Startup issues

[Jim]

I know I'm gonna get "flamed" for this, but....................the last 3 molds I got from Lee, I DID NOT degrease them...at all. Just lubed the joints & pins with a little beeswax when mold was good and hot at went at it. 1st drop..... all 6 were PERRRRRRRFECT! .....
bangerjim

Done the same thing quite a few times. Only difference is, I use Amsoil Professional Saber two cycle oil.

[dbosman]

The color is telling you it's nearly pure lead or you're metal is really hot.
A thermometer would make things easier.
What might come in to consideration for wheel weights is that they come in different alloys. Some of the stick on wheel weights are mostly lead. Or pure steel.

The lead I have is supposedly 100% wheel weights...

[10milg29]

I tried again for the third time today. My results were much better. The lead was not hot enough and my mould was too cold. I was able to cast at about 40% retention. The ones culled had slightly rounded bases instead of the nice sharp fully filled ones. Once the mould heated up properly I was very pleased with the results. Am I right in culling the slightly rounded bases, or will they shoot just fine? Any link to rejection criteria for bullets? Thanks!

[MtGun44]

First - Welcome!

Now for the step-by-step cure.

1. Stop believing YouTube.

2. Ask here, or find it in a stickie.

3. Don't waste time smoking mold cavities. Scrube cavities with a toothbrush and Comet.

4. The newbies problems are ALWAYS answered with: "Because your mold is too cold and too dirty."
Cast faster, quit stopping to admire your work. Each filling adds heat, cast FAST at first then
adjust pace to control temp as mold warms up. Expect 20-25 wrinkly casts or even more.

5. Did I mention to stay away from YouTube? At least until you know enough to tell if the guy is
full of beans or knows something. You will get the straight story here.

Have fun, this is a rewarding hobby.

Bill

[10milg29]

First - Welcome!

Now for the step-by-step cure.

1. Stop believing YouTube.

2. Ask here, or find it in a stickie.

3. Don't waste time smoking mold cavities. Scrube cavities with a toothbrush and Comet.

4. The newbies problems are ALWAYS answered with: "Because your mold is too cold and too dirty."
Cast faster, quit stopping to admire your work. Each filling adds heat, cast FAST at first then
adjust pace to control temp as mold warms up. Expect 20-25 wrinkly casts or even more.

5. Did I mention to stay away from YouTube? At least until you know enough to tell if the guy is
full of beans or knows something. You will get the straight story here.

Have fun, this is a rewarding hobby.

Bill

Thanks, my previous experiences were causing me to get discouraged. Today gave me a 2nd wind. Any suggestions for cull criteria? Any links? I don't want to cull bullets with slightly rounded bases if they are still able to be used.

My mixture is straight wheel weights. I did the "hammer test" today on a bullet and it survived quite well.

[waksupi]

You can use the ones with bad bases, if you don't mind them going where they want to go, rather than where YOU want them to go. Keep in mind, to do it right, cast boolits are the advanced graduate course in handloading. If you want to skate through, stick with jacketed bullets.

[10milg29]

You can use the ones with bad bases, if you don't mind them going where they want to go, rather than where YOU want them to go. Keep in mind, to do it right, cast boolits are the advanced graduate course in handloading. If you want to skate through, stick with jacketed bullets.

Lay off the sarcasm if you would. I asked a simple question, in hopes of receiving professional responses.

[waksupi]

Lay off the sarcasm if you would. I asked a simple question, in hopes of receiving professional responses.

That is a 100% straight answer.

[dverna]

Thanks, my previous experiences were causing me to get discouraged. Today gave me a 2nd wind. Any suggestions for cull criteria? Any links? I don't want to cull bullets with slightly rounded bases if they are still able to be used.

My mixture is straight wheel weights. I did the "hammer test" today on a bullet and it survived quite well.

Yes, you can shoot the ones with rounded bases IF you limit the range to 50'. I shot thousands I bought from a guy (that were cheap) for timed and rapid fire practice. Try 50 and see what happens - it is not an expensive test and you will learn something. If you are a high expert or master class shooter you may discern a difference in accuracy at short range but most shooters will not. If you are shooting CAS, they will work OK as targets are only 7-10 yards and big. As you can see, your application and skill level will affect the answer.

At 50 yards and above they will not shoot well.

[MT Chambers]

You need to cast hotter and cast faster, you should only have rejects with the first few bullet drops, you can slow the pace down when all are "keepers", def. use a hotplate!

[popper]

IMHO, I'd recycle the bad ones. Gives you practice at casting and culling. Why waste primer & powder and frustrate yourself with projectiles that don't go where you want? With the suggestions here and 4 or so casting sessions you should get a very low reject rate.

[10milg29]

IMHO, I'd recycle the bad ones. Gives you practice at casting and culling. Why waste primer & powder and frustrate yourself with projectiles that don't go where you want? With the suggestions here and 4 or so casting sessions you should get a very low reject rate.

