Gonna start casting....tips?

[barebackjack]

Well, I got my pot and hot plate, got some lead on the way (hopefully for this weekend), got a mold.

Now I have lots of questions.

Will a hot plate work? What is the optimum temp for casting lead? Im assuming that too hot or too cold could cause imperfections or problems.

What should I coat and lube the mold with? Ive read about graphite and other commercial products, and match smoke. What is best?

What should I use to flux, and how often should I do it? What is fluxing, and how do I do it?

What is the best technique to actually pour? I have a lyman spouted dipper. Lee mold.
How do I heat my mold, and how hot should I get it?

What care should I use with the balls after I cast them? How long does it take to cool a ball to drop from the mold, and how long before its cool enough to handle and throw in the box?
How should I clean up? Pot, mold, etc etc?

Sorry for all the questions guys. Im new and want to do it right, and safe. I got an old leather welders smock and gloves, this should do ok.

I bought pure lead on ebay, but before I started reading the perils of wheel weights, I went to the scrap yard and got 7 gallons of wheel weights.....its a bunch. I dont think ill use them for bullets (maybe dilute them in small amounts to pure lead???????????????????), but...I do alot of catfishin in a snaggy river, so does anybody know where I can get a mold for the flat no-roll sinkers. Heh heh, not exactly black powder, but i figured as long as Im being an annoyance.

Thanks guys, I appreciate all your help.

Boone

 

[ktw]

barebackjack:
Will a hot plate work? What is the optimum temp for casting lead? Im assuming that too hot or too cold could cause imperfections or problems.

Hot plate, cast iron pot and dipper will work. Or you can get one of the lee bottom pour pots. Dipper is probably easier for good quality/low production work. Bottom put is more convenient for production casting.

I run a Lee bottom pour pot at around 800-850 degrees for casting pure lead. You can get away with less heat when using an alloy with tin in it.

Alloy/mold too cold gives you wrinkled bullets. Alloy/mold too hot gives you frosted bullets. Frosted bullets shoot good, but you might want to think about cooling things down a bit at than point. Remelt the wrinkled ones.

barebackjack:
What should I coat and lube the mold with? Ive read about graphite and other commercial products, and match smoke. What is best?

Mold should have directions. You'll find good discussions on the topic here[url] http://castboolits.gunloads.com/[/url] Check out their stickies in the "Molds...Maintenance & Design" forum

Degrease the mold throughly before use (dish soap/hot water/toothbrush. lube/oil in the cavities will screw up bullet quality.

Lube sparingly. I use centerfire bullet lube to lube the mold and smoke the cavities with butane lighter.

barebackjack:
What should I use to flux, and how often should I do it? What is fluxing, and how do I do it?

Beeswax is good. I've also seen people use sawdust and motor oil, or simply stirring with a wooden stick. Most anything carbon based will do in a pinch. There is a commercial fluxing agent called Marvelux (doesn't generate all the smoke that the others do)

more here http://www.lasc.us/FryxellFluxing.htm

barebackjack:
What is the best technique to actually pour? I have a lyman spouted dipper. Lee mold.

see instructions that came with lee mold.

barebackjack:
How do I heat my mold, and how hot should I get it?

Set it on a hot plate/edge of the melt pot/stove burner to heat it up. Some dip a corner of the Aluminum Lees into the melt. Start casting bullets with it. Once they stop coming out wrinkled it is hot enough. At the point where they start coming out frosted it is a bit too hot.

barebackjack:
What care should I use with the balls after I cast them? How long does it take to cool a ball to drop from the mold, and how long before its cool enough to handle and throw in the box?

Cast a lot of bullets, dropping them on a folded up towel. breaks in your rythym lead to lower quality bullets. After you have a big pile of them, sort through and toss the bad ones back in the pot for remelting, along with all of the sprues. save the good ones in a receptical of your choice. They should be cool enough to handle in 10-15 minutes or so.

barebackjack:
Sorry for all the questions guys. Im new and want to do it right, and safe.

The Cast Boolits site[url] http://castboolits.gunloads.com[/url] and Los Angeles Silhoutte Club site http://www.lasc.us/ArticlesFryxell.htm are great casting resources.

-ktw

 

[gmww]

Before I do anything with the mold, I clean it out of any possible oils. I've used plain old lighter fluid as a solvant at times. After it is cleaned, I'll smoke the mold with a candle and put a think layer in it to assist in the bullet dropping out.

As far as flux I used pea sized bee's wax and stir the lead to bring up all the crud. Then I'll scoop it off. Be careful as it will flame up sometimes.

I've found that the bullet weight will vary if I don't keep the lead a steady temp. I used to drop the cut off lead back into the pot as I was pouring and I believe it caused a fluctuation in the temp. Now I'll cast a pot first then put the cut off's in to re-melt. I go as hot as possible just short of getting that frosted look on the finished bullet.

