First cast bullets

[mgmorden]

Well, after melting scrap lead into ingots for a while, I finally got some monotype in to alloy with it. Went out and "played" some today. With the heat index it's over 100 degrees so I couldn't take the heat for very long, but I managed to cast about around 100 bullets before giving up and getting back in the AC .

Culled about the first 12-15 or so of them (mold wasn't hot enough yet I guess - was getting "wrinkled" bullets), but after that they started coming out clean. On a few I also noticed that I'd need to tap the mold on the table after dropping the bullets out to make sure it came back together completley straight.

So for right now, I've only got 85 bullets - not enough to do much with - but it worked as a proof of concept. Just need to wait on some clouds or something the get the temp down. I have a feeling casting is going to be more of a fall/winter thing for me .

PS these were cast from the dual-cavity Lee 125gr 9mm mold.

 

[243winxb]

Lube might help alignment of the mould.

On a few I also noticed that I'd need to tap the mold on the table after dropping the bullets out to make sure it came back together completley straight.

Nice looking bullets. Except that one in the middle where the mould was not closed right. The alignment pins can be lubed* for a better fit. Think i saw it on castboolits.com.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=88304 Lee Info >

Bullet mold lubing

Aluminum molds require occasional lubrication. A technique that works well is to have a glob of hard, stick-type bullet lube (like Lee #90007, but any alox/beeswax lube will work) about the size of a .45 slug rolled into a football; when the mold gets hot, touch one end to the aligning grooves along the sides of the mold block, on the underside of the sprue plate, and on the steel pins along the bottom of the mold block. Use sparingly, as if any gets into the mold cavity it will cause wrinkled bullets.

Lack of lubrication will cause the mold blocks to mis-align, or the sprue plate to gall the top surface of the mold.

Be sure to remember to "smoke" the mold which helps the mold release the freshly molded bullet without having to use "persuasion".

 

[jcwit]

Don't tap the mold blocks with or on anything. T align the blocks if you have a problem tal the hinge on the handles with the whatever you're using to open the sprew cutter. I use a broken hammer handle.

Be careful trying to use a lube on the alignment pins if you're new to this, usually requires a special lube, for sure not just any old oil or wax. What you do not want to do is get ANY lube in the bullet cavity. I use an Anti-Seize stick from Loctite available from auto supply stores in this area and at the spru cutter where it rubs against the top of the mold.

 

[243winxb]

I wonder how the circled bullet would shoot?

 

[jcwit]

Wobbley! Maybe something like a corkscrew. But then it may just be the one to take the x out.

 

[snuffy]

I see a lot of cold/rounded bases on those, like about 50%. That indicates poor fill-out from a too cool mold. BUT if that was your first cast then, that's a very good start. If you were to weigh those, the ones with the not-quite-filled-out-bases would be lighter, maybe a full grain.

Would/will they still shoot? Sure will, once they're sized and lubed. They may even shoot good groups.

 

[GP100man]

Lube the mould then set it on a peice of wood (I have an oak board) before closing that way it`s aligned as far as horizontally & the steel pins won`t beat up the alignment recess , vertically is aluminum to aluminum Vs & will get sticky when the mould gets to hot .

The best lube is BullShop`s Bull Plate sprueplate lube !!!

I have some with a lite coat of mold release (graphite spray) that have cast thousands of boolits & show very little wear . But be warned graphite spray builds up thick & qwik ,it can easily affect boolit dia. either way , in cavitys too small , on the blocks too large & OOR if ya size a couple .001s is no sweat but some like to TL with alox & shoot as is .

Keep the melt hot & when the mould gets too hot just press it on a wet rag to coolit down I usually go a 3 count with 2 holers .

 

[mgmorden]

Thanks guys. I went through and did a second pass trying to weed out any that exhibited that issue (I had a few that I'd already gotten out but those looked much worse ). Found 3 out of that batch.

