Casting roundball

[Drew3]

What molds do you all use? Do you use a melting pot or just a fire?

[silly goose]

I've only used Lee round ball molds, with both varieties of Lee pots with complete satisfaction.

[SCLoyalist]

Lee 20 lb melting pot,  mostly Lee molds filled via a Lyman egg shaped ladle. 

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I use mostly Lyman, RCBS, Saeco (iron) molds, but a few are Lee aluminum, and they're fine too.  I cast using a bottom pour Lyman 20 pound electric pot for round ball, and dip for bullets for my cowboy rifles and pistols.  When I dip, I too use the Lyman egg shaped ladle.

[bob in the woods]

I use a cast iron skillet  [ about 8 in wide ] and a ladle I forged up.   Usual heat source is an old Coleman stove.
Most of the round balls I cast are .600 or larger  [ .735 ] so I just  find it easier to use the ladle.

[Standing Bear]

Started w Lyman molds and 10 lb Lee bottom pour. Went to Lee molds due to price and some double cavity molds.  Now back to steel molds as they just seem to cast a little better. Still using the same production pot after 40 years and make near 2,000 balls a year.
TC

[EC121]

Started out with a dipper and Coleman stove, but later I bought a Lee 10lb. bottom pour.  It does fine.  It is a bit small, but quite usable, for .60 sized balls if you keep feeding the lead to it.  I also use a thermometer to monitor the temp.

[dagner]

 I brought a single burner for propane from harbor freight for 19 and a round 6 inch deep cast iron pot at yard sale . it holds about 40 llbs.you can melt the lead quickly and then reduce flame great. I use lyman egg pourer. most of my molds are  single cavity steel lyman .have couple al raphines and lees. they work fine are fine.used a elect bottom pour for awhile . got fed up with clogging and air pockets in the balls
dag

[thimble rig]

I use an old potter electric bottom pour that my dad gave me .and also I have a cast iron pot and dipper I use on my coleman camp stove.I use lee moulds.

[Ray-Vigo]

I use a Lyman electric pot and Lee aluminum molds. I pour with the Lyman spherical ladle with the spout on the bottom. The set up works reasonably well.

I did find the latest set of Lee molds I got needed to be opened up slightly at the mouth. They were a bear to get filled as they arrived. It did not take much opening at all to improve that. Compared to the older Lee molds I have, they had a much smaller mouth as they arrived.

[retired fella]

What molds do you all use? Do you use a melting pot or just a fire?

Drew,
I use a Coleman stove, metal cup, Lyman molds and Lyman egg shaped dipper.  It's a good way to spend a couple of hours on a rainy day or if "she who must be obeyed" is looking for you to perform "honeydo's".

[Daryl]

The balls with huge sprues are from Jeff Tanner Moulds of the UK. They fit normal Lyman handles and are made of brass. Lee moulds are aluminum. Lyman, RCBS, Saeco and Bufflao Arms moulds are usually cast iron - or cast steel.

The Tanner casting sprues have to be snipped off using side cutters, or my method of using the pliers type wire strippers with the little cutouts for different sized wrie. I grab the sprue close to the ball's surface, and cut into the lead about 1/2 way, then turn the ball in my fingers. This nips off the sprue and generally does not leave anything sticking up off the ball's surface, thus, the ball can be loaded any whichiway and does  not have to have the sprue oriented upwards, as with normal moulds.  The Tanner moulds, I've found work best in larger diameter balls, that-is, the .74 calibre balls from my Tanner mould is easier to use and handle than the, .724's, .710's, .677 and .595. The larger teh ball, the easier to handle, I find, for my clumsy fingers.  People with more dexterous fingers might not have this problem.

[smylee grouch]

Lodge, the cast iron cookwear folks are producing an cast iron bread pan now that looks to be about the right size for my single burner propane stove. I have molds from about 5 different brands, havent had any problems with any of them so far.

[Hungry Horse]

 I've burned up two Lee pots, one a small dipper, and the other a bigger bottom pour. Both served me well right up until their untimely end. Every bottom pour lead pot I've ever owned was a pain. The one I have now is a 20 pound Saeco that I converted to a dipper, because I got tired of trying to stop the perpetual leak. I've worn out several Lee aluminum molds as well. They are great for those just getting started, because you don't have to worry about forgetting them, and having them rust up.
 My pet peeve is people that use cookware for casting lead. Absolutely, for sure, some time down the road, after you are room temperature, somebody is going to start cooking it those pots, and skillets, and muffin pans, unless of course you break them when your done, or have them buried with you. For heaven sakes, spend a buck, or two, and buy a cast iron lead pot, if you have to have one that required a stove, or fire.

      Hungry Horse

[hanshi]

I started off 50+ years ago with an iron pot and a Lyman dipper.  Sometime later I found the Lee BP pot.  Now most of my RB molds are Lee and they are 100% satisfactory.  But I also have Saeco, Lyman, RCBS, T/C and Tanner molds that see use from time to time.  The bottom pour pots are frustrating sometimes but they also do a good job.

[Daryl]

Gone through (burnt out) several electric pots, all bottom pour converted to dipping. Bottom pour pots dribble - pain in the butt.  Currently, as you can see in the pictures, using my second Lee thermostat electric 20 pound pot, converted to dipping. The handle of the Lyman dipper can be seen.
I did use a white-gas stove converted to propane - nice - fast heat with no 2psi regulator- would melt 40 pounds (had a big welded steel pot) of lead in 20 minutes. I finally burnt out the stove and ditched it.

I like the Lee pot as it the mould can be pre-heated as you can see in the pictures, sitting on the rim.

It is a rare even for me to have to return a casting back into the pot. Such will happen as you gain experience, where virtually every ball you cast is a good one. You will learn to judge when the mould and lead are proper heat for casting - or you could cheat and use a lead thermometer.

My Pot casts best when using pure lead at about 7 1/2 on the dial. Others cast best at 8, 9 or 10 - something you will have to find out for yourself.

My first Lee pot was a 10 pound - useless for casting large balls or bullets.  I use padded leather work gloves (middle picture) for swinging the sprue plate and holding the mould and dipper.  The hammer handle is used for tapping the handle hinge if a ball or bullet sticks in the mould. Tapping the hinge pin will cause the ball or bullet to fall out. The angled tray is handy as the balls drop onto the surface then roll away from the top edge without damage. It is covered with old towel or denim as you can see to cushion and protect the balls or bullets form damage.

[hanshi]

Hey, Daryl; you forgot to post the pics. 

[Daryl]

Ummm - I see 4 that I posted - 6 posts up.

[hanshi]

Hmmm...I guess I was spektin' more.