How Hot is Too Hot?

[steve4102]

I new to casting bullets and I could use some help.
I am melting and pouring with my Do-It Molds Hot Pot left over from my Jig making days.
http://do-itmolds.com/shop/index.php...ath=4_188_2060

The alloy gets pretty hot almost 800*. My bullets come out fine and they are not "frosty".

Is this to hot for casting bullets? Do I need to get the temp down and find a different melter?

Thanks
Steve

[reloader28]

You could turn it down some to see what happens.
If they aint frosty and the edges are all filled out good, it may be fine. They will still shoot even if they are frosty.

I have to run different molds at different temps, some hotter and some cooler.

[chris in va]

If the lead runs like water and takes more than a couple seconds for the sprue to firm up on the plate, it's too hot.

[GP100man]

Those little pots were made to melt pure lead & probably run HOT

But not neccassarily a bad thing , I have molds I cast at 810f & never frosted the first bullet.

If you have found a routine & pace to pour good bullets with consistent weight/size then sir your setup is working !!

Now that CASTING has your full attention & your becoming addicted more each time ya pour 1 I`d recommend a Lee 20# pot to be minumum & a good thermometer to help keep things regulated

[snuffy]

It depends on what alloy you're using. If you have an alloy that has tin in it,(most good alloys do), then 800 degrees is too hot. The reason is; tin oxidizes at anything over 700 degrees. Running at 800, your tin is oxidizing at the top surface of the melt very rapidly. It would appear as a grey scum that could be skimmed off, or fluxed back into the alloy. Skimming it off results in loosing the tin that's needed to make for well-filled-out-boolits. Also the hardness of the boolit will decrease, be softer.

Using a 4 pound capacity melter means you have to spend time waiting for it to melt more lead, then get it up to temp. I doubt that it has any thermostat, so it's wide open to whatever temp it finally reaches.

The lee 4-20 pot is a very good entry level furnace. The thermostat is a bit flaky, it will have a temp swing of usually about 50 degrees. The knob has numbers on a scale, but they don't really mean much. Like set to seven does NOT mean 700 degrees. Therefore, you need a thermometer. Best part of the lee 4-20 is you can use the bottom pour feature, or use it as a ladle pot. I use mine both ways, depending on which of the dozens of molds I'm using.

[Old Grump]

Get the thermometer and try to keep your pot at 700 for best results. If you get to 900 or above the impurities can vaporize and become toxic, never a good thing. If your bullets are looking good chances are you aren't at the 800 level.

[jmortimer]

+1 to all the above. Do yourself a favor and spend some time over at Cast Boolits. All this is covered in great detail.

[GP100man]

what ^^^++ jmortimer said suprised at myself for not sayin it !!!

[snuffy]

Yup ++3 on what jmortimer said, here's the link;

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/

[Gerry]

I always start off with my lead very hot with a cold mold to get perfect bullets right from the start. Then I turn it down after a few pours so that the lead cools while the mold heats up. If you keep the lead too hot, it will oxide much more quickly and cause all kinds of dross to form that will need to be fluxed back in more often.

[m&p45acp10+1]

That is a Palmer's Hot Pot it works well for pure lead, and making BP bullets that are of pure, or darn near pure lead. It works for making fishing sinkers, and jig heads. For most bullet alloys it is not that great to work with. It can be used, though there are other electric melting pots that will work better for close to the price of that one.



A thermometer has been mentioned. Once I started using one my rejects per session decreased greatly.