Ambient Tempature

[wv109323]

I cast some bullets yesterday here in WV. We are in a cold snap. The temperature in the garage was about 40 degrees. I had trouble getting good bullets. I had to crank up the lead temperature from 715 to 750. My summer temp is around 715. I also opened up the adjustment on the pot so that the lead was getting into the mold quicker and had to cast as fast as I could to keep the mold hot enough. I never got any frosted bullets as I would if I done the same thing when the ambient temps are 75- 80.
Do any of you experience the same thing. How much variation do you see in summer to winter lead temperature?

[geargnasher]

Yup, gotta turn the pot up a little and cast a lot faster. One reason I have a vent system, hood, and casting bench in my new, climate-controlled reloading area.

Gear

[prs]

Yep, especially aluminum molds. My shop is unheated, so prolly about 19F right now across a couple of ridges from you here in Chapmanville area. I may cast tomorrow afternoon when it may be 40F or so again. I'll crank it up and use the hot plate to augment the mold heat. The good part is that the sprue freeze quickly, the bad is that I still have to run the fan to exhaust the shop and its cold!

prs

[44man]

My garage is cold too but I never change anything. What I really need is a pad on the floor. Dang concrete is too cold.

[bigarm]

Don't know where you guys are, but it has been pretty cold in Montana for a couple of weeks now, although it almost got up to freezing yesterday. I have a big propane blower. I turn it on for a half an hour or so, then use two space heaters and keep warm enough to cast and do other work. We will see what happens when it gets below zero.

[williamwaco]

I must cast out doors on the back porch.

It is definitely necessary to crank up the pot.

At 40 degrees, my pot, if left at my normal setting, will not even melt the alloy.

[stubby1]

[QUOTE=williamwaco;3012926]I must cast out doors on the back porch.

It is definitely necessary to crank up the pot.

At 40 degrees, my pot, if left at my normal setting, will not even melt the alloy.[/Q

I normally cast in milder/warmer temps but received a new mold recently and had to try it out; found that the lee bottom pour pot would increase temp when casting in low 30's, even with control set on 2/3 (which normally results in 700F alloy temp). Melt temp wandered to 900F on several casting sessions.
Also cast on my back deck, with a 20" box fan pulling air away from melt pot. Could that increased (cold) air movement cause the melter to "sense" a colder temp and crank up the melt pot temp ?

[44man]

Lee pots are about the best, I love mine. The Lyman and RCBS will have a long lag time and I see lead harden before turning back on. Not nice to have the ladle "CLUNK" in the pot.

[prs]

Well, it warmed-up from 14F to 40F today, but the shop was so dang cold and, yes, the concrete floor so cold; that I did some winter prep of outdoor power tools instead of casting. This week end may be warmer and wet, so maybe I can turn some ingots into boolits them. I have been sizing a metal bread loaf pan full of SWCs and may finish that chore tonight. BTW, bread loaf pans are inexpensive and really handy for dropping air cooled boolits into.

prs

[williamwaco]

[QUOTE=stubby1;3013072]

I must cast out doors on the back porch.

It is definitely necessary to crank up the pot.

At 40 degrees, my pot, if left at my normal setting, will not even melt the alloy.[/Q

I normally cast in milder/warmer temps but received a new mold recently and had to try it out; found that the lee bottom pour pot would increase temp when casting in low 30's, even with control set on 2/3 (which normally results in 700F alloy temp). Melt temp wandered to 900F on several casting sessions.
Also cast on my back deck, with a 20" box fan pulling air away from melt pot. Could that increased (cold) air movement cause the melter to "sense" a colder temp and crank up the melt pot temp ?

Don't know about cranking up the temperature but I use a 12 inch fan to blow away the fluxing smoke. If I forget to turn it off after fluxing, my temperature will fall 100 degrees in about 10 minutes.

[popper]

You did right, crank up the pot & cast faster. Both keep the mould hotter.