First time pouring lead balls

[belld416]

A good friend of mine recently gave me his LEE melting pot and ball molds. Also several pounds of lead.

I read the manual and watched a few videos. The first batch I just tossed them back in the pot. They were out of round and pitted. I increased my temp a bit and tried to heat my mold before I poured my next batch.

The second batch were nice and round but almost had a “wavy” look to the balls. They feel nice and smooth, just look wavy. Is this something I’m doing wrong or just the lead itself. He had acquired lead jackets from his daughters radiology business when she purchased new jackets.

Also, I’ve heard people making a tumbler from a cordless drill and metal coffee can to further smoothing out the surface. Is this beneficial?

Thanks!

 

[EC121]

Sounds like the lead still isn't quite hot enough. You should have to wait for the puddle in the sprue to solidify last if it is hot enough.

 

[Ames]

Mold not hot enough, and you are pouring too slow.
Keep pitching the first 20 or so back in the pot as you learn to pour faster. All of a sudden you should hit optimal temps on the mold blocks and they will come out real purdy. Also, tap them onto an old, damp bath towel.

 

[yonderin]

If you have a good mold and technique, I don't think there's any need or advantage to further smoothing.

Keep working at it and you'll soon have it figgered. Took me a little while to achieve satisfactory results but once I found that my setup in an unheated garage during cooler weather wasn't the best, it came along.

 

[mooman76]

You can dip the corner of the mould(about 20 seconds or so) including part of the sprue in the melted lead to preheat it so you cast comes out good sooner if not immediate. Thats the good thing about lead. No waist, just keep remelting.

 

[dave951]

"Wavy"- mold or lead too cold. Increase lead temp or mold temp.

 

[EC121]

Minor wrinkles don't make much difference. By the time you load the rifle the patch has been impressed into the ball leaving the weave pattern on it. Plus the ball and patch have both been forced into the rifling making the rifling pattern on the ball. Not to mention the short starter ringing the front of the ball. What's a small wrinkle with all this going on.

 

[brewer12345]

It means your mold isn't hot enough. I use a small hotplate to preheat my molds and this cuts down tremendously on the amount of throwbacks due to a cold mold.

 

[William P Sepessy]

Get a lead thermometer. Pure lead likes a bit more heat than most alloys. 800 degrees or a bit more will put you in the ballpark and stop the wrinkles if the mold is OK. Without the thermometer you are guessing.

 

[mooman76]

Turn the pot up all the way. Once it starts taking more than 4 or 5 seconds to harden, turn the pot down a little at a time until you get to right temp. If it cools too fast turn it back up a little.

 

[M. De Land]

I always look for the first hint of frost on ball or bullet then I know I have optimum fill out. Aluminum molds react differently than do iron or brass so one has to manipulate the cadence to accommodate the solidification change.I usually start to cast with alloy or pure lead when the lead thermometer reaches 750 F. Don't let it go much over 800 F.
Lead balls are the easiest projectile to cast well so are the perfect place to learn.
Tips , with any mold iron,brass or aluminum you first want to take the mold and sprue plate apart. Stone the bottom of the pour hole in the plate, perfectly flat to make it sharp, then coat the underside of the sprue plate, the fill hole and the top of the mold with carpenters pencil lead.This will do three things, 1. Lube the plate movement, 2. help prevent plate galling of mold top, 3. make the sprue or bullet base more crisp.
Next the mold needs de-greased in Acetone and when dry smoke the cavity with a shack match. It does not have to be black with soot it only needs the thinnest of soot film to work perfectly.
If you will follow these very simple tips you will cut your learning curve and frustration in half and be making match grade balls or bullets very quickly.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I heat the mold with a small propane torch. Doesn't take too long. Easier than dipping a corner of the mold in the lead.

Wait till the end to toss the crappy balls back in. All that does is cool off the lead. Make a bunch, separate the good ones from the bad, then toss all the bad ones back at the end. Remold them the next time.

 

[Griz44Mag]

I heat the mold with a small propane torch. Doesn't take too long. Easier than dipping a corner of the mold in the lead.

Wait till the end to toss the crappy balls back in. All that does is cool off the lead. Make a bunch, separate the good ones from the bad, then toss all the bad ones back at the end. Remold them the next time.

If you toss em in while casting, you get to cast more balls. A few grains at a time back in the pot has no effect on the temp.
That said - every caster has their own way of doing it, and if it works for you - don't fix it.
I use a hot plate. When I set up to cast I plug in the pot and load it, then fire up the hot plate and put the molds on. By the time I have a hot pot full of lead, I have hot molds to start casting. It is rare I have rejects on first cast unless I screw up the pour.

 

[Sidney Smith]

If you toss em in while casting, you get to cast more balls. A few grains at a time back in the pot has no effect on the temp.
That said - every caster has their own way of doing it, and if it works for you - don't fix it.
I use a hot plate. When I set up to cast I plug in the pot and load it, then fire up the hot plate and put the molds on. By the time I have a hot pot full of lead, I have hot molds to start casting. It is rare I have rejects on first cast unless I screw up the pour.

If you have enough lead in the pot, there should be enough for your casting session, and then some. I always start out with a full pot, so when I'm done, I still have lead in the pot. Then the bad ones go back in until next time.

 

[mooman76]

I also like the toss the lead balls and sprue cuttings that don't cut it right away while they are still hot so they don't change the temp all that much. As the pot goes down them lead temp will change also so to keep casting I add a little lead at a time. I usually have a large session and can go through more lead than the pot holds. Does it really take much to hold the corner of the mould in hot lead for 20-25 seconds?

 

[ab44]

You bunch of casters may be able to help with this item I have here. I saw a Starr single caster (original) and wondered what size it was (44 cal) Also I just got a good S/A Starr 44 cal, original and working well. I want to try her but we are not sure of ball size. Some say .457. the 454 balls fall in cylinder and roll out and go half way,1/3 way, sitting on muzzle with no force. Can you good old boys help. I shoot my Remingtons regular with 454's. Will they work with a patch wrap on them? Could I use a slug with a paper cartridge and again what size? I measured cylinder it is .457-459 etc the muzzle is around 456-455

 

[user 34300]

Wavy might also describe oil contamination on the blocks. The blocks must be 100% oil free. I use carb cleaner for that. Smoking them a candle, or a propane torch with the air cut off, both work. I let the mold sit on top of the pot while the lead melts to preheat. Pure lead needs to be run hotter than alloys, at lest 800* for me.

 

[Kansas Jake]

A simple bic type lighter will work to smoke your mold blocks. I just try to get the inside of the ball mold area smoked.

 

[Griz44Mag]

If you have enough lead in the pot, there should be enough for your casting session, and then some. I always start out with a full pot, so when I'm done, I still have lead in the pot. Then the bad ones go back in until next time.

There are times when I am pouring really heavy ones (the Bess comes to mind) that a pot just doesn't go very far. On those days I may run through 2,3 or more pots of melt...