"issues" during latest casting session...

[ssn vet]

Well, after determining that my heat was to low on my first session, I bumped up the heat from ~6 to ~8.5 on my Lee 4-20 bottom pour pot and gave it another whirl.

I water dropped all bullets into a pan of ice cold water.

7649

middle bullet is "speckled" on one side of the mold parting lines and smooth on the other side. Is this what is called "frosting"? I culled these out and am debating wheter or not to load them.

right bullet has extreme speckles and is going back into the pot

left boolit is smooth and filled out well....I think these were cast last after I turned the heat back down.

Basically, this was not an enjoyable casting session, as the bottom poor spout dribbled (and spattered...ouch!) relentlessly. I scrambled to quickly adjust the rod several times, while trying to not let the mold cool down. Only at the end of the session, when I dialed the rheostat back down to 6 did the dribbling stop.....completely.

When water dropping to a coffee can of ice water on the floor, I got quite the violent spatters.

The bullets where hanging up in the mold and needed to be tapped several times to drop. I tried to correct for this by spraying on more Franklin carbon spray...only to make a mess.

Here's my conclusion....please comment and let me know if I'm on the right track.

Perhaps my previous problems with mold fill out and "folding" marks, were due to the mold not being hot enough. I compensated by increasing the temp of the lead in the pot......not the same thing (though related, I guess).

I think I may have been dropping the bullets to soon and they were still semi-molten when they hit the water, hence the "speckles" and the violent spattering of water/steam.

The hotter lead temp. somehow made the pot dribble.....and I couldn't adjust it enough to stop, and still have enough travel on the bar to poor.

Oh well....

looking on the bright side....

My WW sugar daddy spotted me a bit of Marvelux and I think I've got the fluxing thing figured out.

I got 50 good bullets out of the session (100 if I decide to load the medium speckled ones.)

Still lots to learn. :coffee:

[carpetman]

Use those speckled bullets on speckled breasted warblers.

[jonk]

What mold?

Right bullet was after more mold release was applied I'd bet. Too much. I hate the stuff. Just clots and clogs up my molds.

The leementing technique worked well for me. Search it on the forum if unfamiliar- works well to polish the cavities and ensure easy release as well as better fill out and such for any mold, not just lee.

[ssn vet]

What mold?

Lee .312-155 2R....


Use those speckled bullets on speckled breasted warblers .

If that's a speckled breasted warbler pictured in your avitar, sign me up.....

Where do I get me tag?

[Tom Herman]

SSN Vet,


The bullets where hanging up in the mold and needed to be tapped several times to drop. I tried to correct for this by spraying on more Franklin carbon spray...only to make a mess.

I tried spraying the Frankford Arsenal graghite spray on a sticky mould after ti was hot. The material bubbled up and created more problems than it solved.
As far as the spray goes, it's best to put it on cold or slightly warm, but definitely not hot!
I'll also comment on fill out: About 2% Tin sure helps the Lead to flow properly!
I use Lyman and RCBS moulds made of iron, and they cast well once they are warm.
Good Luck with your casting! I've had frustrating days, too, but they are worth it! There's nothing like the payoff when a load works well for you...

Happy Shootin'! -Tom

[ssn vet]

any tips for cleaning the carbon off of the mold?

I've been using white gas (Coleman fuel) as per the recomendation in the mould instrucitons. This worlks fairly well, but requires a lot of elbow greese with a stack of Q-tips.

[Ricochet]

The other thing about that Frankford Arsenal mould spray is that you'd better wipe it off of the mating surfaces of the mould fast, before it dries. Leave only a light coat in the cavities. Leave it in between and you'll get unintended beagling.

[sundog]

Jonk, mould release is good stuff..., on some moulds, but NOT sprayed on. When I use it, I spray it on a q-tip and swap the cavity. It does very well. I never (never say never) use it on aluminium. The only thing I do on aluminium, if needed, is smoke with a wood stick match.

SSN, when I water quench from the mould, I use a 3# coffee can of cool water on a stool off to my left, pot is in front to the right, far enough away so the twain don't meet. When I drop the boolits, they are but inches above the water surface.

[ssn vet]

beagling

???? you lost me on that one


but inches above the water surface

I was a little concerned about the water spattering on the mold....but I guess any that did this immediately turned to steam.

[sundog]

SSN, never had a problem with a drop getting on the mould once in awhile. Just sizzles off. If fact, if the mould starts getting too hot, just dip the sprue plate handle.

I'd be more concerned about venting problems if I sprayed the block faces than I would unintended beagling. That's why, when I do use mould spray, it's done in the cavities only with a q-tip.

