Casting lead yet again.

[cynthialee]

Cast some .485 roundballs today. I had only about a 15% cull rate. Not too shabby for me. I am not unaccustomed to 25-45% culls. I must be getting better at this. :grin:

I have come to the conclusion that I much prefer a single cavity mold over multi cavity/gang molds.
The single cavity mold seems to hold heat better and the fact I was only getting one round per cast didn't seem to matter once I got done casting and looked at my pile of roundballs.

 

[Grumpa]

"Handsome is as handsome does." Now, take the shiniest one, seat it on a suitable charge, and head off into that beautiful forest....Good hunting...good shooting.

 

[Wes/Tex]

I must be getting better at this.
I have come to the conclusion that I much prefer a single cavity mold over multi cavity/gang molds.
The single cavity mold seems to hold heat better and the fact I was only getting one round per cast didn't seem to matter once I got done casting and looked at my pile of roundballs.

I'd say you're coming along great. Running ball is kind of like therapy, at least for me. The more you mess with it the quicker you'll be able to turn out enough balls for your shooting. Agree that single cavity molds work better, at least for me. Once you've developed your technique, the job goes a lot quicker. I started out many years ago using a #303 can with the rim pinched for pouring, a pair of Dad's pliers and an old bag mold marked "13"...later figured it was 13 balls to the pound or 13 bore. Even believe Mom's hot pad was probably asbestos...it's a wonder I lived this long! :haha:

 

[necchi]

I have come to the conclusion that I much prefer a single cavity mold over multi cavity/gang molds.

I'm with that.
The common Lee double cavity that we get now-a-days aren't bad per se`, but a good single in steel is hard to beat.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Double cavity in steel work OK because they hold the heat better. Even the Lee aluminum can be alright if you develop the right rythm. But, like you, I prefer single cavity. They work fine and you can produce a lot of balls in an hour or two of casting with them.
You have come a long way from your first inquiries about casting. :thumbsup:

 

[strato50]

I like my Lee mold, a combo REAL and .490 round ball. I can make both or 1 at a time.

Trick is, I found, to keep the lead at a good temp, but more importantly I keep a bowl of water with a sponge sitting in it to occasionally cool the mold once things start taking too long to turn solid.

It took me about 20 minutes to go from complete casting rookie to pouring consistently good shot.

:grin:

 

[mooman76]

After you have been casting awhile, it will come so easy you will wonder why you had problems in the first place. I have very few culls anymore. Even from the first when I properly preheat the mould.

 

[bpd303]

I have always been concerned with warping the mold using the sponge & water. I just hold the mold in front of the fan that I use to control fumes and it drops the temperature fast (several seconds).

 

[dikman]

Isn't it nice when things start coming together? . I just treated myself to an RCBS Pro-Melt (electric pot). Bit extravagant, perhaps, but it's a great bit of gear. When it arrived I couldn't wait to try it out. Once it had enough lead in it I turned out about 80 .451 RB's in nothing flat!!! There were a few rejects, but overall they were quite acceptable.

There is no comparison between an electric bottom pour and a pot on a stove with a dipper.

Can't wait to make more!

 

[Billnpatti]

Glad to hear that you are making progress with your casting. What is the main reason for the culls? Perhaps I can offer a suggestion to help you reduce your percentage of culls. I have been casting for many years and have my cull rate down to less that 10% once I get going. When I first start casting, most of my balls are culls but as soon as I get my pot to the right temperature and my well smoked mould to the right temperature, my cull rate drops to almost nothing. It usually take me 10 to as many as 20 balls before everything comes together and the beautiful round balls start coming out. I tumble my newly cast balls to finish them off and make them ready to shoot. If I can be of any help, just let me know. :hatsoff:

 

[cynthialee]

casting too fast

 

[Billnpatti]

Casting too fast is usually not a problem as long as you give the ball time to harden. Another thing that can happen when casting fast is that you may get your lead too hot and get frosty balls. If this happens, just turn down the temp. on your pot a bit. No need to cull frosty balls, the frosty appearance is just cosmetic and has no effect on how well the ball shoots. If your fast casting is causing voids in the balls, you can usually stop that by allowing a bigger puddle on the top of the mold so as the ball cools, it has lead to draw in as it shrinks. Another hint is that if you listen to music while you cast, make it "Easy Listening" music. You tend to pace yourself by the music that you listen to and listening to loud music with a fast beat will cause you to speed up your casting. Actually, I prefer not to listen to music while I am casting. I cast in my garage with the doors open and I prefer to listen to the birds, the breeze in the trees and other music of nature. Then I just set up my own internal pace and merrily cast away. The biggest problem is the occasional pee break. It's my biggest pace messer upper. Well, that and when my wife calls me to the phone or some other thing that gets my fingers wiggling and reaching for her throat. I always stop short of throttling her simply because I love her more than the breath of life itself and, because she is the only person on the face of the earth who would put up with me (49 years and counting). I told her that she will have so many jewels in her crown that I will have to bury her with a wheelbarrow so she will have something to carry it in.

 

[necchi]

I still get a cull rate that's 10-15%.
A lot has to do with conditions, is it hot outside or cool, is my melt temp right?
As the cast session moves long the mold temp might get too high and need to cool a bit or vice versa.
My hands or wrist might get sore, so a pause is needed and the whole temp thing begins again.
Adding lead, fluxing, stirring,,,
All are human variables, we ain't machines, :idunno:

I don't think I've ever gone below a 10% cull, and from 10-15% is just 5 ball out of 100,
That ain't nothing to split hairs about, :wink:

It's an indication that something is amiss when cull rate is 20% or higher, that's when method and technique may need a little review to figure out what's going on.

 

[cynthialee]

I literally poured liquid lead out of my mold a number of times. I just get fired up and go to fast.

 

[Billnpatti]

Yep, that really is too fast. Turn down the temperature on your lead pot a bit and sloooooow down. Also, your mould is too hot but slowing down a bit on your casting rate will remedy that. Watch the puddle on top of your mould and when it solidifies, your ball should be solid, too. When you cut off your sprue, look at it to see that it is solid before opening the mould.

 

[mooman76]

Yep, that really is too fast. Turn down the temperature on your lead pot a bit and sloooooow down. Also, your mould is too hot but slowing down a bit on your casting rate will remedy that. Watch the puddle on top of your mould and when it solidifies, your ball should be solid, too. When you cut off your sprue, look at it to see that it is solid before opening the mould.

Absolutely correct. You need to read your lead or operation. If it is taking too long for the lead to cool turn the pot down. Too quick, turn it up. It should take about 3-5 seconds for the lead too cool enough to drop.

 

[cynthialee]

Part of the issue is that time just seems to stand still and a second feels like 5.

 

[Billnpatti]

If you listen to music while you are casting, don't listen to anything with a beat any faster than "Lay, Lady, Lay" by Bob Dillon. You are probably not old enough to remember that song but you can Google it. It's a good 'un! and it has a good beat for casting lead.

 

[flyfisher76544]

Sounds like you got it figured out! Congrats. :thumbsup:

 

[Andyd]

Just curious. What kind of lead are you using? Wheel weights? I have cast some bullets myself but not nearly enough to have any sort of an opinion. But I pick up wheel weights whenever I see them. So I have a good stock pile.
And I will repeat myself here.
I LOVE this site because you people realy make the stuff yourself. :thumbsup: