BTW I was teaching my neighbor to cast bullets for the very first time today, it reminded me,
I forgot to tell the new guys some real basic stuff
(1)when you get a NEW mould its usually covered in rust prevetative or grease of some type, that needs to be washed off with a mild solvent or hot soapy water before casting, verify the screws holding the handle to the mould are tight
(2)moulds WON,t cast well untill they are at the correct temp and that temp varies with the mould and alloy used, youll probably need to cast a dozen bad bullets before the mould reaches the coirrect temp and fully fills out correctly, let the mould sit lying on the edge of but not dirrectly in the lead pot to evaporate any moisture before pouring hot lead into it, then before casting place the edge in the moulten lead for 30-60 seconds to partly preheat the mould before casting anything
(3)if you coat the inside of the mould with candle smoke till its blackened it usually helps the first few times to allow the bullets to release easily, yeah theres commercial mould release agents and those work, but the candle smoke works if you don,t have any yet.
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=00094763758\(4)I use a wooden replacement hammer handle to knock the cutter open and wack the edge of the mould gently if the bullet doesn,t fall out easily, NEVER POUND gently tap, a gentle wack on the mould edge is usually sufficiant
(5) on some mould youll want to pour dirrectly into the hole on the sprue cut plate on others pouring next to the hole and letting the moulten metal swirl in produces a better fill, on a rare few youll need to place the mould dirrectly up to the lead pot discharge nipple to get a good fill, but that usually results in fine feathers of lead at the mould seams so thats a last resort
(6)if the bullets look wrinkled the alloy or the moulds usually too cool, if its totally frosted in appearance your hotter than necessary, mild frosting , or shiny with fully filled out and clear edges are about ideal, if its too hot or you open the cutter before the sprue (extra lead poured on top of the mould to insure the bullet fully fills and cools correctly) shifts color and gets solid the cutter will tend to SMEAR lead as it opens and that not good for the mould or the bullets being cast
(7)you can drop cast bullets onto a thick COTTON towel (synthetics tend to MELT)or into a 5 gallon bucket of water as they fall from the mould BUT never allow water to get into contact with the mould or the hot lead, if your bullets look bad they can be remelted BUT never allow wet bullets near hot lead
(8)you need EXCELLENT ventilation with an obvious slight breeze, a large fan and casting near an open outside garage door or car port is not a bad choice, lead fumes are dangerious, so its best to cast both where a sudden spray of water can,t get to you (rain, sprinkler systems)and where theres excellent ventilation
(9)leave the last bullet in the mould, let it cool slowly them wrap the mould in a soft lightly oiled rag and place it in a zip loc bag or at least a very dry location to prevent corrosion or moisture getting into the mould
