Newby on the block... well, to casting anyways.

[avator]

Yeah, I know... I was being cheap.

[Madd Hatter]

I got the thermometer from NOE that I use in the pot for lead temperature. I use a K wire thermocouple for the mold.

[avator]

I got the thermometer from NOE that I use in the pot for lead temperature. I use a K wire thermocouple for the mold.

I think I'll be all set with thermometers as soon as the China boat arrives.
The wadcutter mold will be sorted. I just found out I'm the first to use it. I need to scrub and bake it.
I'll do that in the morning. I went through the same thing last week with other molds and the scrubbing and heat cycle fixed them.
The boat tail and slug mold work just fine.

[Spacebus]

I got the thermometer from NOE that I use in the pot for lead temperature. I use a K wire thermocouple for the mold.

I think I'll be all set with thermometers as soon as the China boat arrives.
The wadcutter mold will be sorted. I just found out I'm the first to use it. I need to scrub and bake it.
I'll do that in the morning. I went through the same thing last week with other molds and the scrubbing and heat cycle fixed them.
The boat tail and slug mold work just fine.

In my limited sample pool of three pellet molds and three slug molds I find that slug molds are much easier to cast.

[avator]

I got the thermometer from NOE that I use in the pot for lead temperature. I use a K wire thermocouple for the mold.

I think I'll be all set with thermometers as soon as the China boat arrives.
The wadcutter mold will be sorted. I just found out I'm the first to use it. I need to scrub and bake it.
I'll do that in the morning. I went through the same thing last week with other molds and the scrubbing and heat cycle fixed them.
The boat tail and slug mold work just fine.

In my limited sample pool of three pellet molds and three slug molds I find that slug molds are much easier to cast.

In my limited experience I would have to agree.

[avator]

Nasty.....
Betty Lou wanted to run to the store this morning and I thought it would be a good opportunity to pick up my personal small bottle of Dawn and a couple tooth brushes for cleaning molds in the Red Shed. I have a water faucet, a pan and a hot plate. Perfect items to keep me out of her kitchen and out of her aim...   
I have a makeshift sink near the water faucet that drains into a pail. When the pail is full I give a heave ho out the door. Well that needs to change... I need to dump it everytime I use it.
Why? Well because this morning I found 2 rats bloated and floating in it. And when I took it out to dump it the smell came in like the fog in that movie "Myst".
I opened all doors and windows and turned on the fans. It took more than and hour to air out the Red Shed.

[Spacebus]

Nasty.....
Betty Lou wanted to run to the store this morning and I thought it would be a good opportunity to pick up my personal small bottle of Dawn and a couple tooth brushes for cleaning molds in the Red Shed. I have a water faucet, a pan and a hot plate. Perfect items to keep me out of her kitchen and out of her aim...   
I have a makeshift sink near the water faucet that drains into a pail. When the pail is full I give a heave ho out the door. Well that needs to change... I need to dump it everytime I use it.
Why? Well because this morning I found 2 rats bloated and floating in it. And when I took it out to dump it the smell came in like the fog in that movie "Myst".
I opened all doors and windows and turned on the fans. It took more than and hour to air out the Red Shed.

I've had that happen as well, but with buckets stored outside. One was actually a bucket I use just for drowning live trapped rats.

[avator]

Betty Lou once killed a snake while I was at work. She put it in a bucket with a loose lid on it to show it to me when I got home and forgot about it. That thing got real ripe here in the southern heat before we discovered the source. The buzzards would hang out in the trees on the property and drive Rambo crazy.

[avator]

Morning...
Well, Casting Corner is fired back up this morning... USPS is scheduled to deliver the temporary temp gauge. I say temporary because I'll most likely end up with the Lyman unit or a PID.
I need to get my head around these temps and control them I honestly don't have any idea what temps I'm running the lead at.
I fashioned a make shift bracket for the gauge out of plumbing strap that will fasten on top of the pot and the gauge can hang down in the lead. Once I learn the reostat settings I can just use the gauge periodically. But for right now it's just a guessing game.
I think I'll also find some unsulation to put a layer around the mold oven. I'm losing too much head and the mold is barely coming up to 250 - 275. We had some fiber glass welding blankets went I was in tool and die. Once you heated your work up in the oven you would put the blanket over the detail and only expose the area you were working on. One of those would be great to make a sock for the oven cover. A flap could be left to cover the mold opening. I think I'll look for something next run to the big city.

