Casting Minnies?????

[bub524]

Just started casting minnies again after 20 years of not using them. I am using a Lee production pot, bottom spigot and Lyman 575213 58 cal. mold. The minnies look great, but at least 50% of them have an air pocket in the apex of the hollow base. I'm sure this will have an effect on accuracy. I try to tilt the mold when pouring so the air is let out, but this doesn't seem to help a lot. The bullets come out nice and shiney, not frosted. I have the temp set all the way up or the lead won't get hot enough to fill out the mold.
So...whats wrong? Any suggestions or cures???

 

[Lone Carabiner]

Are you using a flux (wax) to purify the molten lead? I don't cast minies, just pistol slugs so far with REAL slugs in the planning stage but plenty of fluxing makes mine better pour.

 

[bub524]

Ya, but maybe not enough?

 

[Coot]

I have not cast a minie for some years but when I did, it was not unusual to have a goodly number of rejects. The mold had to be good & hot to get a good cavity. I guess that the plug cools faster than the body halves.

 

[rebel727]

I had to drill out the sprue hole a tad on my Lyman mold. Just a smidge tho don't get it too big or you'll have a minie that looks like a big ol SWC

 

[TANSTAAFL]

I had to drill out the sprue hole a tad on my Lyman mold. Just a smidge tho don't get it too big or you'll have a minie that looks like a big ol SWC

With minie molds, I have took a thin blade file and just relieved the vent grooves a tad. Have to be careful, too much, and one could get hedgehog looking minies.

 

[musketshooter]

When using a bottom pour pot, you need to hold the mold away from the spigot to allow the air to escape from the mold. The pour spout allows to much lead to enter the mold and the air has no place to go. Mini ball molds cast best with a ladle which can be held back a bit to allow the air to escape. If you need to smoke the mold, you are doing something else wrong.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Been casting minis for over 40 years, have several molds. A couple of the Lyman's had to have the cavity vent grooves relieved, afterwards they worked great.

 

[bub524]

I tried opening the vent grooves and it helped somewhat. I still have about 20% throwbacks. I think I'm going to try opening the sprue up very slightly and redo the grooves.
I just hate using the Lee mold because they get all gummed up on top with lead and then the blocks start to get lead stuck to them and before you know they look like a frustrated person hit them with a sledge hammer. :rotf:

 

[wulf]

If you don't heat up the plug that makes the base
cavity as much as the mold blocks you will always
find pockets in the base of the mini..That I learned when i first stated in 1958..I only added that year to show just how long i have been cast-
ing mini's...Heat the base plug....

 

[chgraf]

I would be greatful if you would tell me what kind of "wax" I need to use to flux my lead. And is it possible to use lead that is to hard for casting bullets? :hmm:

 

[shortjack]

I use a toilet sealing wax ring to flux my lead you can pick them up at the local hardware store for around a dollar. Just put a little in the lead after it has melted and be careful it's gonna smoke alot but thats normal. Then scoop the contaminants off the top of the lead' I use a spoon with a 9 inch piece of wood attached to the spoon handle. The most important thing to remember is DO NOT let water touch the melted lead or you will have a vapor explosion. Make sure your spoon, mould and ladle if you use one are clean and free of any liquids when you use them.As far as lead, if you're making bullets or round balls for a muzzle loader it has to be pure lead. Wheel weight lead is to hard and you can't use them in muzzle loaders.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Wheel weight lead is to hard and you can't use them in muzzle loaders.

Beg to differ, for round ball casual shooting and smoothbores, use WW a lot, but not for hunting.

 

[Tumblernotch]

You can get by with harder lead in round balls though softer is better. With expanding ball (Minies), you have to use soft lead in order for the gases to upset the skirt into the rifling.

Oh, and by the way. This is for Bub, a small piece of beeswax will do a dandy job as flux. It does smoke a lot and if not stirred quickly into the lead will burst into flame. This is no big deal, just don't panic, it will stay in the pot. When burning, at least it doesn't smoke!

 

[silverfox]

Use a ladle when casting large bullets and Minnies it just works better. My bottom pour just doesn't work on large molds. .50 and below with the bottom pour and a ladle for anything larger or bullets (reals) Yes you have to get the plug hot and keep it hot this is where timing your casting comes in. Once you start you have to keep you timing or things cool and you have to reheat everything. Keep your lead hot for large bullets.
Fox :thumbsup:

 

[wulf]

You can or not add wax to melting lead..I use
bees wax because I have it..Hard lead can be shot in a muzzle loader but It wont "crush" with the patch pressing the lands..Minis don't expand well
with hard lead,,but I do use hard lead in a smooth
bore..The lose fit makes it acceptable...

 

[chgraf]

Thanks for the information. I'm new to casting bullets & balls. I bought a complete setup on a garage sale this past summer. Kind of fun to mess with.I got about 50LBS. of type set lead with it and when I cast round balls they only weigh 160 grains.I have messed with some other lead & the castings come up to the right weights.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Thanks for the information. I'm new to casting bullets & balls. I bought a complete setup on a garage sale this past summer. Kind of fun to mess with.I got about 50LBS. of type set lead with it and when I cast round balls they only weigh 160 grains.I have messed with some other lead & the castings come up to the right weights.

Type set lead? If this is linotype, it is extremely hard with a lot of tin. Great stuff, I use it for CF cast bullets in making #2 alloy and such.

 

[chgraf]

Maybe I shouldn't call it "type set lead". It has been used for some kind of printing, you can still read it but its backwards.When you bend a piece of it, it will break off. I thought it had to be high in tin because of the casting weights and it breaks easy. I'll use it up on round balls & fishing weights. I've got two other boxes that are soft, maxi-balls are coming out around 368 grains. :grin:

 

[paulvallandigham]

What you describe is known as linotype, and it is high in antimony and has a higher tin content than most want. It was used for years by pistol and revolver shooters to cast Hard Lead bullets for magnum shooting, where you don't want to deal with leading in your barrel. Today, I understand that the hard lead used for these bullets has a high tin content, but not as much antimony as linotype. With the advent of computers, and jet ink printers, linotype is just about gone.