why do you whack on your mould?

[LAH]

I'm a whacker also. If I cast with one mould I can open by hand but most of my square driving band moulds require a whack to the hinge pin to shake them loose anyway. If I push the bullet from the mould with my thumb I worry the driving band may be moved from square position.

I wear a glove on my right hand because the valve lever on my Master Pot & the pot stand it too hot for the bare hand......Creeker


Dry Creek Bullet Works
Dry Creek Firewood

[armexman]

Because casting for me is only done to reduce work related STRESS. But seriously folks. The use of LBT mold lube sticks, Bullshop Sprue Plate Lube, Occasional Leementing and correct Mold temperature has me just giving a slight or small tap to the hinge pins, sometimes with the good molds they just fall out into the water or onto the towel. All these techniques have been learned by reading the STICKIES, Searching and Reading, applying and generally understanding that (apart from the occasional speils against ANY immigranton on these forums) this IS THE most knowledgeable casting site that the LORD has given Mankind AND calm down I really do love everyone here even if they have some faults!!

[45-70 Chevroner]

I'v been casting for about 38 years. I have used a whacker almost exclusively, except for Lee 6 bangers ( a god send ). I came up with a real stupid idea about10 years into my casting and had my brother in-law make me a brass hammer head and a short stainless handle that he threaded then drilled and threaded the hammer head. It made a real nice whacker. About 6 months of casting showed what a stupid idea this was. I still have the hammer and I use it often but not to whack my molds. Of course you know what happened by using it as a mold whacker. I replaced the sprue cutters on a couple of molds. Of course at that time they were the only two I had.

[qajaq59]

why do you whack on your mould?

So far I still open the sprue plate by hand. But when my arthritis gets a little worse I'll end up whacking it for sure.

[Shuz]

I've been using a rawhide mallet for over 40 years. Many moulds do not drop boolits easily when opened, so the handle hinge needs tapping anyway.

[BPCR Bill]

I used to be a whacker, but on rifle boolits I find that cutting the sprue by hand will result in a much nicer boolit base, no tearing. Some folks tend to get carried away with the stick or hammer, and that can really screw up the molds, like getting peening around the alignment pins. I've seen some guys that have problems with mold fill, and have opened up the sprues. Then you just about have to strike the sprue plate with something.

Regards,
Bill

[Spector]

A buddy gave me some nice Kevlar gloves. Easy to manipulate molds and handles heat well. No more whacking for me. I can drop boolits right in my hand to inspect when needed....Mike

[bohokii]

i whack the sprueplate with the thing i use to beat the hinge to get the stuck bullets out

[The Dove]

I'll whack dat bell if IWANNA!!!!!

The Dove

[Mike W1]

Mr. Dennis Marshall put me onto this in a letter many years back. Enough heft to cut the sprue easily or tap the hinge pin if a bullet sticks. Doesn't hurt my Lyman sprue cutters and I have used it on aluminum sprue cutters with no harm when I experimented with them some years back. I don't think I could cast without it now.

[Doc Highwall]

I just use heavy leather gloves.

[Ole]

I whack because it works.

[home in oz]

If the mold is hot enough you can mostly cut the sprue by hand.

Of course with "sticky" molds, you are back to tapping the mold.....

[adrians]

it just feels good to whack something sometimes (like when your sunday paper doesn't show up )

[crabo]

i like to drop the boolit from the mould right into my glove, roll 'em around, check 'em out, etc....

then i put them in my bowl.

It appears to me that you are not a high volume shooter. I would never get enough cast to meet my needs if I did this.

I hold my piece of hickory sledge hammer handle in my right hand and lift the lever on my RCBS pot with the whacker. Cool the sprue on a wet towel with my left hand, whack the sprue plate, open, whack the hinge, close it with the whacker and repeat as necessary. You don't have to set anything down, change hand positions, and you can rock and roll.

[Wayne Smith]

I should probably expound on my process. I have wacked (gently) molds when I started, and then I got a Lee two cavity. Have several of them. I also found welding gloves. With most of my Lee two cavities I place the mold in the palm of the glove after emptying to ensure that the sides of the mold align correctly. As I got into that habit I discovered that I could indeed cut sprues with thumb pressure except on the four cavity molds. I've been doing it that way ever since.

[NHlever]

I've been watching a few videos, and reading threads where people mention "whacking" their sprue plate mould with a stick. either to cut the sprue or drop the boolit.

why do you do this?

I've even cast pure tin boolits and had no prob cutting the sprue by hand.

and with the 60% of boolits that dont fall right of the mould(mostly cause i dont let it cool long enough) a wee bit of pressure with my thumb will pop them right out.

so am i missing something by not whacking my mould?

Of course you are missing something! We do it because of what you are missing, and wouldn't understand.

[Moonie]

I used to be a whacker, now I cut the spru with my leather gloved hand. Now that I have leemented my Lee molds I usually don't need much wacking to get the boolits out, except for the 1oz slug mold...

Once up to proper temp my Mihec mold doesn't require anything more than a slight tap, if that.

[MT Gianni]

I whack a Ly 4 cavity with an old pin from a crossarm. If I get sticking bullets I try and fix the mold but will occasionally get a hanger or two. I like to flick them out with a gloved thumb but occasionally have to hit the hinge.

[casterofboolits]

I use a Sears 6 oz. hammer with plastic tips. I run three moulds in series and the lead is set well by the time I get back to the first one.

If you can cut the sprue by hand the lead has not set yet and you can tear the base of the boolit and deform the OD. YMMV