Mold Temp - Pot/Alloy temp
- Thread starter Rick
- Start date
williamwaco
Active Member
I cast bullets for 55 years before discovering the cast bullet sites. I had developed a very impressive set of tools.
In addition to the mold, I had channel lock pliers. A large skimming spoon with a wooden handle, and a hammer handle.
For two or three years I experimented with a dozen or more "must have" accessories. Now I have retired them all and returned to my roots.
I find that (within reason) the only thing that matters is mold temperature. (Perhaps as it relates to alloy temperature.)
What us the correct temperature? I have no idea. But! I know how to find it.
Starting with a cold mold ans an alloy temperature between 550 and 800, cast as fast as you can without compromising safety. Dump the bullets directly into your sprue cuttings. Don't even glance at them. It will slow you down. Make the largest sprue puddle you can. It is fine if it runs down the side. At this point you are heating the mold, not making bullets.
Depending on the mold, the alloy, etc. Somewhere around 12 to 24 pours the sprue puddle will remain liquid for a couple of seconds. Keep going. When the sprue puddle takes three seconds to harden, you are ready to drop onto your drop pad. This means if you count two seconds then tilt the mold, the sprue will pour off like water. After three, it will not. This will work at any melt temperature. Below 550 you will (might) have trouble with the pot freezing. Above 750 your surface will oxidize quickly.
When the puddle takes 4 seconds to harden, slow down.
I find the optimum cadence to be around 7 pours in 2 minutes. I use a melt temperature around 600 to 650.
Yes, I am a minimalist.
In addition to the mold, I had channel lock pliers. A large skimming spoon with a wooden handle, and a hammer handle.
For two or three years I experimented with a dozen or more "must have" accessories. Now I have retired them all and returned to my roots.
I find that (within reason) the only thing that matters is mold temperature. (Perhaps as it relates to alloy temperature.)
What us the correct temperature? I have no idea. But! I know how to find it.
Starting with a cold mold ans an alloy temperature between 550 and 800, cast as fast as you can without compromising safety. Dump the bullets directly into your sprue cuttings. Don't even glance at them. It will slow you down. Make the largest sprue puddle you can. It is fine if it runs down the side. At this point you are heating the mold, not making bullets.
Depending on the mold, the alloy, etc. Somewhere around 12 to 24 pours the sprue puddle will remain liquid for a couple of seconds. Keep going. When the sprue puddle takes three seconds to harden, you are ready to drop onto your drop pad. This means if you count two seconds then tilt the mold, the sprue will pour off like water. After three, it will not. This will work at any melt temperature. Below 550 you will (might) have trouble with the pot freezing. Above 750 your surface will oxidize quickly.
When the puddle takes 4 seconds to harden, slow down.
I find the optimum cadence to be around 7 pours in 2 minutes. I use a melt temperature around 600 to 650.
Yes, I am a minimalist.
williamwaco
Active Member
quicksylver
Well-Known Member
Interesting William......I too cast for about that long before I got to these sites.
Sounds too like we had about the same equipment, as well as the same methods.
What I did differently was to put the mold on top of the furnace to preheat it.
Now for the new me;
1. Got myself a mold thermometer and drilled all my molds.
2. As I used each one I noted the sweet spots and made a note on the mold or box
as to what it liked.
3. Got a thermometer for the alloy, I run my mine at 680-700,
(92-6-2 alloy)
4. Hot plate to preheat the mold (with the above tools I start with good bullets first drop).
5. Got a small fan to help cool the al. molds, 'cause they seem to heat faster, keeps me in
the game with fewer pauses, by regulating the mold temp.
If I can, I try and keep my mold within a 15 degree heat range, really makes for consistent bullets.
All this being said, I cast mainly 30 cal. rifle bullets, I realize that all this may be over kill for handgun pellets.
Happy casting. Dan S.
Sounds too like we had about the same equipment, as well as the same methods.
What I did differently was to put the mold on top of the furnace to preheat it.
Now for the new me;
1. Got myself a mold thermometer and drilled all my molds.
2. As I used each one I noted the sweet spots and made a note on the mold or box
as to what it liked.
