My long awaited purchase.

Ian

Notorious member
Mostly it's displaced vent line "whiskers" that get partially pulled out when the blocks are opened and then mashed back into the faces when the blocks are closed. Running the mould hot for complete fillout and using more than about 1% tin will exacerbate this with some moulds depending on how big the vent lines are and how blocked the vent lines are by the metal displaced by the cavity being machined.
 

S Mac

Sept. 10, 2021 Steve left us. You are missed.
One way is to dump culls back in to the pot right out of the mould. Easy peasy.
 

Mitty38

Well-Known Member
One way is to dump culls back in to the pot right out of the mould. Easy peasy.
Now, I know nothing of controlling temps, working with electric pots, aluminum molds and casting with alloys.

However, I have done "pure" lead round balls over an open fire, or BBQ grill and a cast iron pot and ladle, fluxing with bees wax.
My uncle taught me quite a bit about black powder. And a lot about enjoying the out of doors.
This may sound silly but once I get up and casting conical bullets, I will probably still start my casting sessions the way I do with round balls.
The way my Uncle taught me. He was a little peculiar.
He would and I do, while casting round ball, set the first 7 pours back to reintroduce to the pot, for luck. Reciting one of the 7 deadly sins, each time after filling the mold, then tap the mold 3 times lightly before opening . Put them in the ladle then slowly put back into pot so you do not splash. Then start your session.
Seams kinda strange, but I believe it is probably a way of establishing timing, and a mold prep technique.
 
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Walks

Well-Known Member
Mitty,
I think most of Us who were taught to cast by Old Timers are gonna have a few peculiarities in our casting methods. after I drop the bullets from my mold, I pull the left handle into my stomach and close the right gently. Same thing my Dad would do when casting HBWC from single cavity Lyman molds.
The Old Timer that told me to handle the 1st Lee molds I every had; GENTLY was a Wise Man. I am still casting from those molds, 30+ years later.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
I'm pretty sure most of my lead specks on the mould face come from dumping culls directly back into the pot. It's an old habit and one I find hard to break.
 

S Mac

Sept. 10, 2021 Steve left us. You are missed.
I am guilty as well, they are hot, don't cool they melt much.
 

Walks

Well-Known Member
Never thought of that.
I cast at Eye level with the spout. Full face shield. The mold is filled, set down to the left, the cool one is picked up and dumped, filled and put to the left. Rinse, repeat.
My molds never get near the melt or near the top of the pot.
So no chance of splash.
 

S Mac

Sept. 10, 2021 Steve left us. You are missed.
I cast with a ladle, my mould spends a lot of time on top of the pot.
 

Walks

Well-Known Member
Even when I Cast pure lead over an open pot, for RB & Minie`s I pull the mold back from the pot. I'm only using 1 & 2cav molds. Just never seem to have lead splash back.
I think it's probably something I learned from My Dad.
Or either personal experience from 45yrs ago, when I was young & poor and casting from the same RCBS cast iron pot over a Coleman stove.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Never thought of that.
I cast at Eye level with the spout. Full face shield. The mold is filled, set down to the left, the cool one is picked up and dumped, filled and put to the left. Rinse, repeat.
My molds never get near the melt or near the top of the pot.
So no chance of splash.


Really? I'm a ladle guy and I cast about as fast as I can and only slow down when I'm dropping perfect bullets. I rarely get a mould "too hot" or to the point I'd have time for a 2nd mould. Tried it a few times and it didn't work well for me. Plus, I'm a klutz and having 2 going would no doubt result in my setting something on fire! ;)
 

Ian

Notorious member
I have to hold the mould over the pot while ladling or I'll end up with a lead-plated bench. Pouring extra metal across the sprue plate is how to get the heat and eliminate base porosity.
 

Walks

Well-Known Member
I put an ingot mold under the spout. So it catches the drips/over flow. Of course about every 5min I just have to accidentally hit the handle with my hand and drop about 500grs of molten lead into that ingot mold.
The 1st generation N.O.E. Mold shelf with the exposed screws has trained me to stretch around a bit more when knocking off the sprues.
Every time I think about a new mold guide, I think it will just make me sloppy again.

And The Swede will get the money anyway, it'll just go towards another new mold.
Trying to decide which one to get at the Goyim New Years Sale.
 

Mitty38

Well-Known Member
Just stopped at the mail box and picked up my mold on the way into work. Had to open it up in the parking lot before going in. Has the original box and paperwork. Looks barely , or at least very gently, used.:) But mold itself was sprayed or dipped in some kind of oil, and in a bag.:( So looks like I will have to do some scrubbing after all.
 
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Mitty38

Well-Known Member
Well, got her cleaned up. Scrubbed it down with Hot water and Dawn. then wiped down the cavities a couple times with 99.5% alcohol.
Looked like sprue plate was digging into the mold a bit, so removed it , stoned the backside of the sprue plate, and the top surface of the mold a bit. Lubed bottom of sprue plate, sprue screw wave washer, and alignment pins with some 2 cycle oil I had laying around. Then sprayed Rem oil on the handle hinge, wiped the steel down real well, then put her away for now. Probably going to go with the set screw mod I saw in another thread here, as soon as I can get to a drill press, and a tap set.
Probably going to be a while before I get money, to get the rest of my sheep in a row. Have to wait for, good enough weather, and enough time set aside, to go outside and cast any way.
 
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