why do you whack on your mould?

[troy_mclure]

I've been watching a few videos, and reading threads where people mention "whacking" their sprue plate mould with a stick. either to cut the sprue or drop the boolit.

why do you do this?

I've even cast pure tin boolits and had no prob cutting the sprue by hand.

and with the 60% of boolits that dont fall right of the mould(mostly cause i dont let it cool long enough) a wee bit of pressure with my thumb will pop them right out.

so am i missing something by not whacking my mould?

[BABore]

Aggression therapy!

[Wayne Smith]

The only mold I've ever had to whack the sprue plate is a Lyman 4-cavity. That one I couldn't cut by hand, but that was prior to BullPlate. Maybe I can cut it earlier now? All of the other ones I cut by hand.

[Shepherd2]

I think age has a lot to do with it for many of us. I'm just a few weeks shy of my 70th birthday and with aging I can't or won't do many things that I once did. These days if I put too much strain on my hands I know I will be paying for it in days to come. So I'll continue to whack my moulds with a stick and save my hands so I can shoot those boolits.

[bootsnthejeep]

I used to use the chunk o' wood method, now I have a small dead-blow plastic hammer. I'll admit it, I whack the mould out of habit, cause that's the way I was taught. But lately, I started experimenting with cutting the sprues by hand, and it works fine on most of my moulds, but occasionally I still have to whack the hinge pin to encourage the bullet out. So I have to pick the hammer up anyway, so instead of cutting the sprue by hand, I just use the top side of the head of the hammer to push the plate open.

Of course, my H&G moulds need no encouragement to get the bullets out, but some of my Lymans are still a tad sticky. The Lees are a bit frustrating from time to time too. <WHACK>

[smokemjoe]

My custom molds I use my hand, but I have a red hande from a hammer, made of some hard plastic like material that I have used for 15 or more years.

[putteral]

For me it is also the age thing. Do not have the kind of hand strength I use to.
That is why I like the 6 cavity molds,no whacking.

[Bret4207]

I have arthritis in my fingers. If I wear gloves I'm even more clumsy. And I still do a lot of ladle casting and grabbing the ladle with gloves would be quite a chore. Opening the sprue plate with a rawhide mallet is not an issue if done properly.

[Shooter6br]

I use a raw hide hammer Works on molds and many things that need a non mar hammering

[DLCTEX]

I cut sprues by hand and keep a plastic mallet handy to tap the bolt of the handles to shake loose any reluctant boolits. I like my moulds, so I want to be as kind and gentle as possible.

[HeavyMetal]

Only on the Lyman 4 cavity molds, any make of 2 can I can open by hand and prefer to.

The Lee 6 bangers have that cool cam plate so no need there.

Back in the day I had a friend with a pair of 10 Cav H&G 68 molds for that you needed a whacker and I used a non marring hammer for that.

[RayinNH]

I would call it more of a gentle tap, a whack is not needed. I don't wear gloves when I cast, I find they're too clumsy. Opening a sprue plate without gloves would take a lot of the fun away, real quickly...Ray

[powderburnerr]

I use a knocker cause the mould is too hot to grab on to with a bare hand,, I am politicaly incorrect and do not wear gloves, ..Dean

[troy_mclure]

I would call it more of a gentle tap, a whack is not needed. I don't wear gloves when I cast, I find they're too clumsy. Opening a sprue plate without gloves would take a lot of the fun away, real quickly...Ray

i like to drop the boolit from the mould right into my glove, roll 'em around, check 'em out, etc....

then i put them in my bowl.


i dont think it would much fun for you!

[Char-Gar]

In 1960 I bought a 16" hammer handle from Sears and have used that same handle to cut sprus all of these years.

[mdi]

I don't like to wear gloves when casting. (And, yes, I'm aware of the possibilities). So cutting sprues by hand is realllllly painful so I whack 'em. And besides, that's what the instructions say...

[kawalekm]

I've done it both ways. I started out whacking, then heard about opening the sprue by hand and found that it works too. I eventually went back to 100% whacking because it's less effort for me. Two reasons actually. The first is gradual heat buildup in my leather gloves. Ten or twenty casts was just fine. After a hundred or more my gloves got unconfortablly hot. The second is consistancy and rythum. Maybe one out of twenty casts required a whack anyway. That ruins my "cadence". Since I have to use a whack every 20 or so, I might as well use them for all.

