MOLD DC C309-180-R question.

[russ1986]

Very new to casting and I tried to research this issue before posting here I did not find anything on this topic. First time using this mold I removed any oil that would of been on it from the factory and I smoked the mold and heated it as well.In the middle of the every bullet I made today there was what looking like a crack or a line. Will that deformation be removed when you size it or is this just because the mold is new?

[sghart3578]

I think your mold was too cold. Get the mold hot enough that the sprue (puddle) on top takes 3 or 4 seconds to cool. Get the sprue plate hot also and pour a big puddle, don't be stingy with the lead.

Also, make sure the cavities are clean and free of oil.

[RickinTN]

Russ,
Without pictures it's hard to tell what you are talking about but if it is a line that runs up each side of the bullet and around the nose it is the part line where the two mold halves come together and is normal. If this is not the case then pictures would be great to help find out what is happening.
Rick

[Wayne Smith]

"Crack" and "Line" are two very different things. A crack has a void, a hole that indicates that the boolit is not complete. A line is simply a deformity on the surface of the boolit, as Rick states. This is normal.

[russ1986]

128478This is the worst one this one has cracks. most of my casts have lines in them in those same spots.

[Jeff Michel]

Your mould is way to cold, though you did say you cleaned the mould, you did not say how or provide details. I would , re-clean with hot soapy water, scrub it, an old toothbrush works good. The hot water will heat the mould up to help dissipate the residual water. Make sure to mould is completely dry before resuming casting. Personally, I never smoke my moulds, I find it unnecessary if your mould is clean and in condition. Start casting, when your mould is hot, fill it with your alloy and while the bullets are still in the cavities, lubricate your locating pins, your sprue plate and sprue plate hinge. I use synthetic two cycle oil and apply it sparingly , I use a Q-tip. As others have remarked, make sure your mould and alloy is hot and leave plenty of sprue.
Good luck

[russ1986]

ok there are lines in some I did before in the same spots is that from the same reason? And to clean my mold I used brake cleaner then wiped it down with a rag and q tip in the bullet mold and let it dry.

[Ben]

russ1986

Save yourself a lot of time and headache.
Head to the book store and buy a copy of the Lyman Cast bullet handbook or order it here :

http://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Cast-Bullet-Handbook-4Th/dp/B004DWBKQY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422212598&sr=8-1&keywords=lyman+cast+bullet+handbook

Ben

[Yodogsandman]

Russ1986, Yes, your mold is way too cold. The easiest way to heat up your mold is on a hot plate but, if you don't have that, stick your mold right in the molten lead and let it sit there to heat up until the lead doesn't stick to it anymore. The tendency, when new to casting, is to look at and inspect each boolit as you cast them. Start by casting as fast as you can without looking at them until you notice that your boolits are fully filled out and frosting over. Pour a generous puddle on top of the sprue plate, too, to heat that up at the same time. Check to be sure your bases are flat and not rounded on the edges. Then you can slow down your cadence a bit, your mold will be heated to the right temp. You can inspect your boolits after you're done.

[badbob454]

yes as said above mold is too cold cast fast and recycle your first 4-5 castings untill they start coming out good . i had to learn the hard way , do try the lymans cast bullet handbook above and read it , full of easy to assimilate info. also try..
http://www.lasc.us/castbulletnotes.htm

...good material

[russ1986]

thank you for the advice