Just got a lee c358-200 rf mold cleaned it was acatone. With the temp at 700 I am still getting wrinkles. I'm going to try shooting some of them anyway. What is causing the wrinkles? I'm ladel pouring..Looking for advice please.
Wringled bullets??
- 343 Views
- Last Post 14 December 2022
- Topic Is Solved
Ensure the mold has no residual oil or lubricant. Develop a casting cadence whereby the mold maintains a hot temperature. Touch the ladle spout to the mold and upend the ladle so gravity plays a part in the filling process. I use an almost full ladle and let the spout set a few seconds on the sprue hole before I rotate the mold/ladle back to separate the two. I am assuming as well that you are using an alloy - not pure lead right?
Bottom line - it sounds like your mold is too cold and remaining that way due to a long duration casting rhythm.
With rifle in hand, I confidently go forth into the darkness.
Attached Files
Maybe. I'll clean it again. Alloy is bhn of about 10..I use the ladle like you said. This is a 2 cavity mold. I might try just using one cavity and see how it goes.. appreciate your information on this..john
Attached Files
Try casting faster or increasing alloy temp. Aluminum molds dissipate heat fast. Too cold of a mold or too cool of an alloy will cause wrinkles.
Attached Files
- Liked by
- and 1 others
1) I would probably speed up the process to keep the mold temperature hotter. Aluminum needs a steady pace and with ladle pouring you have the opportunity to overfill the cavity by letting the mold tilt letting the excess pour back in the pot. This helps keep the mold hot. Once the sprue starts to smear back off on the pace slightly. 675 to 700 on the alloy should be more than enough temperature. Molds temperature seems to effect fill rate way more than alloy temperature.
2) Doing a reset on cleaning the mold would be a good place to start. Ed Harris had a written process to do this but unfortunately I don't have the link so I'll have to insert this as a hard copy
Ed Harris re cleaning molds
New mold blocks usually have some residual residue of cutting fluid used in their machining as received. Getting good castings requires this residue be either burned or washed off. Most people just start casting away after pre-heating the mold blocks, perhaps smoking the cavities to help matters along. I used to do this too until I was taught a better way which seems virtually foolproof.
When I take new aluminum mold blocks from Accurate or NOE out of the box, I use a horsehair acid brush from Brownells to coat and lightly scrub the cavities and all surfaces of the mold blocks with Palmolive dishwashing detergent. I then separate the mold block halves and place them cavities up on the bottom of a coffee can, rinse them lightly in hot water from the tap, as I fill the coffee can about half full, with more than adequate water to cover all surfaces and allow extra for boil off.
Bring the water up to a full rolling boil, then after 5 minutes turn the burner down to low heat, and maintain a slow simmer for at least 30 minutes. Afterwards remove the can from the stove, with pliers, place it in the sink and run hot tap water through it until all the suds and detergent are rinsed out.
Remove the rinsed blocks from the can, assemble them onto handles and pre-heat on your electric hot plate, using a 350 degree Tempilstik crayon to regulate the temperature while your lead pot heats up. The detergent boil leaves the blocks chemically clean and a neutral gray color. Once your lead melt is up to temperature, about 700 degs. F. and the Tempilstik mark has indicated the blocks are adequately pre-heated, you can cast good bullets immediately with no smoking.
.
Attached Files
2 Frogs, just BTW I think there as many different ways to clean a mold than there are casters. Heck maybe even more. It ranges from some who say they use them right out of the box to others that chant over them on a moonless night while swinging a dead cat over their heads. Like most everything in life somewhere in the middle of the road makes the most sense. Good luck, Bill C.
Attached Files
i usually cast a small count of bullets and then go to yet another mold ... so i forget what various molds prefer for temp and cadence ..
so i have developed a method that requires very little intelligence to achieve at least plinking quality castings>>
i cast hotter temps and quicker pace until the mold becomes too hot ... i gauge too hot when it takes more than 4 or 5 seconds for the sprue to harden ...
then i slow down between pours ... if this doesn't cool the sprue, i turn down the heat dial a bit ...
************
i have read that you can also heat until you get frosting ... but some alloys don't frost well ... i use mostly scrap mystery alloy so i don't use frosting as a clue...
i seldom get wrinkles if alloy is too hot ... hope this helps ...
ken
Attached Files
I have cleaned my Lee molds with acetone in the past and had wrinkles. I cleaned them with automotive brake cleaner and re heated the mold and started casting and it fixed the problem. If it's a new Lee mold try smoking the mold before you first cast with it, this also can eliminate the wrinkles. You won't need to smoke it again.
These things helped my Lee molds.
Attached Files
Depending on what alloy you're using try turning up the heat. Besides that stick the edge of the mould into the melt for about a 25 count, wipe the mould off, and have at it.
Attached Files
Categories
- All Categories
- General Polls
- Contact Us w/ Forum Issues
- Welcome to The Cast Bullet Association Forum
- General
- Bullet Casting
-
Guns and Shooting
- AR Platform
- TC Contenders & Other Single Shot Handguns
- Shotguns
- Informal Matches & Other Shooting Events
- Gunsmithing Tips
- Gun Cleaning & Maintenance
- Optics
- Benchrest Cast Bullet Shooting
- Military Bench Rest Cast Bullet Shooting
- Silhouette Shooting
- Postal Match Cast Bullet Shooting
- Factory Guns
- Black Powder Cartridge
- Hand Guns
- Lever Guns
- Single Shot Rifles
- Bolt Action Rifles
- Military Surplus Rifles
- Plinkers Hollow
- Muzzleloaders
- Hunting
- Reloading
- Buy, Sell or Trade
- Other Information & Reference
Search
This Weeks High Earners
- RicinYakima 25
- Bryan Austin 18
- pat i 15
- Tom Acheson 12
- Bud Hyett 11
- davemarkowitz 9
- John Alexander 9
- sandwman 8
- Aaron 8
- Ed Harris 7