Crash_Corrigan
09-29-2017, 01:54 PM
I wonder if the alloy I have been casting with could have an effect on the paunchy boolits I have casting recently? My ingot pile for the first few years was pretty much an alloy which I had obtained from my friend's radiator business. It was very heavy composed of melted solder and chunks of solder which fell to the concrete floor of his radiator rebuilding business. His solder was composed of 60% Pb and 40% tin and it produced fantastic boolits which were very brittle and pretty much became instant powder when fired at a metal plate.
Alas he got out of that business but I had obtained at least 40 five gallon buckets of his swept debris from the floor. He had been paying somebody to haul away and dispose of this waste and I came along and took it all for nothing. Making up a few boxes of 38's and 32 ACP also sweetened the deal for him. In those days (early 90's) I only had a cast iron dutch oven which I smelted down this wonderful mix on a Coleman stove (dark green and cost me only $10) when I did not even know about handles for Lee 6 banger molds.
At that time I used mule snot for a lube and I do not recall having to size all my boolits. I also recall that they cast very easily and filled out completely but were light in weight for their size. I have pretty much gone thru all that ancient alloy and the alloy which I have been using recently has been obtained from a tear down that my friend Blake and I did on a few dental shops where we tore down the slabs of pure Pb from the walls.
I suspect that the more recent efforts using this alloy have been ok but I ran my pot temps at 710 to 740 degrees initially and then got better results at 710 degrees consistently. My query is "Does using a very high percentage of Pb produce fatter boolits than if an alloy of up to 30% of tin?"
Not only have these recent efforts produced fatter boolits but they are overweight boolits. I have an excellent Lee 6 banger that produces a round nosed projectile with a pair of grease grooves and a nominal weight of 230 gr at a diameter of .452. Using the high pb content alloy mine have been coming out @ anywhere from .453 to .462 in diameter and weigh from 234 gr to 244 gr.
Examination of the boolits cast reveals very few boolits with flashing. Some obviously miscast boolits with flashing (when the handles were not completely closed) came out at 240 to 250 gr and have gone back into the pot.
I am not getting any wrinkles and since I reduced the alloy temp in the casting furnace down to 710 degrees the boolits come out of the mold easier (just shake 'em a mite) and they fall like rain into the cold water. They also are not frosted at all but perfect in all respects but a mite chunky and fatter that I have expected.
I have been experimenting with powder coating my efforts recently and fatter boolits I do not need especially as the coating will add at least .001 to the size of those cast and sometimes even more. I have had to ressurect my Star Luber-Sizer to get these babies down to fighting trim and fit into my beloved 1911's chamber.
So here I am making more work for myself just to produce a boolit which will not gunk up my reloading dies and equipment, eliminate the smoke clouds from the burning lube, save on the expense of buying or making lube, eliminate the necessity for an air tank in my reloading room (tank necessary to push the lube thru the Star) and make SWMBO happy with a competed round which looks like a compact lipstick in her favorite colors.
I got into casting and reloading to save money and to provide custom ammo for my target and steel plate challenge tourneys and I am still awaiting the saving money part.
Although I have added more steps to the reloading processes I have been very satisfied with the PC part and I have piles of lipstick red .45 ACP rounds in my reloading room. Now to the range to see if it was all worth it.
I am working on a ladder progression from 5.3 gr to 5.8 gr of Accurate AA # 2 to see which loading is more accurate and will function well with my 1911 and not gunk up the porting on my Ruger Wolverine in 454 Casull. This new revolver handles .45 ACP's on moon clips as well as 45 Colt and full house 454 Casull rounds but it is ported and I expect will be loud especially under a roof on the firing line. I would like to have a .45 ACP round that is totally reliable and will produce 850 to 950 FPS velocity without excess recoil and muzzle rise.
I will see.
Alas he got out of that business but I had obtained at least 40 five gallon buckets of his swept debris from the floor. He had been paying somebody to haul away and dispose of this waste and I came along and took it all for nothing. Making up a few boxes of 38's and 32 ACP also sweetened the deal for him. In those days (early 90's) I only had a cast iron dutch oven which I smelted down this wonderful mix on a Coleman stove (dark green and cost me only $10) when I did not even know about handles for Lee 6 banger molds.
At that time I used mule snot for a lube and I do not recall having to size all my boolits. I also recall that they cast very easily and filled out completely but were light in weight for their size. I have pretty much gone thru all that ancient alloy and the alloy which I have been using recently has been obtained from a tear down that my friend Blake and I did on a few dental shops where we tore down the slabs of pure Pb from the walls.
I suspect that the more recent efforts using this alloy have been ok but I ran my pot temps at 710 to 740 degrees initially and then got better results at 710 degrees consistently. My query is "Does using a very high percentage of Pb produce fatter boolits than if an alloy of up to 30% of tin?"
Not only have these recent efforts produced fatter boolits but they are overweight boolits. I have an excellent Lee 6 banger that produces a round nosed projectile with a pair of grease grooves and a nominal weight of 230 gr at a diameter of .452. Using the high pb content alloy mine have been coming out @ anywhere from .453 to .462 in diameter and weigh from 234 gr to 244 gr.
Examination of the boolits cast reveals very few boolits with flashing. Some obviously miscast boolits with flashing (when the handles were not completely closed) came out at 240 to 250 gr and have gone back into the pot.
I am not getting any wrinkles and since I reduced the alloy temp in the casting furnace down to 710 degrees the boolits come out of the mold easier (just shake 'em a mite) and they fall like rain into the cold water. They also are not frosted at all but perfect in all respects but a mite chunky and fatter that I have expected.
I have been experimenting with powder coating my efforts recently and fatter boolits I do not need especially as the coating will add at least .001 to the size of those cast and sometimes even more. I have had to ressurect my Star Luber-Sizer to get these babies down to fighting trim and fit into my beloved 1911's chamber.
So here I am making more work for myself just to produce a boolit which will not gunk up my reloading dies and equipment, eliminate the smoke clouds from the burning lube, save on the expense of buying or making lube, eliminate the necessity for an air tank in my reloading room (tank necessary to push the lube thru the Star) and make SWMBO happy with a competed round which looks like a compact lipstick in her favorite colors.
I got into casting and reloading to save money and to provide custom ammo for my target and steel plate challenge tourneys and I am still awaiting the saving money part.
Although I have added more steps to the reloading processes I have been very satisfied with the PC part and I have piles of lipstick red .45 ACP rounds in my reloading room. Now to the range to see if it was all worth it.
I am working on a ladder progression from 5.3 gr to 5.8 gr of Accurate AA # 2 to see which loading is more accurate and will function well with my 1911 and not gunk up the porting on my Ruger Wolverine in 454 Casull. This new revolver handles .45 ACP's on moon clips as well as 45 Colt and full house 454 Casull rounds but it is ported and I expect will be loud especially under a roof on the firing line. I would like to have a .45 ACP round that is totally reliable and will produce 850 to 950 FPS velocity without excess recoil and muzzle rise.
I will see.