A Lot I Have/Need to Learn

[kcofohio]

I have only been casting for a short time. I have read much and tried to learn from many here and other publications.

So I have a few molds. I have good success with certain molds. But a couple 158 & 170 SWCs and a couple 309 rifle molds, I fought getting complete fills. Using COWW with 2% tin added. So I'd crank the heat up and preheat the molds. Trying not to get frustrated, I about accepted that I would have a certain amount of rejects. BTW, I use a dipper with a Lee 20# magnum pot

A coupe weekends ago, I had a couple new GC molds that I wanted to get going with. Same thing started happening. Then it finally dawned on me. When I started seeing the non-fillings, I would crank the heat up start pouring faster. In my mind I thought the lead was cooling too fast to fill the void completely. The light bulb moment was when I realized that by pouring faster, air was getting trapped in the cavity. That weekend I was able to cast 650-700 varieties of bullet with very little rejects.

I knew venting was important, but now realize that air needs time to escape. I will probably reread something that told me that before.

[country gent]

Heres how I do it with the ladle. to keep the casting and sprue molten as long as possible.

I have vented all my moulds sprue plates that werent I simply ground a small trough from stue hole to front edge about half the depth of the plate or a little less. It dosnt take a lot really. I then hold the mould over the pot and start pouring.I dont pour a sprue but pour the whole rcbs ladle of lead into the cavity slowly letting the excess flow back into the pot. Rhis keeps a constant flow while the bullet is forming and degassing, keeps the plate hotter. and gives about a 7=10 sec time for the sprue to harden allowing for a longer draw in time as the bullet cools in the mould.
I learned this and some other helpful things from Steve Brooks site and wotking with one of his moulds with the vented plate.

I cast long heavy for caliber bullets for BPCS, 45 caliber are 500-550 grns, 40 caliber are 400-430 grns and in 38 caliber 330-360 grns. these bullets are around 1 7/16 inches long. A normal session running 2 double cavity moulds together in tandem will yield 400-500 bullets almost all within 1/2 grain.

When casting I pre heat the moulds on the pot, the first 10 or so cycles go back in the pot then its casting for bullets. Preheating helps a lot but isnt the same as casting there are hot spots in most moulds when preheating from outside, filling the cavities and casting even these out. This is why the first 10 drops go back with out looking.

I find the casting with 2 moulds in tandem allows them to maintain a more even heat and less chance of distortion and damage dropping them. I have a plate of steel on the side of my gas fired pot 3/4" by 4" by 6" for a mould shelf. it also holds a lot of heat from the moulds slowing cooling. This probably isnt needed but it works for me

[Winger Ed.]

I don't use a thermometer.
I run the heat up until I get just a little frosting, then back it off just a little..
A electric hotplate will help to keep the molds at a consistent temp. too.

Make sure the vent lines are good & clean.
Which ever cleaner/solvent ya use, scrubbing the lines with a tooth brush usually cleans 'em real well.

[gwpercle]

Leave a generous puddle of molten metal on the sprue plate hole ... as the boolit solidifies it will draw metal from the sprue plate puddle down into the cooling boolit.
This will help with base fillout and help eliminate a cavity in the base .

I like to cast right at Frosty ... about 7.5 to 7.25 on the Lee Magnum Melter dial ... I learned to cast with a spouted Lyman Dipper , I pressure cast to get my best boolits .

As moulds break in they will cast easier and better boolits ... if a new mould doesn't want to work ... Keep On Keeping On ... or do the heat cycling a few times to break it in .

I've tried all the ways to cast ... Best results still come with spouted dipper and pressure casting ... I like perfect or near perfect boolits .

Welcome to the addiction , don't be afraid to ask questions ...
someone around here will have an answer.
Gary

[OS OK]

Preheating the mould...

There are as many ways of doing that as one can imagine...but...one important aspect is to get that mould up to and in-between about 275ºƒ to 350ºƒ.
Each mould is a tad-bit different in preheating, short stubby pistol type projectiles are not as fussy as a long rifle projectile...having that mould up to casting temperature is a big variable.
It seems you have it all worked out but that.
Know what that mould temperature is before you start and you will know how many rejects you will have to make before you can start keeping the castings.
A properly heated mould will kick out keepers (good casts) on the 2'nd to 3'rd pour. No kidding.

However you preheat that mould makes a big difference...get the mould preheating before you stack your pot with cold lead...mould & pot will be ready at the same time.

https://i.imgur.com/rxCjTM4.jpg

Success with casting Hollow Points is getting those pins up to mould temperature also...

https://i.imgur.com/bg5Nk9v.jpg

[kcofohio]

Heres how I do it with the ladle. to keep the casting and sprue molten as long as possible.

