Cast bullet advice/teaching

[gh1950]

I have never experienced this myself, it is just something I have read on the cast boolit forum and in the instructions I read on alloying metals. Guess I should have tested it before I stated it.

I did understand that it wasn't an issue with round balls, just boolits with lube grooves.

It depends on the mold you are using, because of the different materials used to make the molds.

Alum. molds heat up faster.

Steel molds heat up slower.

This is one of the things I learned from experience -- casting small jigs, I'd always have voids, then I learned to let the mold get good and hot.

 

[palmettomoon]

It's a good time to wear that old flannel shirt your wife wants to throw away. The flannel will catch any lead splatters.

I cast in the garage with the door open, and a small fan blowing across the work area out the door.

This is one of those activities, like reloading, that is really not rocket science but you have to be paying attention to what you are doing, or things go south in a hurry. You will be surprised at what hot lead can melt through or set on fire.

In the FWIW, "back in the day" I read about using silver as an alloying agent. If you want some metal that will really flow and fill out a mold put some silver in it. For obvious reasons, I abandon this line of experimentation, but it's not as hard to do as you would expect if you use the bulk silver coins you can buy. If I were casting large bore rifle hunting bullets, it's something you might want to look into.

I found that I could up the tin and get about the same result.

Speaking of tin, you would be surprised how much solder I find at yards sales and estate sales. I scored about 20 lbs. last year at one yard sale. Another one I score nearly a five gallon bucket of bar solder - must be 50 lbs. Just need to learn what to look for.

I have never heard this. Coin silver is usually about 90% Ag, and that has a melting point of 1,763 F. I would never pour 1,700 degree material into a bullet mold. It'd take a fair amount of time to cool before you drop them. Tin is easy to find and costs a lot less than silver. I'd stick with tin.

 

[Quacker]

Here is a real good source that walks you though casting. It is a lot of reading and you will refer back to it as you learn and have more questions.
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

looks like a good link! Thanks!.

I see your in Macon, I may have to swing buy some time when your casting and observe!

 

[gh1950]

Tin is easy to find and costs a lot less than silver. I'd stick with tin.

So would I. But "back in the day", a silver dime cost exactly 10 cents. A silver quarter cost exactly 25 cents,

 

[robcho]

Here is a real good source that walks you though casting. It is a lot of reading and you will refer back to it as you learn and have more questions.
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

I would suggest the read above as well. I'm reading it now as I find time and it has a lot of good information .

 

[Quacker]

So would I. But "back in the day", a silver dime cost exactly 10 cents. A silver quarter cost exactly 25 cents,

Until we got away from the gold standard.... now china controls our dollar value

 

[416Barrett]

I have been casting my own bullets for over 10 years now and I have had very good luck with them.
I have a Lee 20 melting pot with the bottom pour spout and it has done the job well for a long time. The only issue I have with it is that some times it freezes up and wont pour. Nothing a propane torch cant fix in a few seconds.
I have quite a few molds from Lee (Aluminum) and RCBS (steel), The steel molds will rust fast if you dont care for them properly. and the Aluminum Molds will heat and cool rapidly so you have to keep a steady pace. If the bullets are severely frosted, slow down a bit, if they have a lot of voids, hold the corner of the mold in the molten lead for a few seconds to heat it up.
I also use a Lyman sizer and as far as I am concerned its a must have, It lubes the bullets, sizes them and seats the gas checks when used.
It will pay for itself in short order.
Good luck, I hope you enjoy casting bullets as much as I do.

 

[Midas]

So I made my own ingots out of wheel weights today. I had a blast. I made a total of 80 pounds from wheel weights. I think they came out pretty good.

 

[rosewood]

Nice. Make sure they will fit into your casting pot. I originally was filling up a muffin pan and the ingots were too big to fit in my casting pot. So I don't fill them up all the way now.

Neat when u see the steel floating.

 

[biker_bill]

So I made my own ingots out of wheel weights today. I had a blast. I made a total of 80 pounds from wheel weights. I think they came out pretty good.

Good deal, now you have something to work with!