When you start smelting wheel weights, if you rely on temp to separate out the zinc ones, sort the ones going into the bottom of the pot because if a zinc one is on the bottom it will melt before your thermometer gets a good reading.
Don't ask me how I know. LOL
Jerry
Good idea. I've had that happen.
What i try to do is keep pushing the wheel weights down and moving the solid WW into anything thats starting to melt. if you go low and slow you can keep the whole mess in a big slush like state.
Once the whole pot has reached a slush state it take very little time before all of the lead goes molten and the clips and zinc float. Theres a good window before you get up to the zinc melting temp from the slush stage.
hope that makes sense.
Been loading 6.5 CM for ELD, learning to load Mosin Nagant & .308/7.62x51
Caster & CWW / Lead miner.
Mountain Mold 45-70-405, 80% Meplat, sized .461" dia. for Marlin 1895GS
Lyman mold #429421 "Elmer Keith" style 255gr, Dbl Cavity; [for .44 Mag, S&W 629, Alox lubed]
Lyman #356402, 9mm, Sngl Cavity [for a friend]
LEE #90282, 12ga Drive Key, 7/8oz Slug [for: Son's 3-Gun]
LEE #90349, 452-255RF, 6 Cavity [for 45 Colt & 45 ACP; Alox lubed]
LEE #90697, 453-200RF, ditto
Desiging Molds: Pay close attention to your chamber cast. I "misread'/"mis-measured" mine from a Marlin 1895GS & did not appreciate the how "small/short" the Leade was. With this NOT in mind & whilst too focused on obtaining a large, 73%, Meplat design, my chamber would not accept it. Very sad. After inserting a boolit into a naked case & chambering it, I then started to understand why the darn boolit was being driven so far into the case! The Marlin's Leade is almost non-existent. I arrived at a way to accomplish grinding a short, tapered modification to the Leade, and my blunt, bore riding boolit nose finally fit.
Last edited by Walstr; 12-31-2016 at 12:32 AM. Reason: Trying to add a 2nd .jpg
Been loading 6.5 CM for ELD, learning to load Mosin Nagant & .308/7.62x51
Caster & CWW / Lead miner.
Mountain Mold 45-70-405, 80% Meplat, sized .461" dia. for Marlin 1895GS
Lyman mold #429421 "Elmer Keith" style 255gr, Dbl Cavity; [for .44 Mag, S&W 629, Alox lubed]
Lyman #356402, 9mm, Sngl Cavity [for a friend]
LEE #90282, 12ga Drive Key, 7/8oz Slug [for: Son's 3-Gun]
LEE #90349, 452-255RF, 6 Cavity [for 45 Colt & 45 ACP; Alox lubed]
LEE #90697, 453-200RF, ditto
I found that a potato masher does a quick job of thoroughly fluxing my casting pot and a Stainless Steel Mesh Strainer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N9HNX6O...LI96NDYI&psc=1
Does a quick job of thoroughly fluxing my smelting pot and I can skim most of the crud with it too.
I 'fixed' my Lee bottom pour drip by wiring the rod to the handle bar. Still get some drip, but no where near what it used to be. Wiring it maintains it's position and reseats more uniformly than before.
There is a reason most casters on this forum recommend long lighters to burn the flux. I got the little one out of the pot before it popped. Lesson learned.
Lead bullets Matter
There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves. - Will Rodgers
I always have a roll of green masking tape around and anytime I set a powder measure, I write the powder and charge on the masking tape and stick to the measure. If I can pick up cheap measure at a gun show I can leave it permanently set for a popular charge. I bought a nice Ideal 55 measure this fall at a gun show for $5. I don't have to remember that way. Marking works good on the adjustable case trimers too.
When cleaning cases with citric acid, NEVER use a product that has gelatin in it!
Long, Wide, Deep, and Without Hesitation!
Never holster an unloaded gun. Ever.
I holstered an unloaded gun earlier while cleaning, was too distracted getting ready I left the house and 40 minutes later when I realized it was too late.
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Recycle, Reuse, Reload.
I was casting with a Castiron mold and wasn't getting the best fill out so I grabbed a brass brush and dry scrubbed out the vent lines, blew out the mold and I was back in business with pretty bullets again
I like to brush clean the spout on the ladel about every 20 pours.This ensures more quality bullets in a session.
james23,I use the blue masking tape for notes on pretty much every thing in the reloading room.
I keep all of my one lbs powder jugs to store cast bullets in if you peel the label off a white paint marker and your in business for better organized ammo
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I use a magnet on a stick (automotive tool) to "pluck" the steel pieces of wheel weights out of the lead smelting pot instead of scooping.
Seems easier and cleaner to me.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |