tin

[adrians]

good morning.
i'm heading to home depot today and i'm wondering if i can find a source for tin i could use to help fill out my ww/ lino/pb ?,sometimes my mix fills out great and in other molds it is just o.k so i was just curious if i could find somethig in the plumbing section i could add to my mix. As you can tell i am an amatuer alchemist ,its just so much fun finding the right concoction for a good casting session:twisted::confused::twisted:

[imashooter2]

Lead free solder is 95% or better tin and the rest of the metals won't hurt you. The price will make you cry though.

You'll get better prices mail order from Rotometals for pure tin. But if'n you gotta have it today...

[adrians]

i.m on my way but if my eyes start to well up with tears befor i get to the aisle i will take that as a sign to turn around and go home and order online lol thx .( i don't need it that badly) .
have a great sunday adrians.

[buck1]

The lino should have enugh tin in it to fill well even with the WW. I would look at venting?

[Bullshop]

+1 with buck1
I would also look at rhythm and mold temp.
Are the molds that fill well made from a different material than those that do not?
If made from the same material do some have more material in the blocks, (larger)?
Are the boolits being produced by some much larger ( heavier) than the others?
All of these things effect the mold temp even with the same rhythm for all.

[Springfield]

I have the same problem sometimes, especially with newer LEE molds. Better venting almost always helps. With the LEE moulds loosening up the sprueplate bolt(not the pivot) helps, they seem to come stock much too tight.

[adrians]

:violin: the mold in question is a 32-40 ideal pat 1884 it,s one of them cast and load tools its old but the bullet cavity is very clean and sharp .
the bullets are coming out o.k but i feel they should have morer squarer (not proper diction i know ) anyway they would shoot o.k but i think it could be better .
if i knew how to post pics i would do so lol .
most my other molds are lee,s.[smilie=b:

[littlejack]

Are you ladle pouring or using a bottom pour? Either way, you may want to "pressure pour" the melt into the moulds. That is to say, put the nipple of the bottom pour into the sprue plate and let the cavity fill that way. For the ladle, turn the mould sideways 90* and put the nipple of the ladle into the sprue plate and then turn both back up to allow the melt to flow in the cavity. After a few seconds, pull away and allow a little extra for the puddle. This is what works for my latest mould.
Make sure when you start, to have the mould up to temp. Heat it up on the stove top, (electric) or an extra hot plate just for the occasion.
Jack

[Bullshop]

There is a lot of metal in those tools and all that metal dissipates the heat fast, lots of surface area.
I think that a big part of the problem is not hot enough mold.
Also some of those old molds had no vent lines what ever. Even so I have some that cast excellent boolits. I think the biggie hear is heat. You will have to run a rhythm that gets the mold hotter.

[adrians]

thanks for the advice guys ,the mold has no vent lines and it is a big hunk of metal so i will give the bottom pour method a try and also try and keep the mold hotter .thanks again fellas .
have a great night ..adrians.
p.s i was using a ladle but will use my bottom pourer next time out '.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Granger used to offer lead free solder for a decent price, haven`t checked them in the last year though.Robert

[fredj338]

thanks for the advice guys ,the mold has no vent lines and it is a big hunk of metal so i will give the bottom pour method a try and also try and keep the mold hotter .thanks again fellas .
have a great night ..adrians.
p.s i was using a ladle but will use my bottom pourer next time out '.
That is likey your problem. W/O vent lines, the mold isn't likey to fill out well. Lino & lead mix, even at 3-1, still has enough tin for good casting in a good mold.

[adrians]

yer i think they are as about as good as it gets ,but they are still some good looking boolits gonna shoot em up this weekend and then make some more . thanks fellas have a great day . adrians

[Rangefinder]

Before going out and spending a bunch on solder for the tin content, I'd recommend reading through this thread:

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=93214

[adrians]

fredj could i scribe a few very fine "grooves " on one half of the mold (veeeery carefully) not to deep but just enought to maybe allow a little venting OR am i completely insane to even think of such a crazy a** thing to do to this mold ?.
if the answere is no then i'll slap myself (from you ) for even thinking it lol.
thanks and have a great night ,
adrians.:groner:

[fryboy]

in short ...yes , words to work by..... go slow and use a straight edge and a carbide tip scribe , a magnifying desk lamp wouldnt hurt either and then deburr when done , plan on a few soft passes as opposed to a hard gouge , of course it will affect the value of the mold at least monetary value but from a using standpoint .... try to get lines close to where u have the fill out problems , and remember that they arent very deep

[adrians]

:-D:twisted:[smilie=w:thanks fryboy ,
have carbide scribe by the weekend and already set up with a magnifying desk lamp.
? do i scribe from the outside in or the inside out or does it not matter,? and would it be a little easier if the mold was hot?, oh and scribe only at the lube groove points (as you said where fill out is needed)?.
by golly i'm gonna give it shot ,i ain;t skeeeered! lol.
will let ya know the results. have a great night .
adrians.

