I'm new to casting and have started with Lee molds. I clean and treat the molds with matches thoroughly. When casting, sometimes the bullets don't fall out so I give the mold a shake. Then, I tap the steel portion of the handle and the bullet falls out. If that doesn't work, I use the magic words, "Damn **!" and pull the bullet out with a pair of need nose pliers. Does anyone have any other suggestions or warnings?
How do you remove your cast bullets?
- Thread starter BJung
- Start date
FrankenMauser
New member
Tappy-tap-tap is the most I will allow. (And I prefer avoiding that, as well.)
If I have to use a tool to extract a bullet, the mold gets set aside for inspection and deburring.
Deburring of aluminum and brass molds is done with a razor blade, gently run around the parting lines, in a manner that will not allow it to cause damage - but only remove a burr.
I haven't had to do a steel/iron mold, yet.
If I have to use a tool to extract a bullet, the mold gets set aside for inspection and deburring.
Deburring of aluminum and brass molds is done with a razor blade, gently run around the parting lines, in a manner that will not allow it to cause damage - but only remove a burr.
I haven't had to do a steel/iron mold, yet.
I have not seen a rawhide hammer in years, let alone one for sale.
tin in the mix
My cast pistol bullets eventually fall out with a tip-tap-tap and I tap on the hinge too but with the wooden handle of a wire brush. For .45 and .38 the lead is range lead
This time I was casting 30/30 rifle bullets with 50/50 wheel weight/range lead and somewhere around 5-8 percent tin. The gas grooves are pretty sharp and maybe it's because it the lead alloy has filled out well? Maybe the sticking is the nature of cast rifle bullets?
My cast pistol bullets eventually fall out with a tip-tap-tap and I tap on the hinge too but with the wooden handle of a wire brush. For .45 and .38 the lead is range lead
This time I was casting 30/30 rifle bullets with 50/50 wheel weight/range lead and somewhere around 5-8 percent tin. The gas grooves are pretty sharp and maybe it's because it the lead alloy has filled out well? Maybe the sticking is the nature of cast rifle bullets?
armoredman
New member
When it's heated up right it usually doesn't take more than a whack or two on the hinge. Nothing but a hammer handle only.
Plastic hammer works just fine too.
Pretty much anything non-metal/non-marring.
Hinge only/Don't fret about hurting anything
Tap, tap, tapping at my chamber door.
Pretty much anything non-metal/non-marring.
Hinge only/Don't fret about hurting anything
Tap, tap, tapping at my chamber door.
I tend to smoke my Lee pistol bullet molds after casting a pot of lead because the bullets stock more.
How do you heat your molds? I usually warm them up with a propane torch and then pour a few initial bullets to warm up the inside of the molds, then I'm ready to go.
This time, my propane torch ran out of gas so I dipped the mold on top of the pot onto the lead to heat up the blocks. I used a double cavity .311 and single cavity .309 mold. One bullet dropped out of the 2 cavity mold and one always got stuck. The single cavity mold bullet always required tapping to remove it. Even then, I think there's a bur in it because the bullet hangs off the mold and I have to swipe it off.
Sometimes a shake the mold as I open them so the bullets fall out. This method didn't work so well with rifle bullets
How do you heat your molds? I usually warm them up with a propane torch and then pour a few initial bullets to warm up the inside of the molds, then I'm ready to go.
This time, my propane torch ran out of gas so I dipped the mold on top of the pot onto the lead to heat up the blocks. I used a double cavity .311 and single cavity .309 mold. One bullet dropped out of the 2 cavity mold and one always got stuck. The single cavity mold bullet always required tapping to remove it. Even then, I think there's a bur in it because the bullet hangs off the mold and I have to swipe it off.
Sometimes a shake the mold as I open them so the bullets fall out. This method didn't work so well with rifle bullets
FrankenMauser
New member
I ended up with a few oak balusters about 10 years ago, that were cut in half for some reason. Those are my casting mallets.
Tappy-tap-tap is on the hinge bolt.
I usually cut sprues by hand, but the balusters do that job, as well, if required.
Tappy-tap-tap is on the hinge bolt.
I usually cut sprues by hand, but the balusters do that job, as well, if required.
Don’t get out much? Here ya go:
1" x 2" Rawhide Mallet Jewelry Making Repair Metal Forming Hammer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075TH8Q2Z/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_1mfoFb1YJDFYG
FWIW, I always used the hammer handle that hits the sprue plate.....
.
armoredman
New member
Would you believe on the stove? I turn a burner on 1/4 impulse power and rotate twice, so the sprue plate gets some heat as well. This goes on while the lead is getting good and melted in the pot, so both are ready to go at the same time.
For mould preheat: simple hotplate/"dutchoven" arrangement while leadpot heats up
While I never recommend casting inside a house proper (smoke from fluxing/irritated wives/lead splatters on the floor [& ceiling
]), lead doesn't begin to emit vapor until 930° and above. Casting is done 150-230° below that.
While I never recommend casting inside a house proper (smoke from fluxing/irritated wives/lead splatters on the floor [& ceiling
]), lead doesn't begin to emit vapor until 930° and above. Casting is done 150-230° below that.I use lee molds and what works for me is to smoke the molds each time with a candle and then I tap the molds with a stick to get all the projectiles to drop out.
I use an electric hot plate to pre-heat my mold. I do all my casting in my back driveway outside as weather permits - usually in the fall and early spring.
I never cast when it's raining or even when it's very humid. Even high humidity can cause steam voids to form in your castings.
I usually do a few hours of casting at once and make large batches that I then use throughout the year.
As a rule - I do not eat or drink whilst casting. I don't do anything with lead or casting in my kitchen. I've had my lead levels tested twice over the years and no issue was indicated either time.
I pre-process my scrap lead into ingots using an old metal pot either on a hot plate or on hot coals in a fire pit. I flux the scrap lead, remove any brass or steel or bullet jacket scrap and pour that into small ingots using a small muffin tin - perfect size to go into my lee smelter later. Also easier to transport as needed in my garage.
I use whatever lead scrap I come across. Fishing net weights, wheel weights, fired bullets, roofing lead, plumbers lead, stained glass lead. The only thing I avoid is battery lead as the battery acid can damage all sorts of things and I don't have a safe means to dispose of battery acid.
I use an electric hot plate to pre-heat my mold. I do all my casting in my back driveway outside as weather permits - usually in the fall and early spring.
I never cast when it's raining or even when it's very humid. Even high humidity can cause steam voids to form in your castings.
I usually do a few hours of casting at once and make large batches that I then use throughout the year.
As a rule - I do not eat or drink whilst casting. I don't do anything with lead or casting in my kitchen. I've had my lead levels tested twice over the years and no issue was indicated either time.
I pre-process my scrap lead into ingots using an old metal pot either on a hot plate or on hot coals in a fire pit. I flux the scrap lead, remove any brass or steel or bullet jacket scrap and pour that into small ingots using a small muffin tin - perfect size to go into my lee smelter later. Also easier to transport as needed in my garage.
I use whatever lead scrap I come across. Fishing net weights, wheel weights, fired bullets, roofing lead, plumbers lead, stained glass lead. The only thing I avoid is battery lead as the battery acid can damage all sorts of things and I don't have a safe means to dispose of battery acid.