[94Doug]

I didn't know there was any other way.

Doug

[AZ-Stew]

Another whacker here. No gloves, either. I have Lyman and Lee 2-banger moulds over 30 years old that have had the sprue plate whacked to open and the moulds are good as new. It's all in how you apply the force and the tool used.

As long as you hit the sprue plate such that the force is applied in the plane of rotation of the sprue plate around its hinge screw, there is no damage. I began using a wood hammer handle I bought from Sears many years ago. One time when my father in law was visiting, he saw my old splintered hammer handle and decided I needed a Cadillac whacker. When he got home he turned one for me on his wood lathe from a piece of Indiana Hickory. It's starting to splinter a bit now, so maybe I'll get a new one for Christmas.

Once the sprue plate is open, I can use the whacker stick to tap the mould handle hinge to drop sticky boolits from the mould and to roll the completed boolits into a pile on the back of my drop towel, giving me a chance to take a quick look for obvious defects. Rounded bases, voids and poor fillout sends the offending boolits back to the pot with the sprues.

Regards,

Stew

[dromia]

I don't wear gloves when casting so hand operating the sprue plate isn't an otion, unless its a lee 6 gang.

So the rawhide hammer tap for me.

[hammerhead357]

Plus one for the whacker. I use a several 8 or 10 cavity H & G moulds. I have never tried to cut the sprue by hand and don't think I will try.
I use a synthetic hammer. I have seen some like mine at Tandy Leather stores. I have used the same one for over 20 years and several of those years were when I was casting commercially. It gets a little beaten up and I will take a file to it to knock of the rough spots. It is stll very usable.
Even when using Lee six cavity moulds I keep it handy to tap out sticky boolits.
Yes I care very much about my moulds so I treat them gently. You really can't replace the 8 and 10 cavity H & G moulds anymore....Wes

[mtgrs737]

I use a rawhide hammer to whack the spru plate and tap the hinge pin with, best I have ever used.

[fredj338]

Only on the Lyman 4 cavity molds, any make of 2 can I can open by hand and prefer to.

The Lee 6 bangers have that cool cam plate so no need there.

Back in the day I had a friend with a pair of 10 Cav H&G 68 molds for that you needed a whacker and I used a non marring hammer for that.
Same here.

[sagamore-one]

I use a one pound lead headed hammer to both cut sprues and to tap boolits free. Hensley & Gibbs provided me with this hammer mould when I purchased my first 6 cavity # 68 back in 1980.
Anyone who has ever bought a used H&G from me can verify that the moulds were not damaged in any way even after years , many years of repeated hammering with the leadhead.

[RICKLANDES]

I've been watching a few videos, and reading threads where people mention "whacking" their sprue plate mould with a stick. either to cut the sprue or drop the boolit.

why do you do this?


Because I don't have a porcupine.[smilie=w:

[theperfessor]

I use a hardwood hammer handle to "whack" my sprue plates. As stated by several other posters, some medical problems with my hands prevent me from opening most molds by hand, Lee 6 cavs excepted.

I NEVER whack the mold itself, just the hinge pin on the handles. Sticking molds get deburred, sometimes polished when necessary, so hard whacks are not necessary.

[casterofboolits]

I'm a whacker too as I normally run three Lyman four cavity molds in series. Ya ain't opening that first mold when ya get back to it!
At times I run three H&G eight cavity 45 molds in series. Ain't gonna open them by hand either. And I wear gloves at all times. Lead gets kinda hot.

[ghh3rd]

I was opening the sprue plate recently with gloved hands. Found out that my gloves wore out (split seam) right at the web of my hand. Ouch!!!!

[jdgabbard]

Same with me... I open 2 cavs by hand. But on the 4-Cavity molds, I use a mallet.

[ANeat]

I use a small lead hammer, because thats what the instructions said to do (H&G)

[That'll Do]

I'm a whacker too–I use the RCBS wood mallet.

Of course, I don't whack the mould itself, only the handle or hinge pin.

[Bent Ramrod]

I used a hammer handle until it was so thin it had no hitting power. Then I switched to a rawhide mallet.

You have to show the mould who's boss!:lol:

[dbldblu]

I modify all my sprue plates such that an open end wrench fits them and then cam them open. Whacking cannot be good for mold alignment pins long term, I don't care what Lyman says.

