Fluxing and ladle casting

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
After watching your casting video a few times, one question nags at me. Why the hell didn't I think to rest my bigger moulds on the rim of the pot? Some of them are pretty heavy.
 

Ian

Notorious member
When using a dutch oven or similar big pot I like to rest the handles on the lip of the pot. The area between the hinge bolt and th back of the mould blocks makes a convenient hook. Those big brass and iron moulds get heavy in a hurry.
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
Funny thing how they seem to weigh more every year. :confused:

Even the aluminum 4 cavs wear me out after awhile. I put a real effort into my bottom pour technique, and can cast decent looking bullets, but I still have weight inconsistencies with BP, so it only makes sense to me to spend my time casting a couple of hundred good bullets, as opposed to 500 mediocre bullets. I probably need to open up the BP nozzle a bit more to get rid of the pesky air bubbles.
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
I tried this technique a couple of different ways. The first batch was done semi-right handed with my 2 lb Rowell I bought for pouring ingots during my big melts. It was a distinct improvement for me, I cast about 10 lbs of .430 285 WFN for the Redhawk. Today I tried the same 4 cav. mould, but with my RCBS ladle, converted to left-hand. I ended up casting the two front cavities with one ladle full, then filled the back two. This allowed for more potentially flawed bullets, and my reject rate was slightly higher. I'll probably buy a 1 lb Rowell, shorten the handle and try it again. The foot long handle on the 2 lb made things really awkward for me, and I somehow felt like I was trying to cast wrong-handed, while doing the chicken dance. I don't want to shorten the handle on the 2 lb since it's pretty handy in the dutch oven.
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
Firstthing I did with my Rowell #2 was shorten the handle, much better casting with it and still works great in the dutch oven.
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
It wouldn't be difficult to undo if need be. I tried a 10 lb session with an Ideal 4 cav after the LBT. I now understand why some people mount their blocks backwards in the handles, but doing it would drive me nuts after all these years. I may need to invest in a set of newer style 4 cavity Lyman handles. The pivot point on the nutcrackers make things more difficult than they need be. I finished up the session bottom pour instead. This old mould seems to prefer BP anyway. It's really funny how some inanimate objects seem to have personalities at times. The 2 lb Rowell is wayyy to big for a 4 cavity 38 wadcutter mould. I'll knock out another 10 lbs of wadcutters then move on to my NOE 4 cavity 9mm mould. I'm planning 40-60 lbs total from this mould if the weather remains on the cool side. If we hit 90* again, all bets are off.
 

KHornet

Well-Known Member
Tis a lot if you are casting 22's Ian, but you can get a whale of a lot
of little ones out with a 6 cav mold. I am a bit knot headed, and once
in awhile get the urge to run 100 or 22HP's. After 100 or so of them
the urge passes, and it is probably another year or two before I forget
what a PIA they are, and do another hundred or so.

Paul
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
This sounds really familiar Paul. I have to be in a certain frame of mind to sit down with one of my old Ideal HP moulds & knock out a few hundred. I have a few NOE HP moulds, but don't really appreciate them the way I've been told I should.
 
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JWFilips

Well-Known Member
Brad:
Great videos! I can see you must be one heck of a Chef in the Kitchen!
What you are doing in the first video ..."Fluxing" I do in my smelting pot about 3 times
By the time I pour those ingots The next step going into my casting pot is only a mild reduction with bee's wax My lead alloy going into my casting pot is very clean & I need not flux again
But then again I bottom pour So It really isn't what this thread is about! Sorry
Just love the constant hum of the Lee cycling!....That is casters heaven right there!
Jim
 

Full.lead.taco

Active Member
Great videos! Always entertaining to watch other people cast--to see what they do the same and what they do differently. Thanks for sharing!
 

Full.lead.taco

Active Member
I have a question though, at the 35 second mark on the second video (the ladle casting video) you put the wax up to the spout of the ladle. What is that for? I usually cast using my bottom pour pots and have never seen anybody put wax to the tip of the ladle spout.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I use wax to remove the oxides that build up on the spout. Over time they make it a bit messier to pour since they form a film on the surface of the lead. A quick swipe with wax of some sort eliminates the oxides for a bit.
The oxides aren't an issue in bullet quality as the Rowell ladle pours from the bottom.
 

Full.lead.taco

Active Member
Interesting, thanks for the info. I figured it must be something like that, but I'd never seen anybody do that before. Then again, I haven't watched too many people ladle cast either.

I use wax to remove the oxides that build up on the spout. Over time they make it a bit messier to pour since they form a film on the surface of the lead. A quick swipe with wax of some sort eliminates the oxides for a bit.
The oxides aren't an issue in bullet quality as the Rowell ladle pours from the bottom.
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
Firstthing I did with my Rowell #2 was shorten the handle, much better casting with it and still works great in the dutch oven.
I just shortened my Rowell handle. It was almost too easy. The wooden handle is hollow, and all I had to do was extend the threads for the handle about 3 inches and screw the handle on till it bottomed out, then back off a half turn so the end of the rod wasn't in contact with the wooden handle itself. This knocked about three inches off the length, and if I want the handle a little longer I can adjust it.
 

Ian

Notorious member
That handle mod sounds perfect. I never did mine but should have.

Apparently I'm never going to get my #2 back from the guy I lent it to or I'd show a pic of the modification I make to the spout. Take a small triangle file and cut a vee-groove in the bottom of the spout about 3/4" up into the spout. Don't notch into the lip at a perpendicular angle to the flow, just bring the groove straight out like the lead is flowing. This helps direct the flow better and allows the pouring of a slightly smaller, more accurate stream.
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
My 9mm NOE mould only casts well with a high volume of alloy, and extended sprue cooling times, even with the sprue plate looser than I really like to see 'em. It does pretty well with the Rowell, and I'm guessing its time to take a file to the top parting line to improve the venting. BP, and my smaller ladles give me rounded bases. Even my "hot rod" RCBS with the overly large nozzle orfice.