Casting problem with custom adjustable paper patched bullet molds

[Saltner]

With this mold I always struggled to get bullets, I initially accused the furnace of LEE PRODUCTION Pot IV by 10 pounds, for having broken the resistance I replaced it, but I did not seem to heat up as it once was.
not satisfied I bought the older sister PRO 4 20LB but I always feel the same.
I come to the problem: I state that I use pure lead and I set the thermostat at maximum, it happens that a small layer of lead bullets of my browsing and remains glued to the mold, the only trick is smoked mold but I still have doubts.
I think it also affects the casting speed of the lead in the mold, I think Nose Pour into a mold are created inside the vortex, while in a mold base Pour not happen.
It's your judgment!
Thank you.
170019

[runfiverun]

please read this post carefully.
Saltner is from Italy and is doing his best.

[Bent Ramrod]

I have one of Red River Rick's adjustable moulds and they work very well.

The sense I get from the message is that Saltner is having trouble with lead smears on the top of the mould under the sprue plate. I get these also on moulds that I have to run hot; the ones with adjustment screws, bottom plates and other extra parts to get up to temperature demand this. I don't use pure lead in mine, but this would also require a lot of extra heat.

I use a Q-tip (small cotton swab) lightly wetted with Bull Plate lube and lightly touch it to the top of the mould and the bottom of the sprue plate, avoiding the cavity, of course. I pay particular attention to the circular track that the hole in the plate makes as it is swung away from the cavity. I can usually get 25-30 boolits cast before I need to touch this surface up again.

It can also be done with a candle wick, well saturated with wax. I touch the wick end very lightly to the same areas on the mould and sprue plate. This needs to be done a little more often, and with more care, since the wax is more "runny" than the Bull Plate lube, but it works.

I have a small piece of copper and a copper bristled brush at hand to get rid of the stubborn deposits, which generally come off easily after lubrication as above. One corner of the copper piece is sharp, so I can get into the vent lines on the mould, if the lead is sticking in there. The same lubricants can be used here, but it takes even more care as they are easily "wicked" into the cavity by the vent lines.

For prevention, it helps sometimes to use the technique mentioned here somewhere (was it BruceB?) of keeping a folded cloth dampened with water by your side and touching the sprue plate to it after every fill, before cutting off.

I hope this helps, Saltner. I enjoy your posts on your quest for accuracy with your long range muzzleloader very much.

[Saltner]

I think I have been misunderstandings because I use a translator and probably does not translate correctly.


The problem is not with the casting cutting plate, I also use the wax to lubricate the hinge and use a copper brush to clean mold.


In the case not smoke the mold, it happens that a thin film of lead was detaches from the side of the projectile to about 3/4 in length and is attacked to the mold.


With other molds GG cal .451 Pedersoli and Brooks and cal. 50 Accurate, I never had problems casting, I think this PP mold disperses more heat because they do not get hot under the lead of the regulation and therefore cools faster than the others.


With the other mold when casting the lead, I stay away about an inch from the valve, a member contacted to PM me and tells me to rest the plate directly in contact with the valve.

[7br]

Can you post pictures of the problem?

[jcren]

Tearing or breaking a cast bullet when opening the mold indicates opening too soon, lead not set well enough.

[Saltner]

Here the picture of some bullets cast with the mold without smoking and with lead foil glued on stamo and others with smoked mold with the candle.
Note that you see the shining crystal, in my lead is contaminated with some unknown metal, bullets also have porosity.
I cleaned and remelted 2 times and made ingots, but today many surfaced slag while casting or maybe it was oxidation of extraneous metal?
It never happened such a case in 15 years of casting!

170189 170190 170191 170188 170193 170192

[500MAG]

What was your source for lead? What temperature are you casting at?

[Saltner]

Pellets for air rifle, I think are pure lead, or do you believe that there is addition of zinc?
The furnace is at maximum.

[44man]

There is no way to know what pellets have in them since they are not cast but swaged.
They are using some funny stuff today, some are not lead.
It sounds like a very expensive way to get lead.

[Saltner]

Never pellets would use new, one day to the polygon, i retrieved a bucket of 4 gallons of air rifle pellet fired

[runfiverun]

well I think you might have a couple of things going on here.

try melting the alloy like normal.
then turn the heat down.
watch the top of the melt to see if you have little lumps appear under the surface [like oatmeal]
that is a sure indication of zinc.

the other stuff is looking like you have oxide inclusions, and the only sure way to deal with that is to turn the heat up and clean the alloy better.

the greyish better filled out boolits are showing antimony to me which would be expected in a swaged lead product.

some of your other issues could easily be explained by the candle gassing off wax and coating your mold when you try to smoke it.
clean it out and run it without the wax err candle smoke.

[Saltner]

The culprit is the unknown metal present in the alloy.
I melted the lead plates for roofs and was immediately easy to run.
I noticed that the base of the bullets is bluish, it would seem hardening effect.
I degreased with acetone mold and heated and this the result.
Next time try to smoke the mold with cigarette lighter
170568 170569

[runfiverun]

the blue is an indicator of heat and also pure lead.

[Saltner]

Very well, then I'il be more careful what you throw into the furnace [smilie=b: