2% tin added

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
I usually heat sprue plates by opening them, then holding the "free" end in the molten alloy until the lead can be easily wiped off with (heavily) gloved fingers. This may sound a bit extreme, but it's perfect for heavier sprue plates like MPs, and almost any 4 cavity.
 
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freebullet

Guest
If it's only a couple molds run down fiver's list.
Also clean the cavities, might just have some oil in them somehow.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Even with a BP you should be able to let some alloy run over the top plate. Just try pouring an extra large puddle at first.

Are you using nozzle to sprue hole contact? Try some space between them. Hard for me to do with a BP, but try it. Some moulds need it. Others work best with metal to metal contact.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
that's how I do it too, my hot plate got converted over to bonding cores to jackets long ago.
I cut out a circle of 1/2" steel to sit on top of my pots, it adds a little bit of thermal mass and gives my molds a place to sit.
the rims on the magma pots are wide enough to rest a mold on, but the plate still comes in handy to pre-warm ingots or the next mold on.
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
I almost never add tin to w-wts, just adjust heat for fill out.
I used to do that too, but adding very much heat to my casting temps made the alloy surface oxidize quicker, so I had to find another way. My ladles don't work well with full beards :)
 

GRMPS

Active Member
I collect damaged/cheap pewter items at thrift stores (MUST BE MARKED PEWTER OR ZINN), pewter is 89 to 90? % tin. I smelt it then cast it into 1/2 ounce bullets. makes it easier to alloy or sweeten a pot

the hotter the melt the smaller the finished/cooled bullet will be. More Heat isn't always a good thing.
 
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FrankCVA42

Active Member
A lot of the tin I use is in the form of 45 acp 230 grain round nosed bullets. Got those when I used to mine the pistol berm at our old range. These are mostly hard cast commercial ones. Used to put them in a mortar tub and hit them with the pressure washer to clean the mud and dirt off. Frank