What's wrong with bullets on right?

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I have been casting for about 4 years and using the same temps that I always do. I'm wondering if I have a contaminated mold. I brushed it out before I used it with a small stainless steel brush. I didn't do anything different than I always do.
 
clean the mold pockets off with degreaser...thoroughly dry and wipe it with a towel and then lighter black/candle soot it.
warm it back up and see if repeats...usually my first few passes are ugly bullets and they go right back in the pot while I get them up to temps and establish the right rhythm on keeping them warm.
also, I leave my molds full of lead between sessions...makes it easy to tell when my molds are warmed back up and I know nothing got in there. Right way- who knows but that is how I learned to keep my molds between casting sessions.
 
GoldieMI said:
clean the mold pockets off with degreaser...thoroughly dry and wipe it with a towel and then lighter black/candle soot it.
warm it back up and see if repeats...usually my first few passes are ugly bullets and they go right back in the pot while I get them up to temps and establish the right rhythm on keeping them warm.
also, I leave my molds full of lead between sessions...makes it easy to tell when my molds are warmed back up and I know nothing got in there. Right way- who knows but that is how I learned to keep my molds between casting sessions.
Click to expand...
Usually my first 20 bullets look terrible but then start smoothing out and look great for the rest of the casting session. I'll give it another try tomorrow using your suggestions. Thanks for the tips. What do you clean your molds with?
 
wlkjr said:
I have been casting for about 4 years and using the same temps that I always do. I'm wondering if I have a contaminated mold. I brushed it out before I used it with a small stainless steel brush. I didn't do anything different than I always do.
Click to expand...

If it’s colder than normal where you are casting, it’s going to take longer for the mold to reach operating temp.

I smoke my molds with an acetylene flame, personally, I wouldn’t risk scratching them internally with a stainless steel brush. I keep mine put up though, so they don’t really require any clean up. If bullets start getting “sticky” I just smoke the mold again.
 
I clean them the first time with denatured alcohol and a toothbrush. than hit them with compressed air and finally smoke them with a lighter/candle.
I wouldn't use a stainless steel brush either.
and leave them full of lead between sessions. I keep mine in a 50 cal ammo can as well to keep them from getting any moisture.
I have Magna and Lee Molds..I keep them on a hot plate to heat up and whenever I need to stop casting for whatever reason. That way they are not cooling off as dramatically.
 
jmorris said:
If it’s colder than normal where you are casting, it’s going to take longer for the mold to reach operating temp.

I smoke my molds with an acetylene flame, personally, I wouldn’t risk scratching them internally with a stainless steel brush. I keep mine put up though, so they don’t really require any clean up. If bullets start getting “sticky” I just smoke the mold again.
Click to expand...
I'll have to smoke the mold and up my temps and see how it plays out.
 
GoldieMI said:
I clean them the first time with denatured alcohol and a toothbrush. than hit them with compressed air and finally smoke them with a lighter/candle.
I wouldn't use a stainless steel brush either.
and leave them full of lead between sessions. I keep mine in a 50 cal ammo can as well to keep them from getting any moisture.
I have Magna and Lee Molds..I keep them on a hot plate to heat up and whenever I need to stop casting for whatever reason. That way they are not cooling off as dramatically.
Click to expand...
I have some denatured alcohol and old tooth brushes so I'll give that a try. Just threw me when I changed molds and had this problem. Never had it before in the 4 years or so I've been casting.
 
The smoke won’t help with the wrinkles, as above thats a temperature issue. Smoking them does keep stuff from sticking to them though.

Lots of folks use a candle to smoke them but I haven’t found anything that works better than the soot from an acetylene flame. Slick enough the bullets just fall out.

 
jmorris said:
I have an old miners lamp to burn the gas but there are other methods that will work.
Click to expand...

Back before I started using a scope I made a gadget to blacken my sights: Take a piece of fired 30-06 brass (primer still in) and half-fill it with motor oil. Soak a small square piece of cloth with motor oil, roll it up, and stuff it into the brass to act as a wick. Leave a quarter inch or so at least sticking out. Motor oil burns with a very sooty flame. Cap the thing with a piece of 9mm brass and store it in an old cigar tube. One fill of oil will last most people a long time, maybe even a year.

Tim
 
I think I have a solution to my problem. I bumped my pot temp up to 735 degrees and clean the mold really good. Also used a propane torch to preheat the mold and shot the flame down into the mold cavity for a few seconds. Finally got a good drop. Thanks everyone.
 
My opinion, absolutely nothing.
Maybe, out beyond 50 yards, there might be some effect, but I've never noticed it.
Is the base completely filled out? That is number one issue.
Also, I find frosted bullets shoot very well and, other than hearing they are brittle when they hit a target, do quite well.
 
All my casts are for handguns only out to 25 yard max. And then I only have to be accurate to within an 8" circle for the competitions I participate in. My ammo is usually more accurate than I am, unfortunately.
 
Be careful with the carbide lamp.
First, you can damage an aluminum mold with the heat. It’s acetylene gas... Btdt.
Secondly, you can get so much carbon (Too much) unequally distributed to cause bullets to be asymmetrical an/or undersized. Poor accuracy is the result. Also Btdt...
I prefer to use the long stem barbecue grill propane lighters. They produce a thinner more controllable soot layer. Easier to handle too.
OP could stand to add a bit of tin to the alloy. The light frosty appearance is due to high arsenic and antimony (wheel weights). Adding some tin will give a smooth shiny silver appearance. Alloy will be slightly softer but with better ductility for improved bore fit and accuracy.
I use 95/5 lead-free solder. Used to get it at hardware stores. Now have to order it online. Amazon is a good source.
 
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I cast a lot of fishing jigs and sinkers ect. But had a rough time casting 44 cal bullets for practice with my 50 cal muzzle loader rifle and pistole. Was working with a bottom cast furnace, I did a lot better being able to control things with my propane stove, plumbers cast iron pot and a small ladle. Once I got them running I could keep goin until the pot was almost empty. One thing I learned over the years is don't put your rejects or cut offs back in the pot till finished casting. Too hard to keep the temp right. I pre heat the mold over the plumbers pot and smoke it with a candle. I also put a little bit of candle wax in the mix to flux the lead before starting to cast. Top color of your lead should be a nice blue to purple for the right temp.
.
 
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