To say I am discouraged is an understatement

[mikeystew]

Armoredman, i am casting with a 5 gang NOE mold also and i agree with what you hypothesize regarding the sprue plate.

what i do (and my bullets drop perfik) is first give the mold a blast of brakleen and dry with a shop towel. I set it on top of the lee pot to heat up while the lead is melting but when i flux i remove it so i don't rely on that to get it up to operating temp.

With the pot set to high for melting, i drop it back to 8 for casting once it's been fluxed. i then fill the cavities by pouring directly into the mold trying not to let the stream touch the sprue plate whatsoever, letting a good heaping pile of lead form on the top of the sprue once it's full. the first castings i will cut the sprue and open the plate but leave the bullets in the closed mold for 5-10 seconds to heat the mold. this is also the time i apply bullplate to the sprue hinge, the top of the blocks, and alignment pins and bushings. i usually repeat this process less the lubing 4-5 times.

i will discard the first 4-5 castings as they usually are not as flawless as i prefer my bullets to be. after that though it's off to the races. i typically pour like it's a race with this mold to keep it hot, and let it cool somewhat after 100-150 bullets cast to re-apply bullplate.

[Crash_Corrigan]

Now you have to understand that this is coming from the fella that knew nothing about Lee siz banger molds when he started. He was so dumb that he casted for two years before he knew that they had handles to keep his hands cool.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=41217

I struggled thru many years of hit and miss casting of ww boolits and by being open minded and reading everything I could lay my hands on I tried a lot of things to improve my batting average.

I learned to Leement my molds properly before I ever cast a boolit.

I learned how to boil the mold in hot water and dawn again and again to get them clean.

I learned how to dip one end of the mold into hot alloy to heat it up until the alloy did not stick to the metal.

I learned about the magical properties of Bull Plate Sprue Lube.

I learned how to use Bruce B's Speedcasting Methods.

I bought and use a thermometer to help me duplicate the desired temperatures of the alloy to match the mold. I have kept records of the optimum temps used that got the best results with each individual mold.

I learned that all molds are not the same.

I learned that ladeling is not a practice that I enjoy or am any good at.

Keeping a clean casting pot and maintaining the proper flow of the silver stream depends on how full the pot is and the setting of the flow valve.

I learned that filling up the cavity in the mold by allowing the flow of the silver stream into the center of the hole is important and a good sprue pile is a casters friend.

I learned that straight ww's either air cooled or water quenched will probably serve 90% of most casters needs (Thanks Bret4207)

I learned that smoking or blasting a layer of gunk onto your mold is a waste of time and money.

I learned that proper casting attire includes safety glasses, long denim pants, boots, long sleeved flannel shirts and a leather apron.

I learned that a few layers of newspaper on the floor around the casting area prevents those nasty burned spots on the Kitchen Floor coverings.

I learned that keeping a small aloe vera plant in the kitchin window will come in handy when the tinsel fairy visits. (Break off a piece and apply gook to affected area)

I learned how to keep good records whenever I fire up the pot to cast. I can duplicate a good casting session from years ago by using the same temperatures and practices that worked before just by looking up my notes and following the same recipie and practices.

In light of the foregoing I also learned that every casting session is different. The humidity in the atmosphere, temperature of the room and such can affect each session accordingly.

I learned that I do not know it all but I am only a student of the practice.

Every mold is different just like every woman you knew is different.

I learned that this keeps life interesting but the molds are a lot cheaper and they do not have doctors appointments, hairdresser appointments, nail tech appointments and they are a lot less needy and whining then the females of species.

I am now hunkering down in my bunker..........

[geargnasher]

Corky, you know what you're doing, have a lot of casting and shooting experience, and understand the properties of soot and graphite. I see you using them as tools to judiciously improve the casting qualites of tempermental mould. What I don't see you doing is blindly smoking the bejeezus out of every mould you have just because you "thought" or "read" that it aways makes better boolits. This is a distinction that I think is important.

Gear

[geargnasher]

Dan, I think you pretty much laid out the Cardinal Rules of Casting right there! Very nice.

Gear

[Bret4207]

Corky, your Barnett mould is one of those abberations. If it was a novice caster or someone whose word I don't trust completely I might think it's just a lack of trying. But with you, an experienced caster and all around good guy (even if you were Army!), I'm sure it's just one of those moulds that demands a certain treatment. I have one of those finicky moulds, a 358156 of all things that simply demands a ladle and a drop of about an inch. Most of my moulds respond well to spout contact and that 156 will throw me for a curve every time till I remember what it likes.

