Am I ready?

[Ken73]

I kinda jumped in with both feet, took the plunge and bought quite a bit of goodies to start casting; been on here reading thread after thread after YouTube video about different stuff (hardness, alloys, molds, designs, lubes) and think I have a decent general understanding now. I'm not necessarily new to casting lead (made spinner baits and jigs for fishing with my father 20+ years ago) but I'm definitely new to casting boolits and all the complexities that come with it. (No one cares about hardness or lubes with jig heads!)

So, here's where I'm at (I haven't cast anything yet!)

I've tried getting WW's from local places. No go, everyone out here has already made a contract or something. I even called my local metal scrap dealer to no avail. I got my first batch from a guy on Craigslist that was about an hour from me (mostly wanted to meet a fellow caster, but also help him out.) No idea what the hardness is. Bought some "linotype" from a guy on Ebay, and some range pick-up ingots from a member on here. Should have around 175# or so when it all comes in. My father-in-law gave me some scrap lead (sinkers, WW's, etc.) that he had laying around but it didn't amount to much as I had to scrape most of it out as dross. I do have a smelting setup - I first tried it in a dutch oven (no lid obviously) that my wife sacrificed, but then found this neat little iron tea kettle for $20 at our Tractor Supply that pours from the bottom. Seems to be pretty good at pouring clean stuff! Made a few muffins of that. At this point I've just relented to the fact that I'm going to have to pay for lead. My father-in-law is retired so I've asked him to look around and told him I'd pay him $.50/lb for whatever he can find. Outside of that, I still think it's worthwhile to pay $1/lb for shipped clean ingots considering the availability at this point. Still far cheaper than buying "j-words" considering how much I'd like to shoot.

Bought a Lee 4-20 pot - already had a nifty digital thermometer with several extra "K" type probes, so I did the trick with the paper clip wound around the probe to hold it in the pot that I found on here. Haven't even plugged the pot in yet! Been seeing here where people drill their molds so they can watch the temp on the mold too; but not quite sure where the temp should be for either? Is there a special spot to drill the mold? My meter has two sockets for two thermocouples so they're easy to switch between.

I bought several molds for calibers I want to shoot (a lot of.) 300 Blackout being at the top of my list since I just got one - I got the new Lee mold that just came out on Midway. I shoot 9mm (have several) 45 ACP (several 1911 clones) and 380 ACP (don't laugh!) through the few of those I have (a Bersa and two LCP's.) I've put myself on one of the group buys on here with NOE as well. Still trying to understand boolit design and why the different shapes. Been reading up on mold lubrication and opted to just use 2 cycle oil since I have a bunch laying around.

I did buy some "Bison Boolits" from a member as well to try out and after running them through the sizer they worked great! My chrono (Alpha Master Chrony) wasn't doing so hot (I think because of where I had it in the shade of trees) so I haven't had any readings on what I was loading; started with H110 and moved to A1680. Making my own brass with the little Harbor Freight chop saw is a breeze! Just need to find myself a good source of brass.

I read the whole thread on 45/45/10 and have my Johnson's Paste wax along with the odorless mineral spirits (and of course several bottles of LLA I got with my sizers.) Picked up a hot plate for $10 at a grocery store and a cheap pot to do double boiling with (not sure if that's necessary with the 45/45/10 but saw it being used for pan lubing.) Also bought the silicone cake pans for doing pan lubing (looks really easy on YouTube anyway.) Don't have all the ingredients for that just yet but like I said above, my biggest starting point is the 300 BLK which is a tumble lube boolit anyway. Still trying to grasp the different formulas and when to use them.

So far I think I've bought just about everything I could ever need - and still haven't made a single boolit. I remember casting when I was young, in my father's "den" with little to no ventilation - I don't want to repeat that though it seems the smelting is where it really gets dangerous (and I do that out on the patio.) I made a little reloading bench off my desk system in my office which works great, but wondering if I can cast on it with a fan blowing out the door? (Exterior door is right behind the reloading bench.)

So am I missing anything? Any gaps before I take the plunge and start casting my first boolits? Suggestions? Jokes? I'm fortunate enough that I live out in the country on quite a few acres with tons of acreage behind me so I can shoot pretty much anything I like.

[WILCO]

Looks to me like you've covered the basics. Make some boolits, even bad ones so you can get some experience casting.

