1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. - The Firearms Forum

1969SS396 · 09-02-2012, 08:17 AM

I know there is a learning curve with most things, and learning to cast my own bullets would be no exception. Yesterday I went to Cabelas and bought a Lee Pro 4 20lb. furnace which was the last component I needed before getting into casting....I already had my ingots made, my new Lee .44 cal bullet mold ready and I could hardly wait to try it all this morning......expecting some flaws, but all of them????? Didn't imagine I'd do that poorly, so I come to you bullet casting guru's for help.

Here are some pics, first the group of 80,at the top there are 12 that are the worst, to the right 24 that have minor flaws, and to the left major flaws. Obvious answer is my mold is not lining up right, I check before each por and they seemed to be close together and tight, but pictures don't lie......any advice would be greatly appreciated as always.....

Steve

jack404 · 09-02-2012, 08:26 AM

last ones not too bad

mold hassles suck

its a case of playing and adjusting and ensuring everythings clean and tight all the time ..

WHSmithIV · 09-02-2012, 09:08 AM

Looks like you're casting with a split mold that's not lined up perfectly which is why you're getting the crack in the head of the bullet in the next to last photo. The bullet in the last photo is OK - you are likely to always have a seam in a split cast mold but all you really look for is uniformity with the seam. Small imperfections can be tumbled or hand buffed out. Though I haven't hand casted bullets, I worked in a metal factory for a few years.

About that seam... The two halves of the mold must come together with zero space between each half. Ideally, for pouring metal you want to pour molten metal into a closed mold. You cool the mold and the metal and bingo! a perfect cast. Open the mold and the bullet falls out.

You should do your practice with lead for 2 reasons - one, it's cheap and two - it has a low melting point. The photos look like you may have been using copper for these bullets.

carver · 09-02-2012, 09:20 AM

Third picture, scrape off the excess, make it smothe, and load it up! Last picture, load it up. Work with the mold to try and get it to a little tighter, but remember that the mold has to come to a temperature that is not to hot, or too clold. Check your temperature on the the furnice, your lead may be a little too hot.

1969SS396 · 09-02-2012, 10:06 AM

WHSmithIV, I am using lead, from wheel weights.

Quote:

Originally Posted by carver

Check your temperature on the the furnice, your lead may be a little too hot.

I started it out on the level 7, I will turn it down a bit and see what happens.

Thanks

JLA · 09-02-2012, 11:50 AM

take a stick of bullet lube and lubricate the sprue plate joint and the mold alignment pins with it while the mold is hot. you are having a block alignment issue. it also helps to tap the bottom edge of one of the block with your sprue dowel after you close the mold. that will ensure theyve seated together.

Now you will also have to make sure lead didnt flow into the alignment pins too. This will keep the mold from closing properly as well.

Only other advice i can offer is for you to make sure your melt is at teh proper temp. not hotter than 670 degrees. and that your molds are well smoked with a candle before casting.

aa1911 · 09-02-2012, 12:11 PM

yes, you're getting frosting which means you're running too hot. THe seam is not a big deal, it's usually anywhere from invisible to huge whiskers. Huge whiskers or excess earns a trip back into the pot, but that small of one, load it up and shoot it, looks good.

Don't get discouraged, I have days where it just doesn't go right and I have to turn off the pot and walk away to try again another day.

1969SS396 · 09-02-2012, 12:59 PM

Turned the heat down, used my wooden mallet to lightly tap on the mold before each pour, hoping to get better alignment.......here's my results, about 400 rounds of .44 cal. lead. Looks a lot better.

Thanks guys!

Old Grump · 09-02-2012, 01:19 PM

Get a thermometer and wait after you charge the pot with another ingot till you get near 650. I think 670 will work but it's to hot for me. Those last bullets you did are good. Frost doesn't look good but for practice bullets they will work fine. I have shot some frosted LRN in 45ACP at a challenge match at our local club and was winning until I ran out of ammo. Pretty means you are doing everything right but minor glitches don't make them unshootable.