I wonder what guys like George Nonte, Phil Sharpe, Col Whelen, Ashley Haines, Ed Crossman or CS Landis would say if they had access to todays components and equipment? I wonder what Franklin Mann would think or Harry Pope? My belief is we're living in the golden age of casting and we don;t even realize it.

[Bret4207]

Ell Tee- That part about long pants....comon'! I've seen those CSI shows and watched a lot of mid 70's mob movies. I was under the impression out there in gamblers heaven all the chickies were practically nothing and the guys all wear polyester leisure suits- mostly in lime green and robins egg blue. Oh yeah, and they all have Wayne Newton hair.

Did I forget anything?

[buck1]

Well said crash!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cbrick]

Every mold is different just like every woman you knew is different.

I learned that this keeps life interesting but the molds are a lot cheaper and they do not have doctors appointments, hairdresser appointments, nail tech appointments and they are a lot less needy and whining then the females of species.

And the mold never asks . . . Does this sprue plate make me look fat?

When she asked, does this dress make me look fat? Being a pretty honest guy I would have to answer no, not at all . . .

It's all the ice cream, pie, cookies and chips that make you look fat.

Rick

[armoredman]

Crash, that was great. Wating for payday to get a hot plate...I hate waiting...and all my coffee "cans" are plastic. I don't think that would work too well.

[462]

Steel coffee cans make excellent boolit storage containers...both one and three-pound cans.

[geargnasher]

Armordman, in the meantime, if you have an old circular saw blade and either an electic or gas stove, you can preheat your mold in the kitchen (handles and all) and then take it out to your casting area and go to town. This of course assumes all (if any) SWMBO clearances have been granted to do so in advance. I have been permanently banned from the kitchen due to a little incident involving boolit lube

Boolit casting is all about resourcefullness! Use whatever you already have if you can, no need to strain the finances at the moment, but a hot plate is truly a worthwhile investment for many things casting/lube related when you can afford one.

Gear

[armoredman]

I just recieved word that I may have payment for a sold item tomorrow, so maybe a $5 hot plate won't be too far outa line.
No saw blade, but I think the small burners would be just the right size for that length of mold.
No problems with the kitchen, but I would have to stay and monitor - 1 child and 5 cats. At least the dogs stay off the counters....

[cbrick]

I have been permanently banned from the kitchen due to a little incident involving boolit lube Gear

What? She has no sense of humor?

Rick

[Mrs.Geargnasher]

No, I just have nasal passages that work really well. The Ivory soap tears me a new one.

[sha-ul]

that reminds me of the time I used the oven to bake on a linseed oil finish onto a 16thC breastplate.

[armoredman]

Now THAT I'd like to see!

[geargnasher]

(but she does lift the ban around the holidays so I can make my famous whole-wheat crust pies).

Gear

[cbrick]

What? She has no sense of humor? Rick

No

Wow, that's a bummer.

soap tears me a new one.

Now that's a real bummer.

Ok, just funnin with ya. I was just recently divorced (in 1978) and I just can't resist such an opportunity.

Rick

[sha-ul]

Now THAT I'd like to see!

it is a late 16C style known as a peascod, breast& back, this particular one is made from 18ga mild. take boiled linseed oil, brush it onto your piece, put it in the oven@400* until it quits smoking and you have a period finish. the first 2 pictures are of it after a couple years fighting in it so it bears many scratches from usage



a shot in action when it was newer

[Bret4207]

I just recieved word that I may have payment for a sold item tomorrow, so maybe a $5 hot plate won't be too far outa line.
No saw blade, but I think the small burners would be just the right size for that length of mold.
No problems with the kitchen, but I would have to stay and monitor - 1 child and 5 cats. At least the dogs stay off the counters....

Since we're already going off on a tangent, I'll follow up the armor post with this question. Why do people own cats? Filthy, miserable, arrogant, unappreciative shedding cats. They not only have them, they keep them IN the home and TEACH them to krap IN THE HOUSE. And then they feed them so much they can;t possible get up the gumption to do any mousing.

I don't mind a cat or 2 in the barn, but between my families cats getting in the clean laundry (I am now a laundress in my retirement), spreading litter all over the floor, getting in my garage and either hacking up on my tools and paperwork or krapping on it or knocking expensive tools off seemingly secure shelves, etc. and then attracting feral males who pee on every surface they can find.....let's just say in my list of blessings I don't count cats. And then, when one gets hit in the road it requires a State Funeral complete with grave marker and tears!

Rant off.