Help with Casting Supplies

M

Mosin-Marauder

New member
Hello all!

Im about to start casting for my 8mm Mauser, and I thinK I have just about everything I need, and I'd like your opinion on if I need anything else or if this will be enough just for casting maybe 50-100 bullets at a time. Thanks!


Hornady Gas Checks- 32/8mm

Lee Lead Ladle

Lee .323 Sizer Kit

Lee 175 grain .324 2 Cav Mold

Lee Precision Melter 500 watt 4 lb. capacity

Welding Gloves (have)

Eye Pro(Have)

Paraffin Wax for Fluxing (have)



Thanks!
 
It would make life more fun if you had a lead thermometer to measure the temp. Melted lead casts better at certain temps. If you don't want to drop bigger bucks for a Lyman or RCBS thermometer, lots of guys just use the Big Green Egg 1000° model from Tel-Tru. Example: http://www.amazon.com/Tel-Tru-LT225R-Replacement-Thermometer-degrees/dp/B0055777EU/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1437436824&sr=8-14&keywords=tel-tru+thermometer If you read the reviews, you'll see that a lot of people are using it for lead. You just have to rig up some kind of stand/holder to keep it upright in the melt. I use doubled-up plumbers strap for mine. This one is holding a PID thermocouple, but it'll work the same way with the smaller pot and a thermometer.
pot4_zps856bffcf.jpg


A big stainless steel spoon is good for stirring and dipping out dross, so you don't nasty up your ladle.

A cheap hot plate is very useful to get the mold up to temp so you start dropping keepers much faster. Thrift stores usually have them for 5-10 bucks.
The one with a flat top is desired. Otherwise you need a flat piece of metal over the coils to shield the mold from direct heat. An old circular saw blade works great for this if you have/buy a hot plate with coils.

You'll also want something to tap on the hinge pin of the handles to shake the bullets out if they stick, or if the mold was too cold when you started. You'll want something fairly soft. A rawhide mallet is great, but who has those? I use a piece of soft pine furring strip about a foot long. It weighs and feels about like a piece of balsa. Sometimes you just have to whack the handle nut a time or two to get the bullets to drop. Not always, but sometimes. :rolleyes:

Good luck and happy casting! :D
 
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Slug the barrel before you order a sizing die.

What do you plan to do for lube? And...
What process? (Dip-lubing, pan-lubing, Alox, luber-sizer, etc.)
 
The lee sizeing die comes with a bottle of lube. You can tumble lube them after they are gas checked or apply the tumble lube with a Qtip to the lube bands. Either way will work. The Q tip method will keep things cleaner. I used to tumble lube my rifle bullets but now I Qtip them and set them in my toater oven on a tray standing on the gas check to dry.
 
+1 (Many '1's) on the lead thermometer. Without it you are flying blind.

Cast wheel-weight/Lyman#2 alloys at ~750-780°F

Put the Lee ladle aside and get either a Lyman or and RCBS dipper. You need the contact-pour
"head" for consistent mold fillout

Consider getting a cheap hotplate and a (very) small griddle/sauce pan combo to form a
"Dutch Oven" to pre-heat the mold. It will make all the difference in good bullets from the start.
 
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You will need something to strike the sprue plate with to cut the sprues...an old wooden hammer handle or some other piece of hardwood.

I second the suggestion to dump the Lee ladle (in you are going to dip your bullets) and get either a Lyman or RCBS ladle...Lee ladles are useless except for stirring the flux into the alloy.
 
strike the sprue plate with to cut the sprues....
Click to expand...
I do not recommend striking the sprue plate. Instead, cut through the sprue using the
heel of your [gloved] hand to push the plate's extension forward. That not only works
well, but keeps from bending/warping/wearing the plate fit to mold top.
(and is very, very [very] easy when the mold is warm and running well.)

Likewise, tap the hingepoint, not the blocks, to make the bullet drop from the mold.
 
I do not recommend striking the sprue plate. Instead, cut through the sprue using the
heel of your [gloved] hand to push the plate's extension forward. That not only works
well, but keeps from bending/warping/wearing the plate fit to mold top.
Click to expand...
Yep. I'm in the "cut it by hand" camp. At least for normal casting.

There are times - such as when you're eager to get rolling with a new mold and fill it while its still too cold - when the sprue will harden too quickly and a little tap of the sprue plate isn't going to do much harm. But as standard practice, I suggest avoiding it.

With Lee molds, the odds of screwing up the blocks or sprue plate are increased (super soft aluminum and weaker sprue plate). And with more expensive molds (nearly everyone upgrades eventually ;)), it simply doesn't make sense to be whacking a $70 to $200+ precision mold with a stick.
 
Hello all!

Im about to start casting for my 8mm Mauser, and I thinK I have just about everything I need, and I'd like your opinion on if I need anything else or if this will be enough just for casting maybe 50-100 bullets at a time. Thanks!


Hornady Gas Checks- 32/8mm

Lee Lead Ladle; The lee ladle is nearly useless except for stirring the molten alloy and/or skimming the dross after fluxing. As others has said, get the Lyman bottom pour ladle.

Lee .323 Sizer Kit

Lee 175 grain .324 2 Cav Mold

Lee Precision Melter 500 watt 4 lb. capacity: The 4 pound melter is way too small. Even for casting small runs it will "run out of lead quickly". I have one for casting pure lead for use in my smoke poles, it is barely adequate for 20-30 of those conical boolits. You're just starting out, so that small melter will have uses later on, but I recommend you get a pro-20 bottom pour from lee as your first pot.

Welding Gloves (have);As long as you plan on using welding gloves, you can open the sprue plate with your gloves. No beating on the sprue plate please. Well made welding gloves will protect your hands from the heat of the sprue plate very well while rotating the sprue plate to cut the sprue.

Eye Pro(Have)

Paraffin Wax for Fluxing (have)



Thanks!
______________
Click to expand...

Here's the dipper/ladle I referred to above;

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/286579/lyman-lead-dipper?cm_vc=ProductFinding

Here's the furnace;

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/645810/lee-pro-4-20-lb-furnace-110-volt?cm_vc=ProductFinding

You didn't mention what your lead source is, and what alloy it is. For the 8mm rifle, you'll need a pretty hard alloy. My experience with my 8mm K-98 Mauser was dismal at best. I used the same mold, but could not get a bullet on paper @ 50 yards. Closer results showed key holed boolits way off center @ 50 FEET! I never tried again, so I can't give much help.
 
I'm with the cut it by hand guys. It works great once you get used to it. I use the 4lb. Pot also and I also use the Lee Ladle. I stir in the Flux with it and it stays nice and clean. I don't use a hot plate or torch for warming the mold either. I lay the mold on top of the pot when I turn it on then dip the corner of it in the melt for about 30 secs. when the lead is up to my casting temp. I have never had to pour more than 3 or 4 times before the mold filled out and was casting perfect bullets. I do agree on a thermometer though. Everyone has their own method that works for them. A lot of good info here. I'd suggest going to castboolits@gunloads.com and check them out. They have a lot of great info and stickies to answer all your Qs. Find and download their lead alloys calculater. It'll take all the guess work out making and mixing your own lead. Not to mention...they are a great bunch of guys with a wealth of knowledge.
 
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