I am using Wheel weights, Lee production pot and a Lee 45Cal 300gr. Mold. The problem is I cant seem to get the lead to fill the mold enough to give me the crisp lines in the bullet. They seem to come out rounded off like the lead isnt settling into all the crevices in the mold. What could be the problem? I have tried running the lead hotter, the mold hotter and tried to avoid the shiny wheel weights. Any advice is appreciated.
Need help with my casting
- Thread starter Big Mike
- Start date
How have you cleaned the mold?, Lee uses a very tenatious preservative. Use carb cleaner if you can find some. Remember to smoke the cavaty's. Lee molds are the hardest molds to use and to get decent bullets from.
Big Mike
Hi
I cast with a Lee 10# Production Pot. First, I would suggest you add to your alloy about 5" of 50-50 solder from a roll. The tin will harden the alloy a bit but aids in mold fill out. The secound thing is to set your pot to HIGH and wait until the melt is hot. Once I start casting I turn the pot down to about 7 on the scale, turning back up when I add sprue and more lead. Again wait until the melt is hot. Until your molds get up to casting temperature you will see the rounded edges on your bullets. Just discard until your mold is hot.
Hope this helps, PM me if you still have problems.
Stay Safe
Hi
I cast with a Lee 10# Production Pot. First, I would suggest you add to your alloy about 5" of 50-50 solder from a roll. The tin will harden the alloy a bit but aids in mold fill out. The secound thing is to set your pot to HIGH and wait until the melt is hot. Once I start casting I turn the pot down to about 7 on the scale, turning back up when I add sprue and more lead. Again wait until the melt is hot. Until your molds get up to casting temperature you will see the rounded edges on your bullets. Just discard until your mold is hot.
Hope this helps, PM me if you still have problems.
Stay Safe
Big Mike said:I used isopropyl alcohol to clean the mould. I will try the carb cleaner. I thought the Lee moulds were supposed to be the easiest?!
Easiest to buy, YES, not use. Bullet molds ranking from best to worst in my expierience -not including custom moulds.
1- hensley and gibbs
2- saeco-cramer- now sold by redding
3- rcbs
4- lyman-ideal
136- LEE
- Location
- Hillbilly shack in the boonies
More tin, can get 50/50 bar stock , Babbot, or if you were in N.S. I know of a place you can get 250 lb of Linotype . I picked up 500 lb of it in letter format, looks like hickory sticks, easy to melt, and its 30c a lb
Frank
Frank
Thanks for the Help guys. My melter quit working about an hour after trying it out so I had to send it back. I really cleaned the mold out with Gun Scrubber and wiped it clean so it will be ready to go when I get a new Melting Pot. I will try adding the solder too. Who else makes Heavy 300gr. + .452 cal moulds? I am making bullets for my 45 colt and 454 Casull.
