Casting Minie’s Help Needed

[ChadVance]

Your pot and mold are too cold. Crank it up to 850 or better and preheat the mold with a propane torch. Key to good minies is a hot core pin, hot lead and fast pour.

What I was thinking of trying today.

 

[Whitworth]

Crank the heat up on your pot to Max. I like to pour one in the mold and let it sit for a little while to warm the mold, then pour one more and let it sit for a bit to further heat the mold and then my aluminum Lee mold is ready to roll.

 

[Ian Straus]

Casting from a 10lb Lee, these were from a steel Lee mold.

Setup is still out in the garage, I’m on a union break so I’ll hit it again in a few, had to walk away.

First time ever casting. I’ll try heating the mould hotter before I open the spout.

Spout? You must be using a bottom pour pot.
I have found - and friends have too- that the lead from the bottom of a bottom pour pot runs colder than the top, and gives problems casting Minies.
It's OK for round balls. And of course it's ideal for the large amount of lead I need to cast mortar projectiles. But it's bee years since I used the bottom pour pot for Minies.

 

[Eterry]

Eterry,

I haven't cast RB yet, what do you mean by frosted when casting RB? Is it ref the mold being too hot?

If you would elaborate please thanks

Yes, when too hot, either mold or lead, the bullets will take on a frosted look. I don't think I've ever seen minie's get frosted, but it can on round ball.

I took advice from reloading magazine article years ago, I cast 2 different bullets at a time. This lets the first mold heat up and the lead solidifies while im pouring a 2nd mold. I don't have a dripomatic, aka bottom pour pot. I use a homemade left hand ladle.

 

[John Applebee]

Pure lead has a surface tension which rounds off all the edges and prevents good looking bullets. The black powder cartridge guys add tin to increase the hardness to around Brinnell 8 which makes the melt flow easier like soldier The only way I’ve fixed this with pure lead is to run the pot and the mould really hot.

 

[Scota@4570]

Get a thermometer, otherwise you are guessing. Set the mold on top of the furnace while it heats up to pre heat the mold. Smoke the inside of the blocks with a sooty flame. Fill quickly. Experiment with pressure casting.

Bottom pour furnace vs ladle is a preference thing. I never use a ladle. I make excellent balls and bullets. IT can be done. I also get gang molds whenever possible. Those molds almost necessitate a large bottom pour furnace. If the spouts drips use the screwdriver slot to turn the valve and grind the junk out of the valve seat. It is not a bid deal.

 

[ChadVance]

Alright cranked up the heat on the pot and mould was smoked hot I had a lot with cavities inside the cone, some frosting but fill out was slit better. I did have an issue with a yellow sludge forming on my lead in the pot. Could this be preservatives from manufacture? I ran it empty to clear any large items from the bottom just in case before I try the Lee mould.

take a look and please let me know. Thanks for any help!

 

[ChadVance]

I was getting a lot of cavities so I angled the mold and ran the lead to where it was hitting the side of the funneled portion of the spru cutter, seemed to work. May been filling too fast?

 

[Ian Straus]

I was getting a lot of cavities so I angled the mold and ran the lead to where it was hitting the side of the funneled portion of the spru cutter, seemed to work. May been filling too fast?

You will fill the mold better when you "drown the mold", that is keep pouring after you think it is full. As the metal cools and contracts it will either suck more metal in, or create voids if there is no extra metal to be sucked in.

 

[dennyntx]

Fired up the new pot with pure lead, temp is about 700 +-20, cleaned moulds with acetone. Casting .58 rounds for the Springfield. Are my standards too high or is this normal?View attachment 68725

View attachment 68723View attachment 68724

Get your lead hotter lay your mold on the pot while the lead is melting then pour 4 or 5 through it drop them back in the pot then your mold should be good and heated up start pouring and keep going don't let the mold go cold

 

[barracudadave67]

For sure you casting at to low a temperature Turn the pot as stated to at least 850.

Dave

 

[Eterry]

The Lee pot, IIRC, doesnt have a temp range, just a numbered dial. I run mine wide open, works well on minies. Also keep pouring lead into/onto the mold, it helps. They're getting better, except for the cavities. It's definitely a work in progress. I drop my cast bullets on a folded towel, an old pair of jeans will work, shop rag, something to soften the fall.

Be careful dropping those big minies back in the pot. I got a splashback last year almost ruined my eye.

 

[dave951]

If you're getting voids, try holding the mold at an angle while pouring and leave quite a bit on top for the sprue.

 

[Throwdown58]

I put a little tin in when nobody is looking.

 

[Newtire]

Spout? You must be using a bottom pour pot.
I have found - and friends have too- that the lead from the bottom of a bottom pour pot runs colder than the top, and gives problems casting Minies.
It's OK for round balls. And of course it's ideal for the large amount of lead I need to cast mortar projectiles. But it's bee years since I used the bottom pour pot for Minies.

I picked up an RCBS at a yard sale and it pours fast enough to fill out Minies and all big conicals. The Lee was just too slow for me, too many wrinkles. Used a gasoline Coleman stove for years and that got the lead hot enough to do it too. The propane models just aren’t hot enough.

 

[mooman76]

The Lee pot, IIRC, doesnt have a temp range, just a numbered dial. I run mine wide open, works well on minies. Also keep pouring lead into/onto the mold, it helps. They're getting better, except for the cavities. It's definitely a work in progress. I drop my cast bullets on a folded towel, an old pair of jeans will work, shop rag, something to soften the fall.

Be careful dropping those big minies back in the pot. I got a splashback last year almost ruined my eye.

I drop mine on a old folded over towel too. I put the sprue and bad bullets back it the pot while they are still hot. I do where safety glasses though. I would run the pot wide open. I usually don't but for troublesome moulds like yours(which I do have some) I run the pot wide open. I have a minie mould that I never have gotten to fill out properly. If I was to see a need for the mould I would have kept trying until I got it.

 

[Crow-Feather]

Please remember that all fumes need to be vented. The pot should be close to whatever device that is doing the venting.

 

[45man]

The big mystery are the molds that leave a void at the hollow pin, some do and some never. I cast hollow base at no. 8 on the Lee and get a perfect fill on shotgun slugs and one Minie' but another always leaves a void. I heat the pin more with a propane torch and it helps.
Pure lead will not frost and it takes more heat. I only ladle cast, never solved the bottom pour after over 70 years of casting.
Make a mold heater from an electric box, hinge the lid and cut an opening on one side for the mold handles. Put a BBQ thermometer in the top and put on a heat plate. adjust so a mold reaches 500* and the first bullets will be perfect.
If the heat plate fails it blew the temp fuse located under the base in heat tubing, locate it and jump it.
Put the ladle tight to the sprue hole and tip up with no leaks and hold long enough to fill the mold from the ladle and not the sprue. If you watch the lead in the ladle you will see it go down as the bullet fills, stops and goes down more as it shrinks. Tip off the ladle without turning the mold.

 

[45man]

If you heat the lead at no. 6 on the pot first and skim the junk off. all impurities will be gone, then turn up and before casting, flux--yes even pure will benefit. Stir deep to bring up junk. Use and old spoon with a wood handle riveted on, do not use the ladle. keep the ladle nose clean and open.