March 2013 Photo Submission *Topic: Cast Boolit Imperfections

March 2013 Photo topic:
Cast Boolit Imperfections !
It was mentioned on another thread in another section about cast boolits gone bad :evil: ...I thought it'd be a real good topic...post your photo and what you think was the problem or ask "what's happening" and I'll bet someone will tell you.
PS, remember to be kind :) when diagnosing someone else's problem.

Still, no one has told me to discontinue the "Castpic of the month" ...yet
so I will gladly continue.

Also, the comments thread is barely used. So, I will not create a comments thread, so go ahead and continue to comment in this Submission thread. Since no one is judging, there isn't any real need to be orderly.

Have fun,
Jon

Apparently ya'll dont make mistakes,

Well, I suspect no one saves them (I know I don't save them)...as those of us that cast some examples of them this month, I figure some photo's of them will get posted.

I'll upload some, I just have to take some pictures. I've got some previous imperfections, and everytime I cast I seem to have way more bad than good. It's sad really.

lol I dont have enough camera memory to take pictures of my mess ups. but How about some swage mistakes?
http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...istic_tips.jpg

These are from my early casting days and that's why the boolits are so dark, sitting on my bench for ages. Mold a little hot?

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Originally Posted by 43PU

Apparently ya'll dont make mistakes,

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I should be able to provide some fodder for this thread here in the next couple days. I'm gearing up for casting session #2 with some new molds that just came in over the last week or two. There were definitely examples of what not to do in round #1. :mrgreen:

Long boolits tend to be more prone to "shrinkage". I believe the major cause is by too small of a sprue puddle, as the alloy solidifies it can shrink, especially if there isn't enough molten puddle on the sprue to "pull" in more alloy.

http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps195192dd.jpg

Attachment 63452

These are shiny wrinkled boolits. I believe one is required to cast some of these each time one starts casting boolits.

Mine all went back in the pot and poured into an ingot.

And who doesn't like boolits with wings?

Attachment 63783

It had been awhile since I'd finned any really well and a couple months ago I dropped these. They've been sitting above my bench laughing at me, reminding me to hold the handles tightly.

mike

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Originally Posted by SlippShodd

And who doesn't like boolits with wings?

Attachment 63783

It had been awhile since I'd finned any really well and a couple months ago I dropped these. They've been sitting above my bench laughing at me, reminding me to hold the handles tightly.

mike

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Yup, I've had a few like that. As far as the picture at the top, did the mold melt? I'm not sure how'd you get that?

I have had and will again have bad casts, but like every one else, I melt and recast.

Never get good boolits from first few casts,,, Even when I preheat molds. I guess it's par for the course ; )
H/D

Attachment 64206

Gas cutting is imperfection aint it? RCBS 25-85 from Win 92 25/20. Warm load of 4198 just to see.
Check the lube groove collapse.

I don't know if this exactly what your looking for but it was a learning experience for me. Looking at some of the photos in the past I decided to shine some of my little silver friends so I could also post some impressive shots (no pun intended) here a s well. That being said I'm sure I'm not the first to do it but I put a hand full into the tumbler. The one on the left is my so called shined one the one on the right is one of my pocket ones you know you never know where a lead conversation goes. Some fun to post!

i just shoot my mistakes
1616

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Originally Posted by jeepyj

I don't know if this exactly what your looking for but it was a learning experience for me. Looking at some of the photos in the past I decided to shine some of my little silver friends so I could also post some impressive shots (no pun intended) here a s well. That being said I'm sure I'm not the first to do it but I put a hand full into the tumbler. The one on the left is my so called shined one the one on the right is one of my pocket ones you know you never know where a lead conversation goes. Some fun to post!

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I tumbled a few myself not long ago. I was wondering if it would remove the heavy frosting from some boo-boo's.
A friend stopped by and asked what the "coating" was on those "cool" bullets. I told him it was a proprietary secret. Then he asked what it was again. I told him it was a real secret, I didn't know what the coating was.:p

Here are the tears I get when going too fast. In my defense I purposely didn't wait till the spur had hardened before opening the spur plate

http://home.comcast.net/~walterlaich...et%20tears.jpg

I will agree the do look cool
Jeepyj

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Originally Posted by RickinTN

I tumbled a few myself not long ago. I was wondering if it would remove the heavy frosting from some boo-boo's.
A friend stopped by and asked what the "coating" was on those "cool" bullets. I told him it was a proprietary secret. Then he asked what it was again. I told him it was a real secret, I didn't know what the coating was.:p

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Walter Laich

Here are the tears I get when going too fast. In my defense I purposely didn't wait till the spur had hardened before opening the spur plate

http://home.comcast.net/~walterlaich...et%20tears.jpg

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Why didn't you want to wait?

Base not filled out on left ... Right I recieved with my 36 cal muzzleloaded!
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...36Conicals.jpg

Nose of a solid with a HP Cramer style pin turned to flatnose
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...4640Solid2.jpg

Whiskers
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...270-150SP1.jpg

Cold mold
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...ateBoolits.jpg

Taco360

Wanted to have some good examples that would show in the pictures.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Walter Laich

Here are the tears I get when going too fast. In my defense I purposely didn't wait till the spur had hardened before opening the spur plate

http://home.comcast.net/~walterlaich...et%20tears.jpg

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Well they say the Hollow Base Wad Cutter is more accurate..........

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Walter Laich

Here are the tears I get when going too fast. In my defense I purposely didn't wait till the spur had hardened before opening the spur plate

http://home.comcast.net/~walterlaich...et%20tears.jpg

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I find that ones like this usually fly pretty well, at least by pistol standards.

The first 4 boolits I ever cast. (yeah, I started out with a HP mold :oops:)
It wasn't up to temp yet, and that's all I got to try that day, because as soon as it did get up to temp, the wonderful Lee Everdripper leaked the rest of the 10# out into my catch pie-pan. (Thanks to all who posted something about that possibility in threads I had studied before trying casting, and so I did have a catch pan handy "just in case", and I needed it.)
Attachment 65659

Boolits cast fine, NEI 230 gr 41 mag, but the wrong nose punch in the seating die and incorrect expander plug can sure alter the aerodynamics.

As to poorly cast boolits I re-melt the evidence ASAP and then refuse to admit to casting any. :mrgreen:

Rick

Attachment 65661Attachment 65662

the one on the right looks kinda cool--something new under the sun.

You could always paper patch it.....

with six feet of paper

Might have forgetten the HP pin in the mould....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...f/DSCN2424.jpg

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Originally Posted by jeffinnz

might have forgetten the hp pin in the mould....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...f/dscn2424.jpg

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Oops!!! LOL!

Is that a .270?

Looks like you have a very specialized seating plug for that subsonic load!

.223 Rem

No pic, but I cast a batch of hollow .54 round balls one time.