First 6 Banger

[MGySgt]

I bought one of the left over 434-250's from Willbird. I had ordered handles from Midsouth when I sent the check in so when the molds arrived I had handles.

The main reson I bought these was to play with a 6 cavity mold. I want to get in the on the Keith styles 38, 44 and 45. But I wasn't going to buy them if I couldn't cast with them.

Cleaned molds as per instructions - tried casting. I won't follow the instructions again.

Cleaned molds my old way - soak in acetone for 30 minutes, air dry and reassemble. - Still did not cast any worth keepeing after about 20 minutes. Called it a night.

3rd session - Turned the hot plate all the way up - bullets were better, but darn if the hot plate has gone south and didn't get hot enough.

4th session - set the molds on top of the pot while the pot was coming up to temp. - less then 10% loss now.

By the way I ladel pour.

Things I learned:

My Rowell 2 pound ladel is TOO BIG, got lead all over the place. Everywhere except enough in the holes - Went back to a drilled out RCBS. I have ordered a Rowell 1 pounder.

The sprue plat gets real hot even doing the BruceB, but the bottm part of the mold doesn't get hot enough just by casting, mold MUST be pre-heated and set back on a heat source while filling the pot or fluxing.

Takes less then 10 minutes to empty about 10 pounds out of a 20 pound pot with a 6 banger. (I have a lee 20 pound pot next to my Lyman MAG dipper to pre-melt the alloy.

Have to remember to lube the molds - not use it Lee molds, and they will let you know when you need to lube them. Now I lube when I add alloy and some times when I flux (at least twice per pot).

Always something to learn and try in this hobby we have!

Drew

[Bret4207]

Top- I find that I have to run the Lee's fast. I don't always use the Bruce B cooling method, but by waiting fot the sprue to just harden and then refilling the mould real quick it keeps the temp up. I use a 12 or 16 cup stainless steel measuring cup on a Walmart hot plate and even using the 1 lb Rowell I can cast a good long time. I figure the pot holds 25-30 lbs lead alloy. It's about 8" high and 5" across so that's a good big pot. I sometimes use a dutch oven that would hold 75-100lbs, but even running 2 or 3 6 bangers it's just too much trouble and heat.

You're right, (as if I have to tell a Master Gunnery Sergeant that! God bless Chesty Puller.)( That works the same as a Hail Mary to you non-Marine girly type guys), you have to keep them lubed. Once you get used to the 6 bangers you'll be turning out scads of boolits post haste.

BTW- I wanted to add the "Do you guys want to live forever" line to the favorite quotes thread but can't find my Handbook for Marine NCO's, shame on me. Do you recall who said it? I'm thinking Sgt Major Dailey?

[MGySgt]

BTW- I wanted to add the "Do you guys want to live forever" line to the favorite quotes thread but can't find my Handbook for Marine NCO's, shame on me. Do you recall who said it? I'm thinking Sgt Major Dailey?

None other then Sgt Maj Dan Daily and by the way you cleaned it up. It wasn't guys it was Sons of B@@@@@'s

Semper Fi!

And say a little prayer for all our brothers and sisters that are in Harms Way.

Drew

[Bret4207]

Thanks Top. At least a little of PI stayed with me, but darned if I can recall my General Orders! I gotta go fink my Handbook.

The pryers are always there. Semper Fi.

[Bass Ackward]

The sprue plat gets real hot even doing the BruceB, but the bottm part of the mold doesn't get hot enough just by casting, mold MUST be pre-heated and set back on a heat source while filling the pot or fluxing.

Drew

Drew,

Dang. My problem with that mold is too much heat. I can take a cold mold and by the third pour, I am yielding 100% unless I screw up and run into the next cavity. But by the third pour, I can make severe steam on a wet sponge and need to slow down.

What I did was to spray molly release into the cavities and the inside of the blocks. I needed to beagle a little to get diameter anyway.

[MGySgt]

Drew,

Dang. My problem with that mold is too much heat. I can take a cold mold and by the third pour, I am yielding 100% unless I screw up and run into the next cavity. But by the third pour, I can make severe steam on a wet sponge and need to slow down.

What I did was to spray molly release into the cavities and the inside of the blocks. I needed to beagle a little to get diameter anyway.

Bass - Are you bottom pour or ladel? The ladel is slower then a bottom pour.

I have tried bottom pours (hence the Lee I pre-melt with) but I couldn't get the flow right and always had cavities in the base. I would get it about right and then a few fills later it went to hell in a hand basket. That was mostly with WW. Tried every temp from about 600 - 925, same results.

The alloy I am currently using likes about 825 degrees to get good bullets with a ladel. The Lee is now a ladel only pot. I took the out the works for bottom pouring and plugged it with a screw just so I don't get temped to try it again.

Drew

[buck1]

Mines always too hot or too cold! That alum transfers heat fast. when I lube the mold ,even a little bit the lube gets in to the cavs. Can I just use spray graphite to lube it? Or do I need a bullet lube/ bees wax etc....Buck

[MGySgt]

Mines always too hot or too cold! That alum transfers heat fast. when I lube the mold ,even a little bit the lube gets in to the cavs. Can I just use spray graphite to lube it? Or do I need a bullet lube/ bees wax etc....Buck

I don't remember who on ths board reccomended it, but use a tooth pick with just a little bit of lube on it. Just touch it to the areas that need lubing, under the sprue plate near the screw it swings on, on top of the sprue plate where it goes under the head of the hold down screw and to each of the alignment pins.

Doesn't take much lube - this is one case where more is not better!

Drew

[sundog]

Rained here today after yesterday's 100dF and same humidty nad NO wind - miserable.

Well, couldn't mow so I made some boolits for my buddy, Felix, who asked for some of those 3-crimp groove 44s. But first, I lee-mented the mould. D&T'd the hinge screw for a locking set screw, chamferred block edges, cleaned pins and holes, chamferred sprue holes very lightly, and most important, honed block tops and bottom sprue plate to include a little edge chamferring on the bottom of the sprue plate. Man, in that mould slick, now! Churned about 20 lbs of lbs of TOP QUALITY boolits and then quit. All went very well. These 6-banger are as good a mould as money buys, provided of course, the boolit is the right size and shape. sundog

p.s. Came in and made my world famous 4 bean chili for dinner. Gonna sup in a bit....

[boogerred]

after screwing up quite a few bullets due to over lubing i starting using a thimble set on the edge of my pot with a dab of lube that i applied with a Q-tip. ive now UPGRADED to a 3/4" copper pipe cap. short,squatty,flat bottomed(sorta like my ex) and much more stable.