Wrinkly Bullets ~ SUCCESS!

Take total control of your projectiles by casting your own!
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Silas Longshot
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Re: Wrinkly Bullets ~ SUCCESS!

Post by Silas Longshot »

M.T., I may also be an 'over luber' on my casts. I figure what can happen other than more smoke than usual.
I used to get bad wrinkles on a casting run, but have overcome the issue. Cleaned all the molds to make sure there was no lube for the faces (old Lee molds without the new style pins) that may have worked into the mold cavities. Smoked the heck out of them before the run. Have a nice full pot of lead at about 750°F, well fluxed with the scum dipped off the top, have the flow adjusted so that the lead stream into the mold is solid, no visible separations or 'fast dripping' of the stream into the mold. (This means that 158 gr .357 will fill up very fast, but you get used to that). Held the mold right up close to the pot spigot (between 1/4" and 1/2") so there was no chance of the stream cooling at all as it poured. Heat the mold by the corner dip in the pot method. After the mold is filled, knock off the sprue and check the bullets after they solidify, waiting a few extra seconds to let the mold soak up the heat. If not perfect, well, back into the pot. By the 3rd cycle or so, the mold should be hot enough to be throwing perfect bullets. On the other hand, if your bullets begin to look 'frosty', the mold is too hot. Doesn't hurt the bullet, far as I know. Cool off the mold by setting the bottom flat on a damp bit of towel for a few seconds. Make sure the mold is NOT still steaming on the next pour. I usually drop mine in water to quench them, keeping the quench bucket well away from the lead pot, so any little splash of water doesn't get into the pot. Quenching is adding a bit of hardness to the lead, from wheel weights with a dash of Linotype metal thrown in mix.
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Moon Tree
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Re: Wrinkly Bullets ~ SUCCESS!

Post by Moon Tree »

Thanks Silas. I cast about 200 bullets the other day with only 12 reject and half of those were because I missed the spruce hole. haha
Life isn't about the toys you accumulate, but about the memories your create with those toys and friends.
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