My first cast bullets

[Wendyj]

These had about 15-20 I would consider keeping. Cast from ingots from wheel weights I melted into ingots yesterday. Coleman stove little sauce pan and a bent soup spoon. Just trying it out before I buy real equipment. Lee 2 cavity mold. No thermometer just guess work. Pan maybe 4 inches deep and about 1 1/2 lb of lead. Most my wheel weights were junk. Kep getting wrinkles to start with. Then some got better after mold got hotter. Seems like after too hot they were frosty and only one cavity would throw a decent bullet. Cooled mold down 3-4 minutes and a little better but none great. Before starting I Cleaned mold with break free. Then dawn water and toothbrush and lubed spots Lee said to lube very lightly. Back of bullets seem to have small piece of lead drop in center. Not sure how to clean and prep spruce plate. Put qtip of Rem oil on and took other end and wiped it off. Been reading and watching videos for two months but different when it comes time to do it yourself. The measure on calipers at .454 and I'll need a .452 sizing die since I slugged my carbine bore at .451.04. It like .452 Rim rock and lazer cast. Weighed and they ran from 248 to 257 with better bullets weighing 255 to 257.

[Beagle333]

Good start, especially with the equipment you were using. Sounds like you have gotten the right ideas from your reading, just keep practicing. Heat is your friend. Your lead probably got too hot, instead of your mold. You do want the mold to run fairly hot though. I'm sure you'll do better once you get some way of regulating your lead temp and a better ladle.
I put a very light smear of synthetic 2-cycle oil on a qtip and put an almost invisible layer of that on the sprue plate and on top of the mold, then I take my bare finger and rub almost all of it back off, leaving so little that it appears almost all gone, but there will be some in the pores and it will be quite enough. Any more and you'll have to wait for a few casts to boil it out of the cavities before the wrinkles will stop. Good luck and keep us informed on your progress!

[Wendyj]

I'm trying to decide on a pot. I kind of like the Lee 20 lb melter and the Lyman bottom pour ladle. I think it's sludge free pouring. Been reading reviews from midway and Amazon half the night. Standing over open flames is kind of hot this time of year. I always have the bigger pots to melt scrap lead on propane. Bottom pour had a lot of bad reviews but I'm new to this. Was going to order about 20 lbs of #2 Lyman from roto metals for next go around. Figuring out which pot is my biggest concern first off.

[Beagle333]

That's a good combo. I have poured a MANY a bullet from the 20# melter and lyman ladle. RCBS has a new Easy Melt furnace (made for ladle casting) that has a built-in computerized temp control that is really great, as it frees you from having to even think about the lead temp when you are casting, but there's nothing wrong with learning the ropes on the Lee Melter.

Along with the Lee Melter, you would appreciate having a lead thermometer so you will know when you're in your sweet spot for pouring, and I recommend that you pick up a hot plate from the thrift store or an auction site if you don't have one. Having the mold hot before you start will make life go so much easier, and a torch just doesn't do a good job on a mold. You sure don't want to use it on a custom mold when you start collecting them, a hot plate will be mandatory. ($5-15, even on Ebay)

Rotometals is a good place to get prepared ingots. Later if you want to start mixing your own to customize your alloy or just to save a few bucks, we can help you find lead sources.

[reddog81]

The first casting session is more about learning than anything else. Finding a technique that works is half the battle.

I like my Lee 20 lbs. bottom pour pot. I've tried paddle casting and it seems harder and more time consuming.

You can find lead on castboolits forum for $1 per pound plus shipping. Buying from rotometals is more expensive than buying finished bullets from Missouri Bullet Company.

[pete2]

At least get the cheapest Lee bottom poor pot, it'll save you a lot of heartache. It doesn't cost an arm and a leg and it works a lot better than casting with a ladle. As for molds getting too hot, I have used as many as 3 molds in rotation, I like iron molds better than aluminum but I don't think it matters.

[Wendyj]

I think the 4-20 is the same price as the 20 lb dipper pot. I've added one to my cart and took it out and added the other several times and haven't made a decision yet. I would just learn a little more in the ss skillet and cast skillet but they aren't deep enough to get a good ladle of lead. Well in my case a bent soup spoon. I was going to buy the Rcbs ladle anyway. I would like getting some cheaper lead. I got a 5 gallon bucket of wheel weights about 1/2 full Saturday and so much junk I wound up with a lb and 1/2 of lead. Four tire stores and only one would give any out and I offered to buy. Most were zinc and steel.

