Lead Pot Temp

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  • Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    OK,
    Just got a Lyman Lead Thermometer.
    I'd been flying blind for years.

    I'm casting minie balls for a Civil war musket and although I will be running it through a sizer die I have on order, I was curious as to what you guys run your temp at (for those who have a thermometer). This morning I had a few hours at home to run some out and was running between 750-800 where it seemed to run best. I was amazed at how the temp would fluctuate depending on what I was doing like taking a pause or adding more lead. When I had it at what I had run before, the temp as 900 so I dropped it down till it got to 750 before I started. I had to periodically bump the dial on the Lyman Big dipper to keep it in that 750-800 range.

    (Lee .578 minie ball mold is aluminum)

    I"m also curious about how the temp of the lead or mold affects shrinkage. We all know how shrinkage can be important.




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    4570inMD

    Western MD Hooligan #007
    Jan 26, 2011
    1,337
    West Virginia
    My casting with 30:1 likes 768*F. I wait for close to that temperature, after any fluctuation.

    Too hot, you will likely see 'frosting' on the bullets. Too cold, you will likely see 'wrinkles'.

    Pre-heating your mold and ladle is a good idea to prevent discarding the first several bullets. I use a kitchen hot-plate while the lead pot is heating. The cast lead shrinkage in the first minute after pouring is what allows your bullets to drop free of the mold.

    Wearing protective clothing & glasses is just common sense.
     

    Postell

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Nov 5, 2018
    291
    My casting with 30:1 likes 768*F. I wait for close to that temperature, after any fluctuation.

    Too hot, you will likely see 'frosting' on the bullets. Too cold, you will likely see 'wrinkles'.

    Pre-heating your mold and ladle is a good idea to prevent discarding the first several bullets. I use a kitchen hot-plate while the lead pot is heating. The cast lead shrinkage in the first minute after pouring is what allows your bullets to drop free of the mold.

    Wearing protective clothing & glasses is just common sense.

    Yep, I cast all of my 30-1 BPCR bullets at 775*
    Other higher alloys at 725-750*
     

    Bolts Rock

    Living in Free America!
    Apr 8, 2012
    6,123
    Northern Alabama
    I run a programmable PID controller on the Lee bottom pour pots. Alloys are Rotometals hardball with enough pure lead added to bring it down to wheelweight and 20:1. For the 20:1 the .38-55 mold likes 635-650, the .45-70 molds like 675-685. For the hardball alloy the .30 cal Hoch nosepour likes 735-740, the .30 cal Lee 155gr likes 675, the 6.5mm 170 oversized Lee likes 725-730, the 6.5mm 140gr NOE likes 685-690.

    All depends on alloy, bullet shape and mold mass. I start at the high end of what my molds like then as the mold gets hot bring the temp down 5 degrees at a time as the sprue puddle starts taking longer to solidify.
     

    Batt816

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 1, 2018
    4,087
    Eastern Shore
    This is interesting. I've been thinking of making my own bullets. I inherited lots of lead (3 or 400 pounds) when my grandfather died 12 years ago. He used to make decoy and fishing weights. He had an old lead pot he put on a gas burner, I'm guessing that might not work so well for bullets. Do you guys copper coat the lead?
     

    Postell

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Nov 5, 2018
    291
    I run a programmable PID controller on the Lee bottom pour pots. Alloys are Rotometals hardball with enough pure lead added to bring it down to wheelweight and 20:1. For the 20:1 the .38-55 mold likes 635-650, the .45-70 molds like 675-685. For the hardball alloy the .30 cal Hoch nosepour likes 735-740, the .30 cal Lee 155gr likes 675, the 6.5mm 170 oversized Lee likes 725-730, the 6.5mm 140gr NOE likes 685-690.

    All depends on alloy, bullet shape and mold mass. I start at the high end of what my molds like then as the mold gets hot bring the temp down 5 degrees at a time as the sprue puddle starts taking longer to solidify.

    How do you get 20-1 from Hardball alloy? How do you get rid of that antimony.
    By adding 3% more lead?
     

    Blacksmith101

    Grumpy Old Man
    Jun 22, 2012
    22,154
    This is interesting. I've been thinking of making my own bullets. I inherited lots of lead (3 or 400 pounds) when my grandfather died 12 years ago. He used to make decoy and fishing weights. He had an old lead pot he put on a gas burner, I'm guessing that might not work so well for bullets. Do you guys copper coat the lead?

    If it is pure lead it is suitable for Black Powder bullets. For conventional powders you will want to add alloying metals to it to make the bullets harder.

    The place to learn about casting bullets is:
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/
     

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