2aHawaii
Tools and Uses => Reloading => Topic started by: chapnelson on March 01, 2011, 09:09:26 AM
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Would anyone be interested in a child board on casting bullets?
I got into casting a couple of years ago, under the coaching of some wise old guys on the 'net. From Salvation Army I picked up a cast iron pot with wooden handle, oven mitts, aluminum muffin tin (the dirtier tin the better, pick the ones that are coated with the brown residue from pam or oil), ladle and tongs (make sure they have wood or plastic handle) - $10. I got a bunch of candle wax, shredded plastic, and fine saw dust for fluxing - $0. Picked up the inexpensive Lee 2 cavity molds, sprayed them with pam - $20 ea. In the past 2 years I've picked up close to 200# of scrap lead alloy, cast them into the muffin tin - $0. Each muffin is about 2.5#, which is roughly 100 158gr 38/357 bullets.
I use the side burner on my grill, wear coveralls, close toed shoes, and a dust mask - eventhough I'm outside, when you look into the pot, its good to have something over your face. I use an old 5 gal plastic bucket full of water to quench, and I cut a piece of scrap plywood to fill the cooking area of my grill so I don't splash anything on a surface that would come in contact with food. Once I get in a rhythym I can cast about 100 an hour, and I go for a couple of hours. Its therapeutic, like reloading.
Cast akamai!
Chaps
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I think watching this process would be quite interesting!
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I'll take pictures next time and post them if that's okay here?
Mahalo, Chaps
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That would be terrific!
My uncle used to cast, back when I was small, but he's too old now to teach, and all his equipment is gonners. This would be a very interesting topic for sure! :thumbsup:
Thanks Chaps.
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I used to cast lead sinkers for fishing with my grandpa prolly 25 years ago.... it's an interesting process, would love to see how bullets are done.
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We cast bullets when I was a young thing. After a long day's shooting, Dad would send the sons to dig lead out of the backdrop. We also visited service stations to collect cast-off wheel weights. Melted all that down, cast them in a cornbread mold for ingots.
I remember casting .38/.357 and .41. Used a gasoline blowtorch and two propane torches for heat. Lots of fun, and very cathartic.
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I would love to get back into casting.
When I Was competing, would make over 500 a night and have them all loaded by the week end.
Shot it all up and did it over and over again and agian.
I still have RCBS 20 # melting pots, several ingot molds, hundreds of pounds of lead, tin and alloys.
Used to buy primers in 5,ooo packs and powder in 5# containers.
Not to mention the fishing mold that I have.
Didn't realize that I had cast several 100s of 375 H & H 300 gr heads with gas checks.
Found then and a bunch of others while organizing stuff
Don't ask how many molds I have. I really don't know myself.
I really Have to get back More into shooting and fishing.
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Old Guy, wow! That's a lot of casting!
I'm on the low budget end admittedly, and I don't see myself ever really getting fancier. But there's something to be said about that freshly cast bullet, nice and shiny, that you made. I'm getting to the point when I can "feel" when it's not going to be quite right y'know, the lead is too thick maybe, or the mold isn't the right temp. Drop em right back into the pot for another chance, until they come out just right. Then you seat it in a case over your own recipe, to fire out of your favorite firearm. I have yet to hunt with my own cast bullets, but I hope to take care of that next year on the mainland! Think I'm gonna cast some 230gr .45s tonight.
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Now that I have my "hanai" son, I'm hoping we can do a lot of guy stuff together.
With his help, I'm hoping to shoot more and get back into fishing/diving.
NEED to set up my "man cave" all over again. One side for gun stuff and the other for fishing stuff.
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Would anyone be interested in a child board on casting bullets?
I got into casting a couple of years ago, under the coaching of some wise old guys on the 'net. From Salvation Army I picked up a cast iron pot with wooden handle, oven mitts, aluminum muffin tin (the dirtier tin the better, pick the ones that are coated with the brown residue from pam or oil), ladle and tongs (make sure they have wood or plastic handle) - $10. I got a bunch of candle wax, shredded plastic, and fine saw dust for fluxing - $0. Picked up the inexpensive Lee 2 cavity molds, sprayed them with pam - $20 ea. In the past 2 years I've picked up close to 200# of scrap lead alloy, cast them into the muffin tin - $0. Each muffin is about 2.5#, which is roughly 100 158gr 38/357 bullets.