I guess I simply need to keep perfecting the craft and reduce the cull percentage below the current 60%. Thanks for the response!

[Muddydogs]

I know I'm gonna get "flamed" for this, but....................the last 3 molds I got from Lee, I DID NOT degrease them...at all. Just lubed the joints & pins with a little beeswax when mold was good and hot at went at it. 1st drop..... all 6 were PERRRRRRRFECT! I think too much emphasis is put on cleaning.....and cleaning.....and cleaning new molds. Sorry guys ....my experienced speaks for itself. Perfect drops each and every time.....1st to last.

As per above comments, you need tin. Your molds are also probably too cold. You can either use a hot plate or stick the end of the mold in the boolit soup to heat it up. If the lead does not stick....the mold is hot enough.

My soup never gets the colors you are talking about. But then, I never cast PURE LEAD.

For all my castings....either bottom pour from the 4-20 or ladle dipping from the Lee Precision 4# melter...... I start off at MAX and then, once everything melts, back it down to 6 to 6 1/2 on the dial. I use absolutely NO fancy PID temp control or thermometers and all my boolits (100's and 100's of 'em) are perfect every time. No partials, no wrinkles, no frosting. Just shiny little projectiles waiting to be PC's and shot.

I guess I just hold my mouth right!!!!! HA...ha.

bangerjim

I agree with this post mostly. I read all the stuff about leementing molds and all the other stuff. Currently I have 8 Lee molds and all I have done is wash them in hot soapy water with a scrub brush and went to casting. All the molds turn out great bullets within specs. If after you get the lead and mold temp up and are still having problems or the bullets are not turning out like they should then leementing is probably in order.

For the OP I would say your lead and or mold is not up to temp. Get a thermometer because without one its all just a guess.

[MtGun44]

The base is the driving end. If it has a 1/64 radius or less on the edge it will fly OK for 15 yd shooting,
much more than that and you will not have much success, although there is a wide variation in personal
definitions of "accurate" with pistols. Some are fine with 4" at 25 yds, others want 1" at that range.
The front makes essentially zero difference in accy.

Pure sharp base edges may require you adding a couple of percent of tin to the mix.

Bill

[Echo]

Another indicator of too-hot mold/sprue plate is if the lead runs off the plate like water, rather than making a nice sprue. Tip the mold upside down and put it on a sopping-wet sponge and let it steam for a few seconds.
In answer to your OP, I suggest added Sn. I have bought solder on eBay for $10/lb of Sn delivered - 20 lbs of 50/50 solder is 10 lbs of Sn, so would command a total cost (to me) of $100, and would really take care of LOTS of WW's. Lead-free solder is available @Ace Hdw, and elsewhere, but it pretty dear, like $18-20/lb, but might be the thing for you, since it will provide 2% Sn for 50 lbs of WW's, and that's a lot of boolits!

[Echo]

The base is the driving end. If it has a 1/64 radius or less on the edge it will fly OK for 15 yd shooting,
much more than that and you will not have much success, although there is a wide variation in personal
definitions of "accurate" with pistols. Some are fine with 4" at 25 yds, others want 1" at that range.
The front makes essentially zero difference in accy.

Pure sharp base edges may require you adding a couple of percent of tin to the mix.

Bill

Bill is right on with this post - the base is the rudder of the boolit, and should be sharp and square. Any thing else is a cull (for me). If all your shooting is within 15 yards, no drama. Otherwise, cull the round-heels.

[10milg29]

The base is the driving end. If it has a 1/64 radius or less on the edge it will fly OK for 15 yd shooting,
much more than that and you will not have much success, although there is a wide variation in personal
definitions of "accurate" with pistols. Some are fine with 4" at 25 yds, others want 1" at that range.
The front makes essentially zero difference in accy.

Pure sharp base edges may require you adding a couple of percent of tin to the mix.

Bill

Great response, thanks!

[500MAG]

Lay off the sarcasm if you would. I asked a simple question, in hopes of receiving professional responses.

He wasn't being sarcastic. Your frustration showed in your posts. I have been loading and casting for over 30 years. I still get wrinkled boolits from time to time. Do I know why? Yes. Of course, I get less than when I started. For now, stop worrying about wrinkles. Load some of those bad boys and shoot them. It will come faster than you think.
You think getting that perfect boolit is hard? Wait till you get hung up on leading, sizing & lubing.

[Wayne Smith]

Some boolits are designed with a 'rounded' base. These molds are cut that way. The base is perfectly flat and perfectly circular. When that boolit leaves the muzzle the gasses escape evenly around the base.

Rounded bases on boolits that are not designed that way are not consistent, not perfect, and not necessarily round. Therefore when they leave the muzzle of the gun the escaping gasses behind them are not equal and this steers the boolit sideways, or up and down. Unless you have a BB (bevel base) mold toss back anything without a perfectly square corner on the base.