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Thread: Custom Round Ball Molds - Heavy Metal Molds

  1. #101
    Boolit Master JTknives's Avatar
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    all right guys I'm about ready to start taking orders. im working on a big batch of sprue plates as we speak. I just got the group buy of 12 cav buck shot molds done and shipped. almost there.
    Last edited by JTknives; 04-19-2013 at 11:34 AM.
    It's not the size of your brass that matters, It's how you tumble it.

  2. #102
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    Can you give us some prices? We are in the dark, and would like to know what you have to offer, and the prices for it/them.
    Do you have a price sheet, for single, double and multiples?
    Regards
    Jack

  3. #103
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    I missed that buck shot mold, damn I am just to new on the site to had known about it, but as to what I saw,,,, wow nice work man

    I will be watching for more shot sizes and if anyone falls thu on one of those ,, there loss would be my sweet gain

    let us know if you move up to slug styles for the 12 gadge with a given wad or whatever

    Keep up the nice work man
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  4. #104
    Boolit Master turbo1889's Avatar
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    @ JTknives (HM^2)

    As you may or may not know a round ball in the 0.678"-0.682" diameter range is the perfect size to use as a wad-slug for most common 12ga. shot wads. It is also a not so common size mold that are usually more difficult to find and more expensive and some of the RB molds in that size do not have sprue plates. There are a lot of us shotgun loads that are kind of tired of casting only one ball at a time in that size from a mold that costs nearly or even over $100 with a proper sprue plate in that ball size.

    Using the stated block size for the buckshot molds you have already made ( 1.375" x 1.375" x 3.000" ) and expanding that to a 4.500" long block to match the length of the Lee six cavity blocks and making the assumption that your handle slots are dead center vertically and half the thickness of the blocks deep this is what I came up with using a 0.800" cavity spacing for a double sided mold to maximize cavity count to give nine total cavities - five on the top end of the blocks and four on the bottom end (gives clearance for the alignment pins and just fits better in general). If you used your standard 3" block length it would only give five total cavities - three on the top and two on the bottom.



    Anyway that's the particular possibility that I'm foaming at the mouth over. If the handle slots were only about 0.300" deep instead of half the thickness of the 1.375" blocks or the blocks were 1.500" wide it would give better wall thickness in that pinch spot trying to cram that big ball size into standard size blocks. Also had to guess on the size and position of your two alignment pins in the bottom corners of the blocks. Think you get the idea though of the kind of high quality 0.68" RB gang mold I and a lot of other guys who load that size ball as a shotgun wad-slug would like to get our hands on.

    Also, it has been done by others before, and is considered by prerequisite to by OK to post group buy threads for shotgun specific molds and other stuff in the shotgun section of the forum and get a lot more traffic with those interested in that end accordingly or at least link to the main thread in the group buy section from the shotgun section. Get better traffic that way for shotgun specific group buys or sale lots.
    Last edited by turbo1889; 06-04-2013 at 04:52 AM.

  5. #105
    Boolit Master
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    bump for interest in a .690 or so gang mould. I just got one of your buckshot moulds, it is very nice.

  6. #106
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    Turbo, that's pretty wild. Casting large round ball is so easy with a good quality mold, I was able to cast a whole bunch with a single cavity, load and shoot a bunch, and still have a gallon of 68 cal balls left. I don't believe I could source enough alloy to let me use a 9 cavity mold!
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  7. #107
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    What this country needs is a good .595 multi-cavity mold.
    The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
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  8. #108
    Boolit Master turbo1889's Avatar
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    I suppose its a matter of attitude - for some casting is enjoyment in and of itself. For me casting is a chore that must be done before the real fun begins - namely load development and shooting. I also enjoy the process of perfecting a boolit design to work to my ideal of perfection with a particular gun or set of guns. But the actual casting itself is just the chore that must be done before I get back to the good part. Thus casting for me is all all about production rate while maintaining quality and the more I can make in one sitting to extent my fun time between chore sessions the better.

    As to ball size - the 9-cavity double sided set-up I propose in my previous post would work for sizes from about 0.490"-0.690" and the sizes in that range I would personally be interested in would be 0.680" (centered tolerances) and then to a slightly lesser extent 0.625+" (all tolerances to the + side). Others would like other ball sizes in that range I'm sure. The ideal kind of group buy would be one where the basic mold arrangement was the same for the whole group buy (for me ideally what I proposed in the above post in a slightly wider and longer mold block size of 1.375"-Tall x 1.500"-Wide x 4.500"-Long) but we could each pick our own desired size within the range of possibilities for that block - since HM^2 appears to be using a CNC process that can accommodate any ball size I don't think that's an unreasonable thing to ask.
    Last edited by turbo1889; 06-05-2013 at 08:01 PM.