I use the side burner on my grill, wear coveralls, close toed shoes, and a dust mask - eventhough I'm outside, when you look into the pot, its good to have something over your face. I use an old 5 gal plastic bucket full of water to quench, and I cut a piece of scrap plywood to fill the cooking area of my grill so I don't splash anything on a surface that would come in contact with food. Once I get in a rhythym I can cast about 100 an hour, and I go for a couple of hours. Its therapeutic, like reloading.
Cast akamai!
Chaps
I am glad to hear that you are enjoying bullet casting. There is a sense of satisfaction from making a large pile of bullets. When I first started casting I nearly got into big trouble when a large chunk of lead fell into the pot after the pieces below it melted away. A lead volcano erupted. I was unhurt but the lesson was not forgotten. I wear a full face shield and long sleeves. Wearing any type of foot wear that will allow molten lead to enter is asking for trouble. It has been years since I last casted any bullets, maybe I will do some casting next week. I got a lot of linotype sitting around.
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Old thread, I know.
I've been casting since I was "helping" my dad cast his when I was way to young to actually be of much help. .32 round ball for a BP pistol, if I recall correctly.
Lead is expensive to get (tire shops are using steel weights now, did you know? :grrr: ) but casting is still the cheapest way to feed your habit. I love it.
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IF you scuba dive, picking up fishing sinkers off the bottom is one way to get lots of lead.
I have friends who did a FEW times.
Try getting all that lead up to the surface......
And then getting it into the boat or onto shore.
Most dangerous part is melting the lead CAREFULLY. Water soaked into the lead EXPLODES VIOLENTLY
sprayin HOT LEAD everywhere.
All my lead are in ingots and stored safely.
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I taught my kids how to cast so I don't have to. If they want to shoot free boolits, they do the work. ;)
It is a useful skill to pass on because you never know nowdays....
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Yup. I really appreciate all the stuff my dad passed on to me. When my brother and I were young we'd make fun of him for always doing things "the hard way" (hand tools when he could find cool old tools, lighting the dinner table with a kerosene lamp, casting his own bullets and preferring black powder, etc.) He always just smile and say "but that's the fun way!"
These days I understand completely. And for all the "hard way" comments when I was a kid... I really appreciate the sense of self sufficiency a broad base of doing things by hand brings. I thought he was an oddball. That he was but he knew exactly what he was doing. Part of the reason I got back into casting and shooting after he died was to exercise these skills a bit, fill in the cracks of details I missed when I was a kid and keep it alive. There is no cheaper way to shoot and making your own ammo increases the amount of surface area one has with shooting as an overall experience. I enjoy every step of it.
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Any of you guys interested in teaching another young pup the ways of casting.
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Any of you guys interested in teaching another young pup the ways of casting.
This pup wants to learn too!
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This pup wants to learn too!
Perhaps y'all could drop in the next time I fire up the pot.
I am in Leeward Oahu.
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Let me know I'm down for sure and that's right in my neighborhood. I'll bring supplies if needed.
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Let me know I'm down for sure and that's right in my neighborhood. I'll bring supplies if needed.
You have supplies for bullet casting?? ??? BTW, I would only be doing 45 acp pistol bullets.
What caliber are you interested in?
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Need lead? I can get some pretty cheap.
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Only supplies I got is a bucket of water. Nah just playing don't got any supplies. I was interested in making 9mm and 45acp.
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Need lead? I can get some pretty cheap.
Interesting...I need to know: ???
1-Do you know where the lead came from? eg. wheel weights, range pickup, car batteries, printing shops etc.
2-What form is it? Bars, sheets, blocks, etc.
3-How much per pound?
Mahalo
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Only supplies I got is a bucket of water. Nah just playing don't got any supplies. I was interested in making 9mm and 45acp.
If you are serious about learning, contact me via PM.
I have to figure out a good time to do this.
BTW, if you are shooting a Glock or other such animal with "smooth" polygonal rifling, I don't recommend using lead bullets.
There are too many theories on that subject and not enough hard evidence either way. Aftermarket barrels with conventional rifling should work.
