I just starting casting finally. I started with round ball.
So I have a Lee 490 RB mold. I have what I think is close to pure lead. It was a bunch of chunks that work was getting rid of of. The had been using them to weight things down or apply loads to cables. Some where just chunked out of a larger round disk. Others were cast into cans with eye bolts.
This is my second time casting. I am much happier with last nights results.
I have a PID controller that I put together to control the 10lb Lee bottom poor. (Production Port IV?) I cleaned and smoked the Lee before the first attempt, it spits them out easily.
I cast 244 balls last night and weighed them all this morning.
7 = <173.5gr
64 = 174 +/-0.5gr
120 = 175 +/-0.5gr
36 = 176 +/-0.5gr
17 = >176.5gr
One of the 7 I actually saw a hole in the sprue cut, so I am sure there was a void in there.
Most measured 2 or 3 thousandths under .490.
Some of the 17 actually measured larger than .490. I think I might have not closed the mold tight enough or loose gripped it.
Had the pot set at 710°F, but sometimes I was casting before it reached temp. Casting at about 680 - 700. Other time I noticed that the pot had overshot to 726°F while I was casting after refilling.
Thoughts?