[thauge]

I'm pretty new to casting also. I'm finally kicking out some nice 9mm boolits from Lee molds. If you are using Lee molds, you are going to want to heat your mold prior to casting and your lead needs to be hot. Somewhere between 700 and 750 degrees. When I first started, I used the Frankford Arsenal mold release with mixed results. I currently don't use it anymore. Since then, I don't use any mold release or even smoke the mold like Lee says to do. I've been staying away from tumble lube boolits. I know many people here have had good luck with them, but many have not. If you go to the standard lube band boolits, I would recommend getting a Star lube/sizer. It lubes and sizes the boolits in a single stroke and ejects out of the bottom, so you don't have to remove the boolit after it is lube/sized. Good luck in your boolit casting, and they people here have been a HUGE help.

[Ken73]

I'm pretty new to casting also. I'm finally kicking out some nice 9mm boolits from Lee molds. If you are using Lee molds, you are going to want to heat your mold prior to casting and your lead needs to be hot. Somewhere between 700 and 750 degrees.

Gotcha - the instructions say to dip the mold in your lead pot but I wasn't real keen on that. Can I use my hot plate to keep them up to temp? What temp do the molds need to be at?

I guess I should just jump in and do it - it's not like I can't take the messed up boolits and put them back in the pot! LOL

[MPnine]

Gotcha - the instructions say to dip the mold in your lead pot but I wasn't real keen on that. Can I use my hot plate to keep them up to temp? What temp do the molds need to be at?

I guess I should just jump in and do it - it's not like I can't take the messed up boolits and put them back in the pot! LOL

I am also a new caster and new here to the forum. After posting a picture of my first batch of cast bullets, I learned that I had the mold way too cold. I did follow the directions on the Lee paper that came with the mold and furnace as well. I will be using a hot plate from now on to get the mold a bit hotter. I think it will be nice because I will be able to set the mold on the hot plate when i take short breaks or whatever and the mold won't get cold.

As far as what temp the mold needs to be, i'm too new to answer that haha. I believe if it's not hot enough, the bullets will have imperfections since the mold won't quite fill out properly.

And yes, lots of bullets went back into the melt after my first attempt

Good luck!

[lbaize3]

Nothing left to do but take a deep breath and dive in. Everything is a teacher, whether it is success or failure. If you fail, learn from it and continue. If you have success, learn from it and do it better.

Glad to have you aboard. You will be the voice of experience to new casters soon.

[David Bachelder]

Look for a Plumbing Supply house in your area. They will sell you all the lead you want. It's pure lead so you'll need to add tin and or atimony to get whatever alloy you want. I suggest mixing your own Lymans #2. It will run about 15BHN and makes some fine boolits.

Tin and antimony (superhard alloy is the easiest) is available from Rotometals.

you can also buy Lymans#2 Premixed.

Tin is a bit pricey but a necessary evil. I buy the 3/4" tin cut wire.

Works for me.

[Goatwhiskers]

Ken, just so you'll know, the tumble lube style boolits, while convenient, can be dip lubed as per Ranch Dog's procedure. It just gets you more lube on the boolit, if you want. I do it for my .357Max when not paper patching. Goat

[45-70 Chevroner]

Gotcha - the instructions say to dip the mold in your lead pot but I wasn't real keen on that. Can I use my hot plate to keep them up to temp? What temp do the molds need to be at?

I guess I should just jump in and do it - it's not like I can't take the messed up boolits and put them back in the pot! LOL

I dip the corner (just about a half inch) of my molds in the melted lead for maybe 30 to 45 seconds, it helps get the mold up to casting temp. Never submerge the whole mold in the melt. Looks like you are ready to go, so just go to it. Some one mentioned 700 + temp for casting. That is a good place to start, I have cast at higher temps and have gotten good results. It all depends on the mold and what it likes to cast at. In my experience large boolits like 300 gr and all the way up to 500 gr molds like the lower temps. and small boolits like 50 grs. or so like higher temps. I have been casting for well over 30 years and that does not make me an expert, but what I said works for me.

[patsher]

You asked about what temperature to set the hot plate to heat up the molds -- I set mine about 3/4 of the way to High. Like the guy above said, if your mold is too cold you get wrinkled boolits.

Now -- know this: wrinkled boolits shoot fine as long as the base if well filled-out and the corners are sharp. They just don't look as pretty as smooth ones.

And, remember if you have trouble with the boolits filling out the mold completely, add a little tin. I have a 20# pot, and just hold a stick of pure tin (if I have it) in the hot lead until about an inch melts off. Only takes a few seconds. If I don't have the pure tin but am using 60/40 solder biscuits I've bought from some of the guys here, I do the same thing -- hold it with a pair of pliers in the hot lead until about 1/4 or 1/3 of the biscuit melts off. Then stir and flux again, and try casting. Add a little more tin if it needs it. Not very scientific, but works for me.