3. Got a thermometer for the alloy, I run my mine at 680-700,
(92-6-2 alloy)
4. Hot plate to preheat the mold (with the above tools I start with good bullets first drop).
5. Got a small fan to help cool the al. molds, 'cause they seem to heat faster, keeps me in
the game with fewer pauses, by regulating the mold temp.
If I can, I try and keep my mold within a 15 degree heat range, really makes for consistent bullets.
All this being said, I cast mainly 30 cal. rifle bullets, I realize that all this may be over kill for handgun pellets.
Happy casting. Dan S.
Much the same for me. I now use a hot plate and mold oven to pre-heat the mold, it's kind of depressing thinking about all the years (decades actually) and how much I wasted filling the mold 15-20 times just to get the mold temp where I wanted it to actually start casting. Still need to do that but properly pre-heated 3-5 fills has the mold where I need it. I have a mold thermometer from NOE but use it mostly to learn a good pre-heat temp for the hot plate. I use an aluminum plate on the hot plate and have this plate drilled for the thermometer probe. I use a PID on the pot and cast most everything set at 700 degrees. Dunno nothing about pellets but a great deal of my casting was for high end long range handgun competition and I found it worthwhile to be just as picky about these bullets as I am for rifle.
quicksylver
Well-Known Member
Rick..... My reference to "pellets' was concerning things like 6 cavity 9mm molds
or bullets for Cowboy Action shooting ,etc.
I should have noted that for my molds sweet spots range anywhere from 315 deg. to about 370 deg.
Big spread, but as Al noted most are in the 350 deg. range.
Again that is with my alloy and mostly 2 cavity, al. molds from NOE.
( Got to make sure we talk apples and apples)
or bullets for Cowboy Action shooting ,etc.
I should have noted that for my molds sweet spots range anywhere from 315 deg. to about 370 deg.
Big spread, but as Al noted most are in the 350 deg. range.
Again that is with my alloy and mostly 2 cavity, al. molds from NOE.
( Got to make sure we talk apples and apples)
Not to worry, that's just me. I'm old fashioned and believe that word bullet has worked perfectly for hundreds of years to describe exactly what it is. I feel no need to re-invent the English language so I shoot bullets, never pellets (pellet guns excepted) or pills. Now Brad, he has an unlimited supply of pills so . . .
But again, that's just me.As for the rest I was agreeing with you.
62chevy
Active Member
I now have two pot a 10# RCBS cast iron and a two quart Dutch Oven. It's easy to keep the Dutch Oven at 700 on my Coleman stove but the 10# pot wants to stay around 730 or higher. I'm starting to think a bottom pour pot would be better all around and quicker too.
Please no. We are fully capable of understanding what you mean.
A head is what sits on top of your neck. A pill is what I dispense at work. A bullet is just a projectile, not a loaded round. Slugs are either fired from a shotgun or a snail with no shell.
Now magazines and clips, that one I'm not touching. I have my understanding of the differences and I will stick to it.
Ian
Notorious member
Aww, Rick you're just a piker when it comes to Hillbilly, I don't care what road you live on. When you smile and say "YEP!" to more than half the pages in your Redneck desk calendar year after year, well, then you know what. Today's was "If more than four decades of General Motors products are represented in the view from your kitchen window.....". YEP!
Kevin Stenberg
Well-Known Member
As a newby I took advantage of all the temperature monitors I could. A PID on the pot and a NOE BBQ monitor. But as of the last 6 months I never really took advantage of them until reading Tim Malcome's thread on Casting Consistancy.
My most recent finding is that with just a difference of 5 deg. of mold temperature my bullets show a difference of .5 grains. My newest Accurate mold if kept at 433 deg. will through a 94.8 to 95.2 gr bullet. But if I increase the mold to 438 deg. my bullet weight drops about .5 grain
My most recent finding is that with just a difference of 5 deg. of mold temperature my bullets show a difference of .5 grains. My newest Accurate mold if kept at 433 deg. will through a 94.8 to 95.2 gr bullet. But if I increase the mold to 438 deg. my bullet weight drops about .5 grain