Only a couple of things I might add to the already great advice given.
One is if you will pick up some fine or extra fine lapping compound, and lap the bottom of the stem to the seat in your pot you will find it will be MUCH less likely to drip. Least I did with mine, they might have improved it since I got mine quite a few years back.
Quote:
|
Sister In-Law is a pharmacist at a major hospital here in NC. Sent her a message too see I can acquire isotope cores...
|
If you hit the jackpot on these^^^, you will find it is great alloy to cast with. Might be a bit of a pain to smelt down the large cores, but well worth the effort when you start pouring bullets. Along these lines and while your browsing the other casting site, look under the Lead and Lead Alloys header and look up the Alloy Calculator, and download it. It will come in pretty handy if you stick with this. And if your not overly blessed with mathematical skills like myself, you might also download a shareware program called Convert for Windows. It will make your life so much easier when converting pounds and ounces to blend up an alloy.
All that said with the straight WW alloy about all you might find you need to add will be a strip of 95/5 solder to your pot before you begin to pour. I usually add in about a 4-6" strip to a full pot. IT sure helps out with the fill out on those TL bullets. If you have some around give it a try.
I don't know if it has been mentioned about when your smelting your ingots up to use sawdust as flux? If not it works GREAT, just throw in a handful across the top of your alloy while it's in the smelting pot, and allow it to turn black. It you want you can use a match or lighter to help it along and reduce some of the smoke. I usually do it twice and follow up with a finger nail sized chunk of candle wax. Basically just cut a chunk off and stir it in. You will want to use a long ladle for that however as the paraffin will flame up pretty vigorously. While its burning stir stir stir, then skim off the residue that comes to the surface, and then pour, pour, pour your ingots.
THe bottom line is the cleaner it hits your pot the better the bullets it will make up and the less gunk you will accumulate in the 4-20. I usually flux with a pea sized chunk of paraffin again after the 4-20 gets up to temp, and while I am adding in the piece of solder if it needs any. The large ISO cores really don't need anything which is why they are so great.
Anyway hope that helps.