New product!

[338RemUltraMag]

Thank you for the input on the plates, I do not pretend to know a ton about metal properties, and I try to learn more every day, so I do take all advice to thought and do research.

[dkf]

True the 1018 CRS would need to be normalized. My suppliers either carry A36 or 1018 CRS, the 1018 HR is not a stock item and is not as popular. Since you are currently machining the top and bottom of your sprue plates really the scale on the A36 will not be an issue.

[338RemUltraMag]

True the 1018 CRS would need to be normalized. My suppliers either carry A36 or 1018 CRS, the 1018 HR is not a stock item and is not as popular. Since you are currently machining the top and bottom of your sprue plates really the scale on the A36 will not be an issue.

We have yet to see a piece of steel come in including some expensive stainless that didnt need skimmed before we machined it.

The 1018 I used was skimmed top and bottom by about .005 and then made into a plate, there was no warping during the machining process. But if A36 is temp stable then I am happy using that.

[dkf]

The 1018 HRS you find is primarily round over 4" in diameter. Some steels are horrible. I have gotten some steel and stainless in from overseas that was not even useable.(sent back to supplier) It was a parallelogram. The stainless is the worst.

I don't know if you have a laser at your shop but getting the sprue plates laser cut may be more economical for you. Of course they would need to be deburred/tumbled to remove the small sharp edge and small amount of spatter however the cut will be decent with little taper. Waterjet will most likely not be economical.

Anyway I would be fine with A36.

[338RemUltraMag]

We have quite a few machines at our disposal, unfortunately a laser cutter is not one of them.

[Hickok]

A good fat .30 caliber mold and a good fat 38/55 mold, both with nice meplats that will be good for hunting. JUst about everyone uses some form of COWW, so calibrate the mold diameter to this alloy.

By doing the above with these molds and other calibers, you can do what the big manufacturers don't do, make molds that fit the rifles and make them useful for hunting.

[Smoke4320]

130 grain 6.5mm please

second that

[Djones]

The flattened nose 358318 cycles in my 35 Remington marlin. I sure wish I didn't have to file all of my round noses off! Flattening with a flat nose punch doesn't shorten the bullet enough to cycle I have to file. I could get you some dimension or send you a bullet to measure for yourself. I think the 35 rem marlin crowd would jump all over a 220+ grain flat nosed bullet.

[PAT303]

I'd really like a double cavity 311413 but sized .316 for military 30's. Pat

[tonyjones]

I'd like to see a copy of 452423. I would take two of them; a solid nose and Cramer HP version, hopefully with multiple pins.

Turnin' the good idea fairy loose is fun.

Tony

[uscra112]

I need a mould for a 55 grain .228 boolit for the old pre-WW1 .22 single-shots. A plain base Lee Bator that would drop WW+1% at .229 would be fabulous.

Also interested in .25 caliber boolits around 90 grains, again plain base per ASSRA rules.

[DougGuy]

1018 is still construction grade steel, a general all purpose type steel with 60,000psi tensile strength. A36 we used a LOT in the shipyards, it is very common. Both of these can be made to work, but I don't see much longevity in either alloy. Rockwell hardness B71.

12L14 is considerably stronger and very machineable, tensile strength is almost 90,000psi. Rockwell B84.
A513 is stronger and harder, not as machineable but would hold up much longer. Welded a lot of pressure vessels and tanks made out of A500 series alloys. Rockwell B89.

1144 (Stressproof-equivalent) steel might be well worth looking at.

This material is actually pretty cool, at least for steel. It is a higher-strength alloy than 1018 or A36, but in addition has improved ductility as well. The chief feature of 1144 steel, however, is that it has very low distortion or warpage after machining due to a combination of its chemistry, method of manufacture, and heat treatment. Finally, 1144 is relatively easy to machine, with a machinability rating of 83% of AISI 1212 steel. Tensile strength of 1144 is 115,000psi. Rockwell B95.

After a certain point, you get into the chrome moly alloys and now you talking some serious money and serious machine time and out the door goes affordable $55 molds.

Basically, the sprue plate is a knife. A cutter with an edge that should last a while. What alloy do they make Klein tools out of? Yes they have induction hardened knives in them, but they are of decent steel to start with. You have to think along the lines of making a knife. What steel would you use for a decent butcher knife type blade? Mild steel, 1018 or A36 wouldn't last long at all. Okay, what's better that can still work and stand up to getting hammered on for every duty cycle? This type of steel would make a good sprue plate.

[uscra112]

I made one from A2 tool steel and lapped it flat after tempering. Takes way too long for volume production though. I wish I had a Blanchard for such jobs, but how would I get it into the cellar?

[nanuk]

We are also keeping a 10 week turn around on our molds

if you can keep a this kind of turnaround this will make the "other guys" look bad.
i never could understand why it takes over a year or longer to get a mold.

over two years in some cases..... I hope it is because they are VERY busy!

[Janoosh]

+1 post 68 for flat nose 358318
+1 post 69 for a fat 311413 for milsurps.