Does the temperature of the melt affect the size of the boolit?

[superior]

Will having the alloy hotter during casting lead to a larger diameter boolit?

[oneokie]

No.

As I posted on your other thread, the higher the smelt temp, the more shrinkage you will have. The softer your alloy, the higher you need to run the temp for good fillout. With the Lee aluminum moulds, you have to run higher temps. Been there, done that.

The easy way to lower melt temps and still get good fillout is to add tin. Not the least cost method, but the easiest.

Go to this site and read.

http://www.lasc.us/ArticleIndex.htm

Look for articles by Rick Kelter. He has some very useful information on alloys, their composition, and what effects the different metals in the alloy do to the finished product.

[superior]

Ok got it!

[R.C. Hatter]

No ! The melt temperature has little to do with boolit size, but it will affect the qualityof the finished product. Too low a temperature = wrinkled boolits and/or incomplete bases which affect accuracy. Too high a temperature = frosted boolits and increased oxidation of the melt which requires an inordinate amount of fluxing to return the oxides to the mix. In the old days, tin was added as a hardening agent. Nowadays a small amount of tin is more often used to obtain good mould fillout than any other purpose. Check the Los Angeles Silhouette Club website for articles on alloys and casting. The type off alloy you choose has more to do with boolit size, than temperature.