casting temps.

[smylee grouch]

Just tried to do some bullet casting, had overhead door to my little shed down almost all the way and walkin door on other end open all the way with a fan blowing through to keep fumes away but it seemed as though the lead was cooling off too fast.  Got me to thinking that one of our muzzleloading suppliers recomends as cool a pour as you can get away with. This isnt the way I have done it for a long time and most of my shooting partners too. How about the other members of this fourm, cool pour or hot?      Gary

[whitebear]

Actually the temp should be kind of a middle of the road temp.  Too cool and you get wrinkles on the balls and too hot and the balls are frosted in appearance, (or is it the other way around?).  The person that stated that he casted at as cool a temp as possible probably was referring to this criteria, as cool as possible without getting wrinkles, not as cool as the lead could be and still pore.  This is my take on the subject lets see what others say.

[Harnic]

A little on the hot side is better than too cool.  With pure lead I have never seen frosting.  I suspect it's a result of impurities such as tin, arsenic, or antimony... all commonly found in wheel weights.  A hotter metal will give more consistent weights & diameters.

[T*O*F]

I find if you heat it until you get a slight purple sheen on the lead, it casts best.
Both wrinkled and frosted balls are the result of either the lead or mold being too cool.  You need to preheat your mold too.

If you are running a fan because you think you have lead fumes, you don't.  You'd have to heat the lead to near it's boiling point before you start getting lead fumes.

[cahil_2]

I was to run the  lead pot until the lead melts and then turn it down until abbout the middle of the scale.  The first time I casted my lead balls turned purple and I was told it was  because my lead was too hot.  Also, I found out that if I get my mold too hot, the lead will not cool and it takes forever to cast.  Just some thoughts.

[Dphariss]

Cool metal will not usually work well especially with pure lead.

Dan

[wattlebuster]

i would rather my lead be a little on the warm side than cool. Seems they mould  better for me or it may be they just look better

[Leatherbelly]

I find if you heat it until you get a slight purple sheen on the lead, it casts best.
Both wrinkled and frosted balls are the result of either the lead or mold being too cool.  You need to preheat your mold too.

If you are running a fan because you think you have lead fumes, you don't.  You'd have to heat the lead to near it's boiling point before you start getting lead fumes.

Hey TOF,
 Thanks for that info.I thought lead gave off fumes at the melting point and am glad to know it doesn't. I start pouring when the melt starts to "peacock".(yellow thru purple) and have had good results with the Lyman Mag 20. heating the mould is also critical.

[William Worth]

A lead thermonmeter has been a good investment for me.  I was surprised to find that my melt was much hotter than I thought it was (1,000 F!!!).  I find I am getting the best casting of RB's at around an indicated 750 F, which is hotter than some may recommend.  That said, I have never calibrated this thermometer.  But by way of results, that's were everything seems to be doing well.

Supposedly, lead begins to out-gas fumes at around 900 F.  There is always some lead right on the hottest part of the heat source that I would expect stays well over 900 F, so I ventilate fervently.