Need a little advise....

[hawgfan]

I have been casting for about 2 years now, recently my cast boolits have been coming out looking bad (look at the picture below). My alloy is 50% COWW and 50% Isotope Lead. I am using a Lee 6 cavity 175gn TL .40 cal mold. I thought it was because my mold wasn't up to temp, but after about 500 boolits cast today I started getting boolits like the ones in the picture below. It kind of acts like a fill out problem but I'm not sure, that's why I came here. One more thing out of about 1500 boolits cast today about 150 looked like the ones below. Thanks for any help you might be able to give me. At this point I am willing to try anything.

[Alan in Vermont]

You don't mention having a thermometer. WAG says that your alloy is not hot enough. If you haven't changed settings I'd bet your pot has somehow taken to running cold.

[hawgfan]

You don't mention having a thermometer. WAG says that your alloy is not hot enough. If you haven't changed settings I'd bet your pot has somehow taken to running cold.

Actually, I didn't mention I just got a new pot the Lee 20lb pot, and this was the first time I used it. I wouldn't think it was that, seeing that I casted about 500 before this started to happen. Don't know I'm confused.

[runfiverun]

your mold can cool off even though you are using it.
my first lee pot would only get my ww alloy up to 615-f, worked pretty good with mehanite molds after I got them heated up.
once I figured out how to adjust the pot so it would run hotter, things got a lot better for me.

[hawgfan]

your mold can cool off even though you are using it.
my first lee pot would only get my ww alloy up to 615-f, worked pretty good with mehanite molds after I got them heated up.
once I figured out how to adjust the pot so it would run hotter, things got a lot better for me.

I am using a new pot so I think it's a matter of finding the right setting. Would tin do anything for me. Thanks for your help

[bangerjim]

When I get slugs that look like that, it is right when I 1st start and the lead and/or mold may be a bit cool. Heat up the mold with a propane torch or hotplate. Crank up your temp a bit. That should solve the problems. Tin will give a better fill-out but if you are getting good ones after you are up and running, that is not the problem. More tin will allow you to run a bit cooler, but it is relative expensive.

bangerjim

[9-toes]

Yeah, adding tin helps but I'd add no more than 2%

[hawgfan]

When I get slugs that look like that, it is right when I 1st start and the lead and/or mold may be a bit cool. Heat up the mold with a propane torch or hotplate. Crank up your temp a bit. That should solve the problems. Tin will give a better fill-out but if you are getting good ones after you are up and running, that is not the problem. More tin will allow you to run a bit cooler, but it is relative expensive.

bangerjim

This is why I am confused on what happened today, I casted about 500 perfect boolits and then all of a sudden I get 50 or so like the ones in the pic. I started the day off by heating my mold on a hot plate, don't know what the temp was. I could understand if this happened at the start of my casting day but not in the middle. I didn't add anything to the pot, I didn't touch any of the controls. I guess my Lee mold just said I'm done for the day lol.

[hawgfan]

Yeah, adding tin helps but I'd add no more than 2%

So 1/2lb in my 20lb pot will work. Just trying to get and idea in pounds.

[el34]

I didn't add anything to the pot, I didn't touch any of the controls. I guess my Lee mold just said I'm done for the day lol.

Not touching the pot control does not mean the temp will remain constant. Consider getting a casting thermometer if you don't have one yet, it'll show you how widely pot temp varies. The knob isn't a thermostat, it doesn't know how hot your lead is.

If you've had good results with the alloy and mold, the new pot gets the focus. Getting a handle on lead temp will be a good thing.

And 1/2lb tin per 20lb alloy is slightly over 2% but that's ok. Did you get good boolits before with the same alloy and mold?

[shadowcaster]

Not touching the pot control does not mean the temp will remain constant. Consider getting a casting thermometer if you don't have one yet, it'll show you how widely pot temp varies. The knob isn't a thermostat, it doesn't know how hot your lead is.

If you've had good results with the alloy and mold, the new pot gets the focus. Getting a handle on lead temp will be a good thing.

And 1/2lb tin per 20lb alloy is slightly over 2% but that's ok. Did you get good boolits before with the same alloy and mold?

I agree here.. get a thermometer. I have to make occasional temp changes to my pot when casting as the lead level lowers, and will differ from alloy to alloy. My higher antimony content alloys like a hotter temperature. Also as said above, make sure you keep cadence. Your mold can cool down and create these types of issues.

As for adding tin.. For 20 pounds, every 3.2 ounces of tin you add will be 1%

Shad

[GMT210]

Mold is either cold or your somehow got a lubricant in the cavity. You didn't put a touch of lube or bees wax on the sprew plate hinge or on the alignment pins in between pours did you?

GMT

[hawgfan]

Did you get good boolits before with the same alloy and mold?

Yes I did, the only thing that has changed is the new pot. I casted again today and used my 10lb pot with no troubles.

[hawgfan]

Mold is either cold or your somehow got a lubricant in the cavity. You didn't put a touch of lube or bees wax on the sprew plate hinge or on the alignment pins in between pours did you?

GMT

I do lube with wax every now and then. Maybe 3 times for a 4 hours session. I try and be real careful when I lube, but I'm sure some will get in the cavity from time to time.

[el34]

The only thing that has changed is the new pot. I casted again today and used my 10lb pot with no troubles.

That suggests you don't need to change your alloy. It's something about the new pot, easy to suspect temperature. Another variable sometimes is the flow rate, don't know why though.

I do lube with wax every now and then. Maybe 3 times for a 4 hours session. I try and be real careful when I lube, but I'm sure some will get in the cavity from time to time.

Wanting to be sure there's enough lube (alox), I've wound up with it in the cavities and it really screws up casting. Gotta do the acetone bath or equivalent.

[evan price]

I would suspect that your new pot, being bigger, is not heating as evenly as the old smaller pot. I would run it hotter for longer, get the mold really hot, then try again. The Lee 20# pot has a rather small heating element wattage-wise.
When you add fresh lead or sprues/rejects back to the pot it will drop the temperature of the melt. You need to let it get back to temp, stir with a wood stick or spoon, and then once you are back to temp you'll have better looking bullets.

[WILCO]

At this point I am willing to try anything.

There's only a limited number of causes for this type of problem.

A)Alloy
B)Temp
C) Contamination of alloy or mold.

Good answers given. Don't waste time going in circles.
I suggest going back to square one.
This manual is a must have too. Covers the basics like you're dealing with:

[popper]

of about 1500 boolits cast today about 150 looked like the ones below I use that mould in 2x and the same pot. Slow pour due to cool melt. #1, get a themo. #2, take the housing cover off and work the temp control, make sure the contacts are clean and the bi-metal moves freely. If you run into this again while casting, move the dial around a lot, then back to where you want. Make sure the nuts holding the coil are tight, it senses the temp from the outside of the coil, in the control housing. You could get a PID controller, cost isn't much more than a good thermo. They work great and indicate temp as well. Oh, forget the tin, mine drop fine without any.

[lwknight]

I'm thinking that the spout is not flowing the original amount. You may be filling slower thus, casting slower.
At any rate the molds are too cold for whatever reason. You can adjust for a hotter pot temp to help heat the molds or cast faster.
You really need a thermometer to gauge what is going on. Its like a car with no speedometer. You get used to the feel of the speed but have no idea how fast you are really going.