[Fugowii]

I use a piece of Ash. On some I tap gently, on others I tap less gently. I haven't tried moving
the hot sprue plate by hand and don't intend to try. Seems to me that is akin to holding the
hamburger over the coals to cook it.

[wistlepig1]

No gloves, I know but like some of the other I don't have the hands of a twenty something anymore. I whack with a cut down plastic night stick, works great for me.

[Evil Dog]

Rawhide hammer works fine for me. Wear glove only on the hand that is holding the Lyman 4 cavity mold.... use RCBS bottom pour pot.

[AZ-Stew]

Whacking cannot be good for mold alignment pins long term, I don't care what Lyman says.

While you're whacking the boolits in the cavities are taking what little torque is generated, not the alignment pins. The mould handles must be held closed while whacking, otherwise all sorts of damage can occur. Same with throwing a pair of loose mould blocks in the drawer when finished with them. They need to be kept closed at all times when not casting. How do you think all the whackers here have gotten away with it for so long? And as others have said, you just can't open a gang mould by hand (Lees excepted). Too many sprues to cut. Certainly care must be taken. You can't beat up or down on the sprue plate, nor can you whack on it with a steel headed hammer. I think I have at least one mould I purchased used that someone abused in that manner. It bungs up the sprue plate something fierce. Other than that, though, the mould is very usable.

Regards,

Stew

[redriverhunter]

I dont use gloves and I find that flat head screwdriver about 6 inches works the best for me, if i need to adjust my drip o matic it in hand, i can test the hardness of the lead on the spruce plate before cutting and its handy been the best for me tried a platic mallet not nearly as good

[finishman2000]

why not? whatever is fastest for me. of coarse since i bought my master caster life has gotten easier all the way around

[Lloyd Smale]

cant stand wearing gloves when i cast.

[LAH]

I'm a whacker also. If I cast with one mould I can open by hand but most of my square driving band moulds require a whack to the hinge pin to shake them loose anyway. If I push the bullet from the mould with my thumb I worry the driving band may be moved from square position.

I wear a glove on my right hand because the valve lever on my Master Pot & the pot stand it too hot for the bare hand......Creeker


Dry Creek Bullet Works
Dry Creek Firewood

[armexman]

Because casting for me is only done to reduce work related STRESS;). But seriously folks. The use of LBT mold lube sticks, Bullshop Sprue Plate Lube, Occasional Leementing and correct Mold temperature has me just giving a slight or small tap to the hinge pins, sometimes with the good molds they just fall out into the water or onto the towel. All these techniques have been learned by reading the STICKIES, Searching and Reading, applying and generally understanding that (apart from the occasional speils against ANY immigranton on these forums) this IS THE most knowledgeable casting site that the LORD has given Mankind;) AND calm down I really do love everyone here even if they have some faults!!

[45-70 Chevroner]

I'v been casting for about 38 years. I have used a whacker almost exclusively, except for Lee 6 bangers ( a god send ). I came up with a real stupid idea about10 years into my casting and had my brother in-law make me a brass hammer head and a short stainless handle that he threaded then drilled and threaded the hammer head. It made a real nice whacker. About 6 months of casting showed what a stupid idea this was. I still have the hammer and I use it often but not to whack my molds. Of course you know what happened by using it as a mold whacker. I replaced the sprue cutters on a couple of molds. Of course at that time they were the only two I had.

[qajaq59]

why do you whack on your mould? So far I still open the sprue plate by hand. But when my arthritis gets a little worse I'll end up whacking it for sure.

[Shuz]

I've been using a rawhide mallet for over 40 years. Many moulds do not drop boolits easily when opened, so the handle hinge needs tapping anyway.

[BPCR Bill]

I used to be a whacker, but on rifle boolits I find that cutting the sprue by hand will result in a much nicer boolit base, no tearing. Some folks tend to get carried away with the stick or hammer, and that can really screw up the molds, like getting peening around the alignment pins. I've seen some guys that have problems with mold fill, and have opened up the sprues. Then you just about have to strike the sprue plate with something.