Curiously, I used to use a bucket of water to quench my bullets. They did come out measurably harder, but that is not always a good thing.
mahalo
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This thread is making me realize that casting is more complex than I normally think it is. To me its pretty much
1) Get the lead
2) Heat it up until it melts and gets really shiney
3) Flux it and scoop the remaining crud out.
4) Heat up the mold, carbon treat and oil it.
5) Cast away
6) Drop in water for some things, or air cool for others.
Easy, right?
Except I know what lead alloy I'm using and why. When and why to water drop or not. If the bullets come out funky I have some idea why and how to fix it. I know how to handle the mold and how not to handle the mold. Lots of little things that one doesn't think of when saying "Oh yeah, casting lead bullets is easy."
It is easy enough... once you have some idea of what is involved and depending on what kind of gun you are loading for. You ~can~ shoot lead out of a 9mm... but its more complex than just getting a mold the right size and treating it like a .38
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Hello all. I have some vacation time over the next few months. One of the things on my to-do list is to cast some bullets since I'll be shooting a lot during my vacation. I know there was some interest in learning how to do this. Shoot me a PM if you would like to help out and learn how I do my cast bullets. Include the best days and times for yourself and I will attempt to accomodate you as best as possible. I live in the Waipahu area. Allow about 3 hours on your schedule.
:shaka:
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Hello all. I have some vacation time over the next few months. One of the things on my to-do list is to cast some bullets since I'll be shooting a lot during my vacation. I know there was some interest in learning how to do this. Shoot me a PM if you would like to help out and learn how I do my cast bullets. Include the best days and times for yourself and I will attempt to accomodate you as best as possible. I live in the Waipahu area. Allow about 3 hours on your schedule.
:shaka:
I'm usually free on Mondays, Wednesday-Friday afternoons, and weekends (unless LIFE has a class on Sunday). I'd love to learn something new!
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I'm usually free on Mondays, Wednesday-Friday afternoons, and weekends (unless LIFE has a class on Sunday). I'd love to learn something new!
Monday morning is good for me. In fact I could do tomorrow 10/29.
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Ah, so soon! Haha. Can I do next Monday? I got a flight at 9am
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Ah, so soon! Haha. Can I do next Monday? I got a flight at 9am
I am off work thru Friday. How about another day and time?
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I am off work thru Friday. How about another day and time?
That would be awesome. I should be free at noon, but I'm afraid you may be busy as you said Mon morning.
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That would be awesome. I should be free at noon, but I'm afraid you may be busy as you said Mon morning.
Yeah, I have to pick up kids after school. I would usually be home after that. Late afternoon could work too. FYI I will probably go to the pistol range on wed. or thu or fri. then pick up kids.
How does that work for you?
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That should work alright. I don't have a steady flight schedule. My instructor likes to schedule after each lesson is complete, so I don't really know what's next.
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You got any openings for friday evening?
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You got any openings for friday evening?
Friday late afternoon / evening seems good for me. How about you Flyboy?
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Friday late afternoon / evening seems good for me. How about you Flyboy?
Sounds great!
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Ok Bass and Flyboy, looking forward to a casting session on Friday afternoon at my house around 4 or 5?
I have to check with my kids to nail down a solid time so I will be sending a PM with contact info and address.
BTW I am probably going to shoot pistol at Kokohead at some point this week. I would not mind meeting other list members there.
:D
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Ok Bass and Flyboy, looking forward to a casting session on Friday afternoon at my house around 4 or 5?
I have to check with my kids to nail down a solid time so I will be sending a PM with contact info and address.
BTW I am probably going to shoot pistol at Kokohead at some point this week. I would not mind meeting other list members there.
:D
bass and flyboy- PM just sent re address and contact info.
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Mahalo to Teammidori aka nofwitme for the music track.
Recycling in Hawaii (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7l8_n5ZVc0#ws)
This was a video that I've been wanting to make for a long time. I finally had some time to do it.
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awesome video and soundtrack!
Mahalo to Teammidori aka nofwitme for the music track.
Recycling in Hawaii (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7l8_n5ZVc0#ws)
This was a video that I've been wanting to make for a long time. I finally had some time to do it.
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Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:
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Very nice Video!! Very beautiful work on the cast lead!
Only thing your title may attract all kinds of environmentalist wackkos to you vid... LOL
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You guys will be the first to be visited by the ATF Firearms Confisation Dept in the future.
;)
Just call me paranoid!
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You guys will be the first to be visited by the ATF Firearms Confisation Dept in the future.
;)
Just call me paranoid!
You are, now get the fuck out of this thread.
Great video :thumbsup: Since I started shooting bullseye pistol I always wondered how involved it was to cast bullets. Thanks for the insight.
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You guys will be the first to be visited by the ATF Firearms Confisation Dept in the future.
;)
Just call me paranoid!
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I'm paranoid too. I just try to not let it dictate my life and consume the dwindling brain cells.
BTW-I WAS visited many years ago by a city and county inspector asking about the lead melting. I told him it was fishing lead and he just laughed and left.
They can have my sinkers when they pry it from my cold dead fish. :D
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They can have my sinkers when they pry it from my cold dead fish. :D
:rofl:
Well said
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You are, now get the fuck out of this thread.
Gee what language. Rudeness.
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Gee what language. Rudeness.
I wasn't the one who came in here and stomped on this thread about your irrelevant, baseless, confiscation bullshit.
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Just got into reloading rifle ammo and made my first batch of .270 using Sierra Matchkings. I had a blast learning the process and am still learning. Now I'm looking at casting bullets. From what I know (and that ain't much), it looks like the process of casting is, with limited exception, for pistol ammo only due to a limitation on the lead bullets ability to maintain its shape when fired out of a rifle. Does anybody cast bullets for rifle ammo?
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Just got into it and its pretty fun and interesting...
Cheap supplies....Savers cast iron pot, muffin pans, couple stainless ladles , a 1000w open coil range stove fRom citymill..20.00...once u buy bullet sizers, molds, it'll last a while I imagine...lee molds have worked great for me...and just be safe and use common sense..
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Just got into it and its pretty fun and interesting...
Cheap supplies....Savers cast iron pot, muffin pans, couple stainless ladles , a 1000w open coil range stove fRom citymill..20.00...once u buy bullet sizers, molds, it'll last a while I imagine...lee molds have worked great for me...and just be safe and use common sense..
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Welcome to the "club". You no longer have to worry about a supply of bullets.
There aren't many people who cast bullets any more. The old timers that I learned from have passed away. :(
I love the LEE molds. But the best bullets I make come from SAECO or H&G molds.
For normal practice ammo I only use the LEE bullets from a pair of 6 cav molds. They are not the most accurate, but they are OK.
I also blend my own custom formula bullet lube. Did you check out the home video previously posted?
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Nice vid!
What sort of mold were you using? I only have Lee molds. Not the best but inexpensive and cheap to replace. The 2 bullet TL356-124-RN (9mm) crapped out on me after about a thousand rounds when the alignment pins fell out. I tried to drill and thread a screw stop hole but ended up breaking the threading tap in the hole. The alignment-pin-falling-out problem was exacerbated by my striking the sprue plate handle with a wooden stick covered with rubber. If I had to do it again, I would use a gloved hand to open the sprue instead. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that a thousand raps on an aluminum mold is not good. I ended up buying a 6-bullet SWC instead of buying another RN mold because I wasn't thrilled with the accuracy of the round. I opted for the traditional lube groove design just so that I could justify fussing with wax and bullet lubes.
I also picked up an excellent pointer on youtube that made the first drop easier on a 6 banger. If you preheat the sprue plate with a butane torch before pouring your first batch, cutting the sprue is easy. I broke a brand new sprue lever on my first pull before learning that trick.
I tried water quenching and throwing the bullets onto a damp towel before going back to water quenching. I've read articles that talked about water quenching as having no effect on the hardness of the lead so I'm not exactly sold on quenching for that purpose but discovered that by water quenching, you avoid dinging up the bullets when you drop them from the mold. Apparently, the lead is still too soft when you release them from the mold. Water quenching them hardens them quickly and avoids the problem altogether.
Bees wax...after posting my question about BW, I was given about 8 lbs of the stuff from a friend who bought it in another country. I'll have to mix up a batch just to see how it compares against my mixture of parafin and petroleum jelly (60/40).
