Questions on my first round of casting?

[Billnpatti]

Without actually seeing the balls, it is hard to say what could be causing the consistent lines. Try doing what I said above about making sure that your molds are absolutely clean, well smoked and that the mold and lead are both the correct temperature. Also, I don't know if you are using a bottom pour pot or a ladle to fill your mold. In either case, you want to quickly fill your mold and leave a small puddle on top of the sprue plate. Filling the mold slowly can sometimes cause lines or wrinkles depending on how you do it. Clean, hot mold, smoked cavities, lead of the proper casting temperature and quickly filling the mold with a puddle on top should correct the problem.

 

[Patocazador]

You guys put me to shame. My usual run is ~150. About then my pot runs out of lead and my back is hurting.

 

[mooman76]

I don't do near what I used to. I usually go about an hour at most any more. Sometimes even less. I also ad lead as I go to keep the pot level up and it keeps me going if I want.

 

[MSW]

last time I ran ball it was about 250 or three hundred ... can't remember exactly ...

Dutch Schoultz has some good words of wisdom on the adequacy and efficacy of cast (i.e. home made) vs. swaged (i.e. Hornady) lead roundball ... he very much likes home made (who'd have thought, but he's weighed them out and finds hand cast are more consistent, and consistent is what you want for repeatable results.

I'm pretty sure the write up is in his method - if you don't have a copy yet, you should get one - it's well worth the money ... here's a link:
http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/

good luck, and make good smoke!

 

[Carl Fowler III]

last time I ran ball it was about 250 or three hundred ... can't remember exactly ...

Dutch Schoultz has some good words of wisdom on the adequacy and efficacy of cast (i.e. home made) vs. swaged (i.e. Hornady) lead roundball ... he very much likes home made (who'd have thought, but he's weighed them out and finds hand cast are more consistent, and consistent is what you want for repeatable results.

I'm pretty sure the write up is in his method - if you don't have a copy yet, you should get one - it's well worth the money ... here's a link:
http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/

good luck, and make good smoke!

I'll second MSW on using Dutch Schoultz method, my groups have been much smaller and flyers have been eliminated using Dutch's methods....definitely worth every cent! :v Although tracking down a moose to milk can be mighty dangerous! :wink: