Bullet Casting & Coating MegaThread

Jay77 said:
.356, I want to say but I have a new batch to size and I might go .357. What I think is the problem might be slightly oversized bullets and some of the hi tek is coming off during sizing on a few. Small hiccup no biggy. Coating a bunch of .357 about 15 pounds give or take.
Click to expand...
Check for bullet squeeze
Grab a couple of cases with the same head stamp.
Load one normally and use a micrometer to measure diameter at the end of the case.
Slice the end off the other case cut and carefully flatten the brass to measure the case wall thickness
If measured cartridge diameter is less than 2x wall + sized diameter then you need a new expander.
If you are squeezing the base of your bullets, leading is a given
 
I turned the temp down on the lead and cast these ones, definitely no frosting...and the wait time on the mold was less. I am just waiting for some thermal paste to arrive to finish up the PID. I 3d printed a custom enclosure for the PID so that it wasn't a mess of wires on the casting bench.

Bullets 2.jpg
 
ddeck22 said:
I turned the temp down on the lead and cast these ones, definitely no frosting...and the wait time on the mold was less. I am just waiting for some thermal paste to arrive to finish up the PID. I 3d printed a custom enclosure for the PID so that it wasn't a mess of wires on the casting bench.

View attachment 771907
Click to expand...
Wow those look awesome. Nice work man!
 
ddeck22 said:
I turned the temp down on the lead and cast these ones, definitely no frosting...and the wait time on the mold was less. I am just waiting for some thermal paste to arrive to finish up the PID. I 3d printed a custom enclosure for the PID so that it wasn't a mess of wires on the casting bench.

View attachment 771907
Click to expand...
eh frosting is over rated worry..... just learn to cast other molds while your casting if you dont like the frosting
 
mac1911 said:
eh frosting is over rated worry..... just learn to cast other molds while your casting if you dont like the frosting
Click to expand...
Yes it’s really just aesthetic. I’m sure a metallurgist could explain the grain structure and that maybe it’s less ductile and therefore not as good for hollow points or something but who cares about stupid hollow points anyway?

We all know you want a binary lead tin alloy with no antimony and that stuff doesn’t really get frosty 😀😁
 
38ExtraSpecial said:
Amazing how cheap it is to make good ammo right? Some disagree but we know they’re just stupid.

Probably the lube causing the smoke. All of that stuff is Smokey but I love the smell of anything with alox in it.
Click to expand...
mmm Alox....

you can make ammo cheaper but you sepnd just as much. You dont save any money. You just increase the volume.
If I could find 10 extra hours of over time pay I could probably get away with not reloading.......well not really as I like playing with fire , molten metals and all that stuff.
If I made more money I would probably just have a camdex instead of a lee

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyduO1FxJGk
 
ddeck22 said:
Bummer. The sprue plate bolt sheared off. I’m not that strong. Should be able to tap it and pull it out.
Click to expand...
Yuck. Try to hot glue it back and spin it off that way. Sometimes the bolt is loose enough to do that. Going with a drill and easy out could work fine but I hate putting power tools near my moulds unless needed
 
JFC. Emailed rcbs based on the address with the instructions. They autoreplied to use an online form. I used the online form but the comments where you can explain the situation is limited to 300 characters. That's just dumb, but it is Vista Outdoors.
 
ddeck22 said:
JFC. Emailed rcbs based on the address with the instructions. They autoreplied to use an online form. I used the online form but the comments where you can explain the situation is limited to 300 characters. That's just dumb, but it is Vista Outdoors.
Click to expand...
Rcbs should fix that for you.
300 or less no problem
Mold number , purchase Date
Sprue plate anchor bolt broken
Contact info
If you can add pictures do so

RCBS has held up to proof of purchase and “product registration” on me a few times.

I ended up mailing the mold in for warranty . Few weeks later a New mold came in the mail.
Think at the time it was $5 to ship it to them.

I had a rcbs universal hand primer break. I called and the lady went on about issues with the castings blah blah blah and sent me a new one.
Call them.
 
Last edited:
mac1911 said:
Rcbs should fix that for you.
300 or less no problem
Mold number , purchase Date
Sprue plate anchor bolt broken
Contact info
If you can add pictures do so

RCBS has held up to proof of purchase and “product registration” on me a few times.

I ended up mailing the mold in for warranty . Few weeks later a New mold came in the mail.
Think at the time it was $5 to ship it to them.

I had a rcbs universal hand primer break. I called and the lady went on about issues with the castings blah blah blah and sent me a new one.
Call them.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I will let everyone know what comes of it. I have the invoice from when I bought it earlier this year

I was able to tap it with a left hand thread after the super glue didn't work (perhaps I should have let it set longer). I have a drill press so I had no fear of screwing up the mold and the bolt was a pretty soft material that the drill bit went right through. So, at least it can accept a new bolt now. Guess I won't be casting on this rainy day lol.

It's times like these where I appreciate the fact that my first car was an American made car from the 1980's. I learned a lot about bad manufacturing and sheared bolts [rofl]
 
ddeck22 said:
RCBS, so yes, the set screw was set.

But I will be writing to them. There is no way a smack with a oak dowel should shear off the bolt. I've only used for a few weeks.

I'll try the glue first or maybe a little superglue. See if that works.
Click to expand...
Left handed bit is your friend
Access to a mill is even better
 
ddeck22 said:
I used my drill press to drill a hole, left hand tapped it and it came right out. Just took me time.

I’ll be writing back for a new bolt at least. Kind of lame response from them.
Click to expand...
I have had to deal with rcbs on 6 occasions. Completely different experience each time.
Pita , the one time I just mailed off the crappy mold with nothing more than a phone number and email and a note saying defective.
I got a new mold a few weeks later.
 
In the meantime I cast some 9mm from a Lee mold. Mainly to learn the difference between casting with cast iron and aluminum.

Took a couple tries to learn what speed to use. But having a 6 cavity is like a Maserati compared to the 2 cavity Honda Civic.

They aren't perfect but close enough for plinking. With the aluminum, it's amazing how quickly they heat up and change over the course of time it takes me to run 3/4 through a pot. I found that keeping a constant speed ended up frosting the bullets at the end. So, it changes over the course of the run, versus the cast iron which was pretty consistent after heating up. With my Lee pot, it takes about 30 minutes on startup and then 10 minutes when I get 3/4 down and add more (and the sprues). So, it's roughly 10 min of casting and 10 min of waiting. I can see why people run two pots now.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2101.jpeg
    IMG_2101.jpeg
    1.3 MB · Views: 6
Last edited:
ddeck22 said:
In the meantime I cast some 9mm from a Lee mold. Mainly to learn the difference between casting with cast iron and aluminum.

Took a couple tries to learn what speed to use. But having a 6 cavity is like a Maserati compared to the 2 cavity Honda Civic.

They aren't perfect but close enough for plinking. With the aluminum, it's amazing how quickly they heat up and change over the course of time it takes me to run 3/4 through a pot. I found that keeping a constant speed ended up frosting the bullets at the end. So, it changes over the course of the run, versus the cast iron which was pretty consistent after heating up. With my Lee pot, it takes about 30 minutes on startup and then 10 minutes when I get 3/4 down and add more (and the sprues). So, it's roughly 10 min of casting and 10 min of waiting. I can see why people run two pots now.
Click to expand...
They look nice man. Yeah aluminum is a little more touchy but it can make some awesome bullets.

Run two at a time and you will love it! The only issue is running out of lead. Get a gas burner and a big ladle. 100# of hot alloy and cast away!
 
240Geezer said:
I can only go so long casting before I need a break. Take a walk move my legs. That's when I top off the pot so it's always more than half full.
Click to expand...
The lead in the pot will get hotter as it depletes also.
What you do is what the the old guy taught me.
My dad taught me to cast. Although it was purely plinking level.
Old guy I met trap shooting taught me a higher level of casting and reloading. My jump into casting was making my own lead shot for trap .
A lee 38 cal mold and a lee classic loader.
We would collect spent bullets from the range and melt them over a single burner colman stove and ladle right right from the pan.

Anyway unless you getting size variations from the higher alloy/mold temp frosting is not a problem.

Playing around years ago I found my lee pot once it gets a touch under 1/2 full heats up quite a bit.
I will get the lee leaky drip
I run my pot at aprox 750’F
Keeps the spout hot enough to flow. Works well with my 6 cav mold also.
If you know me at all im never in a rush to do a lot in one setting.
I will cast until the pot is 1/2 empty return the sprue and culled place the mold/s on top of the pot and let it heat up again.
If im casting pure plinking and or cheap gallery loads , think 110 gn 30 cal at 750 fps or so.
I just run the pot darn near empty. Heck I dont even inspect those. If I come across bullets that are fubar while loading I chuck them in the pot
 
Last edited:
Three updates:

RCBS is going to send me a new bolt and washer. The bolt appears to be 1/4-32 which is not carried by Lowe's in Grade 8.

I finished the PID so I don't have to guess on the temp anymore in the pot. All wired up and tested and ready to go. 3d printed the box for it so it looks good and is neat

On tax free weekend (Aug 12-13) I'm going to splurge on a new countertop convection oven and my old toaster oven is being relegated to the casting compound to preheat molds. It gave me 20 years of service in the kitchen so now it can enjoy retirement heating molds. I learned that at the casting seminar where I think Pastera had 7 toaster ovens :)
 
ddeck22 said:
Three updates:

RCBS is going to send me a new bolt and washer. The bolt appears to be 1/4-32 which is not carried by Lowe's in Grade 8.

I finished the PID so I don't have to guess on the temp anymore in the pot. All wired up and tested and ready to go. 3d printed the box for it so it looks good and is neat

On tax free weekend (Aug 12-13) I'm going to splurge on a new countertop convection oven and my old toaster oven is being relegated to the casting compound to preheat molds. It gave me 20 years of service in the kitchen so now it can enjoy retirement heating molds. I learned that at the casting seminar where I think Pastera had 7 toaster ovens :)
Click to expand...
That was almost a year ago. He’s up to 11 now 😂😂
 

Similar threads

Cast bullets in 300BO for AR
2
Replies
38
Views
2K
240Geezer
2
Bullet Mold Porn ✊💦
2 3 4
Replies
104
Views
4K
magoo
magoo
Want to start Casting bullets
Replies
29
Views
1K
Artie
Artie
Back
Top Bottom