Casting ???s

[Pitspitr]

I've got a question about bullet casting alloys for ya, but a little background first.
I started casting .490 Round Balls for more muzzle loader 20+ years ago. I was using pure lead that I bought from my club but I have no idea where the club bought it. I never had any problem turning out high quality (visually inspected only) balls. I wouldn't necessarily call myself an expert but I can tell poor balls that are that way from incorrect mould heat.
Anyway, my problem is this. For my BPCR bullets I've bought some 20-1 and 30-1 lead from Midway. When casting my ML balls I don't remember fluxing and skimming all that much, I did it, but it didn't take all that much. With the alloy from Midway, I will flux and skim, and flux and skim some more. When I think I surely have all the impurities possible out of the lead, I cast bullets. But the bullets still have "scabby" looking places on them and what appears to be flecks of foreign matter in them, they will be smooth and shiny in some places and frosty in others. Is this just "the nature of the beast" when casting with an alloy or is the alloy that I'm getting from Midway just really poor quality? If it's poor quality alloy, where should I be getting my alloy?

[Delmonico]

If it's just frosty, that is not a problem, just common with casting at high temps.  Weigh them on a scale, if they have impurities in them, the weight will most likely vary from bullet to bullet a lot. 

[Pitspitr]

Hi Glen I understand about frosty being too hot. These will be frosty in just a small patch, here and there on otherwise shiny bullets and yes the weights vary quite a bit.

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[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy Pitspitr, and welcome.

For CAS shootn', I don't use no expensive store bought alloys.  I use straight wheel weight metal that I get from a large tire dealer.  I smelt down the wheel weights in a plumbers pot and pick the clips with a garage floor magnet.  Then, I flux, skim and pour ingots.

I melt the ingots and pour my CAS bullets with a LEE 20lb bottom pour pot and don't worry too much about the surface except to keep it fluxed now and then.  The stuff on the top only prevents further oxidation.

When I'm casting very soft, or pure lead, bullets, I keep close track of my temperature with a metal thermometer.  Dead soft lead drops pretty shiny well filled out bullets from my molds around 750 degrees F.  WW metal is less fussy and if it's run a bit to the hot side it drops pretty frosted bullets.  The frost don't hurt anything.

When I see what you describe as "scabs" on my casting I suspect that there's suspended impuritys.  The weighing suggested will help you to detect this.  Also, shoot some tests and see how they fly.  Could be that the stuff is only surface oxidation and doesn't hurt anything.

DD-DLoS

[Pitspitr]

Hi Dick and thanks for the reply. For CAS I understand what you're saying about not using "expensive stuff" At short ranges it shouldn't matter much. In this case I'm talking specifically about BPCR at 200+ yds, so they're going to need to fly pretty true and what I've made so far aren't. I'm like you in that I'm suspecting suspended impurities. Most of the stuff I'm taking off the top looks like burned up aluminum foil. Right now I'm spending more time fluxing and skimming than casting and have improved the quality alot. But if I have to spend that much time cleaning up the alloy I'm using, I need to find a different supplier.

[Delmonico]

Are you going to be in Lincoln soon, I'd send you some of mine to try.

[Pitspitr]

Jacob is going to be down there Friday and I was thinking of sending a couple down ther so you could see what I'm talking about. I'll just plan on having him stop in. Thanks!

[Mason Stillwell]

Try this
Add just a pinch more of Pure Tin to yer mix. Shiny all around and happy caster when you do that.

Mason (what makes a few boolits ) Stillwell

[Pitspitr]

Ok Maybe I can't tell bullets that are poor from incorrect heat. A guy on the Shilo board suggested that 30-1 casts best at 825-875 degrees. So I cranked up the heat to about 850 and they look better. Some still seem to have impurities, stuff that looks like ashes or cinders in them even after spending a ton of time fluxing and skimming but they appear alot less fequently.

[Delmonico]

Try the 20-1, my 500 gr RCBS SIL mould won't do well at 30-1, I use 24-1.  That mould is one of the hardest ones I have to cast with to get them right.  Are you dipping or using a bottom pour?   The black cinder lookin' stuff has me wondering.  I'll dig out a couple of my ingots today and leave them at our desk.  Terry can give them to Jacob if he misses me.

[Pitspitr]

Thanks Del, but the 20-1 was giving me problems that's why I tried the 30-1 and it seems like its is/was working better than the 20-1. Maybe I need to try and turn up the head on the 20-1 too.

[sundance44`s]

Casting with harder lead is a little difficult to get the perfect bullets ( looks wise ) what i do is when they start looking dull i turn down the flame cause the next step will be frosted bullets .. hard lead gets too hot too quick .. and your mold gets hot too quick too while casting .. some times i let my mold cool off just a bit too ... i just lik`em shinny and clean . I`m sure the frosted and dull ones would shoot fine .. it`s just i`m pickey about the looks too . some times i add a little softer lead to the mix too , ( plumbers lead ) seems to help . i stir and skim doss off the top about every 15 mins too .. some times add a little more candle wax too . doss will cling to it and make cleaning the top easyer . It`s hard to sit in front of a hot flame and melting pot this time of year ... but i`m old school on the casting and like casting over flame .. nice when there`s snow on the shop roof ...lol wife bought me an electric melting pot fer christmas last year and i liked it about as much as she likes cooking on an electric stove ... took some getting use too ...only i just never did and went right back to casting over flame ...can`t teach an old dog new tricks here.

[Montana Slim]

When casting my big slugs (500 gr), I turn the heat up on the pot vs. casting pure lead or alloy pistol bullets. I doubt the knob on the pot is the actual temp, but I set my Lee pot near 900 F. The bullets turn out well frosted, but this wipes off later ( I wipe finished rounds to remove excess lube that may attract dirt).

Slim

[Delmonico]

Sir, there is about 8 pounds of 24-1 alloy sittin' on my desk awaitin' yer striker to fetch back to you.

It is very clean, I mixed it myself out of pure lead and know amounts of tin with more care than I even do with my bread.  BTW the lead I used came out of the Lincoln Regional Center from a remodelin' project.  I know that sounds crazy, but pickin' it up from the contractor was was interesting to say the least.  But I got my lead and they didn't offer to keep me.

[Pitspitr]

Hi Del,
The kid jacob went to Lincoln with got bad news at the doctor (no more contact sports, ever! and he was going to play college ball) They were pretty bummed out so just wanted to get the heck out of Dodge. We'll be moving Sarah into the dorms Thursday, so hopefully I can stop then.

[Delmonico]

It will be here.  Tell Jacob I'm sorry to here that.

[Pitspitr]

Good news Del,
I tried that mould again and I didn't warp it when I dropped it. I used your alloy and it worked fine. the other stuff has been working better too since I turned up the heat.