very first cast

[lolbell]

After all the troubles with my first smelt yesterday, todays smelt went much smoother. After getting about 100 lbs of ingots I decided to try my hand at casting. I have a 20lb Lee bottom pour and Lee TL molds. While melting the alloy I cleaned the molds then heated and lubed the plate hinge. I fluxed with bees wax and brought temp to about 675 F. The first 25-30 bullets didn't fill out well but after that, the one on the end started looking good. The one closest to the handles took another few casts to start filling out. I guess that end of the mold took a little longer to warm up. I started with a 358 SWC, after it got hot enough for the sprue puddles to take too long to harden I set it aside and started with a 452 SWC, same thing with it, a few to get mold up to temp. One closest to handles took a little longer to start filling out well. As one mould would get hot, I would lay it aside and make about 8 or 10 casts and swap them out. I went through about 6-8 lbs of lead and made some decent boolits I think. I'll get better as time goes but I am proud of my first. I'm figuring out the how to's as far as mold temps and alloy temps. I am using straight wheel weights but got some solder this evening to see if that will help with fill out. Any advice will be greatly welcomed

125512 358
125513452

[engineer401]

Very nice work.

[Yodogsandman]

They look great to me! A little tin will help a bit with fill out. Be sure to heat up your sprue plate with big puddles of molten alloy as you pour your boolits. You got it! Choot em!

[zuke]

As said, a bit of tin would help with fill out

[jsizemore]

When your molds get up to temp try alternating your pours between them.

[flylot]

Looks great! I hope when I get to my first mold pour I will be as successful!

[Tazza]

I found that alternating molds did help, you can actually leave the one that is too hot on top of the pot to cool off some but stay hot so you can keep casting.

Give it time and play with the cool off times, you will find the sweet spot and get up a good rhythm and really start getting some production happening.

[Walter Laich]

nothing wrong with those. shoot them and move on.

[John Boy]

Any advice will be greatly welcomed
* Heat the mold and pot melt up to a temperature so ...
* With a 5 second pour, the sprue puddle frosts in 5 seconds
Keep your casting rhythm smooth and the same pace

Your casting at too low a temperature IMO

[RobS]

Gota love pouring :cbpour:Looks pretty good. You will become better the more you cast.

[Jeff Maney]

Very nice first start! Many of us cast for a long time to get where you are now!
I have also used 2 double cavity molds at the same time for years, very effective.

Jeff

[lbaize3]

Excellent casting! Practice makes perfect. Shoot more, load more, and cast more.