[Wendyj]

I finally ordered the Lee pro production bottom pot and a Rcbs thermometer plus a Lyman ladle for backup. Hope I made the right chioice. Now to find lead to melt cheaper than rotometals. If you all think I got wrong equipment please advise.

[Bimus]

Your new equipment will work just fine each time you cast things will get better .
If you find a used electric skillet or electric waffle iron they both work to keep your molds warm and heat the lead to remove moisture before putting it in the pot.

[Wendyj]

Since I will have the camp stove out would a cast iron flat cornbread pan I put ingots in warm it up ok. Found 50 lbs of lead. .26percent copper. .25 percent tin and rest pure lead. Hope it works. Can't remember how much antimony. $75.00 for 50 lbs from guy at cast bolt forum. Looks like he sells a lot of it considering all posts I saw buying it.

[Chainsaw.]

Good choice on the pot. Keep a flat screw driver close. If the spout starts leaking just turn the screw back and forth to clean it and itll seall back up.

On your bullets. Your driving/grease bands are still rounded over which tells me add more tin. I just scroung for old 50/50 solder, use about 2' per 20# pot. Doesnt need to be precise.

Dont flux and clean to much, you can pull out beneficial materials like the tin etc.

I like and old cookie sheet to knock the sprues onto, catches all the little bits of lead, they can be put right back into the pot.

Remember casting is a very imperfect thing. You're aimimg for what works, not what is just so.

Keep the questions and the pics coming!

[Bimus]

To use the camp stove to heat molds I would not I mainly use the electric waffle iron to just warm the lead before it goes in the pot to remove the moisture it is set on 250 .
Using the waffle iron for the molds lets me set a slower pace and use two sets of molds .

With both molds on the waffle iron warming I take mold #1 and fill with lead and set back on the iron then fill mold #2 and set it back on the waffle iron and pickup mold#1 empty it and refill with lead then back on the waffle iron . it's just finding what pace work for you.

[johnwilliamson062]

Too bad you are in Georgia. I have about 30lbs of lead I need to get rid of ASAP.

Sent from my SM-J327P using Tapatalk

[USSR]

If the spout starts leaking just turn the screw back and forth to clean it and itll seall back up.

What do you mean, "If"? They don't call them the drip-o-matic for nothing you know.

Don

[Dufus]

I have about 30lbs of lead I need to get rid of ASAP.

$6.75 USPS flat rate box will ship anywhere in the US up to 70 lbs.

I once crammed 4 boxes (400 bullets) in a flat rate box to send to a buddy in Maryland. It prolly weighed a good 12 lbs. USPS never had a problem getting it there in 3 days.

[Chainsaw.]

Originally Posted by USSR

What do you mean, "If"? They don't call them the drip-o-matic for nothing you know.

Don

Touche!!

[Beagle333]

If you put a little weight on the handle of the Lee, it'll help to slow the drips. You can put a stack of fender washers under the handle and screw it back on , or you can hang a small set of cheapo vice grips ($3 from Home Depot) from the handle. I like those, as they provide a little weight, make a neat handle, and who doesn't need an extra set of vice grips on the bench?

[Wendyj]

I saw all the videos of leaking. I will deal with it if not too bad. I can always reuse what leaks. I got 50 lbs in today from member at cast boolits. I hate the bars have some blue paint on them but that's how he marks the hardness of his blends. Got to be a pain to skim off. Think I'll melt and flux in cast iron and skim it off and pour new ingots before going into new pot. Headed to Wally World now for hot plate and some other stuff I'll need. Got a roto metal bottom pour dipper used with the lead and really like it. I had just ordered the Rcbs dipper with the 4-20 and the Rcbs thermometer. Can't find pure beeswax without ordering so will use candle wax and sawdust to start. Thanks for tips on washers and vice grips. I'll give it a try. Midway won't have pot here until tomorrow. I saw a Lyman .452 mold on eBay today used for around $50.-$60.00 with handles. Four cavity. Not sure I trust eBay but cheaper than I can buy a new one.

[Beagle333]

Let me know if you need beeswax later. I got a line on a case of it cheap today and the fellow is going to get back with me on Sunday.

Some of those Ebay molds are deal and some are not, but just look for ones with good pictures and make sure the guy has good references and be careful how you pay. I have gotten some good deals on ebay from time to time.

