Getting boolits to drop from MiHec 452/200 HP?

[theTastyCat]

Hi all - I'm in the midst of a wonderful learning curve with my first mold, a MiHec 452/200 with HP pins. I'm currently using the Penta pins. I seem to have some trouble getting the boolits to drop freely. I seem to have the best luck when swabbing the pins with Kroil, then briskly opening the mold once right-side-up, closing, and again briskly opening the mold upside down. That works if the mold is right at magic temperature. Often, it takes several strikes with a gloved hand on the pins sticking through the side of the mold to get the boolits to drop.

At first, it was taking me so long to drop the boolits that the mold never got up to temperature, which caused a world of problems. Now that I've drunk from the cup of correctly-temperatured mold, there's no going back. Any helpful hints to get the boolits to drop easier? I can only imagine my ecstasy if they would drop immediately when I inverted the mold and opened.

Many thanks,

Gerry

[buyobuyo]

If the boolits are sticking to the pins, they are still not hot enough. Are you preheating the mold at all? Hot plates are great things to have on your casting bench.

[e15cap]

Sounds like a burr. Look at the edge of the cavity under HIGH magnification. Doesn't take much to hang a bullet.

[theTastyCat]

I don't think it's a burr since the boolits are coming away from both mold halves - they're staying on the pins. That does sound like it could be a heat issue - I just got a hot plate so hopefully that will help things.

Many thanks.

[cbrick]

Often, it takes several strikes with a gloved hand on the pins sticking through the side of the mold to get the boolits to drop. Many thanks, Gerry

Never, never tap the pins. Not even with a gloved hand. Tap on the handles hinge pin with a sprue knocker such as a small hammer handle, hot a hammer, the wood hammer handle.

Odds are very good that they are not dropping off the pins because the pins are not hot enough. Too cool pins will grab the bullets. The pins have very little mass to hold heat, cast faster with molds open and empty as little as possible, stop inspecting your bullets between casts. The pins will cool faster than the rest of the mold, probably much faster than you might think. HP pins have to be hot.

Rick

[mold maker]

Has anybody tried marking all over the point of the pins, with a pencil, to be able to cast faster, and better heat the pins????
Once hot the pencil lead would wear off and cast as usual.

[Moonie]

This comes up every time someone that has never had a Mihec mold before gets one. The issue is almost always due to the pins being too cold. I also had the same exact issue when I got my first Mihec.

Use a hot plate and preheat the mold, makes a world of difference.

[gray wolf]

Heat the pins with a small torch with the bullets stuck in place.
The bullet will drop right off. What does that tell you ?
Just a little test, don't do it all the time.
Like has been said, the pins need to be hot

[bhn22]

Smoke the pins. I break the sprue, open the mould, then turn it upside down and tap the handle pivot. The bullets drop right off.

[theTastyCat]

You all hit it dead on. I experimented some more yesterday and apparently preheated the mold more than ever before, and the pins dropped instantly when I opened the mold - it was like magic! But they were gross frosty - so now I've got to figure out if this mold will allow me to easily drop shiny boolits :D

[bhn22]

The "frost" will level out as you continue casting. It probably won't go completely away because of the higher mould temps involved. If I may ask, why do the bullets have to be shiny?

[snuffy]

I just got the second cramer type HP mold from Miha. The first is the grand canyon .500/700 and the 4 cav .452/200. On both the penta pins have a rough finish to them. I took a worn fine diamond hone to the pins, then I coated them with FA drop out mold release, JUST THE HP PINS, not the whole mold. The boolits just about jump off the pins now.

Having the mold up to temp helps also, AND keeping the pins hot as well. That comes from the pace you keep, as fast as you can cast is just right.

These were cast from salvaged range lead with 1% tin added.

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/cannont2ifolder/websize/IMG_0344.JPG

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/cannont2ifolder/websize/IMG_0349.JPG

[Maximumbob54]

My round pins drop like they are supposed to. My penta pens like to hang on. They don't seem to have any burrs. I'm not casting any different when I use one over the other. I tried a quick spray of Franford Arsenal release agent and that helped but didn't solve the problem. My fix is to just use the round pins now.

[Dale53]

I have three different type Mihec hollow point bullet moulds (three different bullets).

The