I could not seem to get them without the lines and groves. Is this normal? Or does it mean they are bad?
These are for the Prussian needle gun.
![Synthetic rubber Font Nail Metal Fashion accessory]()
These are for the Prussian needle gun.
First time pouring bullet Moulds
1 - 20 of 24 Posts
Joined
·
17,732 Posts
Either your mold or lead in the pot is too cold or your mold has some sort of residue on in. First clean the mold to make sure there is zero oil or any other lubricant/preservative on it. Brake clean, naptha or similar product will work. I usually will hit mine with a propane torch to burn anything left on. Leave the mold on top of your pot for a little but to warm it up. Maybe try adjusting the temp control a little hotter on the pot. Usually your fist 3-6 pours will be rejects until everything gets the proper temp. Personally I don't mind some minor imperfections for most of my bullets but those are quite bad.
Interesting looking bullet, post some more on this gun!
Interesting looking bullet, post some more on this gun!
The look if the bullets does not bother me so long as they are still functional? I did warm the mold in the oven before I started pouring, The lead had the purple look on the surface that says it's ready, It was a heater and pour cup that seemed to work really fast.
Joined
·
1,751 Posts
Those don't look ready to me.
I pour round ball and bullets for black powder. Looks like the mold was too cold. I have a small propane burner that I use to heat up the mold between pours and to keep it hot. Molds can cool enough to cause that in between pours. Once the mold cools enough to drop solid bullets, it needs to be reheated for the next pour.
Those bullets are poorly formed. I doubt they would work well. Poor accuracy even if they load and shoot. They should look just like the shape of the mold.
Heat the mold more before you pour regardless of the lead temperature. It needs to be near the temp of the lead to keep the lead from cooling unevenly. Those look like the outside is cooling unevenly from a cold mold.
Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk
I pour round ball and bullets for black powder. Looks like the mold was too cold. I have a small propane burner that I use to heat up the mold between pours and to keep it hot. Molds can cool enough to cause that in between pours. Once the mold cools enough to drop solid bullets, it needs to be reheated for the next pour.
Those bullets are poorly formed. I doubt they would work well. Poor accuracy even if they load and shoot. They should look just like the shape of the mold.
Heat the mold more before you pour regardless of the lead temperature. It needs to be near the temp of the lead to keep the lead from cooling unevenly. Those look like the outside is cooling unevenly from a cold mold.
Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk
Just to clarify the shape of the bullets you see is correct for the Prussian Needle gun. I can see that they seemed to have cooled in layers. If that is something that needs correction I can do that but the shape we see that's fine.
Joined
·
16,752 Posts
All of the above is good advice. I use Lee molds, I have some others, but mostly Lee... I will let the first two or three pours stay in the mold for a little bit. That seems to get the mold up to temp for me. Then, there is the problem of the mold and lead getting too hot and the bullets start frosting. When I get in the mood to cast I will use several molds and keep rotating them. I am far from being an expert caster so my methods don't always work for others....
Alan
Alan
Joined
·
17,732 Posts
See I don't mind frosted bullets, they seem to work just fine. When a sprue won't start to harden right away then I'll let it cool down a bit.
As far as heating the mold I will set it on the pot for 5-10 minutes, others I see dipping it into the lead and If I'm in a hurry I will heat it up with a propane torch that I always keep handing when making bullets and then pour a few to see how they look. Torch comes in handy of the pour nozzle gets clogged too.
Where did you read the purple/blue sheen means the lead is hot enough? I always thought that was impurities in the lead. I get that sheen when I use plumbers lead and no matter how many times I flux it that sheen comes back. I've learned to just deal with it and keep skimming. If I use any other type of lead I don't get that sheen, It's just a nice lead color with maybe a very small hint of yellow.
Joined
·
2,276 Posts
Mold needs to be pre heated to the proper casting temperature at which point the wrinkles go away. Some blackpowder bullets are a nightmare to cast such as the for the British Whitworth rifle and for hollow case Civil War Minnie bullets as you have to have the perfect flow temp and you have to let them cool a bit in the mold or they will malform as you release them from the mold, so it is two issues proper casting temp combined with proper time in the mold before releasing them from the mold. If the lead alloy is a little too hot the bullets develop a frosty look not harmful just not that perfect factory look that we strive for.
But are they ok to fire if they don't look pretty?
Joined
·
2,276 Posts
If they are frosty looking they are usually ok. Those wrinkled ones I'd probably put back into the lead pot and melt down again. as they may be undersize or have voids. Once that mold is up to proper temp those wrinkles will go away. What type of setup are you using for a lead pot? I saw you mention a propane torch in an earlier post. I use an electric furnace to melt my lead alloys and submerge my mold into the molten lead to help bring the mold up to temperature. When I'm casting any mal formed bullets go right back into the lead pot.
Joined
·
15,326 Posts
Usually, when I'm casting, I end up tossing the first dozen back into the melt because they have wrinkles. The first few are my "warmer upperers" that get the mold up to temperature. After I have a few of them, the mold is hot and I can get into the rhythm of casting and the rest of the session goes without a hitch.
--Wag--
--Wag--
I have the Hot Pot-2 C Palmer Manufacturing Inc. I forget what I paid for it but I saw the fancy ones on eBay after the purchase that heat it up and pour in a set position platform that would make keeping the mood hot a lot more easy, I have to hand pour.
Joined
·
1,986 Posts
Why waste the lead when all you have to do is melt it and recast? Shooting imperfect bullets does nothing for range testing or building skill in casting bullets. I'm just getting into casting bullets myself and acquiring a 45-70 Quigley rifle for long range (600 yard) black powder silhouette matches. There's probably either a BP cartridge club in your area or a Single Action Shooters Society (SASS), both of these groups will have guys who do their own bullet casting. Go to a match or two and ask around, they'll be glad to share their knowledge.
I never said I'd waste any lead.
Joined
·
16,752 Posts
My experience with the frosting bullets is that they are not stable. They break open coming out of the mold and will crush with a pair of pliers. It's usually telling me my mold and/or lead is too hot.
Alan
Alan
Joined
·
17,732 Posts
Oh I've never had any frost that bad.
1 - 20 of 24 Posts
