Casting .700 round balls, suggestions

[Eric Krewson]

I just bought a Jeff Tanner mold, a very nice mold by the way, tried it out this morning.

Bottom line I had some problems with my current casting set-up, Coleman stove, cast iron lead pot, Lee dipper. I have cast thousands of smaller caliber balls with setup with no problems. Today I got a lot of sunken voids in the top my balls, frosting on top with the sprue more the consistency of dross than solid lead. My lead is recovered lead from the berm of the range they hold the Alabama state M/L championships at. Mostly very soft stuff with a few projectiles thrown in that obviously have some wheel weight lead in them because they didn't deform much on impact.

I tried real hot lead and the mold so hot it took several minutes for the lead to solidify, got pretty much the same results, not all the time but 50% of the time.

I traced part of my problem to my using a Lee lead dipper which just doesn't have enough capacity to pour a 512 gr ball evenly and quickly.

I am looking for a better ladle, the Lyman says it holds between 1 and 1.5 oz, a.700 ball weighs 1.12 oz so I wonder if this ladle is big enough to handle the task. Anybody use one on large caliber balls?

I found if I rocked the mold side to side just as I filled it the voids didn't appear.

I weighed all the balls I cast, they all weigh the very close same at 512gr with only a grain or two deviation, Even the ones with the dross like sprue, which breaks right off when I drop the balls from the mold, weigh 512gr.

I guess my main questions would be; Any tips to make this large caliber casting go more consistently and is the Lyman ladle adequate or is there another one better suited to the task.

 

[BrownBear]

I found if I rocked the mold side to side just as I filled it the voids didn't appear.

Approximately the same thing in terms of results, I angle the mold a little bit when I first start the pour so the lead is running down one side of the cavity and "swirling" as it fills. Once the cavity is about half full I go ahead and level the mold. Seems to work just fine, though I'm shaky enough in my geezer years, I might be getting some rocking I don't even know about! :rotf:

As for the dross-like sprues, especially the breaking when you drop the ball from the mold- I'd say you're running hotter than you need to, and the lead hasn't cooled enough before you are opening the mold and dropping. I cast a lot of big stuff (fishing jigs to 24 oz and halibut weight up to 32 oz), and that snap-off is pretty standard. I just don't care for fishing weights, so I don't care if things are running a little hot. But when the sprues start snapping I know if I don't slow down a little or back off on the pot heat, those big balls are going to start shattering when they fall out of the mold.

 

[Many Klatch]

I cast .715 ball for my Bess. I find that a big plumbers type ladle works best. One of the problems with casting large ball is that as the lead cools it shrinks. If you carefully fill the mold and stop pouring when the sprue cavity is full, the lead will shrink enough that it will suck lead from the puddle of molten lead on top of the mold. This will cause the ball to be lopsided.

I find that if I keep the mold over the lead pot and keep slowly pouring after the mold is full, that I get a better run.

I will wind up chucking the first 20 or so back into the lead pot before I get what I want.

BTW I use paper egg cartons to catch the new lead ball, it cushions the hot lead ball and makes it easy to keep count. I have three cartons that I use. By the time the last one is full, the ones in the first carton are cool enough to touch

Many Klatch

 

[BEP]

Been casting my own .715 round balls with a Lyman Ideal mold, using a Lyman ladle for over 50 years - it's the same mold that my Dad once owned. I find that the Lyman ladle holds more than enough lead to fill the mold well with enough lead left in the ladle to form a head of sufficient mass to push that lead into the mold properly. Fifty years or so with no problems.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Suggestions?
#1: Have a lot of lead. :grin:

I am looking for a better ladle, the Lyman says it holds between 1 and 1.5 oz, a.700 ball weighs 1.12 oz so I wonder if this ladle is big enough to handle the task. Anybody use one on large caliber balls?

I cast .731" balls into an old Dixie style mould with a Lyman dipper. Works fine. Key is have your temp right and work up a pouring rythm to maintain ball consistency.

 

[Richard Brinkman]

Something that I do when cast big bullets is to make sure that the spout on the dipper is clean. I use a drill bit that will just clear the hole in the dipper and epoxy that to a piece of wood for a handle and that stays on my casting bench at all times. Every once in a while pick it up and ream out the dipper hole keep it clean and you will get a more consistant pour.

RB

 

[mooman76]

Could be too hot or need a bigger dipper. I use the Lee ladle on a 520gr. minie but I think it is about maxed. If you have to make more than one trip to the pot on one bullet, that usually don't work out. For make shift you can get a cheap soup or gravy ladle from the $ store that will work.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I traded turkey feathers for a 535 Lyman mold that really casts lopsided balls. They are .535 on one side and.528 to.530 on the other.

