Heating Molds

[sundance44`s]

Frosty balls/bullets can be cured by wipeing them in an oily rag do a handfull at a time ..The frost just vanishes ...

[Springfield Slim]

Which goes to show that the frost really isn't any concern at all. I find I have very few rejsects when I cast slightly frosty. I like to keep my moulds on top of the pot until they are pre heated, then I dip the end in the molten lead for a minute or so, can get keepers from the first cast if I get it just right. As for when to cut the sprue, basically I cut it 12-15 seconds after the last cavity is poured. Waiting too long makes for a difficult cut and leaves bumps on the bottom of the bullet.

[Dick Dastardly]

As usual, the professional casters are dead nuts on.  And, they readily share their methods.

I need to add one more thing.  Don't cut the sprues too soon and don't run your metal too hot.  There is an upper limit where the sprues just take a long time to cool enough to cut and some pards get impatient and cut them before they are cool enough.  The result is a smear on the backside of the sprue plate and on the mold block faces.  When that happens to me, yes I do get impatient too, I let the mold cool a bit and scrape the smear off with a hardwood wedge.  It won't scratch the mold blocks or sprue plate, but it will remove the smear.  Then, I re-smoke the mold block faces and the backside of the sprue plate.

I've had pards really make a mess of the big LEE Six cavity molds by gettin' 'em all smeared up with melted alloy.  Don't do that.  Do it like Mason and Slim say.  Listen to them.  They cast a LOT of bullets.

DD-DLoS

[Delmonico]

A carpenters opencil also works good to remove lead smears.  Although I don't cast with the six cavity moulds,,,,,,,,,,,,yet, I do have a method that I use to make sure I don't get in too big of a hurry to open them, I use two moulds of different caibers that I use the same alloy in.  I use an 8 pound Lee bottom drop to cast with, a 20 pound dip type with melted alloy to keep the Lee filled with and I have ingots in a $1 garage sale toaster oven ready  just under the melting point to grab, (with my big Channel Locks) and refill the 20#er with.

[Pukin Dog]

As usual, the professional casters are dead nuts on.  And, they readily share their methods.

I need to add one more thing.  Don't cut the sprues too soon and don't run your metal too hot.  There is an upper limit where the sprues just take a long time to cool enough to cut and some pards get impatient and cut them before they are cool enough.  The result is a smear on the backside of the sprue plate and on the mold block faces.  When that happens to me, yes I do get impatient too, I let the mold cool a bit and scrape the smear off with a hardwood wedge.  It won't scratch the mold blocks or sprue plate, but it will remove the smear.  Then, I re-smoke the mold block faces and the backside of the sprue plate.

I've had pards really make a mess of the big LEE Six cavity molds by gettin' 'em all smeared up with melted alloy.  Don't do that.  Do it like Mason and Slim say.  Listen to them.  They cast a LOT of bullets.

DD-DLoS

Yep,
I'm guilty of smearing them last time I cast with DD.  And had the opposite problem at the start with the sprue getting too cold to shear.  I really like Howdy Dootie's idea of just filling the first couple to start and work back until all get nice and hot.  Like the rest of you say, it don't hurt nothing to toss the first few castings back in the pot.

I think I made about 1500 bullets in 5 hours at Dick's.  My brother however wasn't so lucky as his pot sprung a leak right around the pour spout and he ended up spilling more out than filling molds!  I think he got maybe 200 for 3 hours of work!

[Springfield Slim]

I use two 6 gangers at a time, they sort of self time themselves. It tends to work out about 12-15 seconds between dumps of the mould. The bigger( 200 grains or above) bullets work fine, with the smaller ones I have to move a little faster to keep the moulds hot enough. Sometimes gets a little hectic.  With my Magma 40 pounder I just keep shoving in ingots. When I used smaller pots I ladled from one to the other to keep the pot filled. The larger pot is so much more convenient. I generally can do 1200 an hour with 2 moulds going. But the moulds have to be just right, all the setscrews( mine, not LEES)  nice and tight. I also like to use Bullshops Bullplate lube, keeps the occasional smeared lead from sticking, just wipes off with my glove.  It also works great as a locating pin lube, everything else I have tried tends to build up, but not this stuff. (bullshop@wildak.net)