10mmShooter
07-30-2010, 12:26 PM
Hi Guys,
Just wanted to show and discuss my processes for casting and see if I can make improvements. I've been changing and tweaking things in my short casting career, only been seriously casting for about 2 years now(reloading for 20), the tips I have picked up on this site have been invaluable to me.
In my example I was not shooting for high production I just wanted to find a rhythm and rate that I could maintain and still get quality bullets.
Casting session was from 930am to 3pm on Thursday, 5.5 hrs...in 95 degree weather and 90%humidity heat index was 102 degrees that was the most I could take for the day. My left hand being the mold handling hand was starting to cramp at that point.
I ran 2 x RCBS 180g 10mm LRN molds, and 2x RCBS 150g .38 LSWC and for the last 90 mins I added in a 250g 44 LSWC.(all RCBS two cavs)
Final tally was 5.75 lbs of .44 160 rds, 17.75 lbs of 180g 10mm 680 rds, and 24.5 lbs of 150g .38 LSWC 1150 rounds. Total 48lbs of #2 alloy used for 2000 rds roughly 360 rds per hour average for the session. Needless say I was moving briskly the whole time, I stopped briefly to hit the head and keep my 32 glass of water full for time, but no lunch break, straight through. I started with just the 2x .38 molds for the first hour, then added the 2x 10mm molds, staying at 4 molds for most of the day and finished the final 90 mins running 5x molds by adding in my .44 mold.
Here are my observations,
For me I have found the maximum number of molds(speaking only of 2 cavity molds) I can handle is probably 4 (4x 2cav). Even as fast I was moving just the time spent handling and manipulating the 5 molds, I could see that my mold temps were dropping quickly. So for the future I'm stopping at 4 molds max.
Also in my case I new I was going to make a run at 5 molds, so I had previously used all my molds and new that they all dropped bullets easily and would not hang, I already new how I wanted my sprue plates to be set up (ps no smoking or mold release necessary). No way to use that many molds if your bullets dont drop from the mold.
Also plenty of alloy on hand and the capacity to melt it quickly, I normally run my Lyman Pro Mag(20lber) and the little Lyman mini-mag(10lb) at the same time to top off. But I recently replaced the Minimag with a 1500 watt hot plate, a great addition, I use the mini mag's old steel pot on the hot plate to melt my sprues and keep the Pro-Mag topped off, so I dont add ingots directly to the Pro Mag everything was pre melted on the hot plate.(allowing for very consitent temps over the day) Also it was critical in pre-heating all of the molds, actually I keep over heating the molds on the hot plate and to let them cool :)
Pot temp was kept at 700-725, I monitored it via my thermometer.
Most bullets dropped were nice and shinny, very litte frosting, I really wasnt expecting any since with that many molds, they had time to cool nicely. When I used to run just one or two molds, I always had to slow down, because I would start to get excessive heat in the molds, not a problem with 4-5 molds going at once.
Well here is the pic of my setup, I dont have to move to any, I stand in one spot and can reach my pots, all my tools are in reach and can even stretch out my left arm some as I extend the down to drop the bullets on my tshirt. I built the table at 42 inches so when standing at the pot my left arm is at 90 degrees as I pour. :cbpour:
Oh yea no spell check on the picture....I noticed the spelling errors...oh well you get the picture.
http://www.keithrussell.net/4mould.jpg
Just wanted to show and discuss my processes for casting and see if I can make improvements. I've been changing and tweaking things in my short casting career, only been seriously casting for about 2 years now(reloading for 20), the tips I have picked up on this site have been invaluable to me.
In my example I was not shooting for high production I just wanted to find a rhythm and rate that I could maintain and still get quality bullets.
Casting session was from 930am to 3pm on Thursday, 5.5 hrs...in 95 degree weather and 90%humidity heat index was 102 degrees that was the most I could take for the day. My left hand being the mold handling hand was starting to cramp at that point.
I ran 2 x RCBS 180g 10mm LRN molds, and 2x RCBS 150g .38 LSWC and for the last 90 mins I added in a 250g 44 LSWC.(all RCBS two cavs)
Final tally was 5.75 lbs of .44 160 rds, 17.75 lbs of 180g 10mm 680 rds, and 24.5 lbs of 150g .38 LSWC 1150 rounds. Total 48lbs of #2 alloy used for 2000 rds roughly 360 rds per hour average for the session. Needless say I was moving briskly the whole time, I stopped briefly to hit the head and keep my 32 glass of water full for time, but no lunch break, straight through. I started with just the 2x .38 molds for the first hour, then added the 2x 10mm molds, staying at 4 molds for most of the day and finished the final 90 mins running 5x molds by adding in my .44 mold.
Here are my observations,
For me I have found the maximum number of molds(speaking only of 2 cavity molds) I can handle is probably 4 (4x 2cav). Even as fast I was moving just the time spent handling and manipulating the 5 molds, I could see that my mold temps were dropping quickly. So for the future I'm stopping at 4 molds max.
Also in my case I new I was going to make a run at 5 molds, so I had previously used all my molds and new that they all dropped bullets easily and would not hang, I already new how I wanted my sprue plates to be set up (ps no smoking or mold release necessary). No way to use that many molds if your bullets dont drop from the mold.
Also plenty of alloy on hand and the capacity to melt it quickly, I normally run my Lyman Pro Mag(20lber) and the little Lyman mini-mag(10lb) at the same time to top off. But I recently replaced the Minimag with a 1500 watt hot plate, a great addition, I use the mini mag's old steel pot on the hot plate to melt my sprues and keep the Pro-Mag topped off, so I dont add ingots directly to the Pro Mag everything was pre melted on the hot plate.(allowing for very consitent temps over the day) Also it was critical in pre-heating all of the molds, actually I keep over heating the molds on the hot plate and to let them cool :)
Pot temp was kept at 700-725, I monitored it via my thermometer.
Most bullets dropped were nice and shinny, very litte frosting, I really wasnt expecting any since with that many molds, they had time to cool nicely. When I used to run just one or two molds, I always had to slow down, because I would start to get excessive heat in the molds, not a problem with 4-5 molds going at once.
Well here is the pic of my setup, I dont have to move to any, I stand in one spot and can reach my pots, all my tools are in reach and can even stretch out my left arm some as I extend the down to drop the bullets on my tshirt. I built the table at 42 inches so when standing at the pot my left arm is at 90 degrees as I pour. :cbpour:
Oh yea no spell check on the picture....I noticed the spelling errors...oh well you get the picture.
http://www.keithrussell.net/4mould.jpg