Cast my first Boolit today!

[Mike Langlois]

So I studied and studied, got through numerous articles, posts, 82 pages of "From Ingot to Target..." and annoyed my Better Half, before I could not stand it any longer and cast my first two boolits. I grabbed on of the many brand new moulds sitting there:

314812

A small .356 Lee mould. My furnace was probably not hot enough, but the first bars I poured had a furnace that was excessively hot. I cleaned the mould and lubed the areas I believed correct (not the insides) and went on to pour away. My spout was clogged and after an attempt or two to clear it out, the now molten lead began to flow better. My results were not perfect, but they now exist and this is fun, so there will be more. I would appreciate any comments on the results. Here they are:

314813

One is right side up and the other is up side down. :-P
Yours,
Manic Mike

[Bad Ass Wallace]

That is a start, now you have to play catch-up!:kidding:

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

[GregLaROCHE]

That’s a good start, but you can improve. Not many people can cast a perfect boolit with the first pour of the day. It takes a few a few to be put back in the pot until they start turning out right. Be very careful with how much and where you put lube. Make sure the cavities are 100% free of any oils. Also try to cast with the fastest flow rate possible.
How hot is your alloy? If you don’t have a thermometer, heat the alloy until the boolits start to frost and then turn the pot temperature down a bit. The more you practice the better you will get.

[chriskendziora]

Pre Heat the mold on a hot plate or in the pot. It always takes a few rejects to get the mold too temp and the alloy going. I use #2 alloy and run 2 molds cast a few .358 then 44's alternating between them. It takes a bit and getting rhythm going but it will come. I have a bottom pour Lee pot.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Welcome to the forum.
Congratulations on your first pour.
My first pours looked about like those. Practice makes perfect. Preheating the mold is essential.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

That is a start, now you have to play catch-up!:kidding:

https://i.imgur.com/ujcziuzl.jpg
Mine are in various size "smaller" containers, so the shelf isn't as purty are yours.

314814

[44MAG#1]

So I studied and studied, got through numerous articles, posts, 82 pages of "From Ingot to Target..." and annoyed my Better Half, before I could not stand it any longer and cast my first two boolits. I grabbed on of the many brand new moulds sitting there:

314812

A small .356 Lee mould. My furnace was probably not hot enough, but the first bars I poured had a furnace that was excessively hot. I cleaned the mould and lubed the areas I believed correct (not the insides) and went on to pour away. My spout was clogged and after an attempt or two to clear it out, the now molten lead began to flow better. My results were not perfect, but they now exist and this is fun, so there will be more. I would appreciate any comments on the results. Here they are:

314813

One is right side up and the other is up side down. :-P
Yours,
Manic Mike

One of the first things one DOES NOT want to do is get information overload. It will cause the brain to start spinning at a tremendous RPM and one will be more confused than ever.
Start, think and try to problem solve as you go. Then if you have a problem you can't solve by yourself then ask.
Information is good but when it comes from different angles and at different rates of speed and from different individuals confusion sets in.
Try to avoid it. Casting good bullets isn't black magic no matter the alloy if it is any decent alloy.

[Rich/WIS]

Looks like either the mold or your alloy (or both) needs to be hotter, but have cast and shot some that looked like those. Don't get discouraged, casting is like any thing else, your skills will improve with practice. If you don't have one a solid surface hotplate is a good addition to your casting equipment to pre-heat your mold as well as ingots.

[Scrounge]

So I studied and studied, got through numerous articles, posts, 82 pages of "From Ingot to Target..." and annoyed my Better Half, before I could not stand it any longer and cast my first two boolits. I grabbed on of the many brand new moulds sitting there:

314812

A small .356 Lee mould. My furnace was probably not hot enough, but the first bars I poured had a furnace that was excessively hot. I cleaned the mould and lubed the areas I believed correct (not the insides) and went on to pour away. My spout was clogged and after an attempt or two to clear it out, the now molten lead began to flow better. My results were not perfect, but they now exist and this is fun, so there will be more. I would appreciate any comments on the results. Here they are:

314813

One is right side up and the other is up side down. :-P
Yours,
Manic Mike

Now throw those back in the pot, or mount them to show where you started, as you prefer, heat up the pot with the mold sitting on top of it, or on a hot plate, as has been mentioned, and try again! Do NOT be in a hurry! Learn the motions you need to make to get the molds poured, the boolits out of the molds, and repeat as smoothly as you can. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, and eventually you'll be getting not just good boolits, but excellent boolits! You'll learn how to judge the temperature of your pot, and the metal in it, what alloys you need for the kinds of boolits you want to make, and shoot, and what works best in the guns and with the powders you have and use. And you'll have some fun, meet some great people, and maybe even save a little bit of money!

