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Need some casting help (Read 16463 times)

Hiwall55 Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 468 Location: west central Illinois Joined: Jun 30^th, 2012	Need some casting help Jul 1^st, 2016 at 1:38pm	Print Post
	I've got a brass mould from Accurate and I can't get it to cast well. It's a .40 caliber paper patch bullet and I've tried different alloys and different temps and cleaned it several times and it still gets wrinkles in the bullet. Don't have any trouble with all my steel moulds but this is my first brass mould.any help would be appreciated.


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derrickman Junior Member Offline Posts: 95 Joined: Dec 2^nd, 2015	Re: Need some casting help Reply #1 - Jul 1^st, 2016 at 1:59pm	Print Post
	Hiwall, I would think your melt and/or mould is not up to good casting temperature.


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Hiwall55 Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 468 Location: west central Illinois Joined: Jun 30^th, 2012	Re: Need some casting help Reply #2 - Jul 1^st, 2016 at 4:34pm	Print Post
	Left it on top till 725 then cast with it and adjusted the temperature up to a little over 800. Cast 40 bullets got 5 good ones.I ladle all my rifle bullets


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MAD MIKE Oldtimer Offline Posts: 655 Location: So Cal Joined: Oct 31^st, 2006	Re: Need some casting help Reply #3 - Jul 1^st, 2016 at 4:44pm	Print Post
	are you saying that when you cast at 800 degrees, 40 bullets, you only got 5 good bullets?


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Hiwall55 Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 468 Location: west central Illinois Joined: Jun 30^th, 2012	Re: Need some casting help Reply #4 - Jul 1^st, 2016 at 5:23pm	Print Post
	Yes 20 at 750, 20 at 800. All together 5 good ones


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Schuetzenmiester Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 6707 Location: Cool Wet Side of WA Joined: Apr 27^th, 2008	Re: Need some casting help Reply #5 - Jul 1^st, 2016 at 5:26pm	Print Post
	Take a candle and smoke the mold cavity. Be careful not to get any wax in the mold.

	"some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence
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sharps4590 Full Member Offline Posts: 120 Joined: Mar 24^th, 2016	Re: Need some casting help Reply #6 - Jul 1^st, 2016 at 5:43pm	Print Post
	I would have suspected casting temperature too but, at 800 I believe even my few contrary molds cast good bullets. You may have just convinced me not to try a brass mold.


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Hiwall55 Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 468 Location: west central Illinois Joined: Jun 30^th, 2012	Re: Need some casting help Reply #7 - Jul 1^st, 2016 at 6:02pm	Print Post
	I have 5 different session s in 2 months all with the same results. I'm sure brass works OK but I think I got a lemon . I have tried smoking the cavities, didn't seem to help but I used a wooden match so tomorrow I'll try a candle


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JerryH Frequent Elocutionist Offline ASSRA Member #10876 Posts: 1328 Location: Easton, CA Joined: Nov 9^th, 2014	Re: Need some casting help Reply #8 - Jul 1^st, 2016 at 6:32pm	Print Post
	I have a couple of brass moulds (not Accurate) and they cast perfect bullets. I cast with my alloy at 825-830. I have one mould that won't cast a good bullet at 800. I also hold one edge of the mould in my alloy for ~30 seconds to be sure it's up to temperature. If that doesn't cure the problem try varying your casting technique. JerryH

	I'm not a complete idiot, some of my parts are missing.
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Schuetzenmiester Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 6707 Location: Cool Wet Side of WA Joined: Apr 27^th, 2008	Re: Need some casting help Reply #9 - Jul 1^st, 2016 at 6:41pm	Print Post
	Have wheelweights in the alloy? Ever had them in the pot or ladle?
	« Last Edit: Jul 1^st, 2016 at 6:47pm by Schuetzenmiester »
	"some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence
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jfeldman ASSRA Board Member Offline Posts: 1120 Location: Imperial Beach, Ca Joined: Nov 5^th, 2005	Re: Need some casting help Reply #10 - Jul 1^st, 2016 at 6:55pm	Print Post
	Every wrinkled bullet I've poured has been too cold. Could your thermometer be off? Or like Jerry says, you just may need to go hotter. Regards, Joe


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RSW Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1299 Location: Arizona Joined: Sep 8^th, 2006	Re: Need some casting help Reply #11 - Jul 1^st, 2016 at 6:56pm	Print Post
	To expand on the comment by JerryH, try holding the bottom, right front corner of the mould in your melted alloy, about 1/4 inch (no deeper) while the sprue sets (slow 8 to 10 count). Brass gives up heat rapidly and that should kept the temperature up while casting. Cast at about 800, no hotter. Throw the first 10 bullets on your sprue pile and after that, mould should be good-to-go for your casting run. Just to be clear, hold the mould corner in the melted alloy for each bullet during casting run. I follow that same procedure on my large block, steel moulds that have a 32 cal cavity. I'm not taking credit for this tip. I got it from Steve Brooks (Tru-Bore Moulds) when I was having similar trouble getting good bullets from one of his moulds. Works great.

	Randy W ASSRA 10211 - ISSA 125 There are indeed two Americas. Simply put, it is not the haves and have nots. The two Americans are in reality divided into those who do and those who don't.
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Hiwall55 Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 468 Location: west central Illinois Joined: Jun 30^th, 2012	Re: Need some casting help Reply #12 - Jul 1^st, 2016 at 7:09pm	Print Post
	Thanks for the tips guys. I'm pretty sure my thermometer is pretty close , but the mould acts like it is not getting hot enough. I cast 60 brooks bullets for my BPCR rifle this morning then put the scrap back in the pot and filled it up with 25:1 alloy that I have been using, the Brooks were with in 2 tenths of a grain on my scale and then tried the PP mould , .NoGo


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Schuetzenmiester Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 6707 Location: Cool Wet Side of WA Joined: Apr 27^th, 2008	Re: Need some casting help Reply #13 - Jul 1^st, 2016 at 7:59pm	Print Post
	Does it take a 2 or 3 count for the sprue to freeze? If it does, temps should be OK.

	"some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence
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JLouis Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 10625 Joined: Apr 8^th, 2009	Re: Need some casting help Reply #14 - Jul 1^st, 2016 at 8:17pm	Print Post
	Brass seems to like it well above 800 but stay out of the vaporization zone not at all healthy. JLouis

	" It Is Better To Now Have Been A Has Been Than A Never Was Or A Wanna Be "
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