A simple addition to the casting room

[Rick]

For many years I merrily cast along at the beginning of a casting session intentionally not keeping the first 12-15 pours into the mold even after warming the mold on the pots edge. I learned pretty early on that good bullets of consistent weight came from a properly heated mold. Even after the bullets started looking pretty good as the mold warmed up the first ones were always the lightest ones of the casting session. Doing this wasn't something I gave much thought to, it was just what I did for a properly heated mold.

I had a profound palm to forehead moment several years ago as I read of another caster pre-warming his molds on an electric hot plate. Rick you dumb %^^&* plug in that hot plate. How simple that idea was and I was kind of irritated with myself that after all those years and all those discarded bullets that it never occurred to me. A new hot plate can be had for around $12-$15, probably cheaper at a second hand store and what a time saver.

An inexpensive addition to the casting equipment that saves much time & frustration getting the mold to a proper casting temp. I place a 3/8" piece of aluminum on the coils and an old electric metal junction box over the mold to make a mold oven. By the time the melt is ready to cast so is your mold. If your just getting into casting don't be a Rick, get a hot plate.

 

[358156hp]

I don't have one. I've been warming moulds the same way you did, then pouring molten alloy over it to reach the final stage if needed. To add to this, or perhaps to take away from it, I don't start keeping bullets until the bullets are uniformly frosted. Then I gauge my casting speed by the resistance of the sprue plate cuts. Amazingly, once I get everything in rhythm, I turn out some great bullets, great uniformity in all areas. Lately I've been cooling the sprue & plate before cutting to eliminate my former issue of tearing chunks from the bases because I was cutting the sprue too soon.

 

[Rick]

As with many things casting, if your happy with your method and the results you are certainly doing it right for you. Also as with so many things casting it's not a mandatory piece of equipment to have, of course quality bullets can be cast without it. Just a convenience that speeds things up for me. Just like a PID, the vast majority of casters to this day cast fine bullets without one but once you get accustomed to using one giving it up would be almost like going back to using a camp fire.

 

[358156hp]

LOL, I'm waiting for the rest of my PID components to arrive so I can finish assembling mine. I also feel there's a place on my bench for a second one for other duties, so when money gets better, I'll build a second one. Casting bullets is almost ritualistic for me. I have some rather ingrained preferences. Some things end up being done a certain way by feel, or by instinct.

 

[Ian]

Like this?



There's no substitute for a good way to pre-heat a big aluminum or brass mould, or have somewhere to park it for a minute to stretch, grab a drink, or take a whiz during an extended casting session without having to go through the preamble again.

 

[Rick]

Like this?



There's no substitute for a good way to pre-heat a big aluminum or brass mould, or have somewhere to park it for a minute to stretch, grab a drink, or take a whiz during an extended casting session without having to go through the preamble again.

Yep, much like that. Good idea with the thermometer, I drilled the edge of the aluminum plate to hold the probe for NOE's digital thermometer but same idea. Like yours the box has no insulation but it does serve well to keep air of the mold to help it heat up. A bit before I'm ready to start casting I turn the mold over on the sprue plate to help it get hot.

 

[freebullet]

I use an electric skillet. Put ingots on it to prewarm and the mold on them. Get keepers much faster that way.

 

[Brad]

I need to get a steel plate for my hotplate to warm ingots. Well, what I really need is a 40 pound pot but that will have to wait.

 

[Rick]

Go to a metal supply place. They have & sell cut off pieces from when they cut an order to customer specs. Get an aluminum plate about 5/16" thick just big enough to cover the coils, it will distribute heat better than steel. I think mine was like $3.

 

[Brad]

That is exactly what I need.

 

[Ian]

Rick, the BBQ grille thermometer fastened through a hole on top of the mould oven was an idea I got from Montana Charlie several years ago. Found one at Homeless Despot for something like ten dollars in their grille parts section.

 

[fiver]

an old saw blade from your circular saw will work in the mean-time.

 

[waco]

And electric hot plate sure made all the difference in the world running a four cavity Lyman mold.

 

[Cherokee]

Been using the same old junky hot plate for about 20 years. Does the job and I get good bullets from the first.

 

[Mike W1]

Recently got a hot plate just to prove to myself there must be a good way to heat up a Lee Mould! It MADE THE DIFFERENCE on just that mould. Being I have more time than brains I spent quite a few happy hours in the shop with PID's on everything so I could get some actual temperatures easily. Built an enclosure for top of the hot plate, insulated it, etc. Came to the conclusion if it makes you happy to have a closure sitting up there go for it but really you're heating from the bottom up and the mould's gonna get hot whether you have one or not. Mines on the shelf with other ideas that really weren't particularly useful.

 

[JonB]

While I don't have the decades of casting experience that some of you do, I can surely reflect the thoughts, that Rick posts about in the OP.
Using my homemade mold oven (A thrift store hot plate, saw blade, and steel coffee can with mods) for the first time, was surely my biggest "Ah Ha" moment in my casting hobby.

 

[JWFilips]

JonB,
Looks like my set up! Only difference I use 16 tooth contractors blade and Maxwell house can!

 

[JonB]

Generally I pride myself on my thriftiness...But in this case, if I had spend many hours building ...or many dollars on a mold oven (instead of this $1 thrift store hotplate), I would have been just as happy. I can't stress enough how it has reduced my 'stress' when starting a casting session...But as casters who have experienced the same improvement, I suspect I am preaching to the choir.

 

[JWFilips]

JonB
I'm in total agreement!

 

[Dale53]

A few years ago, after casting for several decades, I added two things to my casting bench.
1. A two burner hot plate.
2. A small manicurist's fan

Those two items upped the pleasure quotient to no end. I put the mould on the hot plate when I load up my pot. When the bullet metal is ready, the mould is ready, RIGHT NOW!

The fan is directed to the top of my bullet mold where it rests while the Sprue hardens. The sprue hardens in about two seconds. Further, the mold temperature stabilizes and never gets too hot. A further side benefit is my pile of bullets cools off and when I shut off my pot, I can immediately scoop up my bullets.

Dale53