[jleneave]

SSN, I am far from being an expierenced caster but I do have a suggestion or two for you. I have the same Lee 20lbs Pro 4 pot that you have and I have noticed that the temp of the alloy will not stay the same even if left on the same setting on the dial. I use a RCBS thermometer while I cast and as the alloy gets closer to the bottom of the pot the temp will start dropping and I have to turn the heat up to keep it at a constant temp. When the pot is close to full I actually have to turn the dial down to keep it from over heating. The only explanation I can come up with is that when the pot is full or close to it the alloy holds the heat better and when the pot starts to get empty the heat escapes quickly due to the alloy not holding the heat. Now mind you, I have not been doing this near as long as some of the other guys on this forum and I may be way off on why the pot wont hold a constant temp, but I promise you a thermometer will help you keep your alloy at a specific temp. As for the pot dripping, there may be a piece of trash holding the spout open. This has happened to me a few times but when I take a paper clip and push it up through the spout and move it around the leaking always stops, but be very careful doing this because you can get burned if the alloy starts running while your hand is under there. I use a set of hemostats to hold the paper clip when doing this. I hope this helps you out some and believe me I have gotten very frustrated at time while casting, when I get like that I unplug the pot and quit until I settle down. Some one on here can set me straight if I am way off on why the alloy temps go up and down as the pot starts to get empty. Take care.

Jody

[dromia]

Beagling.

Follow this link to Cast Pics:

http://www.castpics.net/

Then go to "Articles by Members" on the left hand menu and then open "Bullet Diameter Enlargement" - Beagling. :-D

[ssn vet]

unintended beagling

Ah hah! I did spay the Franklin on the hot mold face and did apply more than last time. I also noticed that there was more bleed out at the mold seam.

Any ideas on my "speckles"?

Poored lead to hot?

Dropped them to soon?

Water to cold?

To much Franklin spray?

any feed back is appreciated.

[mooman76]

Too hot will cause frosting but it s difficult to get the exct right temp for good mould fill out and have no frosting. Frosting really doesn't hurt a thing. The spray will also cause the "speckles" which again won't really hurt a thing. You could try after you get good fill out gradually turning down the heat until you get a good temp with no frosting. If you drop the bullets too quick before they solidify you will get warped bullets that look like they melted some and the will have sever speckles. You don't need ice cold water just cold or cool is fine. I keep my water just out of reach but not too far so I have to stretch or take half a step to get to it. You caould also try letting the lead cool another couple seconds and see how the bullets turn out. After you get more experience under your belt, you will get a feel for the lead temp and know when it's too hot or not hot enough.

[NoDakJak]

SSN I was having the same problem awhile back and finally got so pixxed of that I pulled the plug. As it cooled I noticed a musht spot in the center of the melt and spone dout a roughly globular mass that I assume was sinc that was cooling before the rest of the melt. Sidn't copletely cure the problem but certainly alleviated it. Try clamping a small set of vise grip plier on the top of your plunger. It needs more weight to assure a snug fit. I have owned a half dozen Lee pots and they are great if you are only casting a few boolits but are a real PITA over the long haul. I finally bit the bullet and aquired my first new RCBS pot a couple weeks ago. Heavenly Bliss!!! In addition to the vise grips try wrapping more insulation around the Lee pot. After using a lead thermometer I was shocked to find out how much more level the RCBS pot maintains a level temperature. I had always thrown the sprue from each boolit back into the pot. The thermometer told me that is was very bad practice. I now leave the thermometer in full time and only add sprues when the mix nears the max temp before cycling the heating coil again. By doing this the thermostat seems to cycle about one third the time that the Lee pot does. Neil

[WyrTwister]

any tips for cleaning the carbon off of the mold?

I've been using white gas (Coleman fuel) as per the recomendation in the mould instrucitons. This worlks fairly well, but requires a lot of elbow greese with a stack of Q-tips.


I quit coating my molds with carbon . I used to use a " propane match " .

I now use an old tooth brush and tooth paste , then rinse well and DRY . This gets the carbon off .

A wooden tooth pick can be used to fet the carbon out of the difficult places .

Almost all of my molds are Lee , 6 cavity where I can get them .

Since they are aluminum , there is no need to oil them , to prevent rust . Once clean , there is little need to clean them very often .

I run my Lee pot 100% , Pour fast , drop into a 5 gallon bucket of water , which is sitting on the concrete . This gives a fair distance for the bullet to drop . And the 5 gallon bucket , nearly full , gives the bullet a fair amount of water to travel through / cool off in , before it hits bottom ..

If the mold gets too hot , I use 2 molds and alternate between them .

As far as a dribbley melting pot , I strip the plastic off of a twiste tie and use the steel wire to cleen out the hole the lead comes out . Also , use a screw driver on the slot on the end of the rod . Twist the screwdriver back and forth to lap the end of the rod against the seat .

God bless
Wyr

[WyrTwister]

SSN, I am far from being an expierenced caster but I do have a suggestion or two for you. I have the same Lee 20lbs Pro 4 pot that you have and I have noticed that the temp of the alloy will not stay the same even if left on the same setting on the dial. I use a RCBS thermometer while I cast and as the alloy gets closer to the bottom of the pot the temp will start dropping and I have to turn the heat up to keep it at a constant temp. When the pot is close to full I actually have to turn the dial down to keep it from over heating. The only explanation I can come up with is that when the pot is full or close to it the alloy holds the heat better and when the pot starts to get empty the heat escapes quickly due to the alloy not holding the heat. Now mind you, I have not been doing this near as long as some of the other guys on this forum and I may be way off on why the pot wont hold a constant temp, but I promise you a thermometer will help you keep your alloy at a specific temp. As for the pot dripping, there may be a piece of trash holding the spout open. This has happened to me a few times but when I take a paper clip and push it up through the spout and move it around the leaking always stops, but be very careful doing this because you can get burned if the alloy starts running while your hand is under there. I use a set of hemostats to hold the paper clip when doing this. I hope this helps you out some and believe me I have gotten very frustrated at time while casting, when I get like that I unplug the pot and quit until I settle down. Some one on here can set me straight if I am way off on why the alloy temps go up and down as the pot starts to get empty. Take care.

