First HP attempt

[btroj]

http://i1348.photobucket.com/albums/p733/Btroj/Mobile%20Uploads/3FB8EFD2-F65A-4B77-9E33-3904313A39D9_zpspoo1h8g7.jpg (http://s1348.photobucket.com/user/Btroj/media/Mobile%20Uploads/3FB8EFD2-F65A-4B77-9E33-3904313A39D9_zpspoo1h8g7.jpg.html)

http://i1348.photobucket.com/albums/p733/Btroj/Mobile%20Uploads/E12934A1-7B0A-4670-8AA1-B9BCE09C94B0_zpszvn3ljsw.jpg (http://s1348.photobucket.com/user/Btroj/media/Mobile%20Uploads/E12934A1-7B0A-4670-8AA1-B9BCE09C94B0_zpszvn3ljsw.jpg.html)

Tried hollow pointing a mould tonight. I didn't have it centered as well as I thought. Not off much but enough to see. Dang it.

Still need to make a pin, handle for the pin, and drill and tap for the screw to hold the pin in place when pouring.

Pin will be .087, not too big. Could go bigger but I decided to start small. I really need to spend the bucks on a drill set so I can have on hand a variety of sizes to get what I want.

The target will have final say on how well I did.

Thanks to 1shirt for donating a few moulds to the learning.

[30Carbine]

First attempt I say you did pretty damn good. the only way to learn is just jump in and do it.

[SlippShodd]

Ah, ain't so bad. It's not easy to start that hole straight.

mike

[RED333]

Cut the pin hole bigger to get it back on center.
Mount the mold half on the carriage of you lathe.
Put the cutter in the chuck.
make the pin as big as the cutter but keep the point as small as you need.

[btroj]

I agree that bigger would be better.

Nise, I was scared to death. Decided there is only one way to learn.

I will probably put it back on lathe and drill it larger. Will see if I can get it centered better but I have a feeling the drill will follow the existing hole.

[Bored1]

Not bad at all for a first try! I've got a mold or two I wouldn't mind making lathe fodder to see what happens. Plus give ya more experience.

[btroj]

I have 3 more to work on for Paul. Still need to get the rest of this one done. I can say this for certain, Buckshot is a heck of a deal on this service.

I will let you know when I'm ready?

[geargnasher]

Maybe a tiny boring bar to get it centered up, then ream or drill? I've HP'd a few with a drill press, my trick was to file a notches at the meplat and at the bottom of the blocks to give a pyramid-shaped pilot hole dead-center between the mould halves, then scribe a line on the block faces and deepen it with a file, veeeery carefully. This gives a path for the drill to follow and helps keep it from walking as bits are prone to do.

Don't be afraid of big pins, they hold heat better. Also, don't be afraid of BRASS pins, I've made several for old factory HP moulds that were missing them and I actually prefer the brass.

Gear

[btroj]

Had not even thought of brass pins. Brass is certainly easy to work with and is available in a good variety of sizes.

[longbow]

I would be inclined to use an end mill. It should cut clean and stay on center. Drill bits to tend to wander some. Even a carbide Dremel bit might work as an end mill and they are readily available. If that hole is 0.087" then a 1/8" end mill or Dremel bit should clean it up and allow for centering. A larger pin would not be a bad thing as mentioned. The HP portion can be whatever size you want but the shank could be made larger than the first attempt so you can center up that hole.

Longbow

[Bored1]

I have 3 more to work on for Paul. Still need to get the rest of this one done. I can say this for certain, Buckshot is a heck of a deal on this service.

I will let you know when I'm ready?

Sounds great! Might wanna practice more before you touch Paul's!!!! Get one off center and you'll NEVER hear the end of it!!!! I can hear it now. He has plenty of impressively imaginative ways of describing things. Hahahhahahaah. I can hear him now....

[koehlerrk]

Looks like a dang good first attempt! How close to centered is the hole in the mold cavity? Definitely a good canidate for re-boring for a bigger pin.

Get good with this and next you'll have to try making it a Cramer style HP pin...

[btroj]

Sounds great! Might wanna practice more before you touch Paul's!!!! Get one off center and you'll NEVER hear the end of it!!!! I can hear it now. He has plenty of impressively imaginative ways of describing things. Hahahhahahaah. I can hear him now....

