Having trouble with H&G mold.

[BigboreShooter]

Picked up a 4cav. H&G 503 mold.It has a trough type sprue plate on it. I hand dip when I cast.With this mold I can not get the bullets to fill out,especially the base.What am I doing wrong? Is this type of sprue plate work best with a bottom pour pot?

BigboreShooter

[mdi]

I wouldn't think the sprue plate would have much to do with bullets sticking in the mold. First I'd look closely for burrs, itty bitty burrs will keep a bullet from falling out of a mold. If you find any just remove them with an India stone. I have "polished" the cavities of a couple molds with Comet and oil on a lap (a bullet case from the mold with a screw in the base to chuck in a drill). Make a paste with the cleanser and oil and slather it on the lap and carefully polish the cavity...

[LenH]

I have only used a bottom pour with these molds. I have 4, 6 & 8 cavity molds and they cast like champs. I would assume the trough is to keep the sprue puddle
from running all over the place but it doesn't guarantee it.

What ladle are you using and do you heat the mold on a hot plate? It sounds like the mold is not hot enough.

[jsizemore]

When you bottom pour into a mold you usually pour to one side of the hole to allow room for the air in the cavity to escape. Since you ladle pouring there might not be enough room for the air to get out. You could loosen the sprue plate pivot and stop screws to see if that is the problem. You might try this:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?335962-Breaking-top-of-mold&highlight=venting

Sometimes slowing your pour rate will help. That will give the vent lines in the mold face a chance to work. Could be the vent lines are clogged.

[toallmy]

Generally venting or temp causes the base to not fill out nice and flat I believe . Just a thought .

[lightman]

When I'm using a mold with a trough I fill the one furtherest away from me first and tilt the end closest to me up. All of my H&G molds are a joy to cast with.

[Valley-Shooter]

When I'm using a mold with a trough I fill the one furtherest away from me first and tilt the end closest to me up. All of my H&G molds are a joy to cast with.

That's way I do it. The next problem is those screw heads sticking out the bottom of the H & G mould.

[LenH]

That's way I do it. The next problem is those screw heads sticking out the bottom of the H & G mould.

It was suggested some time back to use a 1/8 X 3/4 roll pin and a set screw 10-32 X 1/4 long will make a 4 cavity sit flush on the bottom. If I did it again I would get a longer set screw.

[44MAG#1]

On my two versions of the H&G 503 I can cast with a ladle very well IF DONE CORRECTLY.
Like the poster before said I hold the mold with the back of the mold elevated and fill coming up the mold.

[dale2242]

The H&G shop test cast their molds by ladle casting....dale

[Springfield]

Mould isn't hot enough, and with ladle casting it can be even more difficult to keep them hot as ladle casting takes longer than bottom pouring. But many do it, so try pre-heating your mold and keep up a good casting pace.

[varmintpopper]

Take a close look at the vent lines, if they are even partially plugged with lead or dirt it will restrict the escaping air and cause a problem filling out.
keeping the mold, lead and ladle hot is a must to making good boolits.

Good Shooting

Lindy

[BigboreShooter]

Thanks for the info. I'll try tipping the mold next time.

BigboreShooter

[Valley-Shooter]

It was suggested some time back to use a 1/8 X 3/4 roll pin and a set screw 10-32 X 1/4 long will make a 4 cavity sit flush on the bottom. If I did it again I would get a longer set screw.

I was thinking about doing that, but not a roll pin.
I could see that roll pin getting expanded by the set screw and getting stuck in there.
I was thinking of using a drill rod and a set screw. That would require a special order and money, so I haven't done it yet.

[dale2242]

What LenH says.
There is no need to tighten the set screw tight enough to expand the roll pin.
The roll pins I have been using are very hard.
It would take a lot of force to expand one.
I have been using them for a while now and never had problems.
The protruding handle screws are the only drawback to H&G molds.
BTW, H&G said to adjust the sprue plate tension so that the plate would swing open under it`s own weight when the mold is empty.
This may solve your fillout problem.