]

I have been casting with 5 different Lee 6 hole mold this past winter to the tune of about 8000 bullets and think I have these molds figured out. From what you said about your cleaning of the molds and your pictures I would say you just need more mold heat. When starting a new mold I run my pot temp at 700 and mold temp at 400 (NOE mold block thermometer) then adjust from there to get bullet fill out and shortest sprue cooling times. It can take a while for the sprue to cool enough to cut on the six hole mold once you get the mold temp over 450. If the mold likes to be hot I have found placing the sprue on a wet rag to cool for just a few seconds really speeds up the production. The Lee six hole mold holds the heat well and you don't have to be in a race to go from pour to drop to pour, with this mold you actually do have a second or two to admire your bullets.

[Goatwhiskers]

Tons of great advice here. You're using a Lee 6 cav mold, one thing not mentioned is that if you let the sprue cool too long the lead is harder and is a prime cause of snapping the sprue plate handle. I was doing mine outside on a cool day when it happened to me. Experience will be your guide, as long as you're getting a clean shear of the sprue you're good to go. By the way I fixed my handle by gas welding it with Brownells 5% nickel rod. GW

[41 mag fan]

One thing that will help get the mold internally up to temp is to fill the cavities cut the sprue, then let the mold sit for 10-15 sec. This helps get the mold up to temp quicker. Doing this 2 or 3 times really helps out when starting to cast.

[josper]

And don't pick up the bullet with your bare hands after dropping it out of your mold.

Or am I too late?

you will only do it once.

[hickfu]

cbrick, thank you.... I used to hear the "smoke the mold" all the time, I tried it once "once" got black gunk in the vent lines and had a bit%# of a time getting it all out. I make sure the mold is clean as I can get it before casting. The boolits drop better and are cleaner.


Doc

[rodsvet]

Josper, I have done it hundreds of times! But then I have a short term memory at my age. Rod

[josper]

Rod :I'm in the same boat you are but picking up a hot boolit made a lasting impression on me,lol.

[tbl-leo]

Great advice here, I had the same problem about a week ago and posted it on here. My second time around letting the mold heat up and going as fast as I could made a huge difference. Now I have a bunch of re loadable boolits!

Jeff

[wlc]

you will only do it once.

Maybe more if your not a fast learner like me......

[Smitty's Retired]

Maybe more if your not a fast learner like me......

But it don't take long to look at it.

[prs]

I tried to smoke a mould once, but could not find roll'n papers big enough.

New Bee or Old Hand, its a good idea to plan on not keeping that first batch or two of boolits. If a new mould drops perfect pills right from the get-go, thatsaa gravy, but some moulds need a cycle or two to break in.

I find it helps me to bring my alloy up to a temp a little higher than my casting temp and holding it there a few minutes before fluxing and setting to final temp. I cast for years without a thermometer, but the harmony is better with one and recently I began using a PID temp controller which lets me cast without fudging around with the pot.

With Lee 6 cavity moulds, I do not worry so much about tearing a little poc out of the base, just avoid smearing lead. Waiting too long can damage the spru plate. I prefer using a gloved hand to flip open traditional spru plates: the spru puddle is liquid, then bright brittle solid, then a slight rainbow color before the dull phase when I cut. All of that just a matter of 3 or 4 seconds with a hot mould.

prs

[CML]

BS. I may just be a slow learner but I've done it several times. You know, that boolit that takes off rolling and you think you can catch it and get it back on the drop towel real quick, gets me every time.