[avator]

Update...
The temp gauge arrived. Like I said, I fashioned a bracket for the top of the pot out of plumber's strap and drilled the center hole for the gauge probe to dip down into the lead. The probe hangs about 2" down into the lead. That's a good amount to pour between breaks when I add the sprues back to the pot.
While the pot heats back up I do a ruff culling to the pellets before putting them in the tumble.. probably 100 at a time. Those pellets tumble until the pot is heated and the next 100 pellets are ready to goes. The pellets coming out of the tumbler get a final culling.

Anyways... I was running some 217 - 20 - FN from the 2 drop brass mold this morning and I had the rheostat on the pot set at just over 5. When I dropped the gauge in it went straight to 725ish f. So I backed it off and at 4.5 it runs at 650 - 675.
I dropped about 50 or so pellets at that temp and they look great.

So tell me... what are y'all doing?
How about some info such as the following....
Equipment.. what pot are you using? Is it bottom pour or a dip pot?
Pellets.. Size, type.
Mold... 2, 4, or 6 cav. Brass or aluminum.
Running temp..
Do you preheat your mold? If so, what temp?

[Spacebus]

A few of my pellets had some whiskers today. Inspired by Bill I put them all into an empty Crosman tin and gently tumbled them. Problem solved. Just waiting for my WC mold to heat cycle a few times before I start casting with it. I hope this thread keeps going. It's been a wealth of knowledge for another fellow novice caster.

[maraudinglizard]

Bill, I just go with it as far as temps go, the lee 10# is set between 650 and 700 on the pot's temperature dial. I haven't use the 20# yet. Both pots are bottom pour which makes it easy to speed up the process, my hands can only  do so much in a few hours. All my molds are 1 or 2 cavity aluminum, I do have one some that are iron. Mold sizes range from .22 to .510. As for preheating the mold, I just set it on top of the pot. I stayed with aluminum because it was lighter to handle when casting. I get better results with fill and heat from 2 cavity molds than I would with 4 or more cavity. I have less deformities and flashing.

[avator]

DJ..
I think it will... at least I'll keep posting my usual antics and displays of less than knowledgeable knowledge. 

I also plan to put whatever input we get to that last post into a group and put it on one spot.

[avator]

Thanks Kris...
My 10# bottom pour LEE pot don't have a "temp" setting. It has a rheostat the adjusts from 0 to 8. 4.5 seems to be the sweet spot for running between 650 and 700.
I have read that brass molds like to run a little hotter. That one guy that puts the videos on NOE runs his brass mold pours at 800 but I'm not sure what size bullet he was dropping and if size even matters... when pouring lead, that is. 

[Spacebus]

Thanks Kris...
My 10# bottom pour LEE pot don't have a "temp" setting. It has a rheostat the adjusts from 0 to 8. 4.5 seems to be the sweet spot for running between 650 and 700.
I have read that brass molds like to run a little hotter. That one guy that puts the videos on NOE runs his brass mold pours at 800 but I'm not sure what size bullet he was dropping and if size even matters... when pouring lead, that is. 

Mine wants to run hot as well. The hotter the better it seems.

[avator]

Morning..
I got an early start this morning. Fired everything up then came back in for a hot shower and coffee.
When a got back out everything was up to temp. I poured another 50 round session then added the sprues and an ear of corn to the pot... I left it low yesterday.
I'm gonna check the local hardware and Cash n Carry today for a welding blanket or some type of insulation to trap more heat in the mold oven. It tops out at 250f right now and I want the mold hotter at startup. If that don't work I'll look at other mold heating options.
The bracket and gauge don't leave the 'mold on top of the pot' option open.

[Insanity]

I wonder if an old oven mit would work?

[cosmic]

I use a cheap toaster oven for my mold.. I oy make slugs..nl
20lb bottom pour with PID, casting 67 gr Noe BBT at 780 degrees with pure lead..

[avator]

Thanks Ray...
do you run the hotter temps because of the size slug you are casting?

[avator]

I wonder if an old oven mit would work?

I just ordered some fiberglass ceramic infused fire resistant insulation.  Good for up to 2400f. I bought 2 at 12"x24"x.5 thick. $20 delivered.
The plan is to wrap the oven cover (including the top) and leave a flap for the opening.

We'll know how it works in a week.