Is there a desirable temperature to pre-heat a Lee aluminum mold before casting to prevent wrinkles?
Thanks
Is there a desirable temperature to pre-heat a Lee aluminum mold before casting to prevent wrinkles?
Thanks
Have no idea degree wise but preheat mine at a bit below medium on my Oster solid surface hotplate. Usually get good boolits on the first pour. No idea how I would check temp on the mold itself. I set the mold on the hotplate and turn it and the lead pot on at the same time. By the time the lead is ready to pour the mold is at full temp (about 20 minutes). Hope this helps.
Handheld laser thermometer? I assume that would give you a decent reading to base off of.
My straightshooter posts: https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...raight-shooter
https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...RAIGHT-SHOOTER
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...raight-shooter
Some people have reached out to me directly to put specific brass packages together regarding specific headstamps. Feel free to ask.
375 to 400
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001
It doesn't generally seem to be very important to have an exact figure. The boolits will tell you when the mold is hot enough.
Wayne
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger - or else it gives you a bad rash.
Venison is free-range, organic, non-GMO and gluten-free
+1 about 375/400 above_
said without thermometer, according to the instructions, preheating can be obtained with a good approximation by placing the mold balanced on the mouth of the pot, if you use a lee electric pot. during the time that lead and c. melt, the mold heats up, and when the alloy is liquid, the mold is ready to use. generally after a couple of reject fills the mold starts doing its thing. it works for me, if I don't accidentally drop the mold first_
Food is overrated. A nice rifle is way more important.
Rob
I just dip the edge of the mold in the molten alloy for a few seconds til the alloy no longer sticks to the mold and commence to casting. been working that way for years
400°F gets me a very light matte frosting that in my MP aluminum molds means virtually no culls. I use a hot plate with a heat diffusing metal base over the coil element, parking the mold in a heat retaining mold “garage”, and confirm the temp with a k type thermocouple in one of the middle cavities.
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 |