Bill

[Bazoo]

Awesome. Thanks for sharing. Those wrinkles and lines looks like either oil contamination or very too cool of a mould. I'll guess a combination of both.

Fluxing with beeswax will help the melt to flow better, too. Compared to sawdust, or paraffin, beeswax is much better in the way the melt acts after fluxing.

If it's wheel weight alloy, I'd say you need to add tin. Some people get great results without it. I get great results with it, and mediocre results without tin.

You don't need a hot plate to get your mould up to temperature, but it will help. I use a rubber band around my mould handles, and I put the corner/edge of the mould in the lead for about 5 minutes. I dipper cast, so my dipper is there, and I rest the mould on the dipper's shaft so that it doesn't fall into the alloy. When I start, the mould is too hot and the bullets are frosty. It doesn't take much of a pause to bring the mould back down to suitable temperature. Its much easier to drop the temp of the mould than get it up the first time, is my experience.

As for contamination... don't listen to all those folks that swear that you can use 2-cycle oil. I never could get the hang of it. I asked Tom at Accurate moulds and he suggested graphite. I use a carpenters pencil (or a regular pencil for that matter) to color the underside of the sprue plate, the mould top, the sprue plate pivot, the alignment pins, the inside of the mould face, anywhere I feel it needs it. When I'm casting and I get a smear between the sprue cutter and the mould top, I wipe it with a rag, then re-color it with my pencil. The pencil also scrapes some.

As for oil contamination, I use lighter fuel. On a hot mould, generally not quite as hot as casting temperature, open the sprue cutter and fill the cavities with lighter fluid. It doesn't burst into flames like you'd think, instead if boils in the cavities, and this really scrubs out all the nooks and crannies. Drop the excess after 30 seconds, and go back to casting.

[gwpercle]

The best way to learn how to cast boolits .... is to cast boolits !

Congratulations :drinks: here's to Casting Boolits ... keep on keeping on !

Gary

[Hossfly]

Those dont look too bad for first time, remember they can all be put back in the pot along with the spruces. When I started getting good boolits I didn’t have a plan in place to stop so ended up with about 60# of which had to all be inspected. Keep on doing what you’re doing and after some mistakes it will all come natural. Be careful and dont invite the tensile fairy, she aint no fun.

[metricmonkeywrench]

+1 on all the advice from above so I'll add these thoughts.

When getting started the inclination is to check each bullet as they drop. Your using an aluminum mould- Pour, cut, drop and repeat over and over till you run out of lead or get tired of doing it. Lee molds seem to like fast and furious to keep the temp up. Don't inspect but keep an eye on the drops if they go frosty you can finaly slow down a bit, however frosty shoots just as good as shiney.

Focus on getting good consistent pours into the mould. I have a piece of 1/4 plywood with a scrap of aluminum flashing on my Lee 10 lb pot or use the mould guides on the bigger pots to get the good drop distance into the mould from the nozzle. Most of mine seem to be happiest with about 1/4 to 3/8 drop. Basically enough to see the pour and build a good sprue puddle without touching the nozzle.

Culling out wrinkled, incomplete fill outs, not fully formed bands, drip slimes, caverned bases and all other types of undesirable bullet flaws will happen. All of this is to be discovered at the end of the casting session and don't be discouraged if the whole lot has to go back in the pot, it happens especially with an new or different mould.

Keep notes on the pot temp if you have a thermometer (you should) each mold can have its happy place for desired lead temp.

The Wallyworld single burner hotplate with an old circular saw blade on top is probably the second most helpful thing to have on hand for prewarming a mould.

Small stainless steel cups and low wall aluminum cake pans to catch drips and sprues, baking pans to catch cast bullets dross spoons and other useful tools can easily be sourced at goodwill and yard sales.

Most of all relax and enjoy the process and the fruits of your labor at the end once you get it figured out.

[Walter Laich]

welcome to the gang

keep up the good work

[fredj338]

I enjoy casting far more than reloading. IMO, mold &/or alloy isnt hot enough. You dont need extra expensive tin for clip ww alloy. Just get the temps up. The bullet nose looks odd, like you didnt have the mold closed all the way? So unlike reloading, your mistakes can be erased by just putting them back in the pot.

