casting my own round balls

[Brian Heap]

I just got through trying to cast my own balls for the first time. Not good. I had the pot on a small single burner camp stove, propane, heated the mold once the lead was about ready, then dipped my ladle in and tried to pour the lead. Mold was lubed, anyway, I didn't get the mold filled on the first try and dipped it in and finished pouring, The balls have a ring around them, cold joint I suppose. The mold is a 12 ball mold. The lead would plug the entry hole before I could get two balls poured. first of all I didn't have enough lead in the pot so it was hard to get a ladle full to pour the two balls from the single mold hole. I know a couple of things I'm doing wrong, but would like some advice if I've also got a bunch of slag stuff in the pot and got more the longer I had it on the heat.

Thanks guys

 

[M. De Land]

Gang molds are tough to use without special equipment like a large pot and lots of heat.
Any lube should be on the hinge not in the mold.
Only a very light film of smoke should be in any of the mold cavities.
One should begin with a one or two cavity mold and progress to gang molds after learning the basic principles.

 

[TNGhost]

Molds need to be very clean, no oil, grease etc. I degrease with carb cleaner and wash with soap and hot water. When dry, I lightly smoke the interior cavity with a match(s). The hinge and sprue plate pivot screw are lubed with a light touch of ALOX bullet lube or similar. The mold needs to be hot enough, either by dipping a corner or just pouring a few rejects.

Your lead melt needs to be hot enough too, to keep it up to a temperature(about 750 to 800F) for filling out the molds and compensate for the cooler mold.

Once you get your lead melted you need to flux, with either a pinch of the afore mentioned bullet lube or a little rosin, well mixed in, top to bottom while scraping the sides of the pot, the slag can then be skimmed off the top. Repeat fluxing as necessary depending on dirtiness of your metal.

For a mold with 12 cavities for sure, or even to make it easier with smaller ones, do yourself a favor and get a Lee Production 4-20 bottom pour pot.
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/Dept/Reloading/Lead-Bullet-Casting/Melting-Pots-And-Kits

If you are determined to go the propane stove, iron pot method, grab a couple of smaller one or two cavity Lee molds, you can pick them up for less than $20 if you look.

If all else fails in filling out bullets, adding a little tin(solder) will make the melt flow better and fill out the cracks.

One thing you mentioned, about the ring around the ball, sounds like the mold isn't closing all the way for some reason, maybe a burr or because the lead cooling on you got in the wrong place.

Casting is fun and interesting, stick with it and you'll get it going your way. :thumbsup:

Good investments are a thermometer and Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook

What gun are you casting for?

 

[mooman76]

What the others said. First off your mould isn't hot enough. That's what it cooled before it filled the cavities. This can be expected some what on a big gang mould. Not a good mould to learn on as they work better with a experienced caster. Like M.D. said a large mould like that needs special equipment. A BIG pot to start and a ladle big enough to fill it on one pass or you'll pull your hair out trying to get it going.

I'd start out with a 2 cavity mould until you get the hang of it and read what you can find on casting first. There are even some vids on youtube. Most the info is good there but some is amateurish but it will give you the basics.