bullet casting trouble?

[Brad]

Not sure if this is the correct place to look for help, but here goes.
Attempting to cast round balls in a new LEE aluminum mold.
Using what I believe is pure lead and have used it many times in both LEE aluminum as well as steel molds and not had such trouble.
Cleaned and smoked the new mold, have done before.
As I try puring from a small ladel into the mold the lead will not go fully into the sprue hole, almost never get a full ball.
Sometimes the lead hangs on the ladel and almost looks like foil that blocks the hole.
So I dumped all the lead and started new.
Similiar problems plus the bullets I did get were frosty. I believe that indicates hard lead.
I then fluxed with bees wax as I often do.
Got a little better flow, but then had wrinked balls.
So I have dumped that batch.
I have what I know is pure soft lead and am going to try again, but that is what I was using the first time.
I suspect a problem with the mold.
It is a double cavity. I would have much rather just had a single cavity that actually worked.
Any suggestions??
Thanks

[Parashooter]

Casting tools and metal can be highly individualistic. What worked with one mould or batch might require a different approach with another combination.

1. Could be zinc contamination. Empty pot and clean thoroughly, then try different batch of metal.
2. Degrease mold and DO NOT smoke it.
3. Try rosin flux instead of wax.
4. Consider a "dipper" instead of a simple ladle.


Lyman dipper

5. Try a bottom-pour melter.


Lee Production Pot

[Southron]

I started casting bullets in 1962 and know my way around a lead pot. Actually, round lead balls are the easiest bullets to cast. I agree with Parashooter that you might have a "Zinc Contamination Problem." Where are you getting your lead? I hae gotten to the point that I don't use wheel weights any longer because you never know what their composition is.

A "frosted bullet" indicates that either the mould and/or your metal is TOO HOT. A wrinkled bullet can have several causes:

Mould and/or lead not hot enough......or you could have some oil contamination in your mould.

Generally when I get wrinkled bullets I will turn up the thermostat on my casting pot and hit the inside of the mould with the flame of a Propane Torch to burn off some of the oil in the mould. Even with oil in your mould, after you cast 20 to 25 bullets, the oil is all burned out and you should get good bullets.

What I do is to keep a roll of 50/50 Lead-Tin (Rosin Core) solder handy. I will throw about 8 to 12 inches of the solder wire into the pot as just a little bit of Tin will make the molten lead flow into the mould much better. You get a much better"fill out" of the mould and better bullets. Also, your bullets will come out brighter.

Lyman sells a really good manual on how to cast bullets. Here are some more "Casting Tidbits:"

Brass is one of the best materials from which to make moulds. Meehanite Iron (what everyone calls "Steel") is a good material but has a tendency to rust in storage in humid climates unless protected with a coating of oil or grease. Aluminum is one of the WORST metals from which to make moulds. At casting temperatures, aluminum loses half of its strength and can be easily deformed.

The reason so many aluminum moulds are made and sold is because aluminum is an extremely inexpensive metal to buy. That is NOT to say that good bullets cannot be made using aluminum moulds, one just has to be sure to handle aluminum moulds gently and they will last a long time.

I would recommend that you clean out your electric pot, ladel and moulds and get some foundry lead and try casting again.

Some (but not all) of the Safety Rules of casting are:

1. Always cast in a WELL VENTILATED AREA.

2. Always wear eye protection.

3. Always wash your hands after touching lead so as to remove any of the lead dust on your hands.

4. Do not smoke, eat or drink while casting or handling lead.

5. A drop of water in a pot of molten lead will cause a "steam explosion" and you will have molten lead all over you, the floor, walls and ceiling (Yup, it happened to me!) So keep your molten lead and liquids away from each other.

GOOD LUCK

[Brad]

Thanks so much to all.
Before I recieved all your answers I went back out to the garage,
I have been using lead reclaimed from hospital shower pans. It is sheet lead about 1/8" thick and soft as butter.
However it is quite dirty and I have to skim the dirt, sand, old tile mortar I guess from the top once molten.
Perhaps I am removing the tin from the top and that is my problem?
I will try the ADD solder method and see what happens.
However, I did get some decent balls this time once I cleaned my pot and used all new lead. Same stuff but not a mixture.
I would like to get a scale and weigh these balls and see how consistant they are.
Thanks again