Tapping the mould

creosote

Well-Known Member
I've tried giving the mould a little tap on the bench, (before cutting the sprue) on accident and because I've noticed others use that practice.
I haven't given it very many tries, because it didn't seem to help.
Does this technique help fill out for anyone else?
 

Ian

Notorious member
Do it as soon as you possibly can after topping off the sprue. Whack the handle hinge bolt at the exact instant you pop the blocks open and everything separates at once.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
we just said it differently.


.+

we could read a page out of a book and tell you what it says.
I could read what he wrote and know what it says.
and he could read mine and know too.
but anyone else reading it would wonder what we were talking about even with the subject in the header at the top of the page.
 

pokute

Active Member
So you both meant to whack AND DROP before the sprue starts setting up? I'm just trying to figure out what the whacking is for, and I'm just getting more confused...
 

pokute

Active Member
I mean, if the whacking prevents coring, awesome... But dropping while the sprue hasn't set is a mystery to me. What does that do?
 

VZerone

Active Member
I believe the NRA cast book mentions tapping the mould as soon as you fill it. They say it helps the trapped air to come to the top and vent. I don't do it.
 

pokute

Active Member
Adding a little energy by whacking while the bullet is hardening can cause liquid and solid phases to mix to some degree, which theoretically should minimize coring. But the immediate dropping I don't get.
 

Ian

Notorious member
Bop the mould on the guide or whatever right after filling each cavity. Let sprues flash over, cut, inspect bases (extra two seconds for the bases to firm-up, too), then whack the hinge bolt while giving the off-side handle a brisk, thee-finger flick. This is not every mould or any kind of rule, just explaining a technique.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
if I'm using the lee pot I slide it off the guide onto the bench then set the mold on an upside down ingot mold.
if I'm using the magma pot I slide it off the box onto the bench top.
I don't know if it helps or not I just give them a little bounce and it gets the mold out from under the pot.
I noticed if I left the mold under the pot the inside edge of the mold got far hotter than the outside edge.
 

creosote

Well-Known Member
Thank you much, that's exactly what I was hoping to hear, er,... a,.., read.
I must be easily amused, because I can't wait to get out and try to make some better boo.....projectiles.
I did just get a bottom pour pot. I've only used it three times. I've always used a laddle.
This is the only time of year I can safely shoot the smoke pole, so I'll be making some round balls too. :)
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
instead of worrying about a bounce I would focus on mold temperature and fill rate.
I have my lee turned down to a dribble and I watch where that dribble hits the mold.
I also really focus on the bullets coming from the mold.
I try my best to keep them all having the same appearance.
a little spot of satin in one place or all satin or no satin, then I do my damnest to keep the heat level of the mold in that place.
 
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creosote

Well-Known Member
Santa brought me a thermometer to wire into the mould. Haven't used it yet. In the cold I foresee a tangled mess. Hope it works, because the infered only gets me blinded from the lazer.
I also just picked up a better quality four foot flouesent light that will work in the cold. The ten dollar chepo's are just that.
Now I'll be able to see if I'm getting frosted wrinkles. :oops:
tomorrow is the day.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
it's a good learning tool.
use it to learn what happens if you do this or do this or if your sprue is this size or if you count to 7 instead of 5.
that will help with the other molds that don't have a probe, you'll quickly see some trends develop.
 

creosote

Well-Known Member
I've always felt the need to make a pile of pills.
Tomorrow I'll start out expecting to just see what happens. It'll make it funner too.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
it will help in the long run.

I threw back an entire batch of rifle bullets this morning.
I started looking through them and they were dead awful, it wasn't even worth sorting through the pile to get 50 good ones out.
the same mold with a different pot of alloy had 3 picked out of the whole pile.
I might just empty the pot and make shot out of the whole 40 lb batch.