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Well, I use a pair of 6 cav. Lee molds in 45-200 SWC. Alternating while casting to allow sufficient cooling time. Those aluminum molds get hot and frosty quick!
The 2 molds that I have are ever-so-slightly different, as one of them was new and the other a used gun show find. So I drop onto separate collection boxes.
You started out in much the same way that I did some 30+ years ago. I used a LEE 2 cav. 45-228 RN mold. But that bullet was not so accurate.
Over the years, I used Saeco molds which are wonderful. Then I found an H&G #68/ 6 cav mold. That mold throws great bullets, but it is an endangered species. So I stopped using it.
I always liked the casting qualities of aluminum, so when LEE introduced the 6 cav production molds, I jumped on it. They are cheap and repair parts are easy.
I also liked the cammed sprue cutter.
I used to subscribe to the "harder-is-better" philosophy, but it seems that is not the greatest idea in my case. I used to water quench the bullets and my tests showed that water does make the
alloy harder. But in order to achieve the increased hardness, you need to have a few percent antimony in your mix, or it won't work.
In recent years, commercial casters have started to soften their alloys with the reason being that the bullet would upset better and provide superior bore obturation.
So I stopped adding so much lino and stopped quenching too. FYI, the bullet continues to harden post-cast regardless of quenching. It takes about 3 weeks to stabilize.
So the hot tip is to size the bullet as soon as possible while it is still soft.
Now with the alloy being a little softer I do notice a little increase in accuracy. The only thing I worry about is meplat deformation as the bullet slams the feed ramp.
I suppose a hard alloy would have less deformation, but I do not know if it makes much difference in the 45.
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Reviving this thread because I have not cast bullets in a couple years.
I need to resupply myself now so I have to ask if anyone would like to participate as an educational activity.
Warning....My schedule is not too flexible.
I'm going outside now to check the equipment and clean stuff up.
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Reviving this thread because I have not cast bullets in a couple years.
I need to resupply myself now so I have to ask if anyone would like to participate as an educational activity.
Warning....My schedule is not too flexible.
I'm going outside now to check the equipment and clean stuff up.
I would love to learn to cast boolits. Old Mose and I tried to get together a while back and our schedules conflicted too much. He was going show me the fine art of casting. Chances are our schedules will conflict as well. :( :( :(
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I would love to learn to cast boolits. Old Mose and I tried to get together a while back and our schedules conflicted too much. He was going show me the fine art of casting. Chances are our schedules will conflict as well. :( :( :(
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Maybe next Sunday or Monday
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Maybe next Sunday or Monday
Can only make it Sunday afternoon from 2pm to 4pm. Sorry.
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Can only make it Sunday afternoon from 2pm to 4pm. Sorry.
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How about today?
Everything looked good and the weather is ideal so I started.
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How about today?
Everything looked good and the weather is ideal so I started.
At work.
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At work.
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How about after? I will finish this batch soon.
I can do another batch later. ...afternoon
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I would love to learn to cast boolits. Old Mose and I tried to get together a while back and our schedules conflicted too much. He was going show me the fine art of casting. Chances are our schedules will conflict as well. :( :( :(
Ya, sorry 'bout that. Hard to schedule when you need a sunny day, block of uninterrupted
time and cast when no ones home (smell bothers the family). We'll get there. Meanwhile,
imho, you might want to start collecting stuff as time and finances allow. Start collecting
lead. Look for a deal on a good pot like the rcbs pro melt. Agree with OldFart on Saeco
and HG molds; so if you see a deal...
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Ya, sorry 'bout that. Hard to schedule when you need a sunny day, block of uninterrupted
time and cast when no ones home (smell bothers the family). We'll get there. Meanwhile,
imho, you might want to start collecting stuff as time and finances allow. Start collecting
lead. Look for a deal on a good pot like the rcbs pro melt. Agree with OldFart on Saeco
and HG molds; so if you see a deal...
Thanks! Will do. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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I ordered cast rifle boolits from Beartooth but they take about two months to fulfill orders.
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Tomorrow 1/15 afternoon
I'm willing to host a brief bullet casting session as an educational activity for anyone interested.
If you are interested and have some time let me know.
This would be at my place in Waipahu.
