Brass molds?

[mlaustin]

I got in on my very first group buy here last week on a MiHec copy of the H&G68, one of my favorite boolits. I'm very excited - everything I've seen says that this is going to be the kind of tool I can pass down to my kids someday. I'm young (and a poor college student) at 21, so I've only had Lee molds so far since I figured if I didn't like casting I wouldn't be too invested in gear for it. I've been sucked in now though...

My one question is why the mold is brass? I did a bit of googling and searching the forum and I couldn't find a clear answer as the advantages/disadvantages of brass. Brass has a lower specific heat than aluminum (less energy to raise a given amount a degree of temperature), but I didn't know if that was it, or there are other advantages, or if it's a "just cause" thing.

I'm sure I will love my mold an almost unhealthy amount when it arrives, I was just wondering this for a few day

[geargnasher]

Lots of reasons. Brass that is alloyed specifically for machining is a machinist's dream material. The specific heat/thermal conductivity of brass varies greatly, but you are generally correct about it. Brass moulds allow you (in fact require) to cast faster to keep the mould temp up, so it speeds production. They are heavier than any other mould material, but are worth it. When you get your Mihec mould and start casting with it, you will understand it a lot better, some things have to just be experienced to appreciate!

Gear

[GLynn41]

you can go to Mountain mold and under mold material (I think) he discusses all this --worth a read i think

[big dale]

Best answer that I can give you is that each time I cast with one of my brass molds I get this silly looking grin on my face that goes f0rm ear to ear. I have 3 brass molds now and am in on three more group buys for more.

Have fun with this stuff.

Big Dale

[cajun shooter]

Gear, I don't think he will understand as he is a new caster and has not had the time with the craft to have seen all the pros and cons. This is in no way intended as bad but only speaking from years of casting. I am 63 and casted my first bullets in 1970 from iron H&G molds. I only used aluminum some years later. I liked the weight but not the heat and it's fast build up. They are also the easiest to warp the blocks from over heating. Iron blocks were always my choice until I broke down about 6 months ago and tried a brass mold. I only wish that I had not been so set in my ways and tried it before now. They are heavy yes, but that helps them retain just the correct heat to cast perfect bullets for long casting sessions. I have two three cavity brass molds from accurate molds and if I can stay around longer I will never use any thing else. Brass molds are the best thing since I started casting.

[Shooter6br]

I have 2 brass molds . i love em. I have 15 Lee molds . They are cheap and work well. I have the brass molds in hollow point and solid configuration. I have 1 aluminum HP in 32cal for 32 long ,mag and 327 Federal. i realize the other brass molds are for 41 mag and 45ACP so i cant compare them with the aluminum as the smaller HP's are not as easy to get good bullets . The brass molds are alittle more pleasing to the eye.Would i pick brass over aluminim for a 2 cavity YES

[mlaustin]

Thanks all - I'm more excited than ever for my new mold now!

cajun - I was really glad when I finished reading you post. Having been told a number of times about the high quality of Hensley Gibbs molds, how nothing else compares, etc, I was wondering if I should have saved up and watched for a used #68 mold. Very nice to know they compare favorably.

[Shooter6br]

HP molds are top rate.( Made over seas in Europe)

[BSkerj]

I enjoy casting with Miha's mold. I basically stumbled into a group buy without really knowing much about casting with brass. Now his molds are my go to molds. I am currently on another group buy..my 3rd..for a Miha's mold. All the molds are HP. I have conviced myself that I am really getting 2 molds for the price of one..heck one of my .45 molds have a hexagon HP, round HP, and you can turn these into a FN. Just hoping he will make up a clone of a Lyman 457132 Postell boolit for the Shiloh I have on order.

[Bret4207]

My sole brass mould is an ancient Yankee 25 cal HP. After using it, if I could, all my moulds would be brass. It's simply the best as far as I can see.

[beagle]

Think I have about three. Two old and one new. All are superb casters. If Lee went with brass instead of aluminum, they'd sell more and better moulds./beagle

[GLL]

The finish on the cavities of a brass mould is amazing !

Jerry

Accurate Molds Model 43-270W
http://www.fototime.com/8F95495D13D5995/orig.jpg

[MtGun44]

Proper grade of brass is absolutely wonderful to machine, so you can see the surface finish
that Miha is getting. If you look at his cherries that he sells, they have obviously been hard
coated over carbide. Some of the newer hard coatings (titanium nitride - the gold coating on
drills and such that is widely and wrongly called 'titanium coated' is an early hard coat) are
exceptionally hard and durable.

Clearly with good quality cutters, top hard coating, good raw materials and proper cutting lubes,
Miha is getting absolutely spectacular surface finishes on his molds, and maybe a touch better
on the brass ones. I have a few Miha molds and they are all really great to work with, and the
brass are just wonderful. My only worry is the softness of the brass, so I am very careful not
to beat on them or bang the blocks together or anything else to prematurely wear my Miha
works of art. Of course, the aluminum molds are soft, too and you can't abuse any mold if you
want it to last. The hardest molds I have are the RCBS meehanite molds, which seem to be much
harder than the Lyman iron molds.

Bill

[MSGO-Hammer]

That mold looks sexy!!! I'm also waiting on my first brass
mold from mihec. I'm in on the same gb..can't wait!!

[MSGO-Hammer]

That mold looks sexy!!! I'm also waiting on my first brass
mold from mihec. I'm in on the same gb..can't wait!!

[Moonie]

Brass molds are much heavier than aluminum but they hold heat better than aluminum but not as well as iron. They do not rust like iron.

To me they have the best qualities of iron molds and the best qualities of aluminum molds. They are not as strong as iron nor as fragile as aluminum.

