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Harry Marinakis

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Do my balls look okay?

I bought a Lyman double mold and started casting my own balls. I'm using an electric lead pot with a bottom pour spout.

I followed the mold instructions and have read everything I can about casting balls. It's definitely an art. About half of my balls have defects, and I noticed that one of the two molds produces more defects than the other mold.

Mold cleaned with alcohol and toothbrush, then soot applied to molds.

Molds briefly pre-heated with propane torch.

Lead pot set at 8 out of 10.

Using lead ingots for casting lead balls.

Instructions say to hold the mold 1/4 inch below bottom pour spout, but that results in a lot of lead overspill and balls with defects. So I put the mold right up against the pour spout, and hold it there for 5 seconds.

Any advice?

1000001099.jpg


1000001100.jpg
 
Last edited:
reddogge said:
I see some voids. Can you tell if they go into the ball? Maybe the mold needs more pre-heating and breaking in.
Click to expand...

The spurs seem too large, bit the spur cutting bolt is cranked down all the way. Can't cut them any shorter.

Am I running the lead too hot?
 
Harry Marinakis said:
Do my balls look okay?

I bought a Lyman double mold and started casting my own balls. I'm using an electric lead pot with a bottom pour spout.

I followed the mold instructions and have read everything I can about casting balls. It's definitely an art. About half of my balls have defects, and I noticed that one of the two molds produces more defects than the other mold.

Mold cleaned with alcohol and toothbrush, then soot applied to molds.

Molds briefly pre-heated with propane torch.

Lead pot set at 8 out of 10.

Using lead ingots for casting lead balls.

Instructions say to hold the mold 1/4 inch below bottom pour spout, but that results in a lot of lead overspill and balls with defects. So I put the mold right up against the pour spout, and hold it there for 5 seconds.

Any advice?

View attachment 315697

View attachment 315695
Click to expand...

Doesn't matter how they look it's how they shoot that counts. Go punch some paper and hanging targets and I think you will be surprise how they shoot. Don't overthink this
 
lay that mold on top of the Lee Pot when its warming up. Lyman molds are steel and they take a good bit to warm up and start throwing good balls. That's why I say warm that mold as your lead melts. A lead thermometer could help but not necessary. I cast with my Pot on about 6 or 7. And as was said, I have found an ugly chick performs as good as a pretty one, sometimes better. haha, Anyway with all that said, I am one who prefers, Aluminum molds, most of mine are Lee, they simply cast a dang good ball and bullets for that matter.
 
If you are holding the mold against the spout and then leaving it there for a few seconds you are not getting the necessary pool of lead (sprue), which is why you are getting voids. Lead shrinks upon cooling and you need that puddle of lead on the top to supply more lead to the cooling balls.
Your "frosty" looking balls tells me your lead may not be pure; looks like it may have some tin. Pure lead should produce shiny balls.

ADK Bigfoot
 
Seeing voids....To avoid hollow balls , allow lead over run causing more downward pressure. Best to not put the furnace pot nozzle into the mold sprew cut off plate. Run your temps on the hot side , and cast , cast , cast..........Had my best success with Lee molds.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
ADK Bigfoot said:
Your "frosty" looking balls tells me your lead may not be pure; looks like it may have some tin. Pure lead should produce shiny balls.
Click to expand...

I noticed that I was getting shiny balls at the start, when I had the lead pot set at 10 (for the initial melting) and the mold wasn't as hot. But I was also getting 100% defective balls.

Casting is definitely an art form.
 
Get a hot plate and keep it just over medium heat and put your mold on it while heating the lead and when you put it down. I can run two or three molds at a time this way. Don't worry about overflow and keep the mold a little away from the spout. I have steel molds and aluminum and prefer the Lee aluminum, they leave a very small sprue. Overflow is good just put a small pan under the spout to catch it and then put back in the pot.
 
Okay I tried again today, using the advice I received. I made a few changes:

I loosened the hinge screw on the sprue cutter. I think keeping the screw tight kept the cutter elevated off the mold. With a loose sprue cutter and a downward strike, the sprues are shorter.

I ran everything A LOT hotter. I kept the electric pot at HIGH and I really heated the mold on a propane stove.

So hot that the sprue stayed molten for about 3-4 seconds after the pour. This was key, I think.

Frosted balls = too cool.

I quit worrying about spillover and poured solid sprues. I poured about 1/4 inch below the bottom pour spout. I just kept cleaning up the mess and throwing it back in the pot.

Finally I also tried a steel pot on a propane stove and used a ladle. THAT WAS SO MUCH FASTER AND EASIER. I'm ditching the electric pot.

Today I poured about 200 balls. My defective balls went from about 60% yestetday to about 3% today.

Next I am going to look for a Lee mold in .490 cal.

Thanks, y'all.

1000001104.jpg
 
Last edited:
Harry Marinakis said:
The spurs were taller when I had the hinge screw tightened. Not sure what to do. Maybe it's just the Lyman mold?
Click to expand...
I usually do not get the rings around the RB I pour, and I have a cheap Lee mold. IMO, that's a sign the mold haves are not properly closing or aligned. It may or may not make a difference in overall accuracy, however.

Also, and I'm not ragging on you whatsoever, but I would not be happy with sprues like that. It appears to me that your mold may not be the greatest. Was it used or new when you got it?
 
I've replaced most of my Lyman molds with Lee molds. Lay a straight edge across the underside of the spru cutter to see if the cutter is deformed. Top of the mold while closed should also be flat w/ the straight edge. If both underside of the cutter and mold top surface are straight and square , perhaps he cutter screw is deformed. This kind of BS is why my Lyman molds went away........LOL to ya. Hope all is fixable.
 
There may be a washer between the cutter and the mould, if so take it out and put on top of the cutter. I bought a used mould one time that had a washer on top and bottom of the cutter. It would leave a large sprue. I have great success with Lyman moulds, but they do take longer to heat up than Lee.

The washer should be like the picture.
Screenshot_20240429_080701_Chrome.jpg
 
Lyman molds do make a larger sprue than the Lee molds. I have not found the Sprue nub of a Lyman mold to have an advese effect on my accuracy. Or maybe that has something to say about my ability to place a ball on target.

The Bag molds by Larry Callahan and the Tanner molds do not have sprue cutters. The longer sprues do mean that there is molten lead to fill the potential voids as the lead cools and solidifies. A good side cutter will cut the sprue off at or near the tangential contact with the ball.
 

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