Cooling the mould

[nvbirdman]

I was casting with one of my Lee six-bangers today, and when the boolits started getting frosty I would drop the boolits and set the mould down open for about fifteen seconds. Setting it down open lets more heat escape, and my casting went really well.

[pergoman]

I think my powder coating sticks better when the boolits are a little frosted. To increase boolits per hour I use 2 molds at a time rather than waiting between casts.

[454PB]

I keep a cake pan containing a wet rag near my casting pot. When the mould gets too hot, I touch the filled mould to the wet rag.

But, there is nothing wrong with frosted boolits, in fact I strive for that.

[Whitespider]

http://i624.photobucket.com/albums/tt321/Whitespider8591/08ab04ba-f387-473e-80f7-fc5ed6d11136.jpg (http://s624.photobucket.com/user/Whitespider8591/media/08ab04ba-f387-473e-80f7-fc5ed6d11136.jpg.html)
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[mdi]

I too keep a damp cloth or sponge on my bench when casting. When things are going well and I'm on a roll I pour a lot of bullets and my molds tend to get a bit too hot. I just touch the mold to the cloth for a couple seconds and the temp. drops a few degrees and nope, my molds don't warp...

[Grmps]

I also use a couple rags in a shallow pan of water. DON"T water cool an empty mold/sprue. I've had a 6 cavity sprue plate warp this way. I usually do a couple seconds on the bottom then the top of the mold.
This is off the topic -- Whitespider your Romex (electrical wire) is drilled way to close to the exterior wall this presents a real hazard for getting a nail from siding/trim or ? from the outside through the wire.

[OS OK]

If you use an accurate thermometer and manage the pot temperature this will not plague you, moulds getting too hot, manage the pot and watch the sprue puddle.
When that puddle is taking too long to freeze, slowing the pace a bit will fix the issue.

[williamwaco]

I use the fan method and if necessary two molds. I like for the sprue puddle to take 3 seconds to frost over.
I do not use water but lots of people do. I only have this problem when the temperature is 90 to 100 degrees.

When two molds will not work try opening the mold, ejecting the bullets, then setting yhe mold directly in the path of the fan with the halves wide open. Then pick up the second mold and fill it.

If this doesn't do it you just need to slow down. My preferred cadence is about three castings per minute.

[gunarea]

Cooling the mould

The op explains how he cools the mould and others chimed in with their solutions. Removing heat has no argument from those involved in casting. Consistent heat management will produce projectiles of the highest quality. My statement rests upon extensive, tiresome and tedious research undertaken by myself. Reliable and repeatable temperature of alloy, area ambiance and receiving vessel are important integral factors. Precision in one, can easily be offset with lack of, in another.
Air cooling of open moulds can be very effective with timed cadence, but ambient temperature will have a direct effect as will different and uncontrolled air currents. Even with a controlled environment, excellent quality will be offset with dramatic lowering of production level. With time removed as a constraint, this method can be both accurate and relaxing.
Liquid cooling of moulds offers opportunity for higher production, but is fraught with introduced issues. Even consistent (every cycle) use of liquid will set up a different ratio of heat dispersion without heat management of the liquid. Water at 72*f will remove more heat than water at 210*f. Water is used as base line since it is the most common cooling liquid.
Forced air cooling of moulds is difficult at best to remove heat uniformly. The most common practice of removing heat through the sprue plate gives an erroneous indication of mould and projectile cooling. Mould bottoms are the densest portion of the metal form and retain heat most effectively. Forced air cooling from the bottom will yield higher extraction and more uniform temperature throughout.
Ok you have made it to here, now my payment for your indulgence. Cheap convective cooling of the mould is possible with the use of a large coffee can upside down and the bottom flattened out. Used in every casting cycle, it will give faster than air cooling. Heat is removed from greatest mould mass. This heat sink will also shed heat at a much higher rate than liquid. Also for those ready to step up their casting prowess, photos of state of the art heat management equipment.
197540

The information being passed to you was based upon temperature taken from various points. Those points were: alloy at full, three quarter full, half full and quarter full in a double insulated Lee 10# pot. Heat sink exterior. Lyman 359495 four cavity@ left middle exterior. Lyman 358495 four cavity #3 cavity interior. Double PID control and monitor, MyPin and Spartan M-2. Fluke dual read K type, 1 ea. 4" probe & 1 ea. ceramic magnet pickup. CE instruments instantaneous direct connect temp monitor.
197541

Now that I've scared you, the heat sink is a computer power supply heat sink with integral fan. Gotten at a local scrap yard for nothing on a visit to unload damaged brass casings. For me, a couple 22lr casings on the away side and a couple 22short casings on the near side allowed for air movement and improved ergonomics. Heat removal is consistent and allows for a cyclic rate which negates more than one mould use. No need for sprue cooling. Gathering the data for this research has been very enlightening and a huge PIA. It is my sincere hope someone will benefit from the effort.
Roy

[mdi]

Not to offend anyone, but; much ado about nuttin". Mold temperature control is an "art" learned from experience. Many, many get by with just watching the bullets as they fall from the mold. It can be as complex or as simple as one feels the need...

