Casting w/ bottom pours??

[Hootmix]

How far do most of you hold your mould below the pour spout, 3/8", 1/2", closer when using a bottom pour pot?

coffee's ready, Hootmix.

[Winger Ed.]

I run the pot a little on the hot side and have the mold about 1/2" below the spout so I can see the sprue puddle.
I hold it tilted a little down at the front so if the puddle is going to run off the sprue plate, it will go away from me.

[BLAHUT]

I start about 1/2" below and tilted then move up to touching. I run the pot on the hot side with pure lead.

[Hootmix]

Think i'v been pouring too close to the spout. I have a older Master Caster, but use it 95% of the time w/ handheld DC moulds, running @ 710- 725 degs. w/ a PID controller . I like 9-11 BHN, w/ a bit of 60/40 solider for fill out for both my 40-60 & my 44-40 rifles. Most of the time i also tilt moulds to the front for run off. I built a tray to fit under the spout, now i need to lower it , thank you for the holler back.

coffee's ready, Hootmix.

[sv44]

hootmix, can you tell me how your have set up your master caster to work with handheld molds?
thanks

[Hootmix]

sv44, sent you a PM, and yes be glad to help.

coffee's ready, Hootmix.

[imashooter2]

1/4 to 3/8 inch.

[michael.birdsley]

I have the spout touch the chamfer on the spruce plate on my lee 4-20 bottom pour. something I found worked well while casting jigs for fishing and carried over to boolet making. it works for me


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[Winger Ed.]

Think i'v been pouring too close to the spout.

Experiment and find what works best for you.... and for with which different mold .

As far as distance from the spout goes-- there's a reason it is shaped to pretty much to exactly fit
the countersunk sprue holes, that are also all about the same shape and depth.
You can hold the mold up against the spout and 'pressure fill' the cavity if that works best for a given mold.

[405grain]

I hold the molds about 1/2" below the pour spout. This way I can see what's going on.

[Sig556r]

As long as you can see the sprue fillout, go for the minimum gap

[popper]

minimum gap is best as the cooling stream can be a problem. Never tried pressure casting. I prefer to let the air out of the cavity through the sprue hole.

[cwlongshot]

I agree with those that recommend you experiment. I find different molds prefer different tactics. BUT generally closer is better 1/4-1/2".
I same tge same about stream contact. Generally I prefer the lead contact inside bottom of mold first. NOT sprue. But some molds like sprew splash fill. Most prefer a rapid positive fill to slow.

CW

[lightman]

I hold the molds about 1/2" below the pour spout. This way I can see what's going on.

Me two, and for the same exact reason.

[GregLaROCHE]

I don’t think that I always hold the mold at the same distance. Maybe 1/4 to 3/8 inches. I tried pressure pouring, with the spout pressed into the sprue plate, but didn’t see much difference.

[high standard 40]

There are a few things to consider. How high is your pour spout relative to your line of sight? The higher you mount the furnace compared to your line of sight the better you can see, but you have to have a work flow that is comfortable for you.The goal is to be able to clearly see the spout and the sprue puddle as you pour. Best option is to have enough room to withdraw the filled mold without interference from the pour spot, yet at the same time have as small a distance between the spout and the sprue plate to achieve this. I don't think there is one clearance measurement that works for everybody but you should keep that distance as short as possible. I have mounted an LED puck light on each side of my furnace so that they shine on the pour spout from both sides so I can clearly see what I'm doing and I run about 3/8" clearance.

[HWooldridge]

I push the sprue plate against the nozzle and leave no space. I can usually feel the cavity fill up, then I break the contact and leave a puddle to feed any shrinkage in the base. I occasionally get some flash at the parting line but I just lower the pot temp when that happens.

[Mk42gunner]

When I am using bottom pour pot as designed, I usually start abut a half inch from the spout. This seems to work best for most molds with my bottom pour pots.

Although I do have one old single cavity Ideal mold (313445) that I have to hold against the spout of my Lee 4-20 to get decent fillout. It is such a pain to use that I haven't cast with it for years, but it does shoot well out of my little I frame.