Pat

[Cherokee]

I heat my moulds on a hot plate, about middle heat setting and let them heat for awhile. You want the mould hot enough to avoid the wrinkles. Get to it and see how you do. You can change your technique as you see what happens.

[smoked turkey]

Ken you are doing the right thing by reading, studying and asking. As has been stated experience is also a good teacher. I didn't see anything mentioned but I would recommend you purchase a Lyman cast boolit handbook. It has a wealth of info on casting and also loading information. As you have already learned the folks here on this board are the most knowledgable you will find on any of the disciplines of our hobby whether casting, reloading or shooting. I have always found everyone to go out of their way to answer my questions. I'm sure they will do the same for you. Welcome to the madness.

[MtGun44]

For your 9mm, try Lee 356-120-TC sized at .357 or .358, pan lube with NRA 50-50 or other
conventional lube rather than the LLA stuff, which has a poor success record with 9mm.

Check out the sticky: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=121737

Buying metal isn't a problem, with a 120 gr boolits you'll make 58 to the pound, under 2
cents each.

Good luck.

Bill

[ubetcha]

Before you start to cast that first boolit,Make sure you have the proper safety equipment such as gloves,eye protection.proper clothes and foot wear,and ventilation.The rest will come on it's own from learning and asking questions.Welcome to the silver boolit addiction

[Ken73]

OK, so what the heck am I doing wrong? Had the temp up to 800+ (I let it cool down to 750) but wasn't sure about the mold. They came out nice and silvery but it seems like it poured REALLY slow (like the lead was too "thick" or something.) Keep in mind this lead is "unknown" - but I did clean out the pot out (emptied the remaining lead into muffins.)

I had the mold on my hot plate (set at "medium") but it's a coil-type burner so I don't know how hot the mold got. I'd like to drill it for a probe - but again, what temp should it be at when I go to cast?

Oh, and I learned NOT to flux while the temp probe is in the melt. Kinda melted the probe handle a little. LMAO!

[Ken73]

Try not to laugh too hard, here's my little casting/reloading bench. The door is immediately behind it and you can barely make out the fan (tower type) - but I had the door open and the fan blowing outside right behind the pot. So far I've been able to easily make 300 BLK rounds on this "bench" and deprime/size 50 BMG brass with no issues (other than bending the handle occasionally, but I figured that one out.) I setup my various tools (like the Lyman case trimmer, or my powder drop) with T-nuts on the bottom so I don't have to worry about holes getting too loose or putting a nut on a tight spot; I did the same for the presses. That way I can take them off and set them aside if I need more room.

[Cherokee]

Your bench looks fine. The bullets, well, the mould was too cold. Need to get it hotter. "Medium" on my hot plate works for me, apparently not for yours. Keep the pace as fast as you can go so the heat can build up in the mould as well. When the bullets get frosty, you can slow down a little. Meta temp should be fine. That fan may be cooling the mould too much if the air is blowing over it. Just some thoughts. Keep at it.

[Ken73]

The bullets, well, the mould was too cold. Need to get it hotter.

I was wondering about that. Has anyone drilled their molds for a temp probe?

So the lead is OK coming out like that and appearing to be a little thick?

Any suggestions on putting a metal plate or something on the hot plate so it's even (and the mold stays hot?)

[45-70 Chevroner]

I can't remember if you mentioned cleaning the mold, and from the looks of the wrinkles the mold might still have some oil in the cavities. Clean the mold real good with mineral spirits then with alcohol. Blow the excess off with an air hose or wipe dry. Dip the corner of the mold in the melt for about 45 seconds then start casting. The best test for when the mold is ready is when the lead will not stick to the corner of the mold. You will still have a little lead stick to outside of the mold, just wipe it off with a cotton rag.

[Ken73]

I can't remember if you mentioned cleaning the mold, and from the looks of the wrinkles the mold might still have some oil in the cavities. Clean the mold real good with mineral spirits then with alcohol. Blow the excess off with an air hose or wipe dry.

Yea, I oiled the parts that everyone said to lube with 2 cycle oil (had some laying around.) Got it on a q-tip and put very little on there. I don't know if I got some on there or not, but I did clean it real good with q-tips and mineral spirits afterwards for the next melt. I'll do it again with alcohol this time and blow it out real good just to be sure.

Might try again tonight and see what happens!