Mold Problems

[repeat]

I need you experienced casters to give me some insight on my Molds and the problem I am facing.
Today I cast several bullets on Lee molds.
On the base of the cast bullet I had slag on most all bullets and don't know why.
My bolts are tight and spru plates are clean with no jagged edges I can see.
HELP!!!!!

[TexasGrunt]

A picture would help.

Are you casting with a bottom pour pot or a ladle?

[Yodogsandman]

You're waiting too long to cut the sprue. Too early cuts out lead divots.

[jsizemore]

If all your other stuff is tight, then your lead temp and/or mold is too hot. Too hot a mold will also have finning along the parting line of the boolit.

[country gent]

Slag or a divot? slag is crud in your alloy normally called dross here. Flux the metal and clean it good if its slag or dross. If its a divot or raised button cut it a little sooner, wait to see it "frost" and cut it.

[repeat]

I use a bottom pour Lee pot and sometimes I got divots and sometimes I got slag( raised amount of lead build up) that required running the bottom of the bullet on sandpaper to clean it off.I had very few divots but I had lines on my bullets that was described on some,not too many.
Man it sounds like you guys have been here before.
The mixture was fluxed before I started so I need to reduce the heat and cut sooner.
I called it slag but it actually was a build up of lead.
Thanks guys.

[repeat]

Now I know what I'm doing wrong guys.I have a very bad back and sitting and then standing up is taking way too long for the cut so I get the build up on bottom of bullets.Plus I am too hot of mixture as was pointed out.
I need to build a small table where I can sit through it all and never stand up until I'm done.
After 7 back surgeries I am much older now and it takes a toll on my body to sit and stand too much as I need to do one or the other and not both.
Building a new table would be easy.
Does anyone have pictures of their casting set up?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

"Does anyone have pictures of their casting set up?"

I use a old dining table, it's heavy wood, butcher block style, mounted to the wall...but I mention the dining table, as that's the height. I mounted the Lee pot on a block of wood to elevate it another 2". I sit on a old folding folding chair. I can easily see the spout under the lee pot while sitting down.

[repeat]

That makes sense JonB.
Maybe I need to change the height of my chair and pot instead of the table.
Thanks

[country gent]

Walmarts here has a small aluminum camp table that folds up neatly into a nice little package. Its solid and easy to set up and use. For me on a folding chair its about perfect height. Mine at about 4" shorter than my dining room table. To short is easier to fix as a block or box can be made for your pot to set on to get it higher. They arnt super expensive and do a great job for a lot of things.

[TexasGrunt]

1. Find a comfortable office chair.

2. Build bench to accommodate chair.

I've got severe chronic lower back problems. I can sit at my bench for a few hours because I was very careful in my chair choice. The chair at my casting bench cost over $300. Every penny well spent.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

1. Find a comfortable office chair.

2. Build bench to accommodate chair.

I've got severe chronic lower back problems. I can sit at my bench for a few hours because I was very careful in my chair choice. The chair at my casting bench cost over $300. Every penny well spent.

I agree.
when I mentioned old folding chair, I could have been more specific. It's a 50+ year old samsonite, with springed tweed (woven nylon) cushion built in, it's very comfortable and it's shape promotes good sitting posture (ergonomic?) made from heavy duty steel tubing, as you'd expect from samsonite (as I am no lightweight, like my avatar suggests, LOL. so I need heavy duty).

[44man]

With a PB, a divot or a raised lump will not hurt a thing. A lump with a GC sucks.
I rarely get a smooth cut, temps must be exact but I get a divot that is not worth thinking about. A lump can be from cutting too soon. Let the sprue harden more and use little taps on the plate. Some alloys will fracture. The very worst is to smear molten lead on the mold top and plate.

[repeat]

Thanks guys.I need a good chair.
44man I did have smears on top of the mold.I re-heated the mold and tried to wipe it off but it didn't work too well.
Can I use a sanding block with 600 grit sandpaper to get it all off?
I got tired and stopped and came right in and posted for some help before I did something wrong.

[gwpercle]

Yes , use the black wet or dry paper, 400 or 600 grit, dampen it with a little mould lubricant and scrub clean. When the mould is hot 0000 steel wool will remove it easily from the plate . Be careful using steel wool on the soft aluminum , it will scratch it .
Keep the block top and underside of sprue clean , as soon as a smear is noticed , clean it off and lube the surfaces. Left alone it just gets worse and worse.
Make sure to strike the plate squarely at 90 degrees and have the plate tightened so it will not flop open and closed by itself , with Lee moulds use two or three medium taps to cut the sprue , one big whack doesn't work as well . The Lee sprue plate is realy not thick enough so must be used "gingerly" to get a nice flat smooth cut base.
Keep working with it , practice makes perfect.... at least that's what Momma always told me.
Gary

[repeat]

Got it cleaned up and ready for some more pouring tomorrow.
Its close to 50 degree's today and a good time to heat and pour bullets as well as some buckshot.
I can't tell how much it means to get instant answers to thorny problems.
Thanks to all