First cast session - some questions

[jeff423]

After taking some time to accumulate the equipment I started casting this afternoon.

Equipment: Lee bottom pour and WW ingots. Lee dual cavity .41 and Saeco 4 cavity .357

It went very well with good bullets after about the second pour.

I didn't have problems with wrinkled bullets at first because I had the lead and the mold too hot. I was getting frosting. I dialed down the temp and then started some getting filling problems.

Questions:


Does it matter how far the top of the mold is from the spout?

How fast should the lead flow, and does this have an effect on mold filling? It seemed that I was pouring too fast (for me) because sometimes the lead would overflow and block the next cavity. I slowed the flow down to the point that I got a sprue about the size of a shirt button on top of each cavity. How much sprue should I have?
In a multicavity mold do you start and stop the pour for each cavity or just keep it open and pull the mold along?


I was fairly pleased - I got a higher # of usable bullets (but frosted) than I thought i would have.

TIA,

Jeff

[docone31]

Sounds like you are on the way. Most of your questions you will answer yourself through experience.
How far from the spout?
Far enough to control the fill. Filling two cavities at once, or in one pour, most of the second castings will be rejects.
I like to keep the spout close enough to the sprue plate that it rarely misses. I am tall, so I have issues aligning the spout/ opening. Once in a while I am slow to close the spout so I get runover into the next cavity. Rarely do I get a good casting from there. On one sprue plate, I silver soldered two washers, one over each opening. I only did this once. You cast enough and you get a feel for the plate.
I use Lee Molds exclusively. Lee likes it hot! I run them just under remaining liquid in the cavity. I use the six second rule. Pour, six seconds later cut the sprue. Longer than that, not so good. Less than that, too much stress on the hinge screw and me long run during casting. When I use the six second rule I get few rejects. It should freeze and grey at six seconds. Not count to six, then cut the sprue. Cut the sprue at six.
Sounds like you are on the way. Expect one day to completely go south. Learning curve. It passes.
Next you get to size them and make holes.

[Gohon]

Keep the mould just slightly tilted downward in the opposite direction of the next cavity and the overflow will not run into the empty cavity. 1-2 degree tilt is all it takes. Least ways that's what I do.