[dverna]

I am old school...really old school. Not a fan of participation trophies etc etc.

Those bullets are awful. You know it, and everyone here knows it. Why would you post something like that?

You may have "studied and studied" but have not learned much.

Information overload is not your problem. The need for instant gratification is your problem.

Go back and try again. Get your mold and alloy so hot that the bullets are frosted then dial temperature back to get perfect bullets. Frosted bullets are good to use so no need to toss them back into the pot. Wrinkled bullets and poor fill are junk.

This is not rocket surgery. Now, if you have contaminated alloy, that will give you a world of hurt. If you cannot get good bullets running hot, buy some decent alloy and try again. There is usually alloy in the S&S section of the forum or you can buy it here:

https://missouribullet.com/results.php?category=12

[Mike Langlois]

Okay, Don Verna said it best....Back to casting. Although the hint about drop distance from the pour spout did clear up a pertinent question. And, I won't post a picture for Bad Ass Wallace yet; I'll spend my time casting, not posting.
Manic Mike

[Bazoo]

I ladle cast, and I find that about 1" of freefall gives be best fill out. I also find I have issues with rounded corners on driving bands and bases if the sprue puddle runs in the adjacent cavity or off the side, unless, if this happens, I pour the rest of the ladle over that cavity. Then normally I can save that cast.

I remember being new... and having less than perfect casting sessions. Don't be afraid to keep asking questions.

[BJung]

I use a paperclip to clear my bottom pour nozzle. To clean my pot, I pour the remainder of my lead into an ingot mold and then tap the top of the pot upside down and all the crud falls out. As for wrinkles, I use to first throw the wrinkled bullets back into the pot. As you gain confidence, you'll find a better method. That's what I did.

[deces]

It takes money to save money. Welcome to the frustrating world of casting. :drinks:

[bruce381]

yeah just start casting more a hundred or so will get mold heat up, it is too cold if alloy clogs spout it is too cold get a lead thermometer to put in pot I run at 700F. Alloy is about 1% tin (SN) and 1% antimony (SB). Dont look at each one just go you will see when heats get right they will drop sharp and clean that is COOL

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I am old school...really old school. Not a fan of participation trophies etc etc.

Those bullets are awful. You know it, and everyone here knows it. Why would you post something like that?

You may have "studied and studied" but have not learned much.

Information overload is not your problem. The need for instant gratification is your problem.

Go back and try again. Get your mold and alloy so hot that the bullets are frosted then dial temperature back to get perfect bullets. Frosted bullets are good to use so no need to toss them back into the pot. Wrinkled bullets and poor fill are junk.

This is not rocket surgery. Now, if you have contaminated alloy, that will give you a world of hurt. If you cannot get good bullets running hot, buy some decent alloy and try again. There is usually alloy in the S&S section of the forum or you can buy it here:

https://missouribullet.com/results.php?category=12
YAMA HAMA!
Don, tell us what you really think?

Give Mike break, he wasn't posting to get a trophy or even fishing for compliments, he was just posting his first results and mentioned they weren't perfect, but it was fun, and there will be more. Nothing wrong with wanting a conversation about how the first session went.

I recall the first time I cast 22 cal, I had a NOE mold, clone of the RCBS 22-55. This was long before I learned to pre-heat the mold on a hotplate. Anyway, all I could get was wrinkly 60gr boolits, never was able to get the mold hot enough in several different casting sessions. I wanted to shoot some, so I tumbled lubed some and loaded them for 222rem. Those wrinkly boolits did ok, 3" groups at 100 yds...pretty respectable for a newbie casting/shooting wrinkly little boolits.

[Mike Langlois]

Thank you again for the info. I considered the ladle method and I'll give it a try. I just can't stop grinning when I review
Don Verna's comment; it sounds exactly like something I would say! Would you believe our family motto is "The principle of Delayed Gratification". Boy did you get me motivated. I'm going to Mount the First Boolits and put them with the other 'Participation Trophies' on the wall. Most of the trophies are Very Expensive reminders to Think Twice and Cut (get Married) once. My Second casting will be a better example of my studies into this addiction.
Manic Mike
P.S. After I present a well cast second boolit, I'll post a picture for Bad Ass Wallace.

[super6]

314833

This was my first attempt after reading every thing I could get my hands and eyeballs on. Two or three attempts and it was on! I started with a turkey cooker and a ladle, no thermometer, and just keep an eye on the melt and the mold heat.

