Bringing mold to operating temp...

[kamikaze1a]

Anyone tried this for preheating molds, rather than pouring, cut, dump and then pour again...I've had better results by; pouring, cutting and then letting the boo's sit in the mold for several minutes. I even let the excess sit on the sprue plate to heat the sprue plate. Less work, less remelting and the same results. A couple of pours and I'm up to required mold temp...

[HeavyMetal]

Yep!

Here's my routine: select mold or molds, make sure they are clean then put them on the lead pot of choice and then turn on said pot! Most have an area for balnacing a mold to pre heat.

Usual melt time 20 to 30 minutes I then pour boolits with as large a sprue as I can get on the plate and then let them sit another 5 min. or so. After that a possible quick dip in the alloy and I'm good to go!.

For those in really cold weather a hot plate will keep most molds up to temp wityhout any trouble. I have even had to resort to a porpane tourch to keep molds hot enough when it got under 45 degrees or so in the garage!

[mooman76]

I stick the end of the mould in the melt with the edge of the sprue plate touching the lead so it will heat too. 16 sec. for single cavity lees and 20 for double. Not hure how long I do the same for steel or lee 6x because I don't use them as much. I also pour a little extra lead on the sprue to help heat it up. On the 6x Lees I pour lead on the spue and let it run back into the pot being it has a larger thicker sprue. I often get good bullets the first drop.

[lead Foot]

I put my iron moulds on the gas stove burner till the oil burns off and I'm ready to go. The first two are frosty then the rest are ok. I don't know whey you are complaining about the cold it was 100*f here yesterday.
lead Foot.

[Shiloh]

Yes I do it.

This allows me a few minutes to get final pre-casting details wrapped up.
I will sometimes pour boolits, over flowing the sprue plate to get it all the way up to temp if needed.

Shiloh

[putteral]

Just stick the corner of my Lee 2 cavity mold in the pot for about 30 seconds and I am good to go. It has worked so far in my 5 casting sessions.

[eka]

I preheat on a hotplate with hot boolits in the cavities. While I'm getting set up, I usually do three or four pours and replace on the hotplate.

[kamikaze1a]

I use mostly 6 baggers so getting heated up by dipping is harder so letting the first pour heat it up works best for me...

[ANeat]

I use a $8.00 hotplate, turned up about halfway it stays just right. Hotplate on at the same time as the pot, when the lead is ready the mold is ready.

If I need to stop and take a break, back on the hotplate and when Im ready to start back its good bullets right from the start.

[Echo]

I'm of the set-it-on-top-of-the furnace school. Put the alloy in, turn it on, set the mold on top, put an ingot mold underneath to catch problems, go back inside for 20 minutes, come back out and start casting. It may take one mold-full to finally bring it up to heat...

[deltaenterprizes]

Hot plate works for me,got the tip from Hensley & Gibbs catalog, that is how they tested their molds.

[MtGun44]

Lead foot,

It was -6F here in Kansas (the REAL OZ ;) ) last week, so you guys
must be hogging all the global warming. . . . . .

:bigsmyl2:

Al Gore is so full of it.

Bill

[jonk]

Well I dip the lee ones in. I've never gotten permission to do that from a reputable source with iron, so I sometimes heat with a propane torch- into the cavity, sometimes I just start casting. Once in awhile a cold mold that's been well used will drop good bullets right off, otherwise I just cull them when sizing.

[DLCTEX]

I dunk both iron and aluminum molds in the melt to heat them, after all, is molten lead going to damage the mold?? NOT!
However, overheating with a hotplate or torch may damage one.

[Calamity Jake]

ANeat's got it, been doing the same thing for 30+ years.

[jdgabbard]

I used to sit the mold on top of the pot. I didn't dunk the corner into the melt. Just sat it on top. It did a pretty good job of warming it up while I got ready to cast. Now though I usually ladle pour with two molds at a time. So I learned pretty quick that pouring the mold and letting it sit for a little while brings it up to temp a lot faster, and maintains the temp much better.

[selmerfan]

I use a $8.00 hotplate, turned up about halfway it stays just right. Hotplate on at the same time as the pot, when the lead is ready the mold is ready.

If I need to stop and take a break, back on the hotplate and when Im ready to start back its good bullets right from the start.

What he said

[vanilla_gorilla]

I am currently using an iron mould and a gas burner for my heat. I rest the mould on the side of the pot, and the radiant heat coming around the pot has the mould nearly hot enough, by the time the lead melts. Usually no more than 2 or 3 casts, which go right back in the pot, before it's ready to run.

[No_1]

I use a lab grade hot plate that I got from my dad. I clean the moulds as usual then set them on the hot plate. I turn on the pot and hot plate at the same time with the hot plate set at ~600 degrees. I leave the mould on the plate until the melt is good to go then turn off the hot plate once I start casting.

Robert

[beagle]

In the current weather, I place the blocks on top my kerosene heater with the handles hanging off in space while waiting for the pot to warm.

In more moderate weather, I'll cast half a dozen and if I get wrinkles, I'll hit it lightly with my propane torch. Smooths them right out./beagle