Regards,
Bill

[Spector]

A buddy gave me some nice Kevlar gloves. Easy to manipulate molds and handles heat well. No more whacking for me. I can drop boolits right in my hand to inspect when needed....Mike

[bohokii]

i whack the sprueplate with the thing i use to beat the hinge to get the stuck bullets out

[The Dove]

I'll whack dat bell if IWANNA!!!!!

The Dove

[Mike W1]

Mr. Dennis Marshall put me onto this in a letter many years back. Enough heft to cut the sprue easily or tap the hinge pin if a bullet sticks. Doesn't hurt my Lyman sprue cutters and I have used it on aluminum sprue cutters with no harm when I experimented with them some years back. I don't think I could cast without it now.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u310/Mike4245/HPIM1771.jpg

[Doc Highwall]

I just use heavy leather gloves.

[Ole]

I whack because it works. :mrgreen:

[home in oz]

If the mold is hot enough you can mostly cut the sprue by hand.

Of course with "sticky" molds, you are back to tapping the mold.....

[adrians]

it just feels good to whack something sometimes (like when your sunday paper doesn't show up ):twisted:[smilie=w::evil:

[crabo]

i like to drop the boolit from the mould right into my glove, roll 'em around, check 'em out, etc....

then i put them in my bowl.



It appears to me that you are not a high volume shooter. I would never get enough cast to meet my needs if I did this.

I hold my piece of hickory sledge hammer handle in my right hand and lift the lever on my RCBS pot with the whacker. Cool the sprue on a wet towel with my left hand, whack the sprue plate, open, whack the hinge, close it with the whacker and repeat as necessary. You don't have to set anything down, change hand positions, and you can rock and roll.

[Wayne Smith]

I should probably expound on my process. I have wacked (gently) molds when I started, and then I got a Lee two cavity. Have several of them. I also found welding gloves. With most of my Lee two cavities I place the mold in the palm of the glove after emptying to ensure that the sides of the mold align correctly. As I got into that habit I discovered that I could indeed cut sprues with thumb pressure except on the four cavity molds. I've been doing it that way ever since.

[NHlever]

I've been watching a few videos, and reading threads where people mention "whacking" their sprue plate mould with a stick. either to cut the sprue or drop the boolit.

why do you do this?

I've even cast pure tin boolits and had no prob cutting the sprue by hand.

and with the 60% of boolits that dont fall right of the mould(mostly cause i dont let it cool long enough) a wee bit of pressure with my thumb will pop them right out.

so am i missing something by not whacking my mould?

Of course you are missing something! We do it because of what you are missing, and wouldn't understand.

[Moonie]

I used to be a whacker, now I cut the spru with my leather gloved hand. Now that I have leemented my Lee molds I usually don't need much wacking to get the boolits out, except for the 1oz slug mold...

Once up to proper temp my Mihec mold doesn't require anything more than a slight tap, if that.

[MT Gianni]

I whack a Ly 4 cavity with an old pin from a crossarm. If I get sticking bullets I try and fix the mold but will occasionally get a hanger or two. I like to flick them out with a gloved thumb but occasionally have to hit the hinge.

[casterofboolits]

I use a Sears 6 oz. hammer with plastic tips. I run three moulds in series and the lead is set well by the time I get back to the first one.

If you can cut the sprue by hand the lead has not set yet and you can tear the base of the boolit and deform the OD. YMMV

[montana_charlie]

Much is said on this site about frost vs. shiny, dipping vs. bottom pour, and whacking vs. hand cutting.
A lot of the difference (in what people choose) applies to the kind of shooting they are casting for.

Here is a guy casting big bullets for black powder cartridges.
He will look for shiny bullets, uses a dipper, and (in his case) uses his hand AND a whacker for every bullet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiJikigdIow

I know his rhythm will drive crabo nuts, but those who 'cast to relax' will find solace in it.
It is a long way from the Bruce B. method, but it results in perfect bullets...something rarely seen in the pictures posted on this site.

CM

[Char-Gar]

To the original post: I have been using the same 12" hammer handle to cut the spru since 1960. After many thousands of casts with scores of molds, no damage has been done to any mold.

[RP]

Maybe Whacker is not the correct wording. I use a stick to open my spruce plate push boolits out of the way and sometimes to TAP the bolt to talk a sticker out. I think Whacking a mold is just wrong you pay to much for them. Unless its a lee then you can beat the heck out of it lol. I just got a die to swag bullets and been doing some reading looks like a hammer is needed to make them I am going to come up with something else to remove them besides a hammer.

