Beagling with a set screw?

[Three44s]

Just thought of a wild hair!

I have never beagled a mold and it certainly works well for all who use it but here's my question:

Has anyone cross drilled a mold in the area away from the boolit cavity and tapped in a set screw to accomplish what beagling does?

IE a "Beagle Screw"?

Not trying any word play games ........... just was looking at another thread here and the talk of beagling a mold came up and this popped into my head. ............ so start twistin' words here and get PETA all unraveled!!!
:roll:




Three 44s

[Bass Ackward]

Back in the 60s we did to widen the bases. You can use the block pins if you need a larger nose.

[sundog]

I'll play. Screw PETA. How's that?

I prefer high temp flue tape. I just finished a run of about 15K of RCBS 30-180-SP in 3 casting sessions with the base only beagled. The tape never moved and never leaked any glue. The boolits are as near perfect as I need for 100 yard military bolt matches. I can removed the tape and the mould is restored to original condition, and I've saved all the work of installing set screws.

[BABore]

To do it proper, you'd have to do it at three points to have an adjustable plane. Both block halves would have to be drilled and tapped. One side for hardened wear points and the other side for adjustment. More precise, but your better off with tape.

[btroj]

Tape sure seems a while lot easier, especially for a guy without the tools to do the set screw thing.
I like a simple solution.

[Doby45]

I like the tape thing cause I have some. :)

[462]

There certainly is no need to complicate things...use tape.

[sundog]

Holy karp, batman, i said 15k and meant 1500. What was i thinking? I'm not sure I could stand up that long...

[462]

Holy karp, batman, i said 15k and meant 1500. What was i thinking? I'm not sure I could stand up that long...

I just figured you shoot a lot of them.

[nanuk]

three44's

try it and let us know how it worked?

I like BaBore's idea... perhaps a machinist could try it on a cheapy lee mould to see how well it works?

Or, there is always tape!

[Longwood]

Set screws with a piece of flat nosed brass rod inserted into the end are available at McMaster Carr.

[beagle]

We tried that when we were were working on the beagling process. It works but the screws keep working loose what with the heat and the tapping to cut the sprue so we went with the tape.

We used 10-32 socket head screws but they alway had to be readjusted after casting for awhile and Loctite disn't seem to work what with the heat.

On good thick handles, it is also possible to use a setscrew between the handles but this gives a lopsided bullet./beagle

[BABore]

Most blocks should be thick enough to put in a second set screw, behind the first, to lock it in place. Really not worth all the fuss as tape is cheap.

[BeeMan]

Holy karp, batman, i said 15k and meant 1500. What was i thinking? I'm not sure I could stand up that long...

Well, you sure impressed me. Check your PMs, when you take break.

[BeeMan]

While I haven't tried beagling, the tape approach is bound to yield more consistent results. Threaded fasteners taking repeated minor loads in a thermal cycled application are going to be hard pressed to hold the dimensions needed, regardless of thread-lockers, hard points, etc.

Tape is available at places like Lowes - bought some last fall for its designed use.

BeeMan

[JIMinPHX]

Has anyone cross drilled a mold in the area away from the boolit cavity and tapped in a set screw to accomplish what beagling does?


I've thought about doing that. I think that it's a good idea. If you want to try it, I would make three suggestions. First, use a very fine thread, like 6-40 or at least 10-32, so that you can make fine adjustments. Second, use a dog point or brass tipped type of set screw so that you get a big enough bearing surface. Third, cross drill & tap your set screw holes so that you can put a locking screw in from the side to hold your set screws in place.

Personally, I think that it is a darn good idea. It will allow you to adjust to exactly the size that you want. If I had a mold that was dropping undersized, I'd try it myself.

[cbrick]

I just finished a run of about 15K of RCBS 30-180-SP in 3 casting sessions with the base only beagled.

Hope you didn't put them all in the same box.

!80 Gr. bullet X 15,000 = 2700000 Gr. Divided by 7000 Gr. to a pound = 385.7 pounds of the same bullet.

That is a fine bullet BTW, my 308 loves it. Still searching for a load that doesn't shoot that bullet well. If only RCBS would make a four cav. Perhaps NOE or Miha will get around to doing this excellent bullet design justice.

