Author Topic: Chamber Casts for Dummies  (Read 862 times)

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Offline BrushBuster

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Chamber Casts for Dummies
« on: December 07, 2003, 03:20:04 PM »
Hey, does anybody out there know how to make a chamber-throat cast without all the fuss and expense of Cerrosafe? There must be an easier way!
Struggling every day, to hold onto what I took for granted yesterday.

Offline Aladin

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Re: Chamber Casts for Dummies
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2003, 03:53:39 PM »
Quote from: BrushBuster
Hey, does anybody out there know how to make a chamber-throat cast without all the fuss and expense of Cerrosafe? There must be an easier way!


Ok.. your in luck.

Take a well fireformed case NOT resized and fill it with ww alloy or harder to just below the shoulder/neck junction.

Your need a pure LEAD bullet with some length. This is what's being compressed to form your impression.

Insert lead bullet litely lubed on the outside into the case and chamber the rd.

You need a rod just under groove dia.. the hardward store sells steel rods pretty cheap. Something a few inches longer that the barrel with faced off/square ends.

Wrap one end with a couple wraps of electrical tape or similar to make a nice fit to the grooves. This prevents the rod from going to the side or galling.

Take a piece of tissue paper or Kleenex and put a wad of around 1/2" comressed into the muzzle end. This compresses and cushions the action and prevents the rod from seizng on the end of the lead bullet.

Insert the wrapped end into the muzzle down to the lead slug-- now tap that rod with measured stokes with the buttstock on the floor--not hard... just even swings with little wrist action. Just enough to fully compress that lead slug.  It'll bounce the same when the slug is compressed fully.

Open the action with care as NOT to deform the now impressed slug of your throat. That dab of lube will help.. I often leave the rod in the bore and as I open the action I litely poke the rod end on the wall to give it a boost. Easy does it as not to deform your impression.

The lead slug/bullet should neatly form to the dimensions of your throat and chamber origin and some of the rifling IF it's long enough. Reverse seating a bullet could give you can idea of how long a lead bullet to use IF the throat is very long. Most often their one caliber of length or less.
Aladin

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Offline BrushBuster

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Chamber Casts for Dummies
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2003, 05:11:58 AM »
That sounds great!  lead bullets might be difficult for me to acquire, so my thinking is to drill a long hole to calibre-size in whatever material is handy, pour the lead, drive it out and cut to length. I could also make my barrel slugs custom sized this way. Embarrasingly simple!
Struggling every day, to hold onto what I took for granted yesterday.

Offline Johm D M

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Chamber Casts for Dummies
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2003, 10:21:57 AM »
You can also use lead wire found in the fishing section of most sporting goods stores for the chamber "casts" and oval sinkers for slugging the bbl. Take your micrometer in with you. Gianni.

Offline Aladin

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Chamber Casts for Dummies
« Reply #4 on: December 08, 2003, 02:21:09 PM »
Quote from: Johm D M
You can also use lead wire found in the fishing section of most sporting goods stores for the chamber "casts" and oval sinkers for slugging the bbl. Take your micrometer in with you. Gianni.


Heard that before Gianni. Does the balls of lead form into a tight mass not coming apart? Or does the lead wire form a mass too? That'd be slick if it forms a nice impression that lasts.
Aladin

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Offline savageT

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Chamber Casts for Dummies
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2003, 07:17:58 AM »
This is easier than Cerrosafe??????
What exactly is the procedure required to make a Cerrosafe impression?

Jim
savageT........Have you hugged a '99 lately?

Of all the things I've lost in my life, I miss my mind the most.

Offline Aladin

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Chamber Casts for Dummies
« Reply #6 on: December 09, 2003, 12:50:02 PM »
Quote from: savageT
This is easier than Cerrosafe??????
What exactly is the procedure required to make a Cerrosafe impression?

Jim


Buy some and find out...
Aladin

"that's my story and I'm stick'n to it"

Offline MTNGUN

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Chamber Casts for Dummies
« Reply #7 on: December 09, 2003, 05:46:27 PM »
Cerrosafe seems the easier method on single shots and bolt guns.  Can't speak for how tough it would be to pour and then remove a casting from a lever rifle.

The only challenging part about cerrosafe is finding a gadget to funnel the molten cerrosafe into the chamber.  I use a piece of 3/8 tubing, about 5" long, that I bent into a dogleg shape.  

First, clean the chamber.  Then stuff a tight fitting patch into the rifling about 1/2" ahead of the throat.  Heat the cerrosafe in a small sauce pot (99 cents at the second hand store).  Insert the dogleg tubing into the chamber (either the rifle is supported in a vise or a friend holds it for you or else you need 3 hands).  Use a ladle to pour the cerrosafe into the tubing.  One big ladle full should be enough.  

Give it at least 5 minutes to solidify, maybe 10 minutes.  It will take longer than you think due to the low melting point.   I use the tubing, now frozen in the casting, as a handle to pull the casting out.

The cerrosafe shrinks at first, making it easy to remove, then it gradually starts expanding.  The best time to take your measurements is at the one hour mark.  After 24 hours, it will expand about 0.001".

Offline waksupi

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Chamber Casts for Dummies
« Reply #8 on: December 09, 2003, 06:05:15 PM »
I wonder, if the the custom mold suppliers "rent" cerrosafe? It seems like it would make sense. Place a deposit, get the cerrosafe, then send the cast to them, and they could take the deposit off the cost of the mold.

Offline Johm D M

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Chamber Casts for Dummies
« Reply #9 on: December 09, 2003, 06:49:12 PM »
Aladin, The lead wire masses together for the chamber cast and I have only used the sinkers to slug revolver throats and bbls. I don't think that sinkers would mass together like a good cast or lead wire for the chamber casts. Gianni.

Offline Aladin

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Chamber Casts for Dummies
« Reply #10 on: December 10, 2003, 02:18:07 AM »
The nice thing about an impact slug is they DO NOT shrink-- which is why I prefer them. You want to know the exact dimensions after all.  Cerro safe impressions can come out all wrinkled and with the shrinkage I don't feel their accurate enough.

Impact slugging also gives precise neck clearance as well as precise clearance cut in the chamber for the cartridge length. And they can be reinserted to measure further wear... just tap them down again for a new impression.
Aladin

"that's my story and I'm stick'n to it"