I dip a corner of the mold into the hot lead for about a minute on my steel mold to get it hot. If I'm using the Lee molds, about 30 seconds of a corner will get it nice and hot. Too hot is not good.

Also I find the first couple of casts are probably not going to be any good especially if the mold is not hot enough. After the first few casts though it will go easy.

Anyway this has been my observations. Good luck.

 

[oldarmy]

I use a bottom pour lee pot with an exaust fan over the top of it. I run the pot on high all the time. I heat the molds up so they are hot.. I hate recasting the same ball again and again.
You have to have good ventaliation!!!!!! lead in a hot molded form gives of vapors and lead is bad stuff. Because I like the molds very hot,
I like to run a couple of differnt molds at the same time.
A .457 for my ruger old army and some R/B molds. That gives the lead a chance to harden a little with out having to sit there waiting.
I tip the molds over and dump the ball into a bucket of water. Hardens them right up.
Don't get any water in the molding pot!!!!!
It will steam and blow hot lead every where.
it has never happened to me and right or wrong I find this way works for me, I can cast up a couple of months supply in a couple pot fulls
Good luck, Just remember Lead is poison.
Take extra care.

 

[Old Ironsights]

Over in the left corner of my bench you will see my 10# LEE bottom pour pot. The vent hood over it is a 6x14 floor-register tin connected to 6" flex via a 100cfm inline "duct booster" fan.

The pot is plugged into the box on the fan. The pot will not turn on unless the fan is on.

The 6" flex runs to a dryer vent cap out my basement wall.

Good & cheap. I think I have $40 in the whole vent setup.

 

[oldarmy]

very nice :grin:
I have a nice bathroom "fartfan" exaust fan and a piece of flexible dryer hose.. vented through the basement window.About the same cost..
worth every penny.
plus when you flux all the smoke goes out side.
I can't emphasise it enought that you need to get the lead fumes out of the house and your lungs.

 

[sledgemeister]

this is not a bad site for a beginner.
[url] http://goatlipstips.cas-town.com/index.html[/url]

 

[Old Ironsights]

very nice :grin:
I have a nice bathroom "fartfan" exaust fan and a piece of flexible dryer hose.. vented through the basement window.About the same cost..
worth every penny.
plus when you flux all the smoke goes out side.
I can't emphasise it enought that you need to get the lead fumes out of the house and your lungs.

I looked at using bath fans, but they really don't have the CFM to be safe.

IMO 100cfm is the minimum for an enclosed space like a basement. Most of those bath fans run 40-80cfm.

 

[musketman]

Gonna start casting....tips?

Wear a sweat band, water and hot lead will have explosive effects, lead will burn until it cools, when water hits the melt, it creates a popping effect and sends molten lead drops airborne...

 

[oldarmy]

I will get a new one
I need a new one exuast fan anyway. The one I have is pretty old.
thanks for the info.
When I started to cast there wasn't a forum like this around to get advise from and just figured it out on my own.
Also don't cast in shorts. stuff leaves nasty burns

 

[BS]

I use a far fan on top of a 18dx24w" box. It also has a plexiglass window hinged from the top, that helps trap the fumes.

I reach under the window to cast, I think it helps.

 

[barebackjack]

I live in an apartment right now :shake:
So I was planning on doing this in the garage with the overhead door open and a small fan blowing towards the door over my work area, which is within 10 feet of the door.
Do you think this is enough ventilation?

This way I figured I could go pour some on a rainy day or something. And I dont think it would be a good idea sitting out on the lawn doing it with kids from my building running around, Im sure the city would frown on it. Its a good sized one car garage so its a pretty big area.

Thanks

Boone

 

[gmww]

I cast in my garage with the overhead door partially open and the side door open for cross ventalation. I usually sit by one of the doors with my back up wind.

 

[barebackjack]

Would soldering flux work well for fluxing casting lead?

Sounds like just any old thing that aint a metal dumped in there will work, right?

Boone

 

[gmww]

I'd probably stick with wax of some sort. Bee's wax to be more specific.

 

[Old Ironsights]

I'd probably stick with wax of some sort. Bee's wax to be more specific.

If you don't mind the smoke - and need to get the smell ut of your house anyway, steal some of your wife's candles for flux. :rotf:

Actually, I have so much GulfWax Parafin that I use it despite the smoke & fire.

 

[oldarmy]

If you use wax, you can flame it off. It hepls the smoke.
You put a pea size piece of wax and when it melts and starts to smoke, throw a match on it and it will flame up and cut down on the smoke.
I use brownells marflux. no smoke and seems to work well