[VariableRecall]

I've cast a couple thousand projectiles myself and I'm still learning, but my immediate guess out of the gate is that your mold isn't hot enough. I'm assuming there's nothing wrong with your alloy or your pouring strategy.
Even the quickly warming aluminum molds lee makes will take some time to warm up. You can do that the long way by just casting projectiles with them which will go right back into the pot, or, by just pre-heating the mold with the help of the pot.

The alloy that I'm using is about 50/50 Missouri Bullet's Magic Alloy and soft mystery lead.

What I am looking for in a recently cast boolit is an even, slightly matte finish on the surface of the projectile, frosted, as other people call it. Shiny works too, but keep a close eye on those driving bands and lube grooves as the projectiles start flowing out the mold.
314840
What usually happens when I cast is that the mold gets too hot, leading to a more speckled consistency to the frosting. Sure, the lines are sharp but they can struggle to stay intact when being dropped out of the mold because they are too hot.
314841

I think the best way to learn about casting is through experience. Keep it up, and you'll get those nice, filled in curves in no time.

[Cast10]

The best thing is, IF YOU MESS UP, RE-MELT!

Looks like it’s all been said already. But heat/consistency and cadence of pour is paramount to good bullet fill-out. Nice Start!

[Mike Langlois]

So, with a poke and some encouragement form the community, I cast my second bullet; right on to my 99th boolit.

314896

There is humor before the end so keep going. Two better ones on the left and two not better ones on the right.

314897

I hope there is a sub forum to help explain the New Addiction to my wife. Humor involves learning that the new leather apron must cover your jeans or it does no good. I suppose I don't need to tell anyone here that molten lead is hot.

314898

It gets funnier if you get all excited by molten lead in your crotch and set the thoroughly Pre-Heated mould on the plastic top of the tool box.

314899

Which is a minor annoyance to the tool box. Doing it twice and having to clean up the muld is sort of funny.

314900

And, sadly, due to geographical location and Government interference, is a picture for Bad Ass Wallace; minus all the components.
Manic Mike

[Mike Langlois]

And the missing Picture:

314901

Mike

[brasshog]

Remelt ? Naahhh ... Just powder coat the heck out of it to hide the lines :kidding:

Best advice that I can give you is to get out there and find five hundred ways to mess it up differently and learn the cause and effects of what your doing. Before long you'll be casting like a pro. My first couple of batches always end back up in the pot as I get things going. I remember the first time that I cast a hollow point. I was so frustrated that I ended up selling the mold and swearing off them for years until I figured out what I was doing wrong. The best thing that I ever did was to get rid of my Lee "Drip O'Matic" lol. Before long your days will look like this:

314908

[Bazoo]

What alloy are you using? There is some surface flaws which look like surface scum in the melt. That isn't an issue, it's more cosmetic than anything. Rounded driving bands are an issue. That is cured by leaving a generous sprue puddle that doesn't spill over the side or into an adjacent cavity.

[billmc2]

I suppose I don't need to tell anyone here that molten lead is hot.
Manic Mike

I'll point out one other obvious quality of molten lead; its liquid.

Back in the '70's, while building a Heath Kit radio that Santa Claus brought I was wearing a pair of boots which I didn't tightly tie the laces. A big dollop of solder fell from my soldering iron landing right inside my boot. Did you know that you can not pull molten solder out of your boot? You need to wait until it solidifies. I still have the scar on my ankle.

[deces]

Building a pid controller for your pot will help you eliminate temperature factors and help prevent zinc contamination.

[Scrounge]

And the missing Picture:

314901

Mike

I'm sorry, that bench is too clean. You can't do good work under those conditions!

I lie a lot, too! Clean and orderly is a great way to be. It is also something I find a bit challenging. ;)

Bill

[dverna]

I hear stories about how people having horrible experiences starting out casting bullets. I was very lucky when I cast my first bullets 50+ years ago.

Back then, there were no personal computers or internet or YouTube "experts". All I had was the Lyman manual and, maybe most importantly, a mentor I listened to. He had been born with only one arm, but he was able to cast and knew what he was doing. He never came over to help me but gave me good advice. Buy an H&G mold and start with Linotype.

I had perfect bullets the first time after less than an hour of "experience". Stepped "down" to a Lyman mold for the .308 and it also ran well...must have got one of the good Lymans. I am sure my friend would have come over to help but I did not need it...I had good bullets from the very start.