[fredj338]

fredj could i scribe a few very fine "grooves " on one half of the mold (veeeery carefully) not to deep but just enought to maybe allow a little venting OR am i completely insane to even think of such a crazy a** thing to do to this mold ?.
if the answere is no then i'll slap myself (from you ) for even thinking it lol.
thanks and have a great night ,
adrians.:groner:
As fryboy notes, sure. Many of the Lee molds have to be rescribed & I have done a couple of iron molds as well bases weren't filling out correctly. Just make sure you don't damage or nick the cavity, then you'll have a problem w/ the bullet not wanting to release. I would work inside out, if the scribe comes off the end of the mold, no harm no foul. It will be easier to work w/ if not heated.

[adrians]

morning,
inside out it is ,thanks fredj.
have a great wednesday .adrians.
(one scribe/lube groove and one base,on either side of cavity on one mold block of my choosing ,got it):coffee:

[fryboy]

various mold makers all have their own pattern , lyman's usually have lines about 1/8" apart , some of the larger ones have the bottom half about 1/4" apart , the 4 cavity molds also usually have a line up and down between separate cavities - that doesnt apply in this case , folks have also been known to very lightly chamfer the top edge to help just the base fill out , lee does a semi sorta diagonal crosshatch ( that if u follow their directions soon fills with soot and then u wonder why ur mold that was working good now wont cast for diddley ) while there is a depth to them it isnt much deeper than a human hair is thick so in the world of caution go slow and shallow and try it , if needed to be deeper it is much easier to recut them then to fill them in , g'luck amigo and remember patience

[adrians]

fryboy ,my wife keeps saying that word "patience" i.ll have to google it and see what it's all about if i'm going to be a "happy camper " with my results ,lol.
anyhow i'm giving it a go tonight and i'll let yall know how it looks and even better how it has improved my pills(maybe)!
but i'm very gratefull for all yalls help on this little project ,any more hints would be very welcome.
thx have a great rest of wednesday night . adrians.

[alfloyd]

If you realy want to buy tin, then you should look at this item on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/lead-free-sinker-alloy-tin-alloy-green-sinkers-/250717474068?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a5fed0d14

50 lbs of 85% tin 15% antimony for $71 to your door.
I bought one of his boxes yesterday and now waiting for delivery.

alfloyd

[adrians]

thats looks very tempting ,i'm thinking about it .
never can have enought of anything to do with casting in my opinion.:twisted::roll::twisted:

[fryboy]

If you realy want to buy tin, then you should look at this item on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/lead-free-sinker-alloy-tin-alloy-green-sinkers-/250717474068?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a5fed0d14

50 lbs of 85% tin 15% antimony for $71 to your door.
I bought one of his boxes yesterday and now waiting for delivery.

alfloyd

let us know how it comes out !!!

adrians
think of it as more of art work than anything else , slow steady and no hurry , as u suggested once before u mite do one side and then try it before doing both sides , i cant help but think that this is a long mold , back in those days they used a dipper and dippers do seem to work fantastik for large/long molds

[Ole]

I've bought almost all my tin from ebaY and i've never paid over $3/lb for it. Recently (within last few months) I bought over 14lbs of various 40/60, 50/50, and 60/40 solder and I paid $33.85 for the whole lot.

Just watch the "off the beaten path" auctions and make your move.

Heck last year I bought 40lbs of 63/37 solder in 5lb rolls for just over $70. :mrgreen:

[adrians]

well i did some very small etching lines on it and it made a big difference (the scribes were a little deeper than those almost invisible ones on the lee molds ) and my boolits came out a bunch sharper around the lube grooves and if i say so my self it's not to shabby for a complete novice ,but it's thanks to people in the know like you and everybody else who helped me achieve this ,and for that i thank you all .
now if i could only figure out how to get some pics on here i would give you some before and after photos but i,m not knowing how!!!! pray tell . oh and THX again ..adrians :killingpc

[kyswede]

I bought 50# of the tin/Sb alloy last night that alfloyd linked above. Seemed like a good price to me.
kyswede