gonna cast some bullets...advice?

[homerdave]

i just got 3 lee molds, a .490 ball, .50 minie, and a 2x cavity .54 r.e.a.l.
i also got a melting pot.
any advice?
i will be loading for a .50 GPR and a .54 renegade.
thanks

 

[Many Klatch]

Do it outside. Wear boots, long pants, long sleeves. Lead spatters on bare skin hurts. Get good gloves and wear two pair so you can handle the molds safely. Don't let any water get in the lead. If you have dirty lead, melt it down into ingots before you use it in a bottom pouring lead pot.

Cast the first dozen or so balls and throw them back in the pot. It takes a while for the mold to heat up. I find that old paper egg cartons make a good receptacle to dump the freshly cooled ball into and it helps to keep track of how many you have cast.

Many Klatch

 

[Darkgael]

One more idea. Once the lead is molten, flux it. Use a small piece of beeswax about the size of a pea. Drop it into the pot, stir it into the mix as it melts. It will smoke a lot (some folks light the smoke to burn it off). When it is done smoking, remove the dark,ashy, remains that are floating on the melt. Handle and dispose of that ash very carefully, it is wildly toxic.
If you are casting a lot of bullets and add new lead, sooner or later you will have to flux again.
Pete

 

[hthomso]

The previous posts cover it pretty well. Safety first! Make sure you have good ventilation. Wear safety glasses, long trousers, and shoes. Wash hands after casting. And from personal experience, I can second the caution about water in the melt. Molten lead REALLY hurts. You may find bullet casting requires a little practice and development of a technique, but it adds alot to the hobby. Be careful and have fun.

 

[DCF]

....and PLEASE use eye protection - safety glasses, visor whatever you find comfortable so you don't have to keep taking them off.
(I had a spectacular "casting event" involving moisture in the melt - I was lucky but it brought home the need to wear 'em)

 

[B.Habermehl]

Please look up my post in the archives "Stoopid Hurts". It is a cautionary about moisture and scrap lead.

 

[BrownBear]

Hey Dave,

Read and follow Lee's instructions for prepping the moulds, especially the lube part for the hinges, sprue plate pivot and the little alignment pins. It's something separate from smoking the mould cavities themselves, and often overlooked by folks. But it makes a huge difference in the function of Lee moulds.

The one time I failed to do it (coincidentally on a 54 cal REAL mould), I had a dickens of a time getting the mould to close completely every time. Light bulb went off, and I went back and lubed as directed. The mould has been working flawlessly for the two years since.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Buy a soft, graphite pencil and use it to coat the underside of the sprue cutter, as well as the inside of the mold before your first cast. Some people smoke them with candle soot, which will be a combination of wax residue and carbon. It also works.

Graphite is a form of just carbon, and works well as a release agent. You can also rub the graphite pencil on the top of the mold, around the opening to prevent lead from adhering there.

Use a synthetic lube for the pivot and the screw for the sprue cut-off plate. Synthetic lubes have a much higher temperature tolerance, than do petroleum based oils.

 

[SCATTERSHOT]

...leave a little "puddle" of lead on top of the sprue cutter. The lead will shrink a little as it cools, and you'll get more uniform weight that way. A wrinkled ball means your mould is too cool, and frosting indicates that the mould is too hot, but it really doesn't hurt anything, but it's something to watch out for.

Develop a rythm as you cast, and don't get in a hurry.

Good luck!

 

[BrownBear]

...leave a little "puddle" of lead on top of the sprue cutter. The lead will shrink a little as it cools, and you'll get more uniform weight that way. A wrinkled ball means your mould is too cool, and frosting indicates that the mould is too hot, but it really doesn't hurt anything, but it's something to watch out for.

Develop a rythm as you cast, and don't get in a hurry.

Good luck!

Wise words from a practical man.

 

[Idaho Ron]

Use PURE lead. If you try to use lead that is harder you won't get the REAL's down the pipe. Pure lead is also VERY hard to frost. I haven't seen it frost in all the bullets I have done. I have seen frost on harder bullets because they were not pure. Ron

 

[ohio ramrod]

just a little note when using molds with a sprue cutter use a handle ,or even a small pair of vice grips on the sprue cutter. If you hit it with a hammer or even a mallet you will start to throw the mold halves out of alignment. I have seen lee molds as much as .025 out of alignment from people pounding on them. you want round balls not eggs!

 

[paulvallandigham]

OHIO: If you support the mold blocks by bracing the opposite block against your bench, or vise before you hit that sprue cutter, NO damage or misalignment of the blocks will occur. This is the technique we used for years, first with Lyman steel mold blocks, and later with Lee Alloy aluminum blocks. Hitting a free-hand held mold in one hand with a stick or hammer held in the other is very hard on your wrist, and very tiring, and inefficient. By bracing the mold, you also control where that very hot sprue flies to, so you don't get burned! :thumbsup:

 

[MSW]

probably goes without saying, but you do want to do this out doors, and with a nice breeze if possible, since the fumes from the melting can really mess you up. (this will also prevent nasty stink, a popular source of 'domestic unrest.') the garage is OK if you have a decent fan going, but the basement is probably not such a great idea.

also, be careful not to eat or drink anything while you're casting, and to thoroughly wash your hands and face afterwards.

 

[Frank/Pa]

just a little note when using molds with a sprue cutter use a handle ,or even a small pair of vice grips on the sprue cutter. If you hit it with a hammer or even a mallet you will start to throw the mold halves out of alignment. I have seen lee molds as much as .025 out of alignment from people pounding on them. you want round balls not eggs!

I wear thick leather gloves and use my right hand to move the sprue cutter. Much better control. I tried using a mallet, but didn't like it.