Casted up some .530 round balls for the first time last night. I probably casted over 400 but only kept about 250. Some of them had very small and almost unnoticeable lines. I threw them back into the pot. My first question is, are balls like that ok or am I being too picky? My second question is, should I weigh the balls on my powder scale too make sure they are good? Thanks for all the help in advance.
Questions on my first round of casting?
- Thread starter sdhunter
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It may be helpful to weigh some of your rounds to make sure you do not have any with air bubbles trapped in them. Those will not shoot well at all. Your lead may be just a tad on the cool side if you are getting some lines in them. Weigh some of those also. I have some with small lines in them but I find those shooting OK most of the time. The trick is getting your molten lead up to the right temp.
HH 60
HH 60
If funding will allow it, you may want to think about an electric melting pot. I have a small Lee pot that I use. I have had it for a while. I think it was in the $30 to $40 dollar range. It's a lot easier to control lead temp.
HH60
HH60
This is the one I have and I won't leave home without it.
http://www.amazon.com/Lee-90021-Pr...89148131&sr=8-3&keywords=lee+lead+melting+pot
HH 60
HH 60
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Controlling the temperature of the melt and mold and a consistent rhythm is crucial to good casting. I try and keep the temperature of the lead at 650-700 degrees. Small visible lines but not wrinkles should be no problem unless you are shooting in scored matches.
I never bother to weigh balls unless I'm shooting for score or to work up a load for accuracy.
I never bother to weigh balls unless I'm shooting for score or to work up a load for accuracy.
For a 1st cast getting 400 ball is alot!
You might have just wore yourself out.
It's all part of the learning curve man, it does nothing but get better with more time in.
You can be as fussy/picky or not as you wish.
When I set down to cast it's about a 200-250 run, I get about a 15% cull rate.
(and I'm real fussy).
Wrinkles come from too cold, I like to run hot, 700-750. I want to see those iridescent colors floating on top from pure lead.
I'm guessing the small lines came from your rhythm like bpd303 said, there's kind of a small wrist movement starting with the mold tilted and brought up as the pour happens. That creates a "swirl" of molten lead as it's poured, the pour itself is less than 1 second,,
Then it's pause, knock, drop, close and pour again all in 5 seconds,,(or less)
It's all about timing and rhythm,, that helps keep mold temps and the resulting ball consistent.
You might have just wore yourself out.
It's all part of the learning curve man, it does nothing but get better with more time in.
You can be as fussy/picky or not as you wish.
When I set down to cast it's about a 200-250 run, I get about a 15% cull rate.
(and I'm real fussy).
Wrinkles come from too cold, I like to run hot, 700-750. I want to see those iridescent colors floating on top from pure lead.
I'm guessing the small lines came from your rhythm like bpd303 said, there's kind of a small wrist movement starting with the mold tilted and brought up as the pour happens. That creates a "swirl" of molten lead as it's poured, the pour itself is less than 1 second,,
Then it's pause, knock, drop, close and pour again all in 5 seconds,,(or less)
It's all about timing and rhythm,, that helps keep mold temps and the resulting ball consistent.
Thanks for all the advice guys. It all makes sense now. Due to the low propane level I could not get the burner as hot as I did when I first melted the lead pipe down into ingots a while back. Most of the balls I culled were in the first 100-150. I found that if I went as fast as I possible could the balls turned out better. So I suppose if this young buck 
fills his propane bottle I will not have to work as hard lol.
Yea that was a lot for my first run. I was going so fast trying not to let the mold cool off that by the time I got to my last 40 or so I had a hell of time Pouring because my mold hand was shaking so bad but I was determined to keep trying until I couldn't go anymore lol. I didn't stop until a half hour shy of midnight last night. It was a lot of fun though. :thumbsup:
fills his propane bottle I will not have to work as hard lol.Yea that was a lot for my first run. I was going so fast trying not to let the mold cool off that by the time I got to my last 40 or so I had a hell of time Pouring because my mold hand was shaking so bad but I was determined to keep trying until I couldn't go anymore lol. I didn't stop until a half hour shy of midnight last night. It was a lot of fun though. :thumbsup:
400 was good for someone new. Some people quit soon because they aren't casting perfect. they don't have to be perfect and the more you cast, like anything else, practice makes perfect. It's not like you waste the lead because you can remelt them and start over. I started off with a slingshot pellet mould as a young kid and eventually moved to better things.
:haha: That's why I only do those few hundred, my hand start to cramp!
I guess when I get those 200-250, from set-up/start up through the cast and clean up is 2 1/2-3 hrs.
I cast outside in the garage too (the ventilation thing),
And I try to wait till spring or fall when outside temps are 40-50. That's cool enough outside so I don't break a sweat, and the stove/burner doesn't have to work so hard keeping lead temps.
I tried one time when it was in the 20's, I got ball just fine but it was a long time runnin,,
I guess when I get those 200-250, from set-up/start up through the cast and clean up is 2 1/2-3 hrs.
I cast outside in the garage too (the ventilation thing),
And I try to wait till spring or fall when outside temps are 40-50. That's cool enough outside so I don't break a sweat, and the stove/burner doesn't have to work so hard keeping lead temps.
