castmiester
Active Member
I do 1 and 2 cavity
case hardened sprue plates
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RBHarter
West Central AR
Nope but if you're going to spend the time and maybe money you should go full over kill .
LBT used about 10ga sheet metal with a stamped figure 8 for the 2 cavity moulds and split roll pins for stops and hold downs . Unfortunately LBT recently went away too .
If there's a hey it works well and it's cost effective, or a complete over kill, it's probably been done at least 3 different ways .
LBT used about 10ga sheet metal with a stamped figure 8 for the 2 cavity moulds and split roll pins for stops and hold downs . Unfortunately LBT recently went away too .
If there's a hey it works well and it's cost effective, or a complete over kill, it's probably been done at least 3 different ways .
The lesson here is try different things and see what gives you good results.
I was a bottom pour guy for 20 years. Rick convinced me to try a a ladle and I never looked back.
None of this stuff is cookbook. We all do thins slightly different but somehow get good results. I am willing to bet most of us have scrubbed lead from a few barrels and made some other mistakes.
I was a bottom pour guy for 20 years. Rick convinced me to try a a ladle and I never looked back.
None of this stuff is cookbook. We all do thins slightly different but somehow get good results. I am willing to bet most of us have scrubbed lead from a few barrels and made some other mistakes.
castmiester
Active Member
Scrubbed once, thought it was too soft, but l know why now.
Bottom pour you can’t pressure fill, correct? So that’s why you use a ladle ?
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RBHarter
West Central AR
This book says do it this way and 2 others say something else , mostly because it works that way with their equipment. Out of the lab it's a mix of stuff. $10 RCBS ladle , $40 Lee pot , $15-250 moulds . Some how I manage to get great results.
There's this USMC DI that said it best . "Try stuff if it doesn't work for you, you've got that . If it does you just have to polish it a little."
There's this USMC DI that said it best . "Try stuff if it doesn't work for you, you've got that . If it does you just have to polish it a little."
You can pressure fill with bottom pour.
I don’t pressure fill, never have. I use a large ladle that lets me pour heat into and onto the mould.
This isn’t the best video but it shows my technique. You can see me push the plate open with a gloved hand. The pot is set to 700°.
castmiester
Active Member
I saw people open with ease.. but l tried only to having to smack it. Maybe the bolt was too tight. Now that l have it free l can just use my gloved hand.
The only thing l see you do that l never seen others do is rest the mould on the pot while pouring, and cannot fathom having clean bases holding it on the fan a a couple of seconds.
The only thing l see you do that l never seen others do is rest the mould on the pot while pouring, and cannot fathom having clean bases holding it on the fan a a couple of seconds.
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castmiester, important points from Brad's video. Notice once he has the cavity full, he keeps pouring before going to the next cavity. Plenty of alloy for a large sprue puddle, adds heat to the sprue plate and keeps it hot. Can't get consistent good bases with a cold sprue plate any more than you can get good noses with a cold HP spud.
Alloy & sprue plate temp, timing and a consistent casting rate. Cut it to soon and you'll smear the bases, too late and you'll need tap it open. It's that learning curve I mentioned. Practice and it'll come naturally.
castmiester
Active Member
I always puddle and use a fan for a good 30 seconds. I am convinced the little bit of clearence from too tight bolt down on the plate slightly tipping to fin bases.
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358156 hp
At large, whereabouts unknown.
A high proportion of people on this forum ladle cast,but it obviously isn't the only way to cast. I hadn't seen this particular video from Brad before, and it's really quite good. One potential benefit from Brads method is that the length of the pouring time is extended. Notice how he's able to allow the lead to overflow the cavities at a slow rate? That allows better air purging of the bullet base by keeping the bullet base molten longer than would be practical when using bottom pour. You could still pull it off in a fashion with bottom pour but it would be messy. Additionally, Brads using a large capacity ladle so he has plenty of molten lead, and plenty of time to focus on what he's doing.
castmiester
Active Member
Slow rate of overflow for better air purging ?? I disagree….
The right temp of melt, mould and amount of tin is key.
Rick Kelter
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Ian
Notorious member
I just tuned up two used but new to me Lyman moulds tonight and cast with them. Both had warped sprue plates from people beating on them. About .005-8" gap opposite the sprue plate screw. I took off the sprue plates, checked the "daylight" under them on a granite surface plate, checked the top of the blocks with a straightedge, tweaked the corners back down, did a light dress with 400-grit emery paper on a scraped surface plate, test fitted, dressed a little more, and put them together. The plates swing without binding but don't move under their own mass when I shake the mould. I use an Ove Glove and cut the sprue before it sets up hard as a rock. You don't NEED a thicker sprue plate, you need to tune up your methods and quit beating on the mould with a club.
Casting is all about managing heat and how you fill the mould. Lots of ways to do it but some basic guidelines such as have already been recommended should be followed if you want to get in the ballpark where practicing technique will make you better. No point in practicing if your alloy is contaminated or you're overheating your alloy so badly it runs into the vent lines and plugs them up.
I poured these tonight just like Brad showed except I'm poor and only have a 20-lb RCBS dipper furnace instead of a Waage or Magma (I forget what he has but it's awesome and if you can treat yourself to something like that, you should). I do not pressure pour, ever. I DO use a 2# Rowell ladle instead of the rinky-dink 1# ones that people like to use to pressure pour. Pouring like Brad showed cuts way down on the trapped bubbles, contacting and rotating the mould and ladle together usually traps bubbles in the driving band area just under the surface....ask me how I learned that 30 years ago. I rarely ladle pour but sometimes big bullets and match bullets need it.
Casting is all about managing heat and how you fill the mould. Lots of ways to do it but some basic guidelines such as have already been recommended should be followed if you want to get in the ballpark where practicing technique will make you better. No point in practicing if your alloy is contaminated or you're overheating your alloy so badly it runs into the vent lines and plugs them up.
I poured these tonight just like Brad showed except I'm poor and only have a 20-lb RCBS dipper furnace instead of a Waage or Magma (I forget what he has but it's awesome and if you can treat yourself to something like that, you should). I do not pressure pour, ever. I DO use a 2# Rowell ladle instead of the rinky-dink 1# ones that people like to use to pressure pour. Pouring like Brad showed cuts way down on the trapped bubbles, contacting and rotating the mould and ladle together usually traps bubbles in the driving band area just under the surface....ask me how I learned that 30 years ago. I rarely ladle pour but sometimes big bullets and match bullets need it.
Ian
Notorious member
Dang it, I already spotted two culls. They're first and seventh in the front row where I started off with a preheated mould. Things were feeling evened-out by the end of that run so I started a new row and kept the pace going for consistency. I'll use the first row for fitment and practice shots.
castmiester
Active Member
Great job man ! Yeah a thicker plate sounds good. Hopefully RCBS will send me one.
Ian
Notorious member
You still have a LOT to learn before you disagree with anyone about casting bullets.
Ian
Notorious member
Thicker plate? I used the 1/8" ones all the Lyman single-bangers come with. Not a problem if you make sure they're flat, don't screw them up by what you do to them, and use any of a number of effective pouring techniques.
castmiester
Active Member
Ian
Notorious member
You have fins in your lube grooves, badly finned bases, a bunch of cold-splash craters, and some slightly rounded bands. Like I wrote you have a lot to learn, especially if you don't think that overflowing the mould to heat the sprue plate longer makes sharp bases WITHOUT pressure pouring.
castmiester
Active Member
hey sorry if l disappointed you, l try.
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