How much work to start casting?

[Cary]

How are the Lee aluminum molds? I found a few of them on Ebay for very reasonable prices. They were saying that they had fewer sticking problems because the lead wouldnt stick to aluminum and that the aluminum comes up to temp much faster then steel molds... but aluminum seems like it would not stand up to all that whacking with the mallet/stick.

I have 10 of the Lee molds and one SAECO mold. All are two cavity molds except one. The SAECO mold is a nice mold but it cost me over $100 with the mold and the handles. For the amount of shooting I do the Lee molds perform well for me. I only purchased the SAECO mold because Lee didn't make a mold like it. I personally have never had a Lee mold go bad on me. I am still using all of them. I did buy all of them new as they are very inexpensive compared to the other brands. If you follow the rules and treat them right they should serve you well. The price they are new I wouldn't buy a used one unless I new the person I was buying it from. As stated you can purchase some else’s problems.
I've had mixed results with the Lee molds as far as bullet release. With some of them the bullet will fall right out and others I have to whack a few times to get the bullets to fall out. You never hit the mold itself just the hinge pin. Hitting the mold will soon damage it. The Lee molds are all aluminum and do come to temp fast. The SAECO mold I have is cast iron and takes a little more time to heat up but I just put my molds I'm going to use on the top lip of my Lee bottom pour furnace to pre-heat as the furnace heats up the alloy.
I started casting knowing very little except what I could glean from forums like this and reading books. I started with the Lee Pro 4-20 pot and one Lee mold. I also started with ingots of new alloy from Midway to remove one more variable from the equation. After I had my feet on the ground casting I then went with WW material. I haven't regretted going the Lee route as we all have a particular budget we have to work within and their equipment gets the job done for me.
There are three books in my library that I have found very helpful regarding casting.
1. "Modern Reloading Second Edition" by Richard Lee. He has some good information on casting as well as reloading.
2. "Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook"
3. "RCBS Cast Bullet Manual" #1. This is out of print but you can find it used.

It is another avenue of shooting that is very enjoyable for me and I'm glad I went for it. Ask all the questions you want. Most of us enjoy sharing about the things we are interested in like casting.
Cary

 

[Titan]

I understand this has to be done in a well ventilated area, but has anyone had health complications from casting lead?

This sounds like a great additional 'hobby' to go along with shooting and reloading.

 

[imashooter2]

Lead does not offgas at casting temperatures. Basic hygiene is all that is required to avoid any lead related health issues. Don't ingest it. Don't smoke, eat or drink while handling lead. Wash well after handling.

 

[epj]

In reference to the question about Lee molds: I have used both the aluminum and the steel molds over the years. I currently use only the Lee molds. Price is one factor. When I started up casting again a couple of years ago, I had a pretty tight budget. The Lee 2-cavity molds were only about $20 each including handles. The steel molds were $50+ each and you had to buy the handles separately. The aluminum does fine. Once properly smoked, bullets will fall out pretty easily when the temperature is right. The alignment pins MUST be kept lubricated. I find never seize works well, but you can use bullet lube or paraffin as well. The 6-cavity molds I use now are much more substantial than the 2-cavity molds I started with. They are still pretty reasonably priced, though they are quite a bit more than the 2-cavity molds. The bullets from the Lee molds are apt to be a little rougher than the steel mold bullets. That is they may show tool minor marks from the machining process. Nothing major, and certainly nothing that makes the bullet shoot any less accurately. You can polish out the mold cavitys with a bullet attached to a screw and a bit of valve grinding compound if you are so inclined. I like the aluminum because it heats up faster and is lighter to handle, especially the big molds. BTW, I like cheaper too.

 

[adagna]

So I think I have narrowed it down.

In your opinions which would you rather cast? 158g swc, or 148g wc?

 

[imashooter2]

So I think I have narrowed it down.

In your opinions which would you rather cast? 158g swc, or 148g wc?

That is dependent on the intended application.

Pure short range targets in a revolver? Wadcutters.

Anything else, SWC.

 

[29er]

This is a must-see tutorial before and after you get the equipment:

Goatlips Blackpowder Tips-Smelting