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Thread: smearing problems

  1. #21
    Boolit Master


    Walks's Avatar
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    This is why I cast from 2 molds at a time. Fill one set it down. Fill 2nd mold, set it down. Pick up first mold and bust sprue, dump bullets.
    Rinse, repeat.

    The time it takes to fill the 2nd mold and set it down is all the time it takes for the first molds sprue to harden sufficiently to bust that sprue.

    I've done it this way since I started casting bullets about 1962.
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  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Conditor22 View Post
    I set my hotplate to 400°, I have a 3/8" piece of steel over it and set my molds on the steel. I turn the hotplate on with the molds on it the same time I turn my pot on. It works -- I never measured the temperature of the molds.
    Set whatever your polishing/sanding with on a perfectly flat surface ie glass, tile, ...

    make sure you keep what your polishing/sanding perfectly flat

  3. #23
    Boolit Bub
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    All of my Lyman moulds have visual machining lines going across the surface of the mould. When you drag your finger nail across the top of the mould it is not 100% flat. While not as bumpy as dragging your thum nail across a file, there is something felt. All of my Lyman moulds are like that new from the factory.
    I trop my swivel knife before I use it to cut pattern in leather during if it starts to drag and after I am done. When I buy a new leather punch I have to polish off the packing paint and then sharpen it and strop it. But those I always drag away from the cutting direction, never into it. On a mould the sprue plate has a cutting direction all around the circle though only one direction is used.
    I do not know about having a burr right now but I had a sprue plate so dull that it was constantly ripping out the plug. So I purchased a repair kit with new sprue plate. Was the fastest fix.

  4. #24
    Boolit Master
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    Do not confuse the purpose of vent lines on molds with "scratches". Lead goes in, air has to come out. If one is focused on a smooth finish, they might fix a mold to the point it will no longer vent the air.

  5. #25
    Boolit Grand Master


    GregLaROCHE's Avatar
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    You are probably casting too hot and/or cutting the sprue too soon. If you start out ok and then you get the smearing, your mold is getting too hot and you need to slow down or start cooling the mold on a damp cloth.

    You can also double check that the sprue plate is true and without any burrs. I sometimes take off the sprue plate and sand it with 600 grit paper on top of a perfectly smooth surface. A new sharpening stone works if you don’t have something else. If it is not true, you will see it from the marks left from the sandpaper. If there are any burrs, you will remove them. Double check the top of the mold the same way. Make sure the sprue plate is screwed down as tight as possible but still can work without gauling. Some people like a very light coat of synthetic oil on the plate surface. I don’t use it because I’m always afraid of oil contamination wrinkling my boolits.

  6. #26
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    I had a little of that when I started casting. I put a very thin film of anti-seize lube on the bottom of the sprue plate and it quit.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master
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    Smear means you casting pace is too fast. Have you lubed the top of the mold block and bottom of the sprue plate yet? That will let you cast at a little faster pace with little to no smear. Start casting as normal, cut the sprue and with bullets still in the cavities take a q-tip with a couple drops of 2 cycle motor and coat the top of the mold and bottom of the sprue plate. It'll dry quickly. The next 2-3 casts will be wrinkled but they will fill out correctly.

    Looks like you have clumps of dried candle dross with lead wrapped around it on the surface. Stir and the bottom and sides of your pot. Take a spoon and smash the accumulated clumps against the side of the pot till the alloy/dross seperate. Get rid of the dross and repeat the process till you get no more clumps. There is no magic number or flux that takes care of this. Only stir and scrape. As you cast and your alloy level drops, more of the clumps appear. The alloy needs to be clean before you start casting and establishing a casting pace. Having to stop and clear dross screws with time and temp of your alloy. Start clean.

  8. #28
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Walks View Post
    This is why I cast from 2 molds at a time. Fill one set it down. Fill 2nd mold, set it down. Pick up first mold and bust sprue, dump bullets.
    Rinse, repeat.

    The time it takes to fill the 2nd mold and set it down is all the time it takes for the first molds sprue to harden sufficiently to bust that sprue.

    I've done it this way since I started casting bullets about 1962.
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    This is the way I do it too , after giving bottom pour pots a good try ... I'm back to Ladle pour and two moulds , I like 2 cavity or NOE 3 cavity moulds best . NOE's three cavity moulds are SWEET to work with .
    Gary
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  9. #29
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Walks View Post
    This is why I cast from 2 molds at a time. Fill one set it down. Fill 2nd mold, set it down. Pick up first mold and bust sprue, dump bullets.
    Rinse, repeat.

    The time it takes to fill the 2nd mold and set it down is all the time it takes for the first molds sprue to harden sufficiently to bust that sprue.

    I've done it this way since I started casting bullets about 1962.
    yep that what i do too ,can cast quick and no problems

  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    When casting with any mold, watch the holes in the sprue plate and if some lead ( It will look fuzzy) is left in the holes after opening it while casting, you are opening it too soon. You can turn the pot down to help but eventually it will stop the spout occasionally and cause problems. You can take a longer and longer time to open until the holes are clean or like has been previously mentioned, you can wipe the sprue plate after each cast and try to get yourself a rhythm to get things to work for you. Each mold will require a different amount of time mostly based on how big the bullet is because the bigger they are, the hotter your mold will become and the longer it has to be closed to cool enough to open.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

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