JLA · 09-02-2012, 02:02 PM

Tumble them around in a bowl for a few minutes. those seems will disappear.

DBMJR1 · 09-02-2012, 05:30 PM

You ought to see some of the ones I fling down range.

You're doing fine. All that will work out in the sizing die.

woolleyworm · 09-02-2012, 05:51 PM

those will make some fine ammo SS ! I don't cast myself, just have a friend who has all the equipment. It saves me $$ and the time spent is enjoyable. I am always scouring the parking lots and can usually get 1# - 1.5# of wheel wts a month just by keeping my eyes open.

1969SS396 · 09-02-2012, 06:34 PM

Thanks for the positive comments fellas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLA

Tumble them around in a bowl for a few minutes. those seems will disappear.

Josh, can I tumble them in my brass tumbler?

aa1911 · 09-02-2012, 07:41 PM

yeah, those look good to me. Tiny bit of frosting still on a couple but no biggie at all. I wouldn't hesitate to launch those suckers

JLA · 09-02-2012, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1969SS396

Thanks for the positive comments fellas.

Josh, can I tumble them in my brass tumbler?

I dont see why not. Just dont use any media. They shouldnt have to run but 5 or 10 minutes.

1969SS396 · 09-03-2012, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLA

I dont see why not. Just dont use any media. They shouldnt have to run but 5 or 10 minutes.

Your advice was right on, after ten minutes in the tumbler with no media, (other than the loud noise

) the results were wonderful.

dbach · 09-03-2012, 07:47 AM

Get a thermometer. It will teach you many wonders. The numbers on the lead pot mean nothing.

ozo · 09-03-2012, 08:21 AM

SS, here is a short read from a couple old friends
that may be of some value to you.....

http://forum1.aimoo.com/Cast___Booli...-1-842862.html

Techniques of theirs

JLA · 09-03-2012, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1969SS396

Your advice was right on, after ten minutes in the tumbler with no media, (other than the loud noise

) the results were wonderful.

Ive casted a couple bullets in my day.

and i do like pretty bullets.

mikld · 09-03-2012, 01:00 PM

Another thought; close the mold and hold it up to a light. You should see no light through the mating surfaces of the mold. Often s very small spec will get deposited on a matinf surface, holdi the mold open by a couple thousandthe of an inch. Lubing the alingning pins/bars is important too.

BTW; Cast Boolits forum is an excellent source of info about everything dealing with cast bullets http://castboolits.gunloads.com/index.php

myfriendis410 · 09-04-2012, 09:34 AM

How you pour metal into your mold will also have an impact on the finished bullet. If you put the mold right up to the drop nipple you will get different results from holding it 1/2" from the nipple. Try different distances with different molds to find the sweet spot.

A gap in the mold is not a big deal. There's a technique called "beagling" that shims the mold out to make slightly larger bullets. With a .003" gap in the mold I still get good bullets that shoot out of my Sharps under 1" at 100 yards. That's plenty good enough for me. Check out the subject on the forum "Cast Boolits" and you'll learn a wealth of good stuff. Your bullets look fine to me.

Hanover67 · 09-12-2012, 11:19 PM

Like you, I recently started casting my own bullets. I've used the cast Boolits website as a learning medium and have received lots of good advice from the members. I originally started with Lyman #2 alloy I bought from Rotometals, and I got beautiful, shiny bullets. When I'd used that up I switched to recovered range lead of unknown hardness. Now my bullets are darker and 'frosty" and they weigh a little more, but they shoot just fine. I've never used lee molds, only Lyman than I've bought on Ebay, but so far so good. To me, the most important aspect of a cast bullet is the fit to the gun's bore - barrel diameter. I have an old Colt Officer's Model .38 Special with a tight bore - .353", so I size my .38 wadcutters to .354" and they shoot great with no leading.