I tried one time when it was in the 20's, I got ball just fine but it was a long time runnin,,
By the way, :hatsoff: for starting to cast.
Once you get it down you'll never look back!! :thumbsup:
Once you get it down you'll never look back!! :thumbsup:
I cast allot of stuff many times 1k or more at a time. I guess I just hated to stop. When I was in Alaska though I had a reason to cast allot. Not much to do in the winter and nobody wants to mess with stuff like that in their short summers. I soon found out though allot of what I cast probably won't get used because I over did it but that's ok cause it will just get remelted.
That's pretty much the boat I am in. Below zero the last week and really getting into the winter lull. Lucky for me I have a 3 stall garage with one stall separated, insulated, and heated. Turned the fan on and cracked the window. I had it 60 degrees in there so it was nice. The suspense was killing me waiting for that ball mold to show up in the mail. The whole t.v. couch potato thing after work was getting old in a hurry.
as long as they weigh out OK, don't worry about some swirl lines.
I got a buddy and his favorite mold always cast a line in the same place. We shoot out to 1,000 yards and he is very much a contender with his bullet.
Fleener
I got a buddy and his favorite mold always cast a line in the same place. We shoot out to 1,000 yards and he is very much a contender with his bullet.
Fleener
I am not a speed caster, I find that I have a better casting experience if I find a good rhythm
and when I start to tire I quit casting and cull the pile.
Any think that I don't like goes into the pile to
for the next casting run.
LeeRoy
and when I start to tire I quit casting and cull the pile.
Any think that I don't like goes into the pile to
for the next casting run.
LeeRoy
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I weigh all my cast balls, first find what your heaviest balls weigh as these will be the perfect ones with no voids within them. Then set a deviation level your happy with and throw (gently) all others back into the melting pot! I like mine to weigh within 1 gr. of my heaviest ball, this will eliminate those flyers you get at the range or while hunting too! Welcome to the melting pot and good luck...by the way...an electric pot is the way to go, just don't get one with a bottom pouring spout! :v
jamesthomas
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Kodiak is right on the bottom pour don't get one (for me they are to much of a hassle). I have the Lee 20lb wide mouth pot and it is the best thing for casting IMHO. I would save some money and get you a electric pot. You'll save money and time in the long run vs using the propane.
Depending on your needs, small imperfections are often acceptable. The lines could be from the mould not closing properly. I have acquired the habit of tapping the hinge bolt lightly when closing the moulds.
Balls with small imperfections are saved. But at the range I use those only for 25 yard targets and select those closer to perfect for 50 and 100 yards.
If going for championships at Friendship far more attention can/should be paid to the perfection of the balls. I used to cull if balls were .1 grain off optimum weight.
Balls with small imperfections are saved. But at the range I use those only for 25 yard targets and select those closer to perfect for 50 and 100 yards.
If going for championships at Friendship far more attention can/should be paid to the perfection of the balls. I used to cull if balls were .1 grain off optimum weight.
Billnpatti
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A mold or lead that is too cool can cause wrinkles like you are describing. So can a mold with lubricant from the sprue plate and/or hinges that has seeped into the mold cavity. It is important to lube these hinge areas but use something like a tiny amount of bees wax (no paraffin). When the mold is hot, lightly touch a small bit of bees wax to the alignment pins, the mold hinge and the sprue plate hinge. You want just enough wax to lubricate these areas but not enough to run into the mold cavities. Also, you need to smoke the mold cavities before casting. You can do this with a candle, a propane candle/log lighter or even with a kitchen match. The soot allows the cavities to fill out correctly and to release the ball easily.
It is a good idea to weigh a good sampling of your balls just to be sure that you are not getting a bunch of balls with voids in them. If you are doing any serious target shooting, you will want to weigh your balls and select only those that are within 1 grain of each other. some folks say 0.1 grain variation but I think that is unnecessary. Plus or minus 1 grain is close enough for anyone except a bench gun shooter. If you are just plinking or hunting, once you have determined that you are casting balls that don't vary greatly, you don't really need to keep weighing all of the balls because, unless you pull out a ball having a bad void in it, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to shoot well enough to tell the difference, if any, in the balls. However, if you are so inclined, and want to weigh every ball that you cast, ain't nothin' wrong with it.
It is a good idea to weigh a good sampling of your balls just to be sure that you are not getting a bunch of balls with voids in them. If you are doing any serious target shooting, you will want to weigh your balls and select only those that are within 1 grain of each other. some folks say 0.1 grain variation but I think that is unnecessary. Plus or minus 1 grain is close enough for anyone except a bench gun shooter. If you are just plinking or hunting, once you have determined that you are casting balls that don't vary greatly, you don't really need to keep weighing all of the balls because, unless you pull out a ball having a bad void in it, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to shoot well enough to tell the difference, if any, in the balls. However, if you are so inclined, and want to weigh every ball that you cast, ain't nothin' wrong with it.
I have some moulds that the RBs come out with lines. They are so faint though, it's hard to really call them lines. I don't know if it's from venting or may just from the mould it's self but the balls come out consistently the same and consistency is what you want.