Don't rule out Lee molds, especially the 6 cav molds. I have a few nice ones and there are some good prices on them at FS-reloading. You can make a big ol' pile of bullets fast with a 6 cav. You can get Lee handles cheap there too.
FS-Reloading linkey

[Wendyj]

I saw a bunch of Lee molds. More than anything else. Is the aluminum better than cast and steel? Only mold I have so far is a Lee 2 cavity which hasn't done great yet. I bought a hot plate last night and 2 cycle oil to treat my sprue plate which I didn't do right before. Read somewhere about the aluminum warping but never as to why. Mold is cleaned and kept in side in my reloading room to prevent rust. Lots of wrinkled bullets and some one here suggested driving bands were turned downward. I know you get what you pay for and Lyman and Rcbs molds are double price of Lee. I probably can't go by that because I have Lee dies that do better than Rcbs and Redding dies.

[Grey_Lion]

for cheap stuff to use for casting I visit my local goodwill store and buy some of the small muffin tins to make small round lead ingots with. I've also got a couple of aluminum loaf tins to catch my sprues and cast rounds in.

That waffle iron idea to warm the molds is inspired - you can always find those for cheap.

[Beagle333]

I have read about (but not seen) people warping aluminum molds using the coil type hotplates. It is recommended to use the flat or solid type hotplates. I have an old coil type myself, but I have a flat piece of tin (actually, the lid from a gallon bean can) that I put on top of the coils to disperse the heat from the coils evenly, and I put the mold on that to warm up. In theory, the red hot coils of those type hotplates can heat the mold unevenly and cause warping. But if that's the only hotplate you have, it's easy to put something on the coils..... coffee can or bean can lid or such.

Most wrinkles come from casting too slowly. If the lead is at a good temp and the mold is hot, then you have to cast and cast and cast, just slow enough that the sprue doesn't smear, but as fast as you can keep it going. You can't stop and put sprues back in the pot or cull the bullets or admire them or even notice how good they are coming out, until you have that thing up to speed and dropping bullets quickly, then you can slow it down and look at them or poke at one or two to check them out between pours. But until the mold is dropping good bullets..... it's "cast like your arm was on fire" time.

[Wendyj]

I been out there for 2 hours in the hot as heck 90 degree sun melting about 3 lbs of lead I got from a guy on cast boolit forum. Followed instructions to the t. Fluxed with wax. All I had. Used sawdust. Skimmed. Put a cookie pan on the hot plate to keep mold warm. After first ladle I wiped sprue plate while bullets in it with echo synthetic 2 cycle oil. Used a cast pot and a rotometals ladle. This lead is hard. My camp stove wouldn't melt it all the way on high. Turkey fryer worked but too hot to stand over. Guy I bought it from said it cast best at 700-750 degrees. Was afraid of getting it too hot but was too thick to pour through roto metal dipper without clogging up. Turned heat up a little more and got some decent bullets but back cavity never seems to fill or come out right unless I'm right over the pot. I may have done something to the mold last session out. It got better when it was really hot. My Lee 4-20 is supposed to be delivered today sometime. I know it gets hotter from what I've read without flames in my face and it super hot out. Some bullets super shiny. Some frosty but not bad. I was upset with a lot of wrinkles to start but they finally stopped. It got too hot and I stopped myself. This is a mixture of lead,tin,antimony and 1/4 percent copper. If I remember it was 95 percent lead and whatever percentages of tin and antimony. I just remember the .25 percent copper. Better luck next time.

[Chainsaw.]

I fill front to back, knock out bullets, fill back to front, knock out bullets, rinse and repeat. This gives each cavity a more even temperature verses hot lead staying in the front cavity for longer and gettimg more heat.

Might try this to see if it helps with your troublesome cavity.

[Wendyj]

My Lee pot came in. Cleaned it out with alcohol. Got my Rcbs thermometer. Went back out and this thing is great. If it leaks some I could care less. Ten times faster than the ladle. Guy I got lead from said to run between 700-750 degrees. He was spot on. Cavities fill good as lead is melted much better. I used about a pea sized piece of wax every time I added more lead to flux. Still have some culls but nowhere near like earlier with the ladle and stove. Kept my mold hot on the hot plate. I let temperature get up to around 820 for a few casts and had some frosty bullets but wrinkles all but went away. Still had a few but not 2 out of 3. I done about 150 in an hour and not so hot I couldn't breathe. Pot is way smaller than I saw on videos but perfect for me. Now I need a 44 mag 240 grain 6 cavity mold. I guess I'm hooked. Got a lot to learn but trial and error. Can't spend all my Money casting cause I've got bolt actions to load for. Great way to spend a cool evening. Very very little sludge so I guess the lead was clean. Got to order a sizing die and Alox to tumble lube and load these up one day.