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What bullet casting alloy should I use?
Most common bullet alloys will work with Big Lube® designs. You may wish to tailor your lead/tin/antimony ratios for a specific purpose. For the majority of Cowboy Action use, common wheel weight metal is fine. For long range rifle use an alloy of 20 to 40 parts lead to 1 part tin works well. The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook is a good starting place source for casters.
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How hot should my metal be?
While somewhat dependent on the exact alloy of casting metal used, good results can usually be had at 750° F. If you find that your mold is not filling out well, temperature is the most common problem. Get and use a metal casting thermometer.
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What care does my mold need?
Like any precision made tool, your Big Lube® bullet mold requires lubrication. Your new mold came with a free sample of a fine mold lubricant. A small amount on a Q-Tip applied to the shoulder bolt hinge and sliding points and to the alignment pins and sockets will keep your mold in good working order. In order to avoid galling of the blocks and under side of the sprue plate a mold lube dampened Q-Tip wiped across the surfaces and then wiped back with a dry Q-Tip of cotton swab will keep them running well. Don’t get any of the mold lube in the cavities or you will have to clean them again.
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Why is there some ‘play in the sprue plate shoulder bolt?
All three shoulder bolts use wave washers to maintain the correct tension. Don’t attempt to tighten the bolts till the wave washers are flat. The bolts need only be snug, not wrenched down tight. Over tightening of the shoulder bolts may strip the ¼-28 threads out of the blocks. There SHOULD be some room for movement in each of the shoulder bolts. They are hinges. Keep them lightly lubricated as stated above and don’t over tighten them.
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What if my handles loosen?
The wood handles must be made with enough moisture to avoid splitting when they are installed on the sprue cam and main handle forks. Since molds must work in a hot dry environment, the handles can dry out and loosen. Usually a couple of taps with a wood or rubber hammer will re-seat the handles. If they continue to loosen I’ve found that a drop or two of water down the handle holes followed by a couple of drops of Gorilla Glue© will make a permanent fix.
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