Water quenching questions.

[35isit]

I understand what quenching does. What is the best process? Do I just simply drop sprue and bullet in 5 gallon bucket of water then separate later? Do I need to go as fast as melt and mold temperature will allow? Do I need some way to keep bullets from banging together? Do you use some sort of basket in bottom of bucket to simply lift out all bullets at one time? Probably will have more questions later.

[fecmech]

I drop the sprus on my bench, turn and drop the bullets into a full 5 gal bucket of water. A layer of styrofoam packing peanuts on top of the water will almost eliminate any splashing. I just reach in and take out handfuls of bullets and lay on an old towel to dry. The more uniform your casting pace (be it slow or fast) the more even the bhn of your quenched bullets. From what some of our IHMSA casters have said wide variations in BHN can affect accuracy at the longer ranges.

[klutz347]

After cutting the sprue off I dump them into a 9" cake pan.

My bucket is about 3/4 full of water and I have a towel draped into the bucket loosely so it sits into the water.

After 100 or so have been cast, I drop them to the bottom of the bucket (which also has a towel on the bottom) and then continue casting.

[sqlbullet]

Sprue goes in an aluminum pot pie pan, then the bullets in a 2.5 gallon ice cream bucket with a towel to cushion the fall. I have a metal colander that is the perfect shape and size to fit in the bottom of the ice cream bucket, so it makes separating the bullets and water easy.

[Moonie]

I cut the sprue back into the pot (I operate the sprue plate by hand) and drop into into a 5 gallon bucket about 2/3'rds full of water. Pour out the water when I'm done.