not good at nose-pour

[Pakprotector]

I have a 22650 Hoch nose pour mold. I just made the first run. I see it is put together with nylon PEM nuts( prevailing-torque lock nuts with a bit of nylon crimped in for friction ). I am hesitant to cook this one on the warmer to get it warm, and the nuts and bolt heads sticking out keep me from getting good contact for heat transfer.

I often get a partially incorporated blob from the first bit/drop of melt from the Lee bottom pour, and I can't help feeling that I am stuck until I can get the mold hot enough.

Have not picked up the mics yet, but scale sez these are 46.5 gr and they don't fall through a .224 die. Any tips to get this puppy up to temperature when I try again?
cheers,
Douglas

[Bent Ramrod]

If you keep an eye on the mould, there should be plenty of safety margin in how long/hot you heat it. There is a lot of mass there, and it will take plenty of time to get up to temperature. Nylon doesn't melt anyway; it's a thermoset. You can start worrying about it when it starts to char and smoke, but by then the mould will be much hotter than needed for casting.

I swing the sprue plate out of the way and set the thing on the hot plate with the handles up. Not as good contact as other designs, but as good as setting it on the side of the lead pot.

Hoch moulds, in my experience, need a few break-in periods before they are at their best. That Meehanite doesn't seem to oxidize as easily as the other types of cast iron used for mould blocks.

[Pakprotector]

I like the idea of the 'handles up' warming position. I will try that today.

They certainly don't seem to have much use; they lock up with a smooth push and incidently this is the first time I have tried pushing the sprue cutter plate off by hand...:) They've got some 1983 correspondence with Robert himself. Kinda wishing this was a 2 cav...though they come out just a hair under .226. Nice sizer marks after a run through a .224 die.
cheers,
Douglas

[Bret4207]

I also have 2 Hoch NP 22 cals. There's noway around it IMO, you HAVE to get them hot. If the nylon doesn't survive, oh well! Mine don't have the nylon, they are the crimp type.

[Pakprotector]

Heat input certainly improved things. Still breaking in, and me learning its peculiarities but definitely improving.
cheers,
Douglas