Jody



I do all my casting outside , on the concrete patio . I have a small table I built and sit on a metal stool .

I melt my lead in a " Fry Daddy " the wife found for me at a garage sale . This is setting on the concrete .

I modified it by bypassing the thermal fuse and thermostat . It runs 100% heat 100% of the time .

I then carefully pour this very hot lead into the Lee electric pot . Do this frequently , keeping the Lee pot pretty full .

I also use the " Fry Daddy " to melt scrap & WW's . Wife found me an old Teflon coated muffin pan . I use that to cast ingots . This is setting on the concrete .

God bless
Wyr

[Lead melter]

ssn vet,

This is going to go against the grain of a bunch of folks here, but here it goes anyway...load up a banch of those nice, pretty boolits, a bunch of the half-speckled ones, and a batch of the fully speckled ones. And if you have some, load up some wrinkled boolits too. The only firm criteria is that the must not be undersized from any group.
Now, assuming that all loaded rounds are of the same powder, weight, primer, etc., shoot them. I'll bet you won't see much difference in the different groups. Frosted and wrinkled boolits can shoot well also.

[Sig shooter]

ssn vet,

This is going to go against the grain of a bunch of folks here, but here it goes anyway...load up a bunch of those nice, pretty boolits, a bunch of the half-speckled ones, and a batch of the fully speckled ones. And if you have some, load up some wrinkled boolits too. The only firm criteria is that the must not be undersized from any group.
Now, assuming that all loaded rounds are of the same powder, weight, primer, etc., shoot them. I'll bet you won't see much difference in the different groups. Frosted and wrinkled boolits can shoot well also.

I was going to test the worst wrinkled - spur stub back - small void holes in the rear . To see just how bad they shoot for a given defect , in a slow pistol round .

[happy7]

When I applied that mold release to a lee mold hot, it gave me the same speckling. Remove all of it and I think you will find that problem is solved. Brake Cleaner also helps here. My advice would be to take the time to follow the Leementing instructions and not mess with the mold release. I think in the long run you will be less frustrated. Also, it cannot be overemphasized that your mold must be clean. A toothbrush and lots of liquid soap and water or brake cleaner work well for me.

I have found it difficult to get good bullets out of a Lee mold, if it is still cool enough to give shinny bullets. I want mine slightly frosted. In my experience edges come out much sharper. RCBS or Lyman iron molds will give shinny bullets a lot easier. In this respect, it makes casting just a whole lot more fun if the mold is preheated, and this can be done very precisely with a hot plate. When I finally broke down and spent the money for one, it probably doubled my casting enjoyment. Good boolits in the first few if not first casts. A wet washcloth on your casting table to cool your mold if it gets too hot will also make things go smoother. Another tip is, if you decide your alloy is too hot, after you turn down the thermostat, add a little lead to the pot to bring the temp down right away without waiting for it to cool off. If you have a thermometer you can start to get a feel for how much lead you need to bring the temp down a certain amount.

[AZ-Stew]

Since all correspondence between the swap-ees was by PM, and I'm not going to mention any names here, there should not be any embarassment on anyone's part due to the following description of events.

Another member on this forum and I just swapped moulds. I had a GB .44 Keith bullet mould he wanted and he had a Lyman 4-banger 429421 mould I wanted. The GB Lee cast a bit too fat for my tastes and I don't need the additional production I get from the Lee to support the limited amount of .44 shooting I do.

The Lyman arrived in "used" condition. It had been overheated and excessively dunked in the casting pot in an attempt to get it up to casting temp. I spent about an hour and a half getting the lead off the top of the blocks, the bottom of the sprue plate and the mating surfaces of the mould blocks. There were still a few bits of lead stuck to the insides of the cavities in the crimp groove area that had to be removed, as well, and there were (still are) some speckles of lead stuck to the outsides of the blocks and handles where they don't interfere with casting. As I said, it took a while to clean it up, but the end result was worth it. I now have a nice, 4-banger Lyman that casts boolits that are just the right size for my revolvers. Running them through a Lyman .430 sizer barely leaves a shiny surface in several locations around the bearing surfaces.

When I first started casting with my "new" mould, several of the boolits came out with the same speckled appearance. There was no indication of any previous application of mould release agent in the cavities, and I didn't add any. I've never found it necessary with Lyman moulds. As the mould came up to temp, the boolits took on a smooth appearance. (See photo.)

Your problem may simply be mould temperature. Try getting it a bit hotter and see if those boolits don't smooth out.

Regards,

Stew