Having started casting you are on your way. But, be warned...its an addiction.

Hawg · 09-13-2012, 05:50 AM

I don't mind frosted bullets, they shoot just as good as shiny ones.

dbach · 09-15-2012, 04:19 PM

Tap the mold a lot. Close it then tap it a few times. Just a tap will do, no need to bang it around. I tap mine a lot and have found that alignment problems go away. I use a piece of 3/4" dowel to do the tapping.

As you close, tap, tap, tap.

Most molds will leave a seam mark. All of mine do to one extent or another. You might check and make sure you don't have any stray lead between the two mold halves, this will cause excessive seam lines. Remove the stray lead carefully with a tooth pick or something that will not scratch the face of the mold.

I use a lot of LEE molds and have learned how to make them work, and work well. Get the temp right and do a bit of tapping, things will go your way.

Actually your bullets look pretty good to me.

1969SS396 · 09-15-2012, 07:57 PM

Thanks everyone for the help.

I made another 400 this weekend with great results!
Turned the heat down......discovered taping the mold as dbach said helped too.

So now I have around 600 boolits cast, need to look into getting a sizer now.

......and need to get molds for a 9mm and a .45.

Yep, it's getting addictive!

09-02-2012, 08:17 AM	#1
1969SS396 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: the "Mitten" state Posts: 256	1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. I know there is a learning curve with most things, and learning to cast my own bullets would be no exception. Yesterday I went to Cabelas and bought a Lee Pro 4 20lb. furnace which was the last component I needed before getting into casting....I already had my ingots made, my new Lee .44 cal bullet mold ready and I could hardly wait to try it all this morning......expecting some flaws, but all of them????? Didn't imagine I'd do that poorly, so I come to you bullet casting guru's for help. Here are some pics, first the group of 80,at the top there are 12 that are the worst, to the right 24 that have minor flaws, and to the left major flaws. Obvious answer is my mold is not lining up right, I check before each por and they seemed to be close together and tight, but pictures don't lie......any advice would be greatly appreciated as always..... Steve Attached Images __________________ So Mote it be. -->

09-02-2012, 09:08 AM	#3
WHSmithIV Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Moore, Idaho contributor Posts: 2,624	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. Looks like you're casting with a split mold that's not lined up perfectly which is why you're getting the crack in the head of the bullet in the next to last photo. The bullet in the last photo is OK - you are likely to always have a seam in a split cast mold but all you really look for is uniformity with the seam. Small imperfections can be tumbled or hand buffed out. Though I haven't hand casted bullets, I worked in a metal factory for a few years. About that seam... The two halves of the mold must come together with zero space between each half. Ideally, for pouring metal you want to pour molten metal into a closed mold. You cool the mold and the metal and bingo! a perfect cast. Open the mold and the bullet falls out. You should do your practice with lead for 2 reasons - one, it's cheap and two - it has a low melting point. The photos look like you may have been using copper for these bullets.

09-02-2012, 09:20 AM	#4
carver TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: DAV, Deep in the Pineywoods of East Texas, just west of Shreveport, LA Contributor Posts: 11,265	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. Third picture, scrape off the excess, make it smothe, and load it up! Last picture, load it up. Work with the mold to try and get it to a little tighter, but remember that the mold has to come to a temperature that is not to hot, or too clold. Check your temperature on the the furnice, your lead may be a little too hot. __________________ Y'all be safe now, ya hear! Lamentations Chapter 5: 1. Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach. 2. Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. 3. We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers [are] as widows. 5. Our necks [are] under persecution: we labour, [and] have no rest. 16. The crown is fallen [from] our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned! 21. Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.

