Teach me to use a ladle properly....

[KeithB]

Whatever gets good results. Except for an extremely heavy 10 cavity H&G #258 (220 gr .41 mag bullet) I BP everything else. Six cavity Lees, 4 cavity Lymans, all the rest get BPed here. Seems like the work load is higher on me when I pick up and sit down a ladle all afternoon than when I set up my mold guide properly to support the mold. Since I built and use a PID on my hot plate and RCBS 20 lb pot I have my molds up to temp and my pot is right and I generally get good bullets in one or two casts.

I can see where multi-cavity molds of large volume bullets, hollow point bullet molds with door knob handles sticking out the bottom, extreme budget restrictions (camp stove casting), and other special circumstances may require ladle pouring, and I can understand people getting good results with ladle casting and not wanting to switch. But honestly, I am no expert at anything much less bullet casting but I seem to get well filled out bullets with consistent weights using BP furnace techniques.

To each their own!

 

[Ian]

The truth is both ways work well with the proper technique, but sometimes one or the other is easier to accomplish in practice.

 

[waco]

Well that RG4 H&G 68 clone NOE mold finally showed up. I probably won't get a chance to cast with it until after Christmas. I might run it through some heat cycles tonight. It came with three sets of pins. The ones shown, flat pins for solids, and a"cup" point pin.
You guys have me real nervous to try and use this thing now. I'll take some 0000 steel wool to the pins and make sure the are free of burrs. I'll preheat the mold and keep a good fast pace and keep the pins hot!
After Christmas though I'm sure. Here is a pic.

 

[Ian]

Pins shown are resting at different depths and all are too deep, is the block resting on the pins for the picture?

 

[waco]

Better??

 

[Ian]

Better!! The mould didn't look like it was resting on the pins but I guess it was. Those nice long pins and large block mass ought to be really easy to keep hot.

 

[waco]

It was not resting on the pins......I just need to give it a good cleaning and check for burrs. I'm excited to get my 1911 back out!

Chasing down brass is another story....

 

[Will]

Biggest problem I had was burrs on the aluminum where the pins lay. They start catching the pins and won't let them fall free, or interfere with the mold closing.

 

[KHornet]

Ladle casting will never be as fast as bottom pouring, however, IMO, the secret, if
there is one to ladle casting, particularly with multi cav molds is abundant overflow.
I doubt that the best casting with bottom pour particularly with multi cav molds, will
match the overall quality of ladle pour. Again, just my NTBHO.

Paul

 

[shootnlead]

Once I started bottom pouring, I never looked back...except for an occasional project. It was just like with PC...once I powder coated my first batch of bullets, I have never used conventional lube again...and don't really have any intention of doing it again.