[nvbirdman]

gunarea, you should caution some of the know-it-alls to use an older coffee can, not the newer plastic ones.

[gunarea]

My apologies

The post I made was not intended to belittle or malign. For those whom are satisfied with the simple making of a cast projectile, please ignore the OCD type of improved techniques presented. Many folks are happy with four or five shots on the paper. Minute of milk jug at twenty paces is good nuff in the back ten. Many, many get by with just watching the trophies leave with some really really "lucky" shooter. Then there are those who like the sound of gunfire and hitting a target is much ado about nuttin. Some like all shots in the black, fewer yet yern for all tens. A couple of us only count X's. No matter how good the marksman, sub-par ammunition will drag the score down. To be honest, inaccurate projectiles does give the marginal shooter an out when the target only knows the truth. For competitive shooters, I offer these performance enhancing tips. It is no victory to win with a secret or trick. At present, only my students are outshooting me. "Experience" is the price paid learning to become skilled. "Art" is subjective at best and sometimes very abstract. When accuracy is eliminated, "It can be as simple as one feels the need..."

197570

My competitive shooting began in 1965. These medals are just since 2000(my personal mid-life crisis). All are Florida state titles. Every title was won exclusively using my home cast projectiles! Many of the disciplines were against competitors predominantly using jacketed projectiles. It would be interesting to see how many state/national titles are in the possession of our beloved "Boolit Masters" using only cast projectiles. Sorry for any bruised egos, my post count is low due to a lack of need for validity. While gun control isn't a bad plan, bullet control is vastly superior. Dang you got two posts on one subject from me.
Roy

P.S. Thank you nvbirdman, you are absolutely correct about the metal can. Einstein said "the difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has a limit".

[waco]

Not to offend anyone, but; much ado about nuttin". Mold temperature control is an "art" learned from experience. Many, many get by with just watching the bullets as they fall from the mold. It can be as complex or as simple as one feels the need...

I fully agree....

[Leadmelter]

Keep wet rag by use, once the mold takes a 6-7 count I touch the edge for 5 count again. Leadmelter

[Whitespider]

-- Whitespider your Romex (electrical wire) is drilled way to close to the exterior wall this presents a real hazard for getting a nail from siding/trim or ? from the outside through the wire.
Yes... I'm aware of that... but thanks for pointing it out.
My shop (actually a detached two-stall garage) is a century old. Both it and the house were built before there was electricity in this rural area... the service has been cobbled many times over. If I ever cover the inside walls the entire service will be revamped... until then however...
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[ioon44]

I started using a PID plug and play and the consistence temperature of the lead pot sure helps to keep the mold from over heating. I like to cast on the frosty side and use a damp rag to speed the mold cooling.

[OS OK]

Yes... I'm aware of that... but thanks for pointing it out.
My shop (actually a detached two-stall garage) is a century old. Both it and the house were built before there was electricity in this rural area... the service has been cobbled many times over. If I ever cover the inside walls the entire service will be revamped... until then however...
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I noticed that too but didn't say anything because I saw the kerf marks on the full size studs....I realized the electric was added a long time later. If it had period electrics it would have been knob and tube, not modern romex.

[Jack Stanley]

Of course .... you could always add another mold to the casting cycle ;-)

Jack

[mdi]

I cast some bullets using a Coleman stove, a SS pot, a Lee mold and dipper, using wheel weights of unknown alloy and lubed with a red commercial lube. I used a Lee old style lubing, sizing kit (small round pan with some red wax based lube a cookie cutter, a sizing "die" and punch) and produced cast bullets that all went into a 2" circle @ 50' from my Ruger SBH. Not too shabby for such a primitive/crude set up, eh?

[Whitespider]

I noticed that too but didn't say anything because I saw the kerf marks on the full size studs....I realized the electric was added a long time later. If it had period electrics it would have been knob and tube, not modern romex.
The farmer/landowner built the house in 1901, the garage a few years later... lumber was harvested and sawn on-site.
Knob 'n' tube was never used on this site... rural electricity didn't come to this area of Iowa until after WWII.
By that time cloth-wrapped wiring was in use... the site still has some of it in service.
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[FISH4BUGS]

Pretty simple system. I take an old wash cloth and soak it, wring it out just a bit, then keep it to the right of casting pot (lee 20lb.) The pot is set at about 700 degrees, and I use 4 cavity H&G moulds. I watch the bullets and when they start to get frosted, touch the mould 2 or 3 seconds on each side (not the top)and that cools it down nicely.
I THINK they called that the BruceB Speed casting method.

[S.B.]

I've always kept a bucket of water next to my casting furnase and just plunger the full mold into the waterthen just kept on casting?
Steve