N.O.E. Problems...

[BK7saum]

Long skinny bullets I usually end up casting at about 740 or 750 degrees. I preheat my mold on a Hot Plate at a medium to medium-high heat until the sprue plate lube just starts to smoke. Then I usually start getting good bullets with the first or first few casts

[BK7saum]

Sometimes it takes getting the mold hot enough that the sprue does not freeze for at least five to six seconds

[Dusty Bannister]

When using a bottom pour pot, make sure the flow of alloy is free and a straight stream. May help things if you place a catch pan under the nozzle and probe gently with a bent paper clip as you let the alloy flow. And if you have the valve set to flow slow, open it up for a fast fill as others have mentioned. Is that 800 degrees per a pid, or with the thermometer resting in the pot, contacting the bottom or side of the pot. If it is closer than about a half inch to the sides or bottom, it is reading the pot not the melt. Stick with it. Even if you have to change the position of the pot so you can see what you are doing, give that some consideration. Dusty

[webfoot10]

Be careful spraying a hot mold with brake cleaner. The fumes could cause you problems and
could cause lung problems.

[Larry Gibson]

You need to fill the mold faster and/or hit the center of the sprue hole to avoid the splash as much as possible.

This what I suspect also. Open the spout adjustment to get the alloy into the cavity as quick as possible. You want the alloy to sort of boil back out of the sprue hole forming a large sprue. Fill each hole separately, do not move to the next too quickly. If the sprue alloy runs off the side thats ok.

Larry Gibson

[MT Chambers]

Another good thing to keep the mold hot is to make the biggest sprue puddle possible(without wasting time)!

[762sultan]

On question #5 you said you never were concerned with that on any other mold. Just think of a mold as a woman...they may look alike but they all have things they like and don't like. It is your job to find out what that is and make them perform the way to make you happy ... turn up the heat.

[OS OK]

1. alloy temp?
700-800±

WHAT'S THE ALLOY TEMP...are you using a thermometer or guessing?

You must manage the alloy temp. and manage the mould temp...period.

2. how are you preheating the mold?
Preheated as mentioned earlier . . .

I must have missed how you pre-heat the mould...how do you pre-heat the mould? To what temp. to start?

Long narrow boolits can be a problem if you assume too much.

[Smoke4320]

Boy I feel like I'm piling on so here goes
good straight fast fill of the mold, big sprue , Get mold very hot , Frostly bullets are just fine
I will bet once you see a few frosty the issue will disappear , if mold cools down problem will reappear

PS I have a 311247 (very long bullet) that has that same issue . frosty bullets and issue is totally gone

[BCB]

Reckon not casting at a high enough temperature may be most of the problem...

I have an RCBS thermometer. I stick it into the pot and stir. I figure that way I am getting good contact with the majority of the melt. I don't hang it over the side and let it there...

Thanks...BCB

[OS OK]

That's twice you have avoided a direct question involving specifics...what's the temp? (oh...plus or minus 100*, give or take.) and how do you pre-heat the mould? (no answer at all.)

Good luck bud! You waste everyones time...

[Jeff Michel]

Try using a ladle, I would suspect your creating a vortex in the cavity from a bottom pour pot. Slow down the stream if possible or tilt the mold slightly while filling. I've had the same problem with long/skinny projectiles. It seemed to work for me at any rate. Let us know what you find out.

[gpidaho]

I've had bullets with the random divots that your experiencing. For me it was an alloy problem. I add a little tin and that usually takes care of it. If not I just switch to a more forgiving mould and cast that pot full up. Gp

[guicksylver]

All of the above PLUS.. ..if one is having a problem with a NOE mold it's probably the owner...

I have the NOE 311299,312299,314299, 311284 and 311290

I put each through the washing with Dawn, three heat cycles and light smoking of the cavities prior to casting for the first time..I got perfect bullets from the get go doing this with the 14 or so NOE molds I have..

By the looks of your bullets I would say the alloy and mods are COLD...

My molds are drilled for probes and I use thermometers in my molds and alloy...the alloy wants to be 700-750 degrees and the molds want to be between 350 and 375 degrees...if both are up to temp then there should be NO round bands and /or bases...

What's the alloy.... those look like they were cast with straight lead...COWW +2% Tin /pewter should cast beautifully bullets..

[BCB]

That's twice you have avoided a direct question involving specifics...what's the temp? (oh...plus or minus 100*, give or take.) and how do you pre-heat the mould? (no answer at all.)

Good luck bud! You waste everyones time...