Robert

[GONRA]

GONRA always had spru plate contacting the spout.
Thought that's the way yer supposed to cast?
Verked Just Fine for decades, all kinds of Lyman/Ideal, some Lee moulds.

[GregLaROCHE]

Just to add, I find it easier and more comfortable for long sessions, to be sitting down, with the bottom of the pot around eye level.

[JSnover]

Pressure casting works but it might work better on some molds than others. I really liked the boolits I got when pressure casting but couldn't get over not being able to watch the sprue plate fill.

[Winger Ed.]

couldn't get over not being able to watch the sprue plate fill.

I sometimes do it with a .45--405.

I sort of 'time it'. Get the mold up under there, lift the lever for a second or so, let it down,
then raise it again to make a sprue puddle.
Without a normal sprue puddle, the little dot of Lead left in the sprue hole doesn't always want to fall off.

[GregLaROCHE]

You’re right ED. Being able to see the sprue is important. It can give indications of temperature and if your alloy is clean. I look just about all of mine.

[JCM45]

I agree with GregLaROCHE. Sitting with spout at eye level.

[justindad]

I have the spout touch the chamfer on the spruce plate on my lee 4-20 bottom pour. something I found worked well while casting jigs for fishing and carried over to boolet making. it works for me


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Me too. I watch the lead puddle around the sprue hole to grow and splash to Indy when the cavity has been filled. Move to the next cavity as soon as the splash back / bubbling starts.

[Land Owner]

My comfort level is attained when my arm is more closely in line with the action of the mold being filled and not so much eye-level with the spru plate. I use the Pro-Melt's adjustable "Mould Guide Rod", with a gap to mold about 1/4" to 3/8". I can see the spru plate well and observe the hole and puddle.

The rate of alloy delivery to the mold may also be adjustable as well as the spru plate "heat sinking" the alloy as it passes into the mold (if wrinkles are an issue).

[kevin c]

Hmm, I’m at about an inch.

I stand. Even blocked up and crouching down some, my Pro Melt’s nozzle is well below eye level so the guide’s lower to see the stream hit the cavity. I run hot at 720° to 740° to compensate but sometimes still drift low out of the ideal temp range. Maybe I should shorten up.

[Land Owner]

kevin c - to preclude fatigue I sit to cast, which works very well for me. Perhaps in that alone, the eye is closer to the spout and spru plate as the torso is further out and away from the pot, by nature of bent knees straddling the bench (with appropriate safety clothes, yadda, yadda). I too run hot as the spout sometimes cools to the point it does not pour. I then use a propane torch on the spout and maybe bump the temp up a hair, but mostly the torch returns me to casting in quick time.

[bubbau]

I will usually be around a half inch away, lets me see what's going on better.

[kevin c]

Land Owner, I use stacked bottom pours: a 4-20 secured on top to preheat, melt and feed alloy the Pro Melt below.

I’ve always felt it prudent to have a quick get away from 35# of molten lead in case of a catastrophic spill, and standing seems best for that.

I’m probably a bit over cautious.

[Land Owner]

I use a stable, heavy, wooden crate with shelves in the garage as a "bench", keep my casting items inside, and a fan drawing out to circulate fresh air. On the flat top of the bench I have a wide aluminum baking tray, just in case to catch a spill, and the Pro-Melt inside of that. I can sit in front of the crate with ease and there has never been an "incident" with this setup over tens of thousands of casts that has made me concerned. That I have been safe, that I feel safe, that I am cautious too, is the rule rather than the exception.

[rintinglen]

1/4 to 3/8 inch.

+1 Though it varies a bit with mold material. Brass and iron molds keep heat better so they can be a bit further from the spout, aluminum, especially LEE, molds lose heat faster so they are held closer to the mold.

[David2011]

I never had thought about the distance from spout to mold. It’s rarely adjusted but that’s probably because most pistol molds are about the same height. The gap is probably about 1/2” but could be a little more. I’ve tried pressure casting but didn’t care for it. Since far less lead goes through the spout to keep it hot I had lots of freezing problems.