[9.3X62AL]

I wear gloves, and use a small rawhide mallet to open sprue plates and to tap on the handle hinge when the boolits hang up. Gotta say--that cam arrangement on the Lee 6-cylinder moulds is a significant upgrade to the hobby.

Keeping a mallet ready at hand keeps the Lyman moulds focused on the matter at hand, respectful, and maintains their positive attitude. Lose the mallet, and they get uppity and cranky on ya. Can't have THAT.

[cabezaverde]

You no glove guys shouldn't be posting that on the web - the gov will pass a law.

(not a glove wearer either).

[BruceB]

For many years now, I've used a small plastic mallet or stick of hardwood to cut the sprue (NOT to "whack the mould"). The implement NEVER strikes the mould...it impacts the end of the sprue plate or (if bullets are sticking a bit) the sides of the handle after the blocks are opened

The energy imparted in cutting the sprue is applied to cutting the alloy connecting the sprue to the bullets...NOT to damaging the mould. I have moulds that have cast thousands upon thousands of bullets over decades, and they show no damage whatever. One quickly learns the amount of "whack" needed to do the job, and it's not very much. I don't use excessive force; it's more of a "tap-tap" than a blow. Naturally, due consideration must be used to ensure proper alignment of the strike, etc.

I lose no sleep about my "brutality and mis-treatment" of my moulds, because there's simply no harm done. It's also more efficient for *ME* to do it this way.

[crabo]

Here is a guy casting big bullets for black powder cartridges.
He will look for shiny bullets, uses a dipper, and (in his case) uses his hand AND a whacker for every bullet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiJikigdIow

I know his rhythm will drive crabo nuts, but those who 'cast to relax' will find solace in it.
It is a long way from the Bruce B. method, but it results in perfect bullets...something rarely seen in the pictures posted on this site.

CM

I think that the way he is casting, is the way to go for the gun and game he is shooting. But I doubt that he would cast that way if he was shooting lots of 45 acp. But then again he might, different strokes for different folks.

[qajaq59]

I've always cut the sprue with my gloved hand. And I while I may have to tap the mold handle to get the bullet out occasionally I can't say I have ever whacked it. I tap it with a soft pine, 1 inch dowel, that has a 3/8 inch lead core like the old night sticks.

[Tom-ADC]

I think age has a lot to do with it for many of us. I'm just a few weeks shy of my 70th birthday and with aging I can't or won't do many things that I once did. These days if I put too much strain on my hands I know I will be paying for it in days to come. So I'll continue to whack my moulds with a stick and save my hands so I can shoot those boolits.

Yep I'm right behind you, these old hands sometimes just hurt..:castmine:

[qajaq59]

I'm 71, and yeah, it can get to the athritis in my thumb at times. But I cast often, and not too many at a time, so it isn't too bad.

[fishhawk]

got to whack them molds just to let them know who's the boss! little buggers get so mouthy otherwise...... steve k

[wallenba]

I think age has a lot to do with it for many of us. I'm just a few weeks shy of my 70th birthday and with aging I can't or won't do many things that I once did. These days if I put too much strain on my hands I know I will be paying for it in days to come. So I'll continue to whack my moulds with a stick and save my hands so I can shoot those boolits.


Ditto.

[casterofboolits]

Buncha "ole farts" here! I'll be 69 in Feb. Cast out three RCBS 10 kilo pots today. Used two H&G eight cavity and one H&G four cavity for 185 and 200 H&G 68's.

The eight cavity moulds are starting to get heavy and my left thumb is starting to lock up. Getting old ain't for the faint of heart!

And yes, I whacked the bejesus outta the moulds!!!!

[prs]

Mostly using Lee 6 cavity molds, but on others I "tap" the spru plate in one smooth motion with the hickory handle from a 3# sledge. I don't mind gloves for many jobs, but I cast bare handed. Don't mind the occasional 1st or 2nd degree burns, just part of living.

prs

[jnovotny]

Been a tapper for all my life. It was the way I was taught. Be sides that I also cast with my bare hands, can't stand gloves, works well for me. Just tap on the handle hinge bolt never smack the mold blocks. I lent a fella a 357 round nose lee 2 cav once and told him not to hit the mold blocks themselves., he didn't listen and beat the crud out of a good mold. I learned a good lesson , I don't loan molds , am happy to mold some up for him but he don't get my molds no more.