09-02-2012, 11:50 AM	#6
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,318	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. take a stick of bullet lube and lubricate the sprue plate joint and the mold alignment pins with it while the mold is hot. you are having a block alignment issue. it also helps to tap the bottom edge of one of the block with your sprue dowel after you close the mold. that will ensure theyve seated together. Now you will also have to make sure lead didnt flow into the alignment pins too. This will keep the mold from closing properly as well. Only other advice i can offer is for you to make sure your melt is at teh proper temp. not hotter than 670 degrees. and that your molds are well smoked with a candle before casting. __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

09-02-2012, 12:11 PM	#7
aa1911 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,113	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. yes, you're getting frosting which means you're running too hot. THe seam is not a big deal, it's usually anywhere from invisible to huge whiskers. Huge whiskers or excess earns a trip back into the pot, but that small of one, load it up and shoot it, looks good. Don't get discouraged, I have days where it just doesn't go right and I have to turn off the pot and walk away to try again another day. __________________ "Loud noises don't end gunfights.... well placed shots do."

09-02-2012, 08:26 AM	#2
jack404 Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Australia Contributor Posts: 17,622	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. last ones not too bad mold hassles suck its a case of playing and adjusting and ensuring everythings clean and tight all the time ..

09-02-2012, 12:59 PM	#8
1969SS396 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: the "Mitten" state Posts: 256	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. Turned the heat down, used my wooden mallet to lightly tap on the mold before each pour, hoping to get better alignment.......here's my results, about 400 rounds of .44 cal. lead. Looks a lot better. Thanks guys! Attached Images __________________ So Mote it be.

09-02-2012, 01:19 PM	#9
Old Grump Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Little hut in the woods near Blue River Wisconsin Posts: 2,289	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. Get a thermometer and wait after you charge the pot with another ingot till you get near 650. I think 670 will work but it's to hot for me. Those last bullets you did are good. Frost doesn't look good but for practice bullets they will work fine. I have shot some frosted LRN in 45ACP at a challenge match at our local club and was winning until I ran out of ammo. Pretty means you are doing everything right but minor glitches don't make them unshootable. __________________ "When once a republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil."~~- Thomas Jefferson Roman Catholic, Life Member of American Legion, VFW, Wisconsin Libertarian party, Wi-FORCE, WGO, NRA, JPFO, GOA, SAFand CCRKBA

09-02-2012, 02:02 PM	#10
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,318	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. Tumble them around in a bowl for a few minutes. those seems will disappear. __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

09-02-2012, 05:30 PM	#11
DBMJR1 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: New Orleans, La. Posts: 84	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. You ought to see some of the ones I fling down range. You're doing fine. All that will work out in the sizing die. __________________ Let Us Try Don

09-02-2012, 05:51 PM	#12
woolleyworm TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SW Fort Worth Contributor Posts: 4,883	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. those will make some fine ammo SS ! I don't cast myself, just have a friend who has all the equipment. It saves me $$ and the time spent is enjoyable. I am always scouring the parking lots and can usually get 1# - 1.5# of wheel wts a month just by keeping my eyes open. __________________ . What are you gonna do, talk the alien to death? -- (on Sigourney Weaver's worry about Guns in Aliens) "Safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands." "I carry a small gun to compensate for my huge Blue press." .

09-02-2012, 07:41 PM	#14
aa1911 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,113	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. yeah, those look good to me. Tiny bit of frosting still on a couple but no biggie at all. I wouldn't hesitate to launch those suckers __________________ "Loud noises don't end gunfights.... well placed shots do."

09-03-2012, 07:47 AM	#17
dbach V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Trinity, TX Posts: 169	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. Get a thermometer. It will teach you many wonders. The numbers on the lead pot mean nothing. __________________ David Bachelder Trinity, TX Rookie Reloader but learning fast 9mm, 40S&W, 45ACP, 45 Colt, 38 Special, .357 Magnum, 38 S&W, .243, & 30-06 CHL ~ Texas

09-03-2012, 08:21 AM	#18
ozo Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Nashville TN Posts: 2,770	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. SS, here is a short read from a couple old friends that may be of some value to you..... http://forum1.aimoo.com/Cast___Booli...-1-842862.html Techniques of theirs __________________ http://www.nranews.com/#/nranews, "ozo. you're off your rocker sir." -johnlives4christ http://www.prisonplanet.com/ -America,Bless GOD- Last edited by ozo; 09-03-2012 at 08:22 AM..