I have vented all my moulds sprue plates that werent I simply ground a small trough from stue hole to front edge about half the depth of the plate or a little less. It dosnt take a lot really. I then hold the mould over the pot and start pouring.I dont pour a sprue but pour the whole rcbs ladle of lead into the cavity slowly letting the excess flow back into the pot. Rhis keeps a constant flow while the bullet is forming and degassing, keeps the plate hotter. and gives about a 7=10 sec time for the sprue to harden allowing for a longer draw in time as the bullet cools in the mould.
I learned this and some other helpful things from Steve Brooks site and wotking with one of his moulds with the vented plate.

I cast long heavy for caliber bullets for BPCS, 45 caliber are 500-550 grns, 40 caliber are 400-430 grns and in 38 caliber 330-360 grns. these bullets are around 1 7/16 inches long. A normal session running 2 double cavity moulds together in tandem will yield 400-500 bullets almost all within 1/2 grain.

When casting I pre heat the moulds on the pot, the first 10 or so cycles go back in the pot then its casting for bullets. Preheating helps a lot but isnt the same as casting there are hot spots in most moulds when preheating from outside, filling the cavities and casting even these out. This is why the first 10 drops go back with out looking.

I find the casting with 2 moulds in tandem allows them to maintain a more even heat and less chance of distortion and damage dropping them. I have a plate of steel on the side of my gas fired pot 3/4" by 4" by 6" for a mould shelf. it also holds a lot of heat from the moulds slowing cooling. This probably isnt needed but it works for me

That is an interesting way of pouring. If I ever get molds for that heavy of a cast, that will definitely be in the consideration.

I use a hot plate with to prewarm molds. But sometimes I dip the mold on top of the melter.

[kcofohio]

Leave a generous puddle of molten metal on the sprue plate hole ... as the boolit solidifies it will draw metal from the sprue plate puddle down into the cooling boolit.
This will help with base fillout and help eliminate a cavity in the base .

I like to cast right at Frosty ... about 7.5 to 7.25 on the Lee Magnum Melter dial ... I learned to cast with a spouted Lyman Dipper , I pressure cast to get my best boolits .

As moulds break in they will cast easier and better boolits ... if a new mould doesn't want to work ... Keep On Keeping On ... or do the heat cycling a few times to break it in .

I've tried all the ways to cast ... Best results still come with spouted dipper and pressure casting ... I like perfect or near perfect boolits .

Welcome to the addiction , don't be afraid to ask questions ...
someone around here will have an answer.
Gary

It is an addiction, where reloading is the gateway drug. ;)

I started off with the Lee dipper and was found wanting. I ended up getting the Lyman dipper, and it is much better. The Lee now serves as adding sawdust when needed.

[kcofohio]

Preheating the mould...

There are as many ways of doing that as one can imagine...but...one important aspect is to get that mould up to and in-between about 275ºƒ to 350ºƒ.
Each mould is a tad-bit different in preheating, short stubby pistol type projectiles are not as fussy as a long rifle projectile...having that mould up to casting temperature is a big variable.
It seems you have it all worked out but that.
Know what that mould temperature is before you start and you will know how many rejects you will have to make before you can start keeping the castings.
A properly heated mould will kick out keepers (good casts) on the 2'nd to 3'rd pour. No kidding.

However you preheat that mould makes a big difference...get the mould preheating before you stack your pot with cold lead...mould & pot will be ready at the same time.

https://i.imgur.com/rxCjTM4.jpg

Success with casting Hollow Points is getting those pins up to mould temperature also...

https://i.imgur.com/bg5Nk9v.jpg

Okay, I'll have to get better at the preheat. I like the can as a cover over the hotplate. I will have to steal that idea. :)

[kcofohio]

Thanks for all the input and encouragement from you all! :)

[country gent]

Check your pms kcofohio.

[dverna]

There is a tendency to admire your results as you cast. Do not do that. Establish a cadence to your casting process. Only break the cadence to add ingots/flux. It is all about consistency.

On some molds, you may be casting fast enough to need a damp cloth to touch the sprue plate onto to cool the mold/sprue. Some people will adjust melt temperature and/or cycle time if a mold is running too hot. I prefer to cool the sprue plate. Find what works best for you.

[Bazoo]

Howdy.

I find I get the best fill out when I leave a large sprue puddle that doesn’t run off the mould or into the adjacent cavity. When it does run, it pulls less from the bullet that’s in process of solidifying and causes rounded bands.

I get the best fill out when I have about 3/4”-1” free fall from my ladle.

I also found that some moulds cast more forgiving. Some will cast good through a larger temperature range than others, some are forgiving of the sprue puddle if it runs.

[kcofohio]

So much good advice! I appreciate it all!