[troy_mclure]

maybe its an rcbs thing? i have had a mould replaced by rcbs because the boolits wouldnt come out.

i have to really whack it with a 1" dowel rod to knock them loose.

[maximus]

i havew trouble opening my lee 9mm mold , i have to wack the heck out of it.

[stainless1911]

I have to whack the Lyman .40 TC mold 4 or 5 times to get the bullets out.

[Bullshop]

Stainless 1911
If you have to whack that mold there must be some burs on the edge of the cavities holding the boolits in. That particular style should drop easily.
Take a powerful magnifier and look closely at the very edge of each cavity. You may see a bur raised by the cutting tool that will need to be removed. When properly done I bet those TC design boolits will drop out when you open the mold.
I have had an exception to this that was due to the cavity being cut off center so on one block the metal of the block began to wrap around past center of the boolit so that the boolit was trapped in the cavity and would require feverish pounding to deform the boolit enough to escape the cavity.

[stainless1911]

Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out shortly.

[Von Gruff]

I got a length of brass tube and put a piece of dowel inside it. That has always been my ' whacker' but again as has been said it is more of a tap, on the side of the handle now rather than the hinge pin. Just seems to work better from there.

Von Gruff.

[DeanWinchester]

I cast right next to a large bench vise. I like to open the jaws just enough so that I can use it to gently pry the plate open. I just insert the plate extension in and pull. Took me a while to "stumble" on that, but I get perfect bases every time now and the beating my molds take is exponentially less. I have found once my mold is at temp, a gentle slow pry makes a very smooth base. Whackin' the thing open tends to tear more than shear, at least in my XP. I do have a mold mallet made from Bodock that I have been using for many moons now. Even levering open the plate it still needs the occasional "encouragement" to release from time to time.

[Dale53]

I started out like everyone else "whacking" the sprue plate. Then I graduated to opening with my hands. I wear welders gloves, am 75 years old and can easily open NOE's five cavity and MiHec's four cavity moulds without issue.

My reasons are rather simple - less chance to damage a sprue plate and I definitely get better base cut off when using my hands. I have a one inch piece of delrin when I need to tap the hinge to drop the bullets.

Use what works for you - however, go gently with your moulds. I have some moulds I have had over fifty years and they are still in good shape. Some have cast tens of thousands of bullets over the years.

Dale53

[freighthauler]

hello everyone,and merry christmas! have been a whacker for some years,but since buying lee six-bangers,i have become a super whacker.thought the cam-lever was genius, and it is,'till my alloy sets too hard. i have broken and replaced three levers! whacking didn't work so i pulled on the lever so hard, that it broke. am thinking the problem is my melt. have polished,smoked, and used kroil. have tried cutting at diff. intervals, thinking maybe it was temp. related. 'bout to give up on these alum., thing is, sometimes they run great! is it my alloy?

[HORNET]

Breaking the levers on the Lee 6-bangers is fairly common. As you noted, it usually happens when you let the sprues set too long. Another common cause is failure to get the lever closed correctly before casting so that the cam can't do its thing and make the cutting easier. Get the mold warmed up well by casting just the cavity nearest the pivot screw and adding more cavities as the mold warms up, a preheating hot plate will help a lot. Cut the sprues as soon as the sprue changes on the last cavity filled and don't spend much time inspecting the last ones cast. They usually need to be run pretty fast.
If all else fails, Red River Rick sells some heavy-duty steel cam levers as replacements. See the vendor section for details.

[Dale53]

Broken Lee sprue plate levers is almost certainly because the operator didn't cut the sprue as soon as the color changed. In the early days, I had to learn that the hard way.

I can operate six cavity sprue plates with my hands if I cut promptly - soon after the color changes. The hardness changes dramatically in just few seconds. Concentrate on cutting as soon as the color changes and you won't have any more broken handles.

Dale53

[freighthauler]

thanks much guys,yes, most of the time i can just pull 'em off, but sometimes it sets much harder, immediately!hence the broken levers! hornet, i'll get in touch with RRR, right away! thanks again.

[troy_mclure]

well i am officially a mould whacker!

ive found that it is way easier to smack the hinge than try pushing out stuck tiny .22 boolits.