Is there any alternative to Cerrosafe for a quick chamber cast ?
I just want a quick cast to check the dies from my previous post...

Roger

Back when people used to use molten sulfur. That doesn't sound like a pleasant experience to me but I guess it worked.
C.G.B.

Yes, sulfur. You don't burn it, so it is not that bad. I would wax the chamber and fill it with acraglas gel, but I have cerrosafe.

Have no idea if it would work, but what about pewter?

Acraglas SHOULD work, The neat thing about cerrosafe is that it shrinks slighlty when it first cools off (Time to remove the cast) then returns to dmension upon "normalizing."


Examine chamber carefully for any "rings" that could act as a mechanical lock.

The straighter the case, the more important .

I'd wait for the cerrosafe !

Melting point of pewter is low, but the shrinkage factor is vitally important, which is why we use sulfur and cerrosafe. If it shrinks too much then you have wasted your time.

A very low melting point alloy, identical to CerroSafe, with the same melting temp/'shrinkage'/normalising properties, is available from Amazon at a much lower cost than Brownells wants

quote:

Originally posted by slivers:
A very low melting point alloy, identical to CerroSafe, with the same melting temp/'shrinkage'/normalising properties, is available from Amazon at a much lower cost than Brownells wants

What exactly are you talking about that is available from Amazon?

quote:

What exactly are you talking about that is available from Amazon?

+1

If you just want something quick and easy to use and are not concerned with +/- tolerances that a die or reamer mfg'r would be needing in taking measurements off of that casting...then just wax up the chamber and bore just ahead of it.

Take a dowel and shave it down so it fit's down into the chamber to take up some of the room inside and also extends back out for use as a 'handle'.

Run an greased patch into bore from either end till it plugs the bore just ahead of the chamber.

Now mix up some simple 5-min (10-min) cure time epoxy.

You won't need a whole lot as the dowel is taking up much of the room for you.
But mix enough to fill the chamber when the dowel is sunk into it. Prop the dowel up straight so the epoxy fills in all around it in the chamber.

After cure time,,punch the casting out with a cleaning rod and there's your quick-time comparison casing.
If the plug patch was far enough down, you can have the throat and rifling as well.
Don't skimp on release agent.

quote:

Originally posted by roughone:

quote:

What exactly are you talking about that is available from Amazon?

+1

This, probably.

https://www.amazon.com/Low-Mel...y%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-8

I guess I forgot, on this board you need "27 8"x 10" color glossy photos with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one, describing what it's about", when posting. (quote from Arlo Guthries' "Alices' Restaurant")

quote:

Originally posted by slivers:
A very low melting point alloy, identical to CerroSafe, with the same melting temp/'shrinkage'/normalising properties, is available from Amazon at a much lower cost than Brownells wants

Some low-melt alloys (I think I remember bismuth) expand on solidifying. Machinists use them for holding delicate workpieces.

Brownells doesn't actually "make" anything, except money of course. It'd not surprise me if they bought their 'Cerrosafe" from Roto Metals (that's what's on Amazon). I've been gunsmithing (school trained, MCC in NC) and casting chambers for over 30yrs. I've compared Cerrosafe to Roto from Amazon, and see no difference. Just make sure you order the proper alloy, as Roto Metals has several different ones.

quote:

Originally posted by slivers:
Just make sure you order the proper alloy, as Roto Metals has several different ones.

No need for circles and arrows, but would it be too much trouble to simply mention which one is the "proper" alloy?!

OMG! Please stop guessing and order some cerrosafe from Brownells! Sometimes you guys are like old women arguing about gnats.

OMG, if you are going to make a suggestion, AT LEAST BE SPECIFIC!!! Why is Slivers so vague?

I'm not arguing or even planning an order, just watching from the sidelines and making mental notes in case I need some one day.

Geez, go have a drink...

quote:

Originally posted by montea6b:
OMG, if you are going to make a suggestion, AT LEAST BE SPECIFIC!!! Why is Slivers so vague?

I'm not arguing or even planning an order, just watching from the sidelines and making mental notes in case I need some one day.

Geez, go have a drink...

Well, it appears you all are just too lazy to do a bit of investigating for yourselves!

quote:

Originally posted by slivers:
Well, it appears you all are just too lazy to do a bit of investigating for yourselves!

Well, at least in my case that's totally true!

Thanks setter5, I guess it isn't as proprietary as the 11 secret herbs and spices...

quote:

Originally posted by setters5:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerrosafe

Hit reference #2 at the bottom of the chart to go to CS Alloys page where it gives the growth rate of the Safe 165 alloy (formerly Cerrosafe) after casting i.e. .0000" after 1 hour and then continued growth to a maximum of .0025".

There is another thread on here re possibility of making a chambering reamer from a FL sizing die i.e. reverse machining. Wonder if the .0025" growth of a Safe 165 FL sizing die casting is enough 'oversize' to make a chamber reamer from?