Frankenmold!

[TexasGrunt]

I got bored today and decided I would give the Frankenmold a shot. The Frankenmold is 2 RCBS 45-201-KT molds that someone joined together into one four cavity mold.

If you're interested in seeing this I would suggest you first have a couple of strong drinks then click this link http://cannibul.imgur.com/ The pics are in the Frankenmold folder.

I found that if I got it HOT I could actually get 3-4 decent boolits per cast. If I had the ability to make a better sprue plate for it I'm betting it would cast four boolits per run with no problem. The bottom of the sprue plate looks more like a trash pile than a sprue plate. But it does work pretty well if it's hot.



There's a pic of the bottom of the sprue plate.



Here's the boolits.

There's a bit of flash on the bases of some of them. Other than that they'll shoot just fine.

If ya know anyone that would be interested in a project...making a new sprue plate that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg, let me know.

[country gent]

If you have a drill press and hand tools you can make one with a little time and energy. Pick up a piece of 1/4 starret ground tool steel 0-1 works real nice. Get 1/4" thick X width you need X 18" ( this leaves you extra for other plates or mistakes). Lay out the outside by scribing around the old plate. Cut out to shape with a hacksaw, then lightly file it in and break edges. Bolt and clamp together and spot drill thru the old into the new one then chamber with a chamfer tool.

[TexasGrunt]

Sounds easy. I'd end up breaking something. Most likely part of my body.

[SciFiJim]

It may look rough, but that was probably someone's best effort and they spent a lot of time on it. Not everyone is a machinist. It looks better than anything like that that I could accomplish.

[TexasGrunt]

It may look rough, but that was probably someone's best effort and they spent a lot of time on in. Not everyone is a machinist. It looks better than anything like that that I could accomplish.

Oh I know what you mean. Instead of trying to join the two old sprue plates they should have just fabricated a new one.

[Chill Wills]

Wow! Who would have guessed someone would have ever thought this could be a good idea. They put some real effort into it too. I am amazed they did as well with it as they did? I guess it makes bullets accurate enough for your needs?

Making a new plate for it would be the way to go but are you sure it is worth it?

Unless you invest your own time I don't think the project is worth anyone else making a "one off". Time and materials for someone who takes it on for profit puts it into the no go class.

No offense meant, because that mold is really is something to behold, but that same type design in a new 6 cavity Lee would get you way ahead in time and money. And, much better bullets would come out of it, maybe much more accurate bullets too.

Very cool pictures of someone's creation! You named it correctly too . Thanks for sharing!

[ascast]

hard to keep hot I'll bet. Very big thermal gaps,

[TexasGrunt]

hard to keep hot I'll bet. Very big thermal gaps,

The opposite actually. Hard to keep cool. Once you get it hot it quickly goes to frosting boolits. I had to cool it about every third cast.

[Mk42gunner]

I think my first reply to this mold on another thread was "Wow." I stand by that statement, with a few additions.

That was a lot of work just to keep from buying a second set of RCBS handles to use both molds at once. And, It probably would have been quicker for the original mold butcher to make a new sprue plate than to weld and braze the two together.

I really think whoever did this should have traded these two molds and one handle for a four cavity Lyman and handle. But it does work, after a fashion.

Robert

[Walter Laich]

Erik has done some work for me and is very reasonable.
why don't you contact him with the pic and see what he can do for you

http://www.hollowpointmold.com/

[oldblinddog]

Whoever did this probably thought he had "invented" 4 cavity molds.

[mozeppa]

i did the same exact thing!

only with two 12 cavity molds ...to get 24 boolits at one time!






except ....i can't lift it.