Rick

[georgewxxx]

Before there was such a thing as Beagling, the method for some old timey casters was a center punch. Several years ago I was dealing on 3 moulds at a gun show. This old guy was downsizing his stash, and after asking about the punch marks on the inside of the cavities, he said it was to get a better fill out on the driving bands, plus make the casting a bit bigger. One in particular had two or three punch marks just opposite of each other to open the mould more yet. Two of the moulds were old smooth sided ones with no vent lines. When you center punch the metal it creates a high spot, hence it gives the mould a way to vent air. I purchased all three moulds and all work as he stated. No fining or any other problems showed up. I still use all 3 and have re-punched one smooth one to satisfy myself to see if I could make larger boolits.

Now having said all that, I'll be the first to admit it looks like heck, but between looks and functionality, I'll take the functionality any day.....Geo

[Longwood]

I have a mold that I don't like. I just may drill and tap it for 1/4" bolts which are long enough to jamb from the outer end. I could use a long shank bolt put in backwards so there was not much thread to freeze up.
Smooth a very slight radious on the mold cavity end then hack saw a small slit or grind a wrench flats on the other end and I got it.
Did any of you ever drive a VW.

[nanuk]

If you want to try it,......Third, cross drill & tap your set screw holes so that you can put a locking screw in from the side to hold your set screws in place. Fourth, cross D&T for a set screw to lock in the set screw



Heh... Fixed it for ya....

[adrians]

got tape,,? go to "beagleing",,,,, reposition tape to taste,,,, all done!:evil::happy dance::twisted:

[bowfin]

One thing to think about is that the threads of the set screw would have to be fine, and then one would have to develop a fine touch.

Suppose you use a 8-32 set screw. One complete revolution of the screw would move the set screw 1/32", or .03125". An adjustment of .002" would be 1/16 of a turn.

Now, I have had to adjust machinery and tooling using this method, but I also had a dial indicator witnessing just how much things really moved.

[JIMinPHX]

Now, I have had to adjust machinery and tooling using this method, but I also had a dial indicator witnessing just how much things really moved.

You could put a pair of calipers around the outside of the mold blocks & to see how much things move when you turn the screws.

[Three44s]

Thanks for the input ......... particularily JIMinPHX!

Georgewxxx,

I had not thought of centerpunching the inside of the face of the block even though I've done that several times to get a replacement bearing race to tighten up in a hole.

What got me thinking about a screw adjust was the fact that many of us have mutliple guns using the same mold but needing different final sized boolits. I realize that even at 40 TPI it would be a very small adjustment for a .001 or .002" change in diameter.

I have not beagled a mold yet and I would likely use tape in the begining but I caught myself thinking outside of the box while reading another thread on beagling the other night and thought why not share my wild thinking??

Best regards

Three 44s

[Three44s]

Set screws with a piece of flat nosed brass rod inserted into the end are available at McMaster Carr.


Thank you as well!! They have a rather big selection .......... one is a 3/16 X 100 .... that would be some pretty fine threads!!

Three 44s

[Longwood]

You guys using the tape, have a good method but some of us just plain "like" to tinker with stuff.

Which brings up a sore subject.

I like to tinker and make stuff. Problem is, I can't get what I need any more.

Home Depot has gone to the dogs and is trying hard to make things even worse by driving the only competition out of the area.

I went there yesterday and had to buy special higher priced grade eight bolts in order to get a 1/4" bolt with a little bit of shank on it. All of their low grade bolts are now what I always called "Cap screws" and are threaded up to the head.

They don't even have most allen head socket screws. I had to buy stainless 10-32's and I wanted grade eight with course threads.

I worked for them for a year in 08 to buy a new truck and learned to squawk to the managers so I have begun to do that each and every time I go there.

[Catshooter]

To get your fine adjustment just close the blocks on your feeler guage of choise, then set the adjustment screws, then lock 'em in.

If I was to do this I would set the screws close to the edge of the block, like say .020, then run a set screw in, then hit it with a center punch to tighten up the thread engagement.


Cat

[JIMinPHX]

I like Catshooter's idea with the feeler gauge. It's a good way of keeping things flat & it should make for a quick set up.