Most of my molds are aluminum but given the choice I believe most of my future molds will be brass.

[4719dave]

How many days left ?? lol just kidding MARCH IS GOING TO BE MY FAVORITE MONTH 2 MOLDS ON THE WAY THANKS MIHA

[Bret4207]

The finish on the cavities of a brass mould is amazing !

Jerry

Accurate Molds Model 43-270W
http://www.fototime.com/8F95495D13D5995/orig.jpg

I took one look at that "mould porn" photo and instantly picture "Smeegle" from "Lord of the Rings" holding it up and saying "Precioussssss...."

[geargnasher]

Yes Bret, the powers of certain kinds of moulds will change you.......


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=28348&d=1294465394

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=27892&d=1293080265

Gear

[Dale53]

Well, I am certainly a known fan of Mihec's brass Cramer Style Hollow Point moulds as well as his four cavity solid point ones. He also has some four cavity Cramer Style hollow point moulds.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/MiHecCramerStyleBulletMould-3205.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/MiHec45-270-SAA-3728.jpg

While I prefer brass moulds, when available, let the record show that there is NOTHING wrong with MiHec's six cavity aluminum moulds. Given proper care they will produce bullets like no others (brass and iron are really too heavy in more than four cavities - at least for my taste). I have moulds in brass, iron, and aluminum from nearly all of the major suppliers that I treasure.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/TomBishopsQuiltBulletMould-3344.jpg

Dale53

[geargnasher]

I think I just drooled on my shirt.....

Gear

[bobo55]

I received my first MiHec mold today! I must be living right because I was casting AM 35-135 9mm with 50/50 +2% tin wq boolits when the mailman delivered my 44-444 2cav. cramer molds. I really like Tom's brass molds, but MiHec molds are the cats wiskers. A work of machining art! I cleaned smoked and lubed the molds, used the same alloy but ac and after about 10 cycles produced uniform bullets. Thanks Miha It was worth the wait.

[gray wolf]

You guy's are killing me over here, BUT,BUT,-- I do have one MiHa brass mold and
I love it. Very accurate in my 45 ACP.

[rintinglen]

brass molds, when made by an expert with care, are the next best thing to being next to a hot babe who thinks you are.
Some of the photos here qualify as casters porn--wow.
The thing is, they cast as good as they look. I must have more....

[giz189]

You guy's are killing me over here, BUT,BUT,-- I do have one MiHa brass mold and
I love it. Very accurate in my 45 ACP. Hey GW, is that the mould you were having trouble with when you first got it?

[gray wolf]

Yes it is,
my boolets came out all pock marked, I thought I was getting dirt in my melt.
Tell the truth I was going to $hit can the mold, kept reading about more heat, more heat.
The problem turned out to be poor venting of the mold and trapped gas or air, take your pick.
I have cast thousands of great bullets since I learned the mold.
My melt has to be about 600 to 625*f and no hotter. But more important is not pouring hot lead in the center of the hole. It must go into the mold from the side of the sprue hole and swirl into the mold from an off center pour. Seems to let the mold vent properly.
Cast one with a direct pour and the bullets are ****, and get all pock marked.
Is it the venting of the mold that is bad ? I don't know, what I do know is I give it what it wants and it gives me great bullets. Would I get another one ? YEP.
I would love to try one of Toms molds ( accurate molds ) they look good also.
Every mold is different, least that's what I find, Got to give it what it wants.


Sam

[white eagle]

Brass has to be my mold material of choice
I find that brass molds are easier to cast with
for me annaway
hold there heat and are less susceptible to rhythmic changes in casting
iron is second I find aluminum to be most temperamental but is the lightest

[RP]

Warning his molds are addicting they cast well for me and one hands on look at one will make you want more. There is one problem with them when you get one its hard to cast with it because you do not want the new look to fade.

[303Guy]

mlaustin, it's true that brass has a lower specific heat than aluminium but it has a higher density so it therefore takes more heat. It has ha better thermal conductivity than iron so it should be a better material than iron at least. Aluminium has a higher expansion rate than both brass and iron.

[geargnasher]

Tom's moulds lock up like Fort Knox and like some of the older Ideal and Lyman moulds basically don't have any vent lines. The sprue plates fit and seal all too well, even if you try to run them loose, so "swirl" casting with a slight tilt and an off-center pour is essential for good fillout. I like ventless moulds because they force the user to pour "correctly", make boolits with less visible seams, don't let the boolits get "whiskers", and seem to make boolits with fewer air pockets. When I get a boolit with craters and half-bubbles in the base I know I didn't swirl it just right. I guess it's a matter of preference, but ventless brass moulds do it for me.

Gear

[Marlin Junky]

The only mold that has ever warped on me was made of brass. What may have gone wrong?

MJ

[saltydog452]

One of Miha's brass moulds should be here within a few weeks.

Handles should be ordered for a Lee 6 Cavity, right??

Care and feeding of brass the same as steel??

Kroil, or oil in general is, or is not a good thing for brass?

Wash preserfvative off new moulds with Dawn dishwashing soap?

I have never owned a brass mould before and don't want to ruin it.

Suggestions appreciated.

Thanks,

salty

[Moonie]

Brass requires no oiling, steel add on parts might be a different matter if you are storing it. Yes, I boil in Dawn and scrub them well with a tooth brush. A wash with a volatile dry solvent that doesn't leave a residue might not be a bad idea either, something like brake cleaner or mineral spirits.

Brass seems to like it hot, at least for the first few sessions. If this is a Mihec HP mold they seem to like lots of heat, especially on the pins (they will stick to the pins if the pins aren't hot enough).

Enjoy your new work of art. Yes, you need Lee 6 cav handles, or Miha makes handles as well for a good price.