That IS one of his! He donated 4 to the cause.

[texassako]

I can understand the scary part of altering a mold. I have a 358156 mold here to practice hollow pointing on that someone chickened out halfway through. It sure was cheap because of that.

[Screwbolts]

That IS one of his! He donated 4 to the cause.

Being you have a lathe, I would make a guide that fits tightly into the molds cavity being supported on the greese groove and nose to hold it straight, center dill this bushing and use it for the guide to drill with, hold the blocks tightly centered in a 4 jaw chuck. The bushing /guide should hold your drill/cutter then helping to true the hole. I would approach the set of blocks with first making the bushing to center the drill/cutter. Good luck, yes, I have never hollow pointed a mold, but that is how I would take a stab at it.

A good hard cast water dropped boolit might be a good enough guide to get the hole started center. Ifn the boolit was center drilled on the lathe. then clamped back in the cavity

Ken

[Bored1]

That IS one of his! He donated 4 to the cause.

OH boy....

[RED333]

btroj look at this, just a ball mill bit.
http://users.picknowl.com.au/~gloaming_agnet/mill.html

[Boogieman]

There is a Sticky, started by Rangefinder, about HPing molds with a drill press. I've used his ideas to do 2 molds with great results. It's in Molds Maintenance & Design.

[phaessler]

Looks fine to me :D

Just my method , but I drilled mine thru the cavity with a smaller (.090-.100") bit and let it sit loose in the vise while the drill found its center in the ogive/mold parting. Then fashioned bushing and proceeded to open it up.

Here is the link to the posts I made:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?123677-HP-ing-Your-Own-Mold-without-a-Full-Machine-Shop

Pete

[leftiye]

Ditto, I like to drill spire point molds by just letting the drill center in the point of the mold. Also, a square point plunge cutting endmill might not follow the old hole too much, and might fix the present problem. If you know where to drill with it that is (heh,heh). Also ditto on the idea of making a sleeve that fits tight in the cavity and using it for a drill guide.

[btroj]

http://i1348.photobucket.com/albums/p733/Btroj/imagejpg2_zps20e2fe92.jpg (http://s1348.photobucket.com/user/Btroj/media/imagejpg2_zps20e2fe92.jpg.html)

http://i1348.photobucket.com/albums/p733/Btroj/imagejpg3_zpsc1c2b73c.jpg (http://s1348.photobucket.com/user/Btroj/media/imagejpg3_zpsc1c2b73c.jpg.html)

Need a small adjustment in the pin depth and a handle but otherwise it works quite well.

I dont one know what Buckshot charges for this service but I assure you it is very reasonable.

[Bored1]

Looks good! He should be pretty happy with that! So should you! Wish I picked things up that well first time I tried!

Ya gonna try a cramer style next?

[btroj]

Cramer style requires a level of precision in drilling I don't have. A mill would make that far more possible. For now I will be stickng with the old Lyman style removable pin.

I still need to get a know on the pin, Visegrips work but are a bit akward. The nose has a bit of flashing that I don't like, pin adjustment should eliminate that.

[Bored1]

Would it be easier to chuck the pin in a drill press to fine tune it? I've never seen a lathe in person, let alone used one so just a shot in the dark!

[RED333]

Looks good, on the flash, maybe back the pin out just a bit?

[btroj]

Back the pin out a bit is exactly the plan. With a set screw holding it in place that is the easy solution.

Just drilled another mould. Figured out a much faster way to get it centered in the lathe. Took less than 20 minutes to get it ready and drilled. Was making the collar that holds the pin and keeps in in place when pouring but broke my 6-32 tap. Dang it.

[leftiye]

I turn the collars integral to the pin. Also FWIW, I like to not have a wooden knob on the pin, but rather a flat flange (?) on the pin where the pin usually goes into the knob. I handle it with a small pair of pliers. It makes it easier to get the pin hot in the mold on a mold heater.

[Bored1]

20 mins second time around? You sure are a quick learner. Ever wanna take up tutoring algebra let me know! Mythical math sucks!

[Artful]

Looks darn good to me.

[btroj]

Here ya go Leftiye, a one piece pin and collar.