Send a pm if you are seriously interested.
Here is my plan....
Take some scrap metal and melt it.
Cast them into 45auto semiwadcutters.
Then take them and lubrisize as soon as they cool down.
Then load those bullets into a medium velocity target load.
Then shoot them at khsc on Monday morning.
In other words, it would be a complete recycling activity.
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Then post the pictures! :thumbsup:
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Then post the pictures! :thumbsup:
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You really think people would be interested in seeing pictures of a bunch of guys drinking beer and watching dancing girls at my house?
:rofl:
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You really think people would be interested in seeing pictures of a bunch of guys drinking beer and watching dancing girls at my house?
:rofl:
Coconut bras? Grass skirts? ;D ;D ;D
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Coconut bras? Grass skirts? ;D ;D ;D
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Please don't wear that to my house
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Please don't wear that to my house
Party pooper!!!
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Please don't wear that to my house
what if that's his normal day off attire?
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what if that's his normal day off attire?
Yeah! What he said. Wait!!!
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what if that's his normal day off attire?
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oh well, ok then.
as long as he wears bvds under the grass skirt
:stopjack:
Tomorrow 1/15 afternoon
I'm willing to host a brief bullet casting session as an educational activity for anyone interested.
If you are interested and have some time let me know.
This would be at my place in Waipahu.
Send a pm if you are seriously interested.
Here is my plan....
Take some scrap metal and melt it.
Cast them into 45auto semiwadcutters.
Then take them and lubrisize as soon as they cool down.
Then load those bullets into a medium velocity target load.
Then shoot them at khsc on Monday morning.
In other words, it would be a complete recycling activity.
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Boolit porn!
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You really think people would be interested in seeing pictures of a bunch of guys drinking beer and watching dancing girls at my house?
:rofl:
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:D
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Outstanding :thumbsup:
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Oldfart and inspector, it was great meeting you today. Thanks for the invite but apparently I have a honey do list waiting at home......
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Oldfart and inspector, it was great meeting you today. Thanks for the invite but apparently I have a honey do list waiting at home......
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
No worries. Mama always has priority. Until you have been married as long as I have. Then she is happy to be rid of you for the day. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
It was nice meeting you as well. Hope to see you again.
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Oldfart and inspector, it was great meeting you today. Thanks for the invite but apparently I have a honey do list waiting at home......
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Always good to meet a fellow shooter.
Inspector and eric808 just left.
Kalen is dropping soon by for that gauge I had for sale.
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Ask kalen how his rifle rounds went.
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Ask kalen how his rifle rounds went.
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I did.
He they said were ok
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Hardcore bullet casters make their own lube.
I used to sell my lube at the gun shows 20 years ago.
Here is what I did yesterday for a fellow bullet maker in Georgia.
He had obtained a broken Lyman bullet lubersizer and invested quite a bit of time in repairing and rejuvenating it.
His rebuild is nearly complete so I told him I would send him a stick of my custom blend lube.
Lyman machines use a 1x4 stick of lube with a hole down the center.
I did not have any old stock so I had to make one.
The formula is a variation of the classic NRA formula,50% Beeswax 50% ALOX 2138F.
The classic formula works great, but it's very soft and messy to handle.
My custom blend increases the percentage of wax to make the lube harder.
As an extra added touch, I blended in a small amount of pork fat, just in case.
The molds are made from 1 inch emt conduit.
They are set into a wooden block and filled with lube.
As the lube hardens, you may insert a rod into the soft center to form a hole for some lubrasizers.
If you are a hardcore survivalist, you can substitute beef, pork, sheep or chicken fat instead of ALOX.
During the old days muzzle loaders used beeswax-tallow lube. Also pork lard or sheep fat.
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Need more 45 boolits. Will cast some today.
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Need more 45 boolits. Will cast some today.
Damn, you’re lazy!!! Still trying to get other people to do your work for you. You should be ashamed of yourself!!! :rofl:
I’m casting 90gr 7.62 RN for my Tokarev right now. I learned from the best. Even if that happens to be you! :rofl:
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Damn, you’re lazy!!! Still trying to get other people to do your work for you. You should be ashamed of yourself!!! :rofl:
I’m casting 90gr 7.62 RN for my Tokarev right now. I learned from the best. Even if that happens to be you! :rofl:
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Awww....you shooting teeny weeny bullets from your tokarev?