09-03-2012, 01:00 PM	#20
mikld Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Oregon Posts: 573	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. Another thought; close the mold and hold it up to a light. You should see no light through the mating surfaces of the mold. Often s very small spec will get deposited on a matinf surface, holdi the mold open by a couple thousandthe of an inch. Lubing the alingning pins/bars is important too. BTW; Cast Boolits forum is an excellent source of info about everything dealing with cast bullets http://castboolits.gunloads.com/index.php __________________ My Anchor is holding fast. Last edited by mikld; 09-03-2012 at 01:03 PM..

09-04-2012, 09:34 AM	#21
myfriendis410 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Lompoc California Posts: 543	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. How you pour metal into your mold will also have an impact on the finished bullet. If you put the mold right up to the drop nipple you will get different results from holding it 1/2" from the nipple. Try different distances with different molds to find the sweet spot. A gap in the mold is not a big deal. There's a technique called "beagling" that shims the mold out to make slightly larger bullets. With a .003" gap in the mold I still get good bullets that shoot out of my Sharps under 1" at 100 yards. That's plenty good enough for me. Check out the subject on the forum "Cast Boolits" and you'll learn a wealth of good stuff. Your bullets look fine to me. __________________ Life's too short to shoot an ugly gun.....

09-12-2012, 11:19 PM	#22
Hanover67 Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Alamo, CA Posts: 33	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. Like you, I recently started casting my own bullets. I've used the cast Boolits website as a learning medium and have received lots of good advice from the members. I originally started with Lyman #2 alloy I bought from Rotometals, and I got beautiful, shiny bullets. When I'd used that up I switched to recovered range lead of unknown hardness. Now my bullets are darker and 'frosty" and they weigh a little more, but they shoot just fine. I've never used lee molds, only Lyman than I've bought on Ebay, but so far so good. To me, the most important aspect of a cast bullet is the fit to the gun's bore - barrel diameter. I have an old Colt Officer's Model .38 Special with a tight bore - .353", so I size my .38 wadcutters to .354" and they shoot great with no leading. Having started casting you are on your way. But, be warned...its an addiction.

09-13-2012, 05:50 AM	#23
Hawg Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 1,558	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. I don't mind frosted bullets, they shoot just as good as shiny ones.

09-15-2012, 04:19 PM	#24
dbach V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Trinity, TX Posts: 169	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. Tap the mold a lot. Close it then tap it a few times. Just a tap will do, no need to bang it around. I tap mine a lot and have found that alignment problems go away. I use a piece of 3/4" dowel to do the tapping. As you close, tap, tap, tap. Most molds will leave a seam mark. All of mine do to one extent or another. You might check and make sure you don't have any stray lead between the two mold halves, this will cause excessive seam lines. Remove the stray lead carefully with a tooth pick or something that will not scratch the face of the mold. I use a lot of LEE molds and have learned how to make them work, and work well. Get the temp right and do a bit of tapping, things will go your way. Actually your bullets look pretty good to me. __________________ David Bachelder Trinity, TX Rookie Reloader but learning fast 9mm, 40S&W, 45ACP, 45 Colt, 38 Special, .357 Magnum, 38 S&W, .243, & 30-06 CHL ~ Texas

09-15-2012, 07:57 PM	#25
1969SS396 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: the "Mitten" state Posts: 256	Re: 1st attempt at casting my own.....failure. Thanks everyone for the help. I made another 400 this weekend with great results! Turned the heat down......discovered taping the mold as dbach said helped too. So now I have around 600 boolits cast, need to look into getting a sizer now. ......and need to get molds for a 9mm and a .45. Yep, it's getting addictive! __________________ So Mote it be.