Heated bullet mold?

[Maximumbob54]

Maybe this is a dumb question but is adding a heater to a bullet mold even possible? I've started using a hot plate to keep the molds hot as I seem to cast too slow most of the time. I've seen where you can drill out the back for a thermometer probe to tell how hot or cool the mold is getting. So I'm just curious if it would be possible to add some kind of heater in the same manner. Maybe it's that no such heater exists that would heat the mold enough to make a real difference. I know the lube heater is a pretty compact thing but that's not anywhere near the kind of heat needed for casting. The thought of this has just been shuffling around in my head and I'm curious if this has been tired before or if I'm just missing something obvious that it simply cannot be done.

[Horace]

For me it would get in the way of casting.

Horace

[Doc Highwall]

Just learn to cast faster and you will most likely get better bullets at the same time.

[exdxgxe4life]

You must cast really slow. Once my lee molds are up to temp, I could let them sit for like 5 minutes and I'd still be good to go.

[birch]

Just set them on top of your pot when you are done and in between pours. The radiant heat generated by the pot of lead will do the trick.

[jmort]

For me, the hot plate makes sense. But, obviously, you can get by fine without it.

[Maximumbob54]

This is more when I cast with Mihec molds than Lee aluminum molds. It's hard sometimes to keep the pin hot enough that the bullets don't stick to them.

[lonewelder]

Hotter,faster.My brass molds like to run a little warmer than the alum. ones

[Frozone]

Pour a Bigger sprew puddle and let it sit a couple seconds longer before you cut it. You'll add an extra ~5º a pour that way.
Once it's up to temp, you won't need to add any and a heater big enough to get it up to temp would be prettty big.
Not likely going to get it into a std size mold, you would have to special order the mold.

[mdi]

To answer your question rather than tell you how to cast; I think the addition of a "heater" to the mold would make the mold too large/clumsy to use. Plus, if it was electric, you'd have a cord hanging off the mold. A small oven of some sort would prolly be better. Some guys use a hot plate and some sort of enclosure around the mold (mold only, not the handles), a metal box or tin can to contain and the heat and keep it consistent...

[trixter]

I use a solid burner type of hot plate, I put my thermometer under the mold and watched it till it peaked. Then I adjusted the hot plate till the thermometer read 500 degrees. That was the perfect setting. I put the mold on the hot pate when I start the pot, and if I take a beak to reload the pot or go to the rest area or, etc, I put the mold back on the hot plate. Here is my sequence fill the cavaties and make a nice puddle on the sprue plate, count 1001, 1002 to 1005 or when the sprue shrinks and stops (makes that little dimple on top of the sprue); cut the sprue, count to 1007 and open the mold upside down, tap the pins with my wood mallet, boolits fall out, close mold, close the sprue plate, start over. I go as fast as all that will allow me. I get 98% good boolits or better. You have to keep the mold HOT. Also I put lube on the pin tips with a dabbed off q-tip, after I lube the top halves of the mold, don't get any in side the cavities.

[USMC87]

What Frozone said.

[btroj]

Why would I want a couple cords hanging from the mould?

Get the mould up to temp and keep it there. This isn't rocket science.

[castalott]

I've ran automated machines that make plastic bottles. They heat AND cool the molds every cycle and they work very well. I see merit in your idea but an automated caster might be necessary for handsome rewards... Just my $0.02....
Dale

[Maximumbob54]

I use a solid burner type of hot plate, I put my thermometer under the mold and watched it till it peaked. Then I adjusted the hot plate till the thermometer read 500 degrees. That was the perfect setting. I put the mold on the hot pate when I start the pot, and if I take a beak to reload the pot or go to the rest area or, etc, I put the mold back on the hot plate. Here is my sequence fill the cavaties and make a nice puddle on the sprue plate, count 1001, 1002 to 1005 or when the sprue shrinks and stops (makes that little dimple on top of the sprue); cut the sprue, count to 1007 and open the mold upside down, tap the pins with my wood mallet, boolits fall out, close mold, close the sprue plate, start over. I go as fast as all that will allow me. I get 98% good boolits or better. You have to keep the mold HOT. Also I put lube on the pin tips with a dabbed off q-tip, after I lube the top halves of the mold, don't get any in side the cavities.


That is what I'm going to try next time.



And I really didn't think this through as a cord getting tangled in things would not be fun to deal with. I figured there was some bit of logic that was flying over my head. Duh I guess.

[btroj]

Hey, if you don't think outside the box then you never learn. Key is to know when to get back into the box.