I just ordered a RCBS dipper. I will see if my pouring technique is causing those off center balls or if I got a bad mold dumped on me on the trade.

 

[BrownBear]

Gotta put in a pitch for this lead ladle. Can't beat the price at $5. Even only half full, it's just right for anything you'd stuff down the bore of any gun you'd put to your shoulder. I wrapped the handle on mine with leather for a sure grip, but you could probably do just fine as-is. Wander back a page and they also make one that holds 1.5 oz, and even comes with a wooden handle. Also $5.

Pouring lead isn't rocket science, and ladles for doing it shouldn't cost an arm and a leg or be hard to use.

 

[Dphar]

I just bought a Jeff Tanner mold, a very nice mold by the way, tried it out this morning.

Bottom line I had some problems with my current casting set-up, Coleman stove, cast iron lead pot, Lee dipper. I have cast thousands of smaller caliber balls with setup with no problems. Today I got a lot of sunken voids in the top my balls, frosting on top with the sprue more the consistency of dross than solid lead. My lead is recovered lead from the berm of the range they hold the Alabama state M/L championships at. Mostly very soft stuff with a few projectiles thrown in that obviously have some wheel weight lead in them because they didn't deform much on impact.

I tried real hot lead and the mold so hot it took several minutes for the lead to solidify, got pretty much the same results, not all the time but 50% of the time.

I traced part of my problem to my using a Lee lead dipper which just doesn't have enough capacity to pour a 512 gr ball evenly and quickly.

I am looking for a better ladle, the Lyman says it holds between 1 and 1.5 oz, a.700 ball weighs 1.12 oz so I wonder if this ladle is big enough to handle the task. Anybody use one on large caliber balls?

I found if I rocked the mold side to side just as I filled it the voids didn't appear.

I weighed all the balls I cast, they all weigh the very close same at 512gr with only a grain or two deviation, Even the ones with the dross like sprue, which breaks right off when I drop the balls from the mold, weigh 512gr.

I guess my main questions would be; Any tips to make this large caliber casting go more consistently and is the Lyman ladle adequate or is there another one better suited to the task.

You need a lead pot that holds the proper temp. To be determined by trial and error for a particular alloy. Frosting generally means too much heat.
Try smoking the mould cavity with a kitchen match (acutally it takes 2-3 of them). This will often make far more consistent bullets/balls.
If you have a dedicated bullet casting ladle and hold it in contact with the sprue plate or the hole in the mould if it does not have a sprue plate, for 5 seconds after pouring (most of my moulds pour best with head pressure, the ladle spout directly on the mould while pouring).
But SOME hate this, like my 4 cavity .500 RB Lyman.
The bigger the ball you are casting the more problems are likely to arise.

Dan

 

[Rifleman1776]

Lot of replies here but I see some as sorta complexikating things for you.
Here is a tip:
Antique shops and flea markets are your friends. A lot of casting was done for many years. You can find all kinds of dippers at low prices, I have several. I have cast over a Coleman stove and fish fryer burners using a cast iron pot for the lead. Works fine once your temps are up. Takes practice and doing.

 

[waarp8nt]

I frequent auctions, fleamarkets and antique shops and have used a variety of dippers from RCBS, Lyman, Lee and various size cast iron open top dippers. My favorites are the Lyman and open top medium dippers as they hold enough lead to fill most large capacity molds. Admittedly I have never cast 70 cal balls, however I have cast hollow base .58 cal 400gr and larger .50 cal molds for BPCR.

IMO the Lee dipper would not have enough capacity to fill the larger molds.

 

[dave951]

A couple things, at minimum, you need a dipper with the capacity and that means it holds more lead than needed for a pour. Second, you're using range scrap. There's no way to know what your alloy actually is. Third, ever try a bottom pour? A Coleman is ok but you really need a pot you can hold a consistent temp with.

 

[nhmoose]

I traced part of my problem to my using a Lee lead dipper which just doesn't have enough capacity to pour a 512 gr ball evenly and quickly.

I believe you found the problem, I have cast thousands of balls all sizes with a cheap Lee bottom pour furnace. No dipping needed and junk if any floats up to the top

 

[Eric Krewson]

Man, this is an old thread, The RCBS dipper solved my problems because it holds a great deal more than is needed for one pour and is a bottom pour as well.

 

[waarp8nt]

Yea, not sure how I drug it up. I usually hit the new post tab, must have hit on the similar post at the bottom of the page. Glad your satisfied with your current set up, I won't have to keep looking for my extra Lyman dipper I was going to offer to borrow to you.