First mold, First casts

[kmw1954]

The nice thing about casting a big stack of bullets is that you have a big stack of bullets. They don't go bad. If you get to busy to cast or the weather isn't cooperating, it is nice to have bullets.

Being retired I have more time than activities and daytime TV isn't worth turning on. Another month and Baseball season will be over and I don't follow basketball. I would rather spend a few hours casting or loading a few hundred rounds or bullets than spend a whole day loading or casting a years worth. The only reason I have a progressive press is to save wear and tear on my arm and shoulder. It's not so I can load more, faster!

 

[kmw1954]

One could order 50 pounds of lead ingots from a couple of sellers on the cast boolit site for around $65 or so. That comes out to $1.25 per pound. I've bought several packages and that is what I started casting with. There's no scrounging, no smelting, just melt and cast. If the local sellers on craigslist sell it for $1 per pound, then that's even better.

I was all set to order from that Cast Boolits member until I stumbled across that one bucket of wheel weights. I would have no qualms about paying up to $1.50 per lb for already processed lead. Right now, $2.00 per lb would be pushing it and I would probably just buy plated again. Yes there are many here in Wisconsin that would gladly sell it for $2.00 per lb., but it wouldn't be to me.

 

[brewer12345]

Being retired I have more time than activities and daytime TV isn't worth turning on. Another month and Baseball season will be over and I don't follow basketball. I would rather spend a few hours casting or loading a few hundred rounds or bullets than spend a whole day loading or casting a years worth. The only reason I have a progressive press is to save wear and tear on my arm and shoulder. It's not so I can load more, faster!

If you don't already, take up small game hunting. Endless opportunities.

 

[kmw1954]

If you don't already, take up small game hunting. Endless opportunities.

thanks, wish I could.

 

[GBExpat]

Bullet casting point of interest/history ...

I can recall a conversation that took place at least 50 years ago with my maternal grandmother who spent her first decade, or so, of life in the 19th century. It had to have occurred shortly after my dad and I started reloading and I must have mentioned the new hobby to her.

She told me that she could remember as a little girl casting lead roundball for the older firearms in the family (she grew up in Braxton County, WV). She told me that the newly-cast bullets all had what we now refer to as molding flash (I forget what she called it).

She told me that they would put them in a mason jar, hold it by the top and spin them around the bottom of that jar for awhile to mash down that flash so that it was no longer an issue.

Just thought that some of you bullet casters might enjoy that anecdote.

 

[kmw1954]

Today was a gorgeous day, sunshine, mid 80's and light winds. So I decided to give it another go and set everything up exactly the same way I did the other day when all I got was junk. Only real difference was I didn't fill the pot as high as last time.

After getting everything up and melted nicely and a good flaming flux I got started. The first 10 pours went right back into the pot and then started keeping them until I had to add another ingot. While it was melting I sorted thru what was cast and dumped back the ones that were badly wrinkled. Then casted for about another 1/2hr. and had to quit. When I started again they were dropping very nicely, Then started to show signs of frosty one so I slowed it down. This time around I picked up the tempo so I think the mold got hotter.

So once again I learned a little more. Not only about the process but also about the alloy and the mold. What really stood out was how important tempo can be in regulating temps. Slowly but steadily learning!

 

[brewer12345]

I think a thermometer would help a lot.

 

[Blue68f100]

Pick up a cheap PID controller and let it control the temp for you.