LEADLUBBER
12-25-2020, 02:43 AM
Just thought I would share with the team and ask any tips on things I could do better...
working with molds for a .480 Ruger in a Super Redhawk
I had my first bullet casting experience today, after only ever smelting ww and solder lead for ingots....
Working with my 7 year old son and we were casting with a brand new aluminum 6 hole mold, a leaky 10lb Lee pot without a working temperature control, just a manual on-off switch, and a hot plate.
The mold looked very clean and I didn't see any signs of oil, so I just tried to smoke it with a lighter, but of course, the lighter I had on hand wouldn't smoke the mold at all. I used some Sprue plate lube before warming the mold up on a high wattage hotplate I got on Amazon about a year ago.
I have a dinky round-gauge thermometer that goes up to 500 but will keep going around even further, so I was watching the wheel weight ingots start to melt at what was showing 500 or a little less.
First few attempts, the mold was not hot enough or the lead wasn't either....
Finally, got the mold warmed up somewhere around 300-350 (I think), but that is sort of a guess, because my infrared thermometer went wonky on me and was giving me readings all over the place from 200F to 1200F...
When the round-thermometer started showing somewhere around what I believe would be 700-750 (I think, because it only reads up to 500, but it kept going around), the bullets started to really fill out nice with no weirdness, if not a little frosty when I let it get a little past that temp range....
I would hold the mold over a little metal tray, and have my boy lift the lever to let the lead flow out as I worked the mold under, hole by hole, then I would have to tap the improvised-homemade flow-control bolt to get it to stop leaking after the mold was filled.
It seemed to take about 5 seconds to solidify and then I would have my boy cut the sprues off and I would then put them back in the pot while I told him to wait just a few more seconds until opening the mold and dropping the bullets in a 5 gal bucket with water in it and a cloth top with a slit to keep it from splashing.
Once we got a pretty good cadence going, we made quite a few boolits (over 120 or so), and I think there are less than a handful of duds, with lots of others that turned out very good to perfect.
I have a Miha MP-640 Mold for the .480 Ruger, but, I wanted to start on this aluminum mold first and get my basis of understanding and hopefully some success.
If Anyone has more tips and hints, it would be appreciated.... I am thinking now of making a cheap PID temp controller for the pot with directions from here, and re-doing the flow control rod tip, as it probably needs a seat cut in or lapped in with compound.
My son was very excited to get to do this with me today, and we really had a great time together making these lumps of lead.
He was very proud of our work and it made a nice memory during this Christmas holiday.
This has been a tough year for me with very bad health with spinal stenosis, and both of my hands getting arthritis, and then going completely numb and pins and needles of pain while typing, driving, and trying to tinker on stuff at my workbench; It required having both carpal tunnel surgeries back to back in the last 2 weeks and I had major issues because I waited too long.... Now I need a laminectomy that will only help some of my spinal issues...
In all of this, I still know how blessed we are and how lucky I am.
God Bless, Merry Christmas, and Happy Boolit making new Year to all!
working with molds for a .480 Ruger in a Super Redhawk
I had my first bullet casting experience today, after only ever smelting ww and solder lead for ingots....
Working with my 7 year old son and we were casting with a brand new aluminum 6 hole mold, a leaky 10lb Lee pot without a working temperature control, just a manual on-off switch, and a hot plate.
The mold looked very clean and I didn't see any signs of oil, so I just tried to smoke it with a lighter, but of course, the lighter I had on hand wouldn't smoke the mold at all. I used some Sprue plate lube before warming the mold up on a high wattage hotplate I got on Amazon about a year ago.
I have a dinky round-gauge thermometer that goes up to 500 but will keep going around even further, so I was watching the wheel weight ingots start to melt at what was showing 500 or a little less.
First few attempts, the mold was not hot enough or the lead wasn't either....
Finally, got the mold warmed up somewhere around 300-350 (I think), but that is sort of a guess, because my infrared thermometer went wonky on me and was giving me readings all over the place from 200F to 1200F...
When the round-thermometer started showing somewhere around what I believe would be 700-750 (I think, because it only reads up to 500, but it kept going around), the bullets started to really fill out nice with no weirdness, if not a little frosty when I let it get a little past that temp range....
I would hold the mold over a little metal tray, and have my boy lift the lever to let the lead flow out as I worked the mold under, hole by hole, then I would have to tap the improvised-homemade flow-control bolt to get it to stop leaking after the mold was filled.
It seemed to take about 5 seconds to solidify and then I would have my boy cut the sprues off and I would then put them back in the pot while I told him to wait just a few more seconds until opening the mold and dropping the bullets in a 5 gal bucket with water in it and a cloth top with a slit to keep it from splashing.
Once we got a pretty good cadence going, we made quite a few boolits (over 120 or so), and I think there are less than a handful of duds, with lots of others that turned out very good to perfect.
I have a Miha MP-640 Mold for the .480 Ruger, but, I wanted to start on this aluminum mold first and get my basis of understanding and hopefully some success.
If Anyone has more tips and hints, it would be appreciated.... I am thinking now of making a cheap PID temp controller for the pot with directions from here, and re-doing the flow control rod tip, as it probably needs a seat cut in or lapped in with compound.
My son was very excited to get to do this with me today, and we really had a great time together making these lumps of lead.
He was very proud of our work and it made a nice memory during this Christmas holiday.
This has been a tough year for me with very bad health with spinal stenosis, and both of my hands getting arthritis, and then going completely numb and pins and needles of pain while typing, driving, and trying to tinker on stuff at my workbench; It required having both carpal tunnel surgeries back to back in the last 2 weeks and I had major issues because I waited too long.... Now I need a laminectomy that will only help some of my spinal issues...
In all of this, I still know how blessed we are and how lucky I am.
God Bless, Merry Christmas, and Happy Boolit making new Year to all!