One "data point" is all I have. Good alloy and good molds seem to make the learning curve a lot easier.

After a few thousand bullets I started mixing in range lead with the Linotype to reduce costs. but the range lead came from an indoor range that only allowed .22's and cast bullets. Seemed to be consistent stuff.

As a result, I have never used "mystery alloy". I have 500-600 lbs of mystery alloy I purchased on this site over the years for SHTF and will start getting into it this year or next. I am a bit concerned as there is no assurance it does not have crap in it but I will know right away if it does. I have 2000 lbs of "hardball" and 500 lbs of Linotype that I know will cast well.

To the OP. If your mold has clean cavities and hot enough, and the alloy is well fluxed and hot enough... you have alloy issues. I think I posted this, but if not, here goes:

https://missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=346&category=12&secondary=&keywords=

16 lbs of good alloy for $41 seems expensive but it will help address your problems. Your time has value. More importantly, if you get frustrated and give up on casting, you will end up shooting less and having this hobby cost you a lot more than this minimal investment.

BTW, if you decide to try a "good" alloy you must get all the crap out of your pot.

[ACC]

Good for you. Keep working at it and you will have boolits galore! Remember one step at a time.

ACC

[VariableRecall]

So, with a poke and some encouragement form the community, I cast my second bullet; right on to my 99th boolit.

And, sadly, due to geographical location and Government interference, is a picture for Bad Ass Wallace; minus all the components.
Manic Mike

Excuse me Mike, It may just be me, but I really don't think you should be melting lead indoors. At least for me, I'd say a fire hazard would be the most immediate issue. Secondarily, air circulation and keeping the wacky vapors out of your lungs should be an important priority. I'd say if you're casting indoors you should at least have negative pressure out, and have a 1 foot radius "Safe Zone" around your pot and boolit/sprue dropoff area.

I cast outside on a Lifetime portable table, with a layer of cardboard and a disposable aluminum tray that the pot itself lays on. Everything that could contact lead or encounters heat is covered in cardboard. After I'm done, I shake out any sprue bits on the cardboard and I'm good to put things away.

[dondiego]

I have always cast indoors. Since I was 16. I am 70 right now.

[bruce381]

yeah in doors my lead is smelted outside to ingots that are fluxed and clean so no smoke to worry about

[405grain]

bruce381: You say that your lead has no smoke or fumes, but your avatar is some dude in a gas mask. :bigsmyl2:

[Iron369]

I'm sorry, that bench is too clean. You can't do good work under those conditions!

I lie a lot, too! Clean and orderly is a great way to be. It is also something I find a bit challenging. ;)

Bill

It’s funny what we notice about people’s pictures. I’m a master electrician myself and cringed at all the cords ran every which way.

[charlie b]

Am glad you are persistent. That's kinda what it takes to run with cast bullets.

Your mold should be doing well at this point. Most of my new aluminum molds took 50 to 100 bullets before they 'settled down'.

It does look like either your alloy is off or not fluxed well, still too low a temp, or cold mold. I became addicted to using a hot plate for my molds. Once I found the correct temp to set it at, the first bullets out of the mold are good.

Temp can be different for different bullets. I have some that do best running hot (frosted bullets). Others are better at lower temps (no frosting at all). Each of my molds takes a slightly different tempo to keep getting good bullets. FWIW, this is where iron molds are better. Like Verna I learned with an iron mold. Easy peasy. They do not lose heat like Aluminum molds so the tempo is not as important. FYI, the 1 and 2 cavity Lee molds are even more difficult to keep at a consistent temp due to the small block sizes. They also seem to take longer to 'break in'.

I flux with beeswax, just because I have a lot of it, but I also put a layer of sawdust over the top of the melt. Don't know if it helps or not but it makes me feel better :)

Last, if you haven't done it yet, clean the molds well with something like acetone. I am one who does not do anything to the mold cavities. No smoking, no mold release. I do lube the hinge point of the sprue plate with 2 stroke oil. Just a TINY amount. If you use too much it will wick into the cavities.

[popper]

Mold is too hot. That is not frosty, it's cooked.

[imashooter2]

Congratulations on your start! Casting is as much art as science. Throw those back in the pot and practice your art!

[charlie b]

Heck, I'd take some of the better ones and shoot them.

[bruce381]

my covid response at local grocery when they said i need a mask I went over board