  9. #109
    Boolit Grand Master

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    While I do like casting and seeing those nice boolits/balls fall out of a mould, I agree with turbo that a multi cavity mould in about 0.680" would produce large round balls rapidly and should be a good seller. Not sure about rifled barrels but it is about the perfect size for smoothbore. I think rifled barrels vary quite a bit but the Remington I borrowed was 0.727" groove diameter so that should be a good fit with 0.680" ball in a standard Winchester shotcup and if the bore is larger, a wrap of mylar, Teflon or paper inside the cup would snug it up.

    I think round balls are great!

    I am still having trouble getting hollow base or attached wad slugs to shoot as well as round balls out to 50/60 yards (from smoothbore). Beyond that the conicals may win but in a rifled gun I think a round ball is hard to beat unless you are looking for a real heavyweight slug.

    I am all for a multi cavity large round ball mould.

    Longbow

  10. #110
    Boolit Master


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    I would be interested in a multi-cavity .680 mold, but I can't really say that a 9 cavity would please me. Has any one considered the weight of that mold "FILLED" and the fatigue factor to one arm/wrist. I would be happy with a 3-4 cavity myself.
    Just my .02.
    Jack

  11. #111
    Boolit Master turbo1889's Avatar
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    In that case I assume you wouldn't be interested in a 100 cavity ultimate gang mold like this one (no its not mine ):


  12. #112
    Boolit Master
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    That is the mother of all gang molds, for sure. What is it used to cast, and who made it?
    You have the right to force me to pay for the feeding, housing, clothing, education, and medical treatment of yourself and your children when I have THE RIGHT TO FORCE YOU TO PICK MY COTTON!

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    "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

  13. #113
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Yikes! That would be a handful!

  14. #114
    Boolit Master turbo1889's Avatar
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    I don't know who made the mold but I do know that it makes 158gr. plain base SWC boolits for 38-spl. & 357-mag loads.

    As for those who think 9 cavities is excessive. Well you could get yours with just the top 5 cavities only without the second set of offset cavities and second sprue plate on the bottom of the blocks. Single sided instead of double sided, BUT, I'm sure some of use (including myself) would be willing to pay more though for the second set of cavities on the bottom.

  15. #115
    Boolit Master


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    You assumed correctly turbo.

  16. #116
    Boolit Grand Master

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    There have been a few comments about double sided moulds and it seems like a good idea but I have as yet to see one in production. It seems like a logical idea so why aren't there any out there... or at least if there are, why aren't they more common?

    Round balls seem like a good size/shape for it but even any boolits requiring cavities of less than half the mould block depth would work too or stagger the cavities as turbo has shown.

    Maybe block warpage is a problem with so much metal removed?

    Curious.

    Longbow

  17. #117
    Boolit Master turbo1889's Avatar
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    NOE advertises that for 22-cal boolit molds they do a double sided 10-cavity with five in the top and five in the bottom. Since they have done 22-cal runs before I assume there are a few of those floating around.

  18. #118
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Yes, I think I do remember seeing the discussion thread on that one now you mention it.

    Not a lot of mould material used up for .22's though compared to larger boolits or 0.680" round balls. I guess the loss of mould material for cavities would would make large blocks lighter though (until filled with lead that is).

    I guess if the cavity "pattern" was symmetrical then there shouldn't be warpage problems. Not sure about that though. It would be nice to find out.

    Longbow

  19. #119
    Boolit Mold
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    I would be interested in a multi-cavity .678 roundball mold also.

    Thanks

  20. #120
    Boolit Master JTknives's Avatar
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    Ok i have been fallowing this and a few things i will point out.

    About a double sided mold, the pins and bushings are in the bottom end of the mold right in the area where you would put the pivot and stop pin.
    Now on to the actual round ball size. the handle slots are .375 deep so this means that with the current block size if i cut a .680 RB cavity i will be .01-.02 away from the edge of the handle slot. I have never cut a cav that close to the edge before so i don't know how it would work. Now the block thickness could be bumped up to handle this larger round ball. Make the mold 1.5" wide not 1.375. This would give us a ton more options. If I made them 1.5" wide we could fit a .75 RB with .025+ wall thickness at the edge of the handle slot. the only issue is that all our sprue plates are 1.375 wide so you would see some of the mold block on each side of the sprue plate. its not a big deal, just a cosmetic issue. but bumping up the block thickness would be easy. If this is something you guys are interested in lets get a group buy going.
    It's not the size of your brass that matters, It's how you tumble it.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check