Speeding up the casting process.

[Colorado4wheel]

I shoot at least 2K 9mm a month. I am casting my own Lyman 147 gr bullets. The process is newer to me but I am moving along OK now despite some real issues at the start. My slow down points are:

1) Waiting for the sprue to solidify. You simply can not rush this. I tried the "speed casting tricks" from this site and they just don't work for me. It's best for the mold and the sprue to cool together at a normal pace it seems.
2) Reheating the lead in the pot. It must take at least 20 mins to get the 20 lb pot that has 1 inch or so of lead left in it back up to 750f. Seems like FOREVER, and then I have to get my mold back up to temp. PITA. I use a hot plate so it takes very little to get it going again the second time after the initial pot is done but waiting 20 mins seems like forever.

I am thinking of several things.

1) Running two pots. Second directly over the first. It would preheat lead and drain through the spot into the primary pot. I even have a 220 line I can dedicate for one pot so it would not be on the same circuit.
2) Running two molds. I do this already with a 2 banger Lee mold and my 4 banger Lyman mold every once in a while. I think if I have enough lead (hence the two pots) and use a heater for my molds I can get them up to temp together and resonably quickly.

Lastly, Is it normal for it to take 20 mins to get the pot up to temp the second time? Even if I add just a couple sticks of lead it takes a while to get up to temp. I have a Lee 20lb Pot and don't know if maybe I should just get a better Lyman or RCBS with more heat output?

[NuJudge]

I find the Lee 20 pound pot underpowered. I melt in a Lee 10 pound and transfer the Lead to the 20 pound, and this speeds things up a lot. The Lee 10 pound uses much more power per pound than the Lee 20 pound.

Pre heating small ingots on top of the pot can speed things up a lot, as can using a propane torch to melt ingots in the top from the top also.

In cold weather, it will take a lot more than 20 minutes for the Lee 20 pound to reach operating temperature.

Years ago I had a Lyman 20 pound, and I don't remember as long a delays, but it cost a lot more than the Lee, and was not as durable.

[Springfield]

The LEE, Lyman and RCBS pots are all around 500-600 watts, so that is no help. The RCBS does have a slightly higher capacity, an actual 22 lbs while the LEE really only holds a usable 16-17. I used to run 2 pots and ladle from one to another to alleviate just your problem. Worked OK but my final answer was to get a Magma 1500 watt 40 lb pot. Or you could be crazy like me and just for fun put a second element into one of my LEE pots. 1500 watts, melts like crazy, but hard to hold a constant temp, like all LEE'S.

[FISH4BUGS]

I can't talk about two pots or running two moulds. Many do, but that one is not yet in my experience factor.
Having said that, I shoot machine guns using cast lead bullets. I only use jacketed or plated through the supressor. If I have enough time, I can shoot 2k 9mm in an afternoon. I cast and look for production, production and production.
First, I use 4, 6, 8 and 10 cavity moulds. I have used almost exclusively Hensley & Gibbs moulds collected over the 20 years or so I have been casting. Once you get those beasts heated up you can cast for hours with high output. I use a few Lymans and a Lee 6 cavity group buy 358156 plain base (nice mould by the way). My ingots are alloyed at 5lbs ww and 1lb linotype. Supposedly that is the Lyman #2 formula.
I find that if I stack my ingots on top of the Lee 20lb pot in one layer (they are about 1.5 lbs each and look like a flattened cigar, i.e. half round ingots and about 8" long) and let them preheat that way, I can add lead on the fly and it takes only a minute to melt. During that melt time I pick up my bullets and clear up the sprues and get ready for the next run. Then stir the pot and it is melted and you are ready to fly.
I NEVER let my pot get less than half empty without adding more lead. Once the ingots are preheated they melt quickly.
The sprue thing is another story. I DO use the speed casting method almost all the time and it works. If the sprues are taking too long to solidify, then you are running too hot. Try to lower the pot temp, use the wet towel more (try dumping the bullets and sprue junk, closing the mould, then setting the SPRUE PLATE on the towel to cool it) or simply slow down.
It is a balancing act.....fun, ain't it?

[dragonrider]

You can speed up the reheating part by using two pots as pictured below.

[Colorado4wheel]

Speed casting doessn't work for me because my mold likes the temp at 750F not a lower temp. I get bad fill out if I don't cast at the higher temp. I also don't like dumping even preheated ingots because that drops the temp and I can see a difference in the bullets. For me, success has been in keeping the temp as stable as possible. Speed casting ruins that and I am always chasing my tail with varying lead temps and mold temps. Just a PITA. Best thing I did is slow that part down and do it the normal way.

Lyman and RCBS have 100 watts more power then the Lee. I really like the look of that stacked Lee setup. Small pot in the back, big in the front. Seems like a good solution.

[markinalpine]

I wrote this last year: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...99&postcount=5
Helps keep the heat loss down AND reduces temperature swings.
Mark

[Mk42gunner]

While I don't shoot as much as you do, here are a few things that can speed up the casting process.

1. Refill your casting pot sooner. I use angle iron for my ingot molds. The ingots are approximately 10 inches long, this allows them to rest across the top of the Lee pot to preheat. When the lead level goes down about an inch and a half, the next ingot goes in at an angle. This allows it to melt and more or less self feed. The next ingot gets laid on top of the pot to preheat, utilizing the free heat that would be wasted.

2. Once the sprue solidifies, then I invert the mold and cool the sprue for a few seconds (the sprue is still hot). Refill the mold and do it again. While I haven't gotten close to the production that BruceB does, it is fast enough for me.

3. If you are using two and four cavity molds, a six cavity Lee will greatly increase your production. I loose more time changing molds than it is worth.


