Dadgum LEE boolit mold results problem

Cranked up a new Lee Pro 4/20 this past week ..also broke out 2 new LEE molds ...454. round ball and .375 round ball

First session I followed LEE's "mold start up" sugggestions ..I'm not new to casting but I am to bottom pour furnaces and aluminum molds ..cheap aluminum molds ..

Well I had my second session today ..but before the second session I heated the molds and got some Q-tips and tip dipped them in the wet lid of some synthetic 2 cycle oil and cleaned up/off the stink'in bees wax Lee suggested ..got the bottom of the sprue cutter cleaned up and re-lubed the pins, cutter plate pivot screw and lubed and then wiped off the bottom of the cutter plate and the top of the mold

Away we go right ...to my next problem ..this afternoon I started to build paper cartridges for all of my Colt open tops
What I cast today honestly looked like perfect shiny steel ball bearings ..you had to hunt for the sprue ..ok a bit of an exaggeration OK?

The problem is I have yet to find a glue that will stick to these pure lead "ball bearings" i just cast

Has anyone had this experience ?? maybe some ageing of the lead will get it more receptive to some kind/brand of stick glue working??

Bear

I'd use beeswax for your glue ;)

If you have some Lee Liquid Alox, thin it down and roll the balls in just enough to get a tacky light coating. Not sure how that would work for the glue for paper cartridge though.

I assume you a talking about cap and ball revolvers. If so how are you using the paper cartridges? Paper cartridges are usually used in rifles like Sharps or other rifles that shear off some of the paper to expose the powderin the rear of the chamber. I have never heard of using paper cartridges in a cap and ball revolver. I could be wrong though.

I was in like thought as you until I got into the Colt's 1860, 1862 and 1849 and started researching the history of the guns, munitions and field use ...
Turns out that very quickly in the early weeks n months of the civil war ..factory pre-assembled ammo started coming to the troops in the field in the form of a 6 round wood container with caliber equivalent drilled holes to nest the premade paper/powder & ball in their own separate hole ..additionally there were included 7 percussion caps in each 6 pack ..the pack was then enclosed in a waxed cover (either paper or light cardboard) depending on the contractor

The move from loose ball and powder was precipitated as I understand in that side arms were "officially" issued to mounted troops and officers ..very mobile troops where reloading on the move was desirable ..additionally without supply support the prepacks of ammo eliminated flask, kegs, pots, ladles, molds and slabs of lead for the mobile forces


For my purposes ...the paper cartridge simply allows me to shoot more during a session as well as the perfect platform to get great lube in the barrel as I dip my completed paper cartridge to the bottom of the ball(1/4" down on the paper in the 75/25 liquid beeswax and olive oil which leaves a great "lube cookie" behind the ball in front of the powder

Another great result of the above 75/25 dip is the olive oil nor wax migrate down the paper

Did I mention that making the paper cartridges are fun to do when the snow do blow

Bear

Attachment 288521

That's as kool as pp'ing on a rainy day.

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Originally Posted by Brokenbear

I was in like thought as you until I got into the Colt's 1860, 1862 and 1849 and started researching the history of the guns, munitions and field use ...
Turns out that very quickly in the early weeks n months of the civil war ..factory pre-assembled ammo started coming to the troops in the field in the form of a 6 round wood container with caliber equivalent drilled holes to nest the premade paper/powder & ball in their own separate hole ..additionally there were included 7 percussion caps in each 6 pack ..the pack was then enclosed in a waxed cover (either paper or light cardboard) depending on the contractor

The move from loose ball and powder was precipitated as I understand in that side arms were "officially" issued to mounted troops and officers ..very mobile troops where reloading on the move was desirable ..additionally without supply support the prepacks of ammo eliminated flask, kegs, pots, ladles, molds and slabs of lead for the mobile forces


For my purposes ...the paper cartridge simply allows me to shoot more during a session as well as the perfect platform to get great lube in the barrel as I dip my completed paper cartridge to the bottom of the ball(1/4" down on the paper in the 75/25 liquid beeswax and olive oil which leaves a great "lube cookie" behind the ball in front of the powder

Another great result of the above 75/25 dip is the olive oil nor wax migrate down the paper

Did I mention that making the paper cartridges are fun to do when the snow do blow

Bear

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Learn something new every day.

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Originally Posted by Brokenbear

Attachment 288521

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We used to have the paper cover the ball and put a twist in the end. Was easier to grab when loading the pistol and when shoved into the chamber it easily came off before ramming.

FWIW, we also found the tapered shape important. The paper is nitrated but the taper means the paper is split when the ball is rammed into place. Makes for much better ignition.

Elmer's Glue Stick for both Round Ball and Conical. With the RB, I roll the whole ball on the top of the glue stick and then drop it into the waiting paper case. Press lightly with a clean fingernail to seat it. Then I pop it out of the base and roll the paper/ball seam between two fingers.

Attachment 288622 Attachment 288623

Charlie B ...good points there

Tar Heel ...nice looking loads there ...I do it pretty much as you do except the balls I am getting from my new Lee molds are
shinny as glass ..you can actually see yourself in them ..I have cast 800 .454 balls and 600 .375 ball ..pure lead ..and
Elmers Glue stick will not stick to the freshly minted lead balls ..So I have layed out 100 .454 on a shelf in my
enclosed garage to get a skoch of oxidation to form ..hoping that the oxodation will then allow the glue to stick
In the meantime I am trying different glue sticks ..I will post it if I find a better glue

Bear

That's why we twisted the paper instead of trying to glue it to the bullets.

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Originally Posted by charlie b

That's why we twisted the paper instead of trying to glue it to the bullets.

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Yes I started that way too ..but I wanted to get away from front lubing the chamber mouths as anything I came up with as a "lube cookie" or lubed wad migrated the lube down the paper .. So I build my (balls only ..so far!) just like Tar Heel is building his ball cartridges then I dip them bullet first and down the paper to the imaginary line of the bottom of the ball ..when I then stuff the chamber with each cartridge ..the ram effort is reduced considerably ..the swadged lead ring sits on the face of the chamber which I reach in with a tweezers and pull the wax encased lead ring out and it comes out fully intact

Now in the chamber ..I have a sized ball whose front half is lubed ..then the swadged area of the ball..and right behind the ball is the wax ring that I created when I dipped the cartridge past the start of the paper and down (about 1/4") to the approximate bottom of the ball
Attachment 288716

Bear