One half of a gas check

[cbrick]

Perhaps a better title for this thread would be: "A testament to Miha". Or maybe: "Dumber than a rock".

I have two identical brass four cavs from Miha (311-410), one is plain base and one is gas check. The last time I had them out I put some bullplate on the shafts & sprue plate, reassembled them and stored them in their air tight boxes. This morning I get the box out, open one of the molds & yep, that's the one I want, PB with the long HP pins. Set up mold oven, heat up the pot & flux, good to go.

My first boolit inspection is opening the sprue plate, if the bases aren't perfect it goes in the sprue pile. Don't care what the rest of the boolit looks like, it's useless to me. I pour the first fill, open the sprue & it's a kinda moment, what the hay, I've sure never seen a boolit base that looks like that. Completely filled out base with sharp edges all the way around but one side is smaller than the other. Looking at the mold & yep, it's the PB mold but looking at the other block, hhmmm gas check block. One block from the PB mold and the other from the GC mold. Now just how am I gonna cut a gas check in half? At least the checks will last twice as long.

The amazing thing at least to me is that the two blocks from two different molds fit together so perfectly, there wasn't even a parting line on the boolits. Just half a plain base and half a gas check base. Quite a testament to Miha I think but maybe not to me for not paying attention. No harm no foul, just had to reassemble the right blocks together & then wait on the pre-heat. Left mental note for self, self you stupid chit, pay attention.

Rick

[OuchHot!]

wowie! That is impressive, even in the cnc era for tolerances.
If it had been me, I probably would have cast a hundred before taking a look.

[Garyshome]

Just use a skill saw! But keep an eye on your fingers.

[Rangefinder]

So... Would that mean you could drive one of those half-again as hard as you would a standard PB?

[LynC2]

Murphy is alive and well I see! Miha makes some very nice molds and he must be holding some darn close tolerances to match up that well! A lot of times I would say "been there and done that"; however that is one I can't own up to......yet.

[cbrick]

So... Would that mean you could drive one of those half-again as hard as you would a standard PB?

Hey, I didn't think of that. I might be on to something here, and 2000 checks per box.

Rick

[btroj]

Talk about cheap, only using half a check.

[cbrick]

Frugal, cheap sounds so . . . well, cheap.

Rick

[btroj]

I can see the next Headline "Arkansas man finds way to cut gas check cost in half"!

[cbrick]

Not until I figure out a way to cut the thing in half without ruining the other half and wasting it. I didn't take much of a fancy to the skill saw idea. Ouch!

Rick

[WallyM3]

Maybe it will shoot around corners?

[Calamity Jake]

Laser man.......laser

[cbrick]

Hhmmm . . . Laser, probably work but they are pretty pricey. Would be cheaper, uh more frugal to buy & use the whole check, all at once.

Rick

[btroj]

Have Pat Martin make you half a tool. Duh

[MtGun44]

Actually, the HAVE TO be this good. I will bet money that Miha does NOT make "molds" but
"mold halves". ALL identical. Half get male alignment pins half get female alignment sockets.
Half get sprue plate pin threading and half get stop roll pins. THEN - he puts them together
into pairs. If they are not ALL perfect, they are ALL junk.

He IS that good. This is modern CNC manufacturing.

Of course, those boolits must look pretty funny.

NOW - how do they shoot?

Bill

[dilly]

I'm just a little bit disappointed not to see a picture. I'm sure posting was an afterthought though.

[dale2242]

Now that`s funny.
A testament to good workmanship.....dale

[btroj]

Do they shoot half way between the groups you get with and without checks?

Do the shoot ok, maybe "not half bad"?

[runfiverun]

well you could always orient the full half to the bottom of the chamber that would keep the powder from leaking out.
i'm afraid i'd have to shoot a handful just to see.

[cbrick]

well you could always orient the full half to the bottom of the chamber that would keep the powder from leaking out.
i'm afraid i'd have to shoot a handful just to see.

Powder can't leak out, it has a base band it's just that 1/2 of the base is plain base, the other side of the base has a gas check shank.

I didn't cast a handful of them so I can't shoot a handful, it's a 4 cavity and I cast four boolits, one fill. I tossed three back in the pot and kept one just because it's a bit unusual. I'll try to get a picture of it.

Rick