First attempt

[Planeguy]

Ok, round 2 was more successful. After attempting some of the suggestions you fellas shared I made progress. Started out with wrinkles made a few that I think could be loaded and ended with some frosty looking boolits. Still don't have super sharp lube grooves that I would like to see. Thanks for your input.

Planeguy

[Winger Ed.]

A little is frosting is OK. Some people do it as the norm for them. I consider a little hint of it as OK, and do my .30 rifle boolits that way.
Being that hot, the alloy is as thin, and flowing as well as it can.

Add a little Tin in there, and it should straighten right up.
What ever the Tin content is in old school wheel weights is what makes them so easy to cast & work with.
I don't really measure it that close for handgun boolits,
but I keep adding in a few wheel weights until the alloy flows well and I get a good fill out.

Another thing that hinders good fill out is dirty/clogged vent lines.
Usually scrubbing them with a cleaner/solvent and a stiff tooth brush will clean 'em out if they're dirty.

[jdgabbard]

Like Winger said, frosted is OK in my book. I actually shoot for lightly frosted boolits. But if you're still not getting fill-out adding a little tin to the melt (about 1-2%) should help with that. There are also other techniques that can help. But for now I would focus on getting acceptable results. Besides, many others will agree with this, ugly boolits often shoot just as nicely as pretty ones.

[Minerat]

Bulk Hunts Tomato sauce from Costco comes in them too.

[Wag]

I always count on my first few casts to be "warm-ups" and I toss them back into the melt when the pot is getting low. Those first few casts warm up my mold and you can easily see when the mold is getting hot enough to cast. Of course, if it doesn't get quite hot enough in ten casts, I turn up the pot a bit and start over.

It's worked well for me over the years. YMMV

--Wag--

[Planeguy]

The alloy I have is commercial "hardball" with 2% tin. Will need to order some to up the content. Will continue to work on heat control issues for now and try to get better fill out

[jdgabbard]

The alloy I have is commercial "hardball" with 2% tin. Will need to order some to up the content. Will continue to work on heat control issues for now and try to get better fill out

Yeah, Hardball lead should have plenty of tin. Definitly a heat/technique issue if you're having problems with fillout.

[charlie b]

For a heat shield you can go to the local hardware store and get some larger dia ducting. Put a pie tin on top or find an end cap.

[450]

Thanks for the tips gentlemen, now the search begins. LOL!!!

[Planeguy]

Had an opportunity to try some more casting. I'm using 50 of the boolits I made, I want to load up a box for the S&W. They don't look like the beauties in "Handloader" magazine yet but they are waaay better than when I first started. Appears as though my mold getting too hot may be the next issue to solve based on what I'm hearing on the forum. Have to go move a foot of snow, then I'll try again.

[Planeguy]

Have to find a spot to mount the lubrisizer, probably a whole 'nother round of questions coming up!

[JoeJames]

Set the tip of your mold into the pot until the lead doesn't stick to it. Then start to cast some boolits. Sounds like your mold was too cold to cast good. Welcome to the addiction and welcome to the site

I agree. Turn your mold upside down and stick the end of the sprue plate into the melt until the alloy does not stick to it. Then cast boolits. But it may be a location thing; in other more complicated areas do what they suggested with a coffee can on a hotplate and so on. I got the idea from reading "From Ingot to Target - free on the internet. I reckon I am simple but it works for me.