Didn’t mean to waste your time. But, there is some good information posted on this thread that might help other people too…

I thought I had mentioned that I heated the mold on the rim of the furnace as it was melting the alloy…

I am using a Lee furnace and the temperature does fluctuate some. I don’t look at the thermometer all the time. I try to adjust the temperature as I check it with the RCBS thermometer. I’ll admit that I don’t have “top of the line” furnaces and Lee certainly doesn’t seem to want to maintain a constant temperature. BUT, I use other molds and have not had such problems as I have described. It appears other brands of molds might not be so finicky, or maybe I have just been lucky?...

Oh by the way OS OK, my name isn’t bud…

Thanks to all who posted…BCB

[Intel6]

I have found with some of my NOE moulds that it takes a few casting sessions to get them going good. Not sure why but I have had it happen more than once where on the third session a switch flips and they start turning out great. Now if I have one that doesn't seem to be running right I don't get worked up and just set it aside and try again.

[oldblinddog]

Hmmm... I have had the same issues with every NOE mold I've had. Research here indicated that I wasn't running the mold hot enough (just like in this thread). I heat my mold on a hot plate and it heats just as long as the pot. I ladle pour. In order to make sure the mold is hot enough (I don't have a thermometer) I have dipped the sprue plate and/or a corner of the mold into the melt. The pot is on "10", whatever temp that is. The mold has been so hot that the sprue didn't harden for 25 seconds (I timed it) and no bullet has ever come out frosty, and they still come out with lines like the OP depicts. Not all, but a large portion of them. Someone, in another thread, said it was me and not the mold, and I agree. However, I have tried everything that I can find that has been suggested here and in other threads that I can do and I still have the same experience as the OP.

I have two NOE molds left, the 311331 218 gr, and the 311332 190 gr.

[gwpercle]

You may also want to try Liquid Wrench Dry Lube , apply with a Q-Tip to the cold cavities , pre heat the mould ( I just set blocks on top of pot while it heats) and set your pot at 750 degrees to start , when they start coming frosty back the temp. down to 725. I usually do not need to apply any more LW Dry Lube, but if I do a quick coat with a Q-Tip dipped in it is all it takes.
The stuff acts as a super mould release and will not contaminate the cavities.
I also use it coat the block top and underside of the sprue , a thin coat with a Q-Tip is all it takes.
It comes in a spray can but you waste a lot spraying.... a small bottle and Q-Tip go much farther.
The large aluminum blocks of the NOE's require a bit different technique than the small Lee blocks do, took me a couple sessions to get the need for more heat understood.
Gary

[BCB]

I have found with some of my NOE moulds that it takes a few casting sessions to get them going good. Not sure why but I have had it happen more than once where on the third session a switch flips and they start turning out great. Now if I have one that doesn't seem to be running right I don't get worked up and just set it aside and try again.

I agree with “walk away” sometimes. I did that the other day when I was trying to put a mic adjustment screw in a large drum on a Uniflow. Came back ½ hour later and all went well…

But, I guess I am a bit frustrated as I have an N.O.E. 279-124-FP mold and it has worked perfectly from day one. It cast boolits that are picture-perfect and it has made a Contender carbine in 6.8mmSPC shoot amazingly well…

I figured this N.O.E. mold would be as easy to use as the other. I am doing everything the same as I always do when I cast, no matter what mold…

This particular N.O.E. 311-202-RN is a bit on the disappointing side—YET, it does cast good boolits when it gets going, but there are the unpredictable bad ones for seemingly no reason at all…

Still it is acceptable I suppose as they do shoot well. Maybe I am being a bit too fussy?...

Thanks all…BCB

[BCB]

Hmmm... I have had the same issues with every NOE mold I've had. Research here indicated that I wasn't running the mold hot enough (just like in this thread). I heat my mold on a hot plate and it heats just as long as the pot. I ladle pour. In order to make sure the mold is hot enough (I don't have a thermometer) I have dipped the sprue plate and/or a corner of the mold into the melt. The pot is on "10", whatever temp that is. The mold has been so hot that the sprue didn't harden for 25 seconds (I timed it) and no bullet has ever come out frosty, and they still come out with lines like the OP depicts. Not all, but a large portion of them. Someone, in another thread, said it was me and not the mold, and I agree. However, I have tried everything that I can find that has been suggested here and in other threads that I can do and I still have the same experience as the OP.

I have two NOE molds left, the 311331 218 gr, and the 311332 190 gr.

Phweeeee, I thought I was the only one having this problem!!!

Misery likes company!!!

Guess we'll just keep trying...

Good-luck...BCB