Robert

[Colorado4wheel]

I have zero luck with Lee six cavity molds. I have a broken one on my bench right now. I am done with lee 6 cavity molds. I really need to know if running two iron 4 cavity is going to be a PITA.

[Colorado4wheel]

I wrote this last year: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...99&postcount=5
Helps keep the heat loss down AND reduces temperature swings.
Mark

I have been using a foil lid while it reheats. That helped a lot. I have not tried it while casting. I will need to find a coffee can lid. Thanks.

[D Crockett]

well I don't mess with a 10 lb pot or a 20 lb pot when I am looking to make a lot of bullets I use a Magma 40 lb pot I can add a 5 lb ingot and not quit for one second with no noticeable temp drop I use 2 of these pot one for soft lead work and one or ww or harder one in on a stand I made and the other is on a master caster stand both work great for what I do D Crockett

[Springfield]

Colorado: so what broke on your mould? I have about 20 LEE 6 cav's that I use all the time so maybe I have a solution for what is broke.

[Colorado4wheel]

Colorado: so what broke on your mould? I have about 20 LEE 6 cav's that I use all the time so maybe I have a solution for what is broke.

Pins were not in alignment. I thought I had it fixed. I cast about 150 bullets fine, then one pin jammed and didn't open, the other bullets fell in the V shape created by the mold opening on one end and not the other. The mold no longer opens and closes properly any longer. It's my third Lee 6 cavity. They all had issues of one kind or the other. I'm done trying. The 2 cavity Lee I have works fine.

[Cloudpeak]

I not only use my hotplate to pre-heat molds, I use it to pre-melt my alloy and then transfer the molten alloy to my Lee 20 lb. bottom pour. No "spout freeze" and no waiting for the melt in the bottom pour to get up to temp.

[casterofboolits]

I use two RCBS 10 kilo pots, I cast from one while the other gets up to heat. Of course the RCBS pots are expensive these day, almost $400.00 each unless you can pick up a used one. I just lucked into a third one for free from the estate of a nieghbors Uncle. You could probably do the same with two of the 20 pound Lee pots for a lot less.

Is your four banger a Lyman 356637 for the 09-147-FPBB? If so, I would buy another (I have two of these molds as I always buy my Lyman four cavity molds in pairs) and run the two Lymans and the two cavity RCBS as the third mold. This will ensure that the first mold's sprue has solidified when you come back to it. Also Lyman molds like to run hot and need very little cooling, especially in the 9's and 38's. I once cast 5,000 40-175-TCBB with two Lyman four cavity molds in eight hours. I would cool the molds by sitting them on a small squirrel cage blower attached to the side of my casting bench. It's one of my spare blowers for my Magma Master Casters. But, if you run three molds, the Lyman molds very seldom need cooling.

I really hope you've got a Star lube/sizer cause anything else will wear you out quick.

Good luck and enjoy!

Fred AKA Old Fart

[Colorado4wheel]

See thats what I found. I needed to run them hot. I am using the 147gr mold. I am just going to run two at once and get another 20lb pot. I do have a Star. Thats the easy part. I am making a roller handle for it this week. I know I could buy one but why do that when I can just make one.

[MtGun44]

Use Bull Plate lube and you can cut the sprues nearly molten without any problems. This
is amazing because it speed things up and you get good boolits without problems which
would not happen without it.

I have no idea how you broke a Lee 6 cav but I have a bunch that have worked for years
for me and many thousands of boolits. I think you are doing something wrong to break
them. The mold aluminum alloy is soft and they NEED to have Bull Plate Lube
used on them, and no pounding, but properly lubed they are great for me.

Bill

[RogerWatsonfromIdaho]

I use the RCBS pro-melt furnace. It is 800 watts.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=209097

I add small ingots and keep the lead level near full.
I use the Lee ingot mould which has two sizes of ingots. I fill the small ingot size full, but only fill the large ingot size half full. This keeps the ingot sizes small and helps prevent spout freeze when I have the thermostat set at 700 degrees F. At higher settings I do not get spout freeze.

Using this method, I can keep casting until I am tired. I do not have to stop to refill the furnace and let my bullet moulds cool off.

Almost always I cast alternating between two moulds. Thus one mould has been filled and is cooling, while I am removing the bullets from the other mould and refilling it. This seems like doubling production compared to using one mould.

Running two iron 4 cavity moulds works well with this method. When using an 8 or 10 cavity mould, sometimes it is difficult to keep the furnace full with this method.

[Calamity Jake]

I really need to know if running two iron 4 cavity is going to be a PITA.

It's the only way I cast, 2 @a time, been do'en it for 30 years.

1 to 6 cav. makes no difference!!!

[Colorado4wheel]

Use Bull Plate lube and you can cut the sprues nearly molten without any problems. This
is amazing because it speed things up and you get good boolits without problems which
would not happen without it.

I have no idea how you broke a Lee 6 cav but I have a bunch that have worked for years
for me and many thousands of boolits. I think you are doing something wrong to break
them. The mold aluminum alloy is soft and they NEED to have Bull Plate Lube
used on them, and no pounding, but properly lubed they are great for me.

Bill

I already explained it. As it opened one side stayed shut. THe bullets fell into the V. Because it happened so fast the bullets lodged in the V as I continued to open the mold. THe mold not longer closes. EVERY 6 cavity mold I have gotten has had issues before you even try and cast with opening and closing. But it's not "Broken" in the sence it broke in half. It just is useless now. I also found Bull Plate lube to be not as advertised. I still got lead smearing in the cavity closest to the pivot. Honestly, a pencil is better then all these fancy things.