can't figure out what's wrong

Boolit Bub Join DateSep 2010Posts20

For the life of me I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I'm not getting a good fill with my two molds. I've tried low heat(650), high heat(800), and in between. One mold is a NOE 9mm 135gr 5 cavity mold and the other is a Lee 45 230gr 6 cavity. I'm getting fins on the NOE mold and have detail cleaned the inside of the mold to remove any little pieces of lead that would prevent closure. No dice.

Here is my process:

Clean mold
Spray Frankfort arsenal bullet release
Heat lead(Lee 20lb bottom pour)
Place mold on rim of pot to heat up
Apply NOE lube on spree plate per instructions
Pour probably 20-30 bullets and discard them to further heat mold
Cast at approximately 700-750

I spent probably 5 hours tonight trying to figure this out to now avail. The 45s fill in better than the 9mm NOE mold at this point but there's still a little spot that is not filling out(see pic below).

Please help, this is very discouraging.

Last edited by creature; Today at 03:10 AM.

I don't see the "pic below", but have a few thoughts. First, dump that Frankfurt Arsenal bullet release. Cleaning it out of your molds is going to be a challenge, but get as much out with brake cleaner or the like as you can. Boil both molds in a pot of water with some dishwashing soap in it, then scub them with a toothbrush. Your objective is to get ALL foreign material out of those molds, especially any type of oil. The sprue plate lube should be applied VERY sparingly. If you can see it, you've used too much. A drop at the hinge pin with the sprue plate open, and then run your finger over the hinge pin screw and onto the bottom of the sprue plate. If your doing it right there will be just a slight change in the color/hue of the bottom of the sprue plate. If you get any lube into a cavity, start all over with the boiling in water! Second, I assume (and you know what that means) that both of your molds are aluminum. Aluminum molds both absorb an release heat faster than steel or brass molds. This doesn't make them better or worse, just different. I find that placing my aluminum molds on the edge of the pot doesn't help a lot. I had to get a hotplate (thrift store - $12) with a sheet of steel on top to get, and help keep, my molds hot enough until the correct casting tempo was attained. Third, check your alloy content. There are enough posts on this forum for even an old dummy like me to learn a little about the metalugy envolve in our hobby/holy calling. I hope that this helps, and you can rely on the fine folks on this forum to help however possible. There are some very learned people on here that are happy to help. I've only been doing this for around 45 years, and I learn something every time I log in!

I forgot to address the fins on the NOE mold boolits. Check the locator pins and see if they may be keeping the mold from closing completely. If you got the mold new, it should have had instructions for doing this and heating it in an oven a few times, etc. The pins can be driven in, carefully, if that's the problem.

Last edited by Sensai; Today at 03:55 AM. Reason: add about pins

Gary

Takeoffs are optional, landings are manditory.

Bet you got the sprue lube in the cavities.

Get rid of the mould release entirely. Not needed, will just lead to undersized bullets in many cases.

Melt temp isn't that important for fill out, MOULD temp is what matters. A faster casting tempo may help, keeps mould temp up. No dumping bullets then stopping to look at them, it allows the mould to cool too much.

Ditch the mold release
Clean the mold thoroughly
Flux your melt
Remove the dross
Heat up you mold
Start casting again

Last edited by ku4hx; Today at 04:39 AM.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.", old Chinese proverb.

creature, chalk this up as a valuable learning experience. You now know what happens when you get oil in the cavities. As was mentioned already, the sprue lube (Bull Plate) that came with your mold is great stuff but a little goes a very long way. It's not so great inside the cavities as you have learned.

Also already mentioned, throw away the mold release gunk. If you don't tell the garbage man it's in with the trash he may take it off your hands for you. You don't need to smoke the mold either, that is nothing more than an old wives tale. The very best casting mold is a clean mold.

Rick

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Boolit Bub Join DateSep 2010Posts20

Thanks a bunch for the responses guys. I will get to work on cleaning the hell out of them tonight. Also, I've heard of guys just submerging their molds into the lead for a few seconds until it comes out without lead on it. Would that work? I don't have access to a hot plate at the moment. Can a mold be heated too hot(obviously aside from heating it to the point of )?

I forgot to mention, I'm using 100% wheel . It's all I have access to right now.

Pics are up, can you guys see them?

Don't submerge the mould. Placing a corner in the melt can speed up heating the mould. The mould needs to be hot, well over 300 degrees, to cast well.

That sprue lube will burn out pretty quick with regular use of the mould. Probably with in 50 pours or so.

I would scrub the mould well with an old toothbrush and some Comet. It will remove the oil and some of the lube release.

Make sure mould is totally dry then use it more. Dip one corner of mould 1/4 in into the melt for 30 to 45 seconds. A small drop of water placed on opposite end of mould should sizzle instantly when mould is hot enough. Just don't get water on the melt. A drop on end of finger tough he'd to mould tells you what you need to know.

Photos told me sadly what problem was. Classic look of oil in mould bullets.

Everyone is correct. The only stuff I trusted in a cavity was Rapine Mold Prep, microfine graphite. A clean mold is best.
I heat my molds in my little furnace set to 500* and never get a bad boolit, the first pours are perfect. Dipping the corner of the mold in the melt helps but the sprue plate can sill be cold, play a propane torch around on it and get it hotter.

See the pics. Both molds seem to have the same problem, whatever it turns out to be.

The usual guess is that molds are too cool. Dipping my aluminum molds in the melt is standard practice anymore...the first few pours after dipping the mold usually take 15-20 seconds to solidify. Then, using my handy damp-rag-in-a-plate I am able to control the temp

I've over lubed many molds and a very hot melt accompanied by a hot mold has gotten rid of the excess. Others probably have more sophisticated methods but that has worked for me

those pictures showed the mold as being plenty hot.
like waay too hot actually.
the oil in the cavity's is what is causing you all the grief.
you can see the solvents gassing off and causing the squiggles on the bottom
band of the boolits.

it's all an educated guess,,,, till the trigger is pulled.

the more i find out about shootin boolits, the more it contradicts everything i ever learned about shooting jaxketed.

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