rototerrier
07-10-2017, 03:18 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-du_kL3uOU
I've been asked this several times, and decided I'd post a video of how and why I cast with my Cam lever forward on my 6 - 8 cavity molds.
This particular mold is a new Mihec 357-135 Groove Less mold. This is the 3rd time casting with it and I just fired up the pot specifically to film this video and then shut everything back down.
There were a few little hiccups that wouldn't normally occur due to me breaking my cadence to show things in the video. Normally, once I get rolling, I just pour, set under fan and do a quick 6 count, break and drop and repeat until the pot is empty.
A couple of things to note about how I do things:
1) I'm right handed and prefer to hold the mold in my right hand.
2) The RCBS Pro Melt comes oriented for the right hand, meaning you hold the mold in your left hand and lift the handle with your right. I flipped mine around so that it's operated with the left hand.
3) I dump my sprues directly back into the pot as I cast. As such, I have my PID calibrated to account for this fluctuation.
4) I keep a steady speed throughout my casting and make use of a fan.
5) All my "counts" aren't true seconds but rather a count I do in my head.
6) The counts aren't set in stone. I pay close attention to how the break of the sprue feels and will adjust my counts on the fly to allow the mold to cool down or heat up as necessary.
7) The alloy mixture makes a difference. What I'll be showing in the video is specifically for the alloy I'll be casting with. My current mixture is 12lbs of COWW, 2.5lbs RotoMetals Super Hard and 3.5oz of Pewter.
8) I open the mold with only 1 hand and I use a technique similar to using chopsticks. The left side of the mold and the sprue plate stay stationary while just the right side of the mold snaps open. I keep the sprue plate opened just far enough to expose all the cavities while keeping it over as much of the aluminum as possible. I've found this prolongs the life of the mold and lessens the wear around the bolt area.
9) There is lube on the sprue plate. Every 50 or so drops, I'll load a cue tip with a little Mihec lube and apply to the leading and trailing edges of the sprue plate and around the bolt and hinges, being careful to not over do it so it doesn't cause deformation of the boolit bases.
I know it appears a couple times like I'm slapping the mold pretty hard against my hands to get the sprue to turn loose from the sprue plate, but it's actually quite soft and doesn't damage or put pressure on anything. This only happens when I let things get a little too cool. Again, not something that typically happens when focused and in a rhythm. When everything is maintaining the proper temperatures, the sprue just falls off into my hands and all the boolits just drop right out.
It's a rather boring video and is in no way professional. Just showing how I like to do things in hopes of explaining and clearing up any confusion with why and how I cast with the cam handle forward.
I know the safety police will probably come and arrest me, or at least berate me, for not having on my proper attire, etc. Though I am casting indoors, the noise you are hearing is a vent hood just out of sight above the pot with the vent hood fan running and an inline booster fan in a pipe leading outside. I'm totally ventilated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-du_kL3uOU
I've been asked this several times, and decided I'd post a video of how and why I cast with my Cam lever forward on my 6 - 8 cavity molds.
This particular mold is a new Mihec 357-135 Groove Less mold. This is the 3rd time casting with it and I just fired up the pot specifically to film this video and then shut everything back down.
There were a few little hiccups that wouldn't normally occur due to me breaking my cadence to show things in the video. Normally, once I get rolling, I just pour, set under fan and do a quick 6 count, break and drop and repeat until the pot is empty.
A couple of things to note about how I do things:
1) I'm right handed and prefer to hold the mold in my right hand.
2) The RCBS Pro Melt comes oriented for the right hand, meaning you hold the mold in your left hand and lift the handle with your right. I flipped mine around so that it's operated with the left hand.
3) I dump my sprues directly back into the pot as I cast. As such, I have my PID calibrated to account for this fluctuation.
4) I keep a steady speed throughout my casting and make use of a fan.
5) All my "counts" aren't true seconds but rather a count I do in my head.
6) The counts aren't set in stone. I pay close attention to how the break of the sprue feels and will adjust my counts on the fly to allow the mold to cool down or heat up as necessary.
7) The alloy mixture makes a difference. What I'll be showing in the video is specifically for the alloy I'll be casting with. My current mixture is 12lbs of COWW, 2.5lbs RotoMetals Super Hard and 3.5oz of Pewter.
8) I open the mold with only 1 hand and I use a technique similar to using chopsticks. The left side of the mold and the sprue plate stay stationary while just the right side of the mold snaps open. I keep the sprue plate opened just far enough to expose all the cavities while keeping it over as much of the aluminum as possible. I've found this prolongs the life of the mold and lessens the wear around the bolt area.
9) There is lube on the sprue plate. Every 50 or so drops, I'll load a cue tip with a little Mihec lube and apply to the leading and trailing edges of the sprue plate and around the bolt and hinges, being careful to not over do it so it doesn't cause deformation of the boolit bases.
I know it appears a couple times like I'm slapping the mold pretty hard against my hands to get the sprue to turn loose from the sprue plate, but it's actually quite soft and doesn't damage or put pressure on anything. This only happens when I let things get a little too cool. Again, not something that typically happens when focused and in a rhythm. When everything is maintaining the proper temperatures, the sprue just falls off into my hands and all the boolits just drop right out.
It's a rather boring video and is in no way professional. Just showing how I like to do things in hopes of explaining and clearing up any confusion with why and how I cast with the cam handle forward.
I know the safety police will probably come and arrest me, or at least berate me, for not having on my proper attire, etc. Though I am casting indoors, the noise you are hearing is a vent hood just out of sight above the pot with the vent hood fan running and an inline booster fan in a pipe leading outside. I'm totally ventilated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-du_kL3uOU