I actually have the pot melting outside now. Found an old lamp that I can sit outside and I'm going to try this at night so that I can work for longer without getting so hot. Hopefully I'll get some more of the kinks out. I smoked the mold and heated it, but I know I didn't get it hot enough to start with and like I said had at least 12-15 obvious mess-ups that were just totally useless, and I'm sure that quite a few more afterwards were probably bad but in ways that I can't recognize yet.

 

[Cherokee]

You have a good start, it takes a little practice. Set the mould on a flat surface to close it and do lube the pins & grooves, but not the cavities. Bullplate is the best. Lots of CB info on http://castboolits.gunloads.com/ That bullet shoots good in my 9mm's.

 

[jcwit]

I'll just betcha the OP does not have Bullplate available in his inventory?
Thats why I suggested not using oil or wax but Anti-Seize compound.

 

[GP100man]

In a pinch I`ve covered the mating surfaces of a 2 holer Lee with a no.2 pencil ,it`s graphite ! even a builders pencil will work !

But I`ve had mixed results covering the cavitys .

 

[35 Whelen]

I wouldn't obsess over minor abnormalities in pistol bullets unless you intend to do some serious competitive shooting. And the further toward the nose the flaw is, the less effect it has on accuracy.

An easy way to avoid the first few bullets being wrinkled is to set your mould blocks on top of the lead pot and let them pre-heat. Or you can just dip the corner of the blocks in the melt for a bit.
The Lee blocks and handles I've used tend to be a little sloppy thus creating occasional alignment issues. If you ever get your hands on some of the more expensive blocks and handles like Lyman, NEI, RCBS, etc., you'll see a marked difference. A while back I cast some .358" 150 gr. HP's from one of my Lee moulds and I had to to be really careful that the moulds closed properly and that the halves were aligned. I use a wooden hammer handle to cut the sprue (BTW, don't use anything harder than wood to knock the sprue cutter open) and sometimes tapping the blocks with the wooden handle helps the blocks close properly.

I inherited a can of mould release, but I just can't bring myself to hose a mould with something out of an aerosol can. If your bullets sometimes don't want to drop from the mould, there's probably some sharp edges that the bullets are hanging on. This is fairly typical for Lee moulds. In fact over at the Cast Boolit website, they have a standard procedure for Lee moulds that's known as "Leementing". Go here: http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=32584 and click the link in the first thread. At the next pages click on "Articles" then on the next page "Modifying Moulds", the finally "Leementing - Fixing Lee Molds by buckshot". This procedure will make a great difference in your mould and the quality of bullets it produces.

Edit: I found another really good article on fixing Lee two-cavity moulds. It's here: http://www.castpics.net/subsite2/MoldMods/Fixing Lee Molds.pdf

Good luck and keep us posted.
35W

 

[Ditchtiger]

When your mold is not closing properly hold it vertically and tap on the hinge bolt lightly.

 

[jcwit]

Very good advice 35 Whelen!

Absolutly correct Ditchtiger!

 

[snuffy]

A couple of other things. I KNOW that lee tells you to smoke the molds. I NEVER do that. 1, it makes the boolits smaller, 2, it hides imperfections in the mold that will wear in to make it run smoothly. Cavities should be clean and dry, no oils.

Then they tell you to lube the guides and pins with boolit lube. That's a wax/grease combination that WILL migrate into the cavities making for wrinkled boolits and angry casters.

As said, bullplate lube is the best thing since sliced bread and bottled beer! Dan at bullshop is some kind of genius with lubricants. It's a high temp silicone based oil that does not break down at casting temps. A VERY light film of it keeps the pins lubed, AND if coated on the underside of the sprue plate prevents lead smearing if you happen to open the sprue before it has a chance to harden. He's having problems with his website right now, so just email him here; [email protected] Be prepared for about a 10 day wait for your order. Dan lives is a very remote area of Alaska. He only makes it to town once a week to mail orders, but it's worth the wait.

 

[alongston]

Practice makes perfect.

 

[Galil5.56]

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