cast my first boolits today

[twc1964]

Well guys, i fired up my new lee pro pot and tried my hand at taming the silver stream. after my first mishap, the spout was mis adjusted and when i ran to get a spoon, my melt made a nice pile on the floor. i melted another batch which was 50/50 coww and lead pipe with a bit of added tin. after the obligatory wrinkled noses i started to cruise. I'm using a 6 cav lee 452-228 mold and i seemed to get into a groove but after scooping my boolits out of the bucket of eater it seems most are culls. these boolits are really hard too! guess i could have omitted the water dropping. some didn't fill out well at the bases either. maybe a bit more tin? Can't load pics or id show yall what i mean. any suggestions would be appeciated. thx

[runfiverun]

bases are usually a cold sprue plate or poor venting.
you can loosen the plate a little, break an edge on the inside of the mold, or alter your pouring technique.
or a combination of the above to help make the bases fill out better.

[rollmyown]

Sounds like you're on the right track, as stated your mould (and sprue plate) may not be hot enough. A hotplate will help a bunch, especially if casting in cool or cold conditions.

[Tristan]

Well guys, i fired up my new lee pro pot and tried my hand at taming the silver stream. after my first mishap, the spout was mis adjusted and when i ran to get a spoon, my melt made a nice pile on the floor. i melted another batch which was 50/50 coww and lead pipe with a bit of added tin. after the obligatory wrinkled noses i started to cruise. I'm using a 6 cav lee 452-228 mold and i seemed to get into a groove but after scooping my boolits out of the bucket of eater it seems most are culls. these boolits are really hard too! guess i could have omitted the water dropping. some didn't fill out well at the bases either. maybe a bit more tin? Can't load pics or id show yall what i mean. any suggestions would be appeciated. thx


If your mold is new, the clean, clean, clean it! I have used brake cleaner, followed by using a wooden stick to rub the edges of the mold cavities to assure there are no small burrs, then pre-warming on a hotplate, lubing with bullplate sprue lube and go at it! I use bullplate on a small rag to wipe the bottom of the sprue plate, and a small drop on the sprue hinge.

This process helped me get some new lee molds up and running fast with few rejects.

Good luck.

- Tristan

[twc1964]

Good advice to heed fellas. i will try cleaning it again and re-lubing. guess i really should go find a hot plate at one of the zillion yard sales we have around here this time of year. thx

[41mag]

Well here is the the best part of casting, if you have some that don't come out right, well you get to make them all over again...

Until you get your hot plate, you might simply start off with one cavity on the end, and pour till they start looking good, then add another cavity and so on until your mold is up to temp. Get in a rhythm of pouring and dumping, and don't really look at what your dumping out. Once the s[rue is taking a 4-5 count to cool your good to add another cavity. Just keep up the same rhythm and it won't take long till they are all dumping good bullets.

I started out with a 6 cavity mold myself, and man when I got hold of a two cavity, I though this ain't gonna work. I loves me some bullets droppin for sure.

Also you might give them a try just air cooled as for most handgun boolits you don't need them overly hard. I use air cooled in all of mine up to some toasty 357's, 41's, 44's, and Ruger only 45 Colt loads. In most cases I get little to no leading what so ever up into the 1300fps range with plain based. That said the alloy DOES make a difference.

Anyway hope you find something in here that helps, and good luck.

[a.squibload]

I don't even use the hotplate any more, just rest the handles on the edge of the pot
and dip the lower edge of the closed mold in the melt for 30 seconds or so. Also dip the
sprue plate tab. Mold can't get any hotter than the melt so it's safe, never had a problem.
When the lead will drop off the outside of the mold it's hot enough to start pouring.

Never bought a Lee pot 'cause sometimes they drip, I remember way back my friend's pot
would drip, the regular splat splat was an annoyance, he added a splat shield to keep it off us
but that got in the way of the molds. I like a pot with no holes, therefore I ladle!

[twc1964]

Well, i tried again yesterday and made 75 or so bullets. i did the one cavity thing for a while then went to two. every one had wrinkles. when it got late and i was turning the pot off i realized that this batch of alloy had very little tin. i totally forgot to add a bit of pewter. will try again with the added tin and see how it goes. on the positive side, i am getting better at knocking the slugs out of the mold lol.

[dikman]

You'll get there, just keep at it. There are a few variables to sort out when casting, but just think of the satisfaction you'll get when it all comes together.

[twc1964]

Oh, I'm nkt even thinking of giving up lol. i really enjoy this casting even though I'm making melters. i know that sooner or later i will get it down pat. heck, its a nice way to kill time instead of watching the tube every evening.

[twc1964]

Success! i let the mold sit with the corner in the melt for a bit and started dropping nice bullets!! They are a bit frosted but nicely filled out and nice sharp grooves. now i see why folks use a pid. my pot jumps around on temp like a hooker at a dentists convention! will start getting parts to build one.