Is that an age problem? I see commercials for doctors that can help you. :rofl:
.....
But seriously, I made some of the worst looking bullets this morning because my 40 year old furnace is broken.
The thermostat stays on constantly which overheats the alloy. It creates excess dross which means the alloy is not what it's supposed to be.
I have to manually turn it on and off to keep it from destroying itself. Rcbs told me they will fix it for about a hundred bucks.
Not bad considering a new furnace runs about 300.
I have a new lee pot on the shelf standing by.
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....
Awww....you shooting teeny weeny bullets from your tokarev?
Is that an age problem? I see commercials for doctors that can help you. :rofl:
.....
But seriously, I made some of the worst looking bullets this morning because my 40 year old furnace is broken.
The thermostat stays on constantly which overheats the alloy. It creates excess dross which means the alloy is not what it's supposed to be.
I have to manually turn it on and off to keep it from destroying itself. Rcbs told me they will fix it for about a hundred bucks.
Not bad considering a new furnace runs about 300.
I have a new lee pot on the shelf standing by.
I’m still in the learning process. Too hot or too cold. I’m figuring it out tho. I think my Lee pot cost $75 at Midway. Not sure I would fix the old one for $100. This last session I only had a few bad ones at the beginning when the mold was too cold. So I’m getting the hang of it I think. I also figured out I shouldn’t cast for more than an hour or two at a time. My arthritis acts up after a long session so I am keeping my casting times down. We have been having some warm days out here so I have had more days to cast.
So far I have only cast 38/357 158gr SWC and these Tokarev RN. Next I have a 38/357 148gr WC and then 45 250gr SWC.
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These were the bullets I made on Saturday. They were of poor quality.
I would never shoot cast bullets the next day because the lead will not stabilize for about 2 or 3 weeks.
But I was curious to see how bad they were. They grouped about 3 inch at 25 yds from the bench.
That is just barely acceptable. But there were no gross flyers which is a good thing.
Not too bad for nearly free bullets. They're good enough for casual practice.
10 shots at 25 yds from the bench.
(https://i.postimg.cc/dQRV5TVf/Junkswc.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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These were the bullets I made on Saturday. They were of poor quality.
I would never shoot cast bullets the next day because the lead will not stabilize for about 2 or 3 weeks.
But I was curious to see how bad they were. They grouped about 3 inch at 25 yds from the bench.
That is just barely acceptable. But there were no gross flyers which is a good thing.
Not too bad for nearly free bullets. They're good enough for casual practice.
10 shots at 25 yds from the bench.
(https://i.postimg.cc/dQRV5TVf/Junkswc.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Why do you always blame the bullets for how bad you shoot? :rofl:
That’s pretty good for day old bullets. So what are you going to do about your melting pot?
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Why do you always blame the bullets for how bad you shoot? :rofl:
That’s pretty good for day old bullets. So what are you going to do about your melting pot?
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You can't blame the person in this new age society. :rofl:
As for the melting pot, I do have a brand new Lee pot which I might fire up today.
I want to send the rcbs pot in to refurbish. If it's only a hundred to do a refurb, it's worth it.
The reason is quality. An analogy would be Lee=Kia while RCBS=Mercedes-Benz.
I started casting with a Lee pot and it broke. The RCBS Pro Melt ran almost 40 years.
A new pro melt runs about $300.
Funny side note. I read a critical Amazon review by a disgruntled owner with a similar thermostat problem.
The disgruntled owner was Max Cooper. :rofl:
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Since my old promelt furnace bit the bullet, I finally opened up the NIB Lee 420 pot which was sitting around for years.
I was surprised to see surface rust all over the pot, but it is not a problem.
I set the thermostat to 5 and blended some 94-3-3 alloy.
Running a pair of Lee 6-cavity 45-200 swc (#68 style), I was up and throwing perfect boolits inside of 5 minutes.
The 420 performed flawlessly and I did around 500 before shutting down for the night. It took less than an hour.
(https://i.postimg.cc/dtPWYbbL/IMG-20210227-224644-2.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Bullets from old and new lee mold...
(https://i.postimg.cc/XqRmwdyk/IMG-20210228-084948-2.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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3/7/21 Lee 200swc green-4.4 TG-15 shots at 25 yds benched
These bullets are one week old. Still a little soft. They take about 3 weeks to stabilize.
The 3 flyers are disturbing, but you get what you pay for.
(https://i.postimg.cc/x84Z9cFD/20210307-175342.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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(https://i.postimg.cc/28VXkwwL/20210628-102848.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/VdPF4X2z)
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(https://i.postimg.cc/28VXkwwL/20210628-102848.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/VdPF4X2z)
Lizard people coming for the lead too!
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Lizard people coming for the lead too!
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I believe he was searching out the guy that killed his cousins with a bb gun.
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I just learned about a company in Slovenia that makes bullet molds.
Ordered a pair of 6 cav #68 plain base molds.
I had to google it to see where it is. LOL
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I just learned about a company in Slovenia that makes bullet molds.
Ordered a pair of 6 cav #68 plain base molds.
I had to google it to see where it is. LOL
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They got some fast FedEx drivers in Slovenia
(https://i.postimg.cc/fRBZVJvp/20210819-132601.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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First batch with the MP. Mold.
Calculated a 92-4-4 alloy and cast about 2 or 3 hundred.
As cast weight about 195 with typical diameter 0.453.
(https://i.postimg.cc/zf3PK5jF/20210821-161724.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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(https://i.postimg.cc/WpdrWnp6/20210823-064833.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
So-so test results. Should be better in a couple weeks.
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Looks like the bullets from the MP mold are improving.
Here are 8 rounds at 25 off the bench.
(https://i.postimg.cc/YCk3GDWx/20210829-174752.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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Looks like the bullets from the MP mold are improving.
Here are 8 rounds at 25 off the bench.
(https://i.postimg.cc/YCk3GDWx/20210829-174752.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Ok dumb question because I havent got into casting. You cast the lead and then it 'matures' over time and gets better as the alloy 'settles' , correct?
When parking those 'heads' waiting for them to get 'ripe' does it matter if they are seated onto a charged cartridge or not?
I guess my question is are you better off waiting for them to reach their metalurgical peak before putting them in a press and making a cartridge?
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Ok dumb question because I havent got into casting. You cast the lead and then it 'matures' over time and gets better as the alloy 'settles' , correct?
When parking those 'heads' waiting for them to get 'ripe' does it matter if they are seated onto a charged cartridge or not?
I guess my question is are you better off waiting for them to reach their metalurgical peak before putting them in a press and making a cartridge?
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Honestly, I don't think it makes any difference.
It shouldn't make a difference.
Not too many bullet casters know about the aging effect of lead-antimony alloys.
But the hardness only takes about 2 weeks to stabilize so in most cases it doesn't make a difference anyway.
I used to water-quench the bullets which is like quenching a knife blade, but I actually prefer a softer 45 bullet now.
I think I get better bore obturation with a softer alloy.
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Honestly, I don't think it makes any difference.
It shouldn't make a difference.
Not too many bullet casters know about the aging effect of lead-antimony alloys.
But the hardness only takes about 2 weeks to stabilize so in most cases it doesn't make a difference anyway.
I used to water-quench the bullets which is like quenching a knife blade, but I actually prefer a softer 45 bullet now.
I think I get better bore obturation with a softer alloy.
Makes me wonder what the measurable difference would be between shock cooling (like when they case harden steel) and slow controlled cooling (like when they anneal glass castings to let the stress relax out of the investments)
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Makes me wonder what the measurable difference would be between shock cooling (like when they case harden steel) and slow controlled cooling (like when they anneal glass castings to let the stress relax out of the investments)
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Don't get hung up on hardness.
There are many other factors that affect cast bullet performance.
Shape
Diameter
Alloy composition
Lubricant or coating
Gas checks
Mold temperature and alloy temperature
Voids and imperfections
The base of the bullet
It's a hobby, but a useful hobby.
The bullets are practically free.
You can shoot more often, which in turn makes you more proficient.
...and really, isn't that the whole idea? More proficiency?
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A friend has a star sizer for finishing cast lead bullets.
anybody interested?
I believe it also includes a heated base mount.