Winter time casting is fast.

[Dick Dastardly]

Ho Pards who will be needing bullets.  Don't wait, do it now.

I needed some bullets to send to some pards that bought bullet samplers.  Since I'd done it before, I was prepared for what happened.  I got all my marked ingots sorted and plugged in the pot.  OAT was 31 degrees F.

Soon as I had a good melt, I fluxed the metal and dipped my iron mold partly into the melt.  Gave it about a minute, pulled it out, came out nice and clean, and I started casting.  I had to move FAST to keep up with the sprue chill and cut the sprue at the right time.  Soon got the pace and had a couple a hundred nice 500 grain bullets.

Then, I switched to my LEE Six cavity EPP-UG mold.  I'd had it sitting on top of the pot for the last five minutes or so and it was ready to go.  WOW, I thought the iron mold was quick.  The big Six cavity aluminum mold ran as fast as I could fill it.  In fact, I turned up the flow to max without continued dripping.  Quick as I'd fill the mold I'd cut the sprues.  I said CUT, not tear.  The bullets piled up in a hurry.

So, pards, when this winter weather moderates enough that you can stand to run your pots, get your casting done.  It's FUN, FAST and you can get very consistent bullets real easy.  Cool air, hot metal, fast molds and lots of bullets.

Winter ain't over, but we can still get the bullets we need before we have to mow lawns again.

DD-DLoS

[Cohagen]

H0 DD,

Best idea you had all winter, Dusty wanted to cast some when it wasw -2 outside, I thought he was nuts and told him so.   Figured at tht temp my sprue just might break off.

Cohagen       

[Fox Creek Kid]

D.D., I quit casting during Winter years ago as I could not get good ventilation and keep everything hot. How are you venting fumes?

[Dick Dastardly]

I wait till the temperature gets up to 30 degrees or higher.  Then, I cast on the screen porch.  I have a Mr. Buddie propane heater and by the time my feet start to freeze to the floor I've got a good 20 pounds of bullets cast.

The screen porch works great.  Screen on two walls.  I watch the flux smoke to see which way it's drifting.  If needed I have a fan behind me.  FWIW, I had my lead level checked.  It's at 4.7 on a scale of 0.0 to 9.9.

Sure beats sittin' around watchin' icicles  form. . . .

DD-DLoS

[Dalton Masterson]

I agree. I cast a bunch last weekend. Opened the garage door, set up a fan and got to work. I think it was maybe 25-30 degrees out. Cast up a bunch right quick.

Hey DD, a quick question. On the EPP UG, where do you crimp at? Do you go over the grease groove, or into the top of it? Thanks a bunch! Great mold.
DM

[Dick Dastardly]

Good morning Dalton,

Here's a photo of some I loaded last night.  If you look close, I crimp near the top of the top band.  Not a hard crimp, but enough to keep the bullet from moving.

That big guy lurking in the background is my new 45-70 Mk-III.  Now you can see the big and the little of the Big Lube™ lineup together. . .

DD-DLoS

[Dalton Masterson]

Thank ya DD. Thats where I was crimping too, just looked funny. Thanks a bunch! DM

[Adirondack Jack]

I'm casting a bit too when the temps are mild and so on.  In a variation on the theme, I set up the lee pot in my little shop, on a work bench about 4 feet from a window.

Before firing the pot, I preheat the BUILDING using my Buddy propane heater, until the temp is 70+, then open the window and slightly open the door behind me, 12 feet away, testing the air flow with cigarette smoke to assure positive flow out the window by the pot.  Once I have a good draft going with the buddy ehater on high below the open window, I fire the electric pot and all the smoke and presumably everything else heads out the window.  In the spring I'll be on the hunt for a reasonably priced range hood and fan set up which will get mounted over the same bench next to the window, and the pot will be run with the range hood fan running instead of the window open.  I'll also rig a vent in the BOTTOM of the door so intake air will be low and tend to create a good draft for the workbench area.


I do like casting when the air temp is 50-55 degrees, as the molds don't overheat and running em as fast as I can makes perfect bullets.

[Wills Point Pete]

 High temp today was 78 degrees F. Tomorrow81. What is this "winter" you speak of?

[Dalton Masterson]

Oh hush your mouth!!
Was a cold foggy damp 37 today. Sure didnt feel like it was above freezing. Supposed to be almost 50 this weekend, should get some more bullets cast! DM

[Dick Dastardly]

We have seasons here in the Northwoods.  The two most obvious are Winter and Road Construction.  They are separated by mud and grass fires.

You poor folks in warm climates just don't know about seasons.  They bring variety to your life.  Misery needs variety.

DD-DLoS

[Adirondack Jack]

I'll have all you warm-all-year folks know that it has historically been the case that all sorts of inventions came out of the inhospitable north.

From the time Homo Sapiens first wandered north out of Africa (likely due to loss of forests, it ain't a new thing, Al) they learned pretty quick that when ya live where the growing season is sixteen minutes long, ya gotta innovate, adapt, survive, or yer gonna be deader than a feller hit on the head with a bag of hammers.

Improved agriculture meant food surplusses, which led to fermentation of grain into beer and fat women to help stave off freezing to death.  One can easily see how the two go together.....

Meanwhile, instead of chasing crittwers in the SNOW, they figured out it would be easier to shoot em, so they developed good guns for that purpose (also worked well to keep pirates away from the beer and women.

So you folks wouldn't have yer shooting irons (or beer) if it wasn't for brave souls who overcame the odds (with the help of fat women, beer and guns).

Now back to your suntanned boredom.

[sundance44`s]

Heck I live in the North  ( North Mississippi )  It`s 76 degrees here today ..I`ll give some thought on what ya said this afternnoon while I sit on the back pourch and drink a cold one ...Here casting in anything other than our one short month of winter would be like working in a steel  foundry ... The down side here is , bugs grow as big as dinosaurs..

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I'll have all you warm-all-year folks know that it has historically been the case that all sorts of inventions came out of the inhospitable north.

From the time Homo Sapiens first wandered north out of Africa (likely due to loss of forests, it ain't a new thing, Al) they learned pretty quick that when ya live where the growing season is sixteen minutes long, ya gotta innovate, adapt, survive, or yer gonna be deader than a feller hit on the head with a bag of hammers.

Improved agriculture meant food surplusses, which led to fermentation of grain into beer and fat women to help stave off freezing to death.  One can easily see how the two go together.....

Meanwhile, instead of chasing crittwers in the SNOW, they figured out it would be easier to shoot em, so they developed good guns for that purpose (also worked well to keep pirates away from the beer and women.

So you folks wouldn't have yer shooting irons (or beer) if it wasn't for brave souls who overcame the odds (with the help of fat women, beer and guns).

Now back to your suntanned boredom.

AJ, I sure like your take on history!  It's all much clearer, now!

[Arcey]

Now back to your suntanned boredom.

Jack, ya might have been kiddin' 'round.

Been out in the back yard castin' up Lyman 358665s. Weren't for what's left of the leaves on the trees 'n the brisk breeze out there it'd be a touch too warm.

It's unseasonal 'n it'll get cold again but I gottah take this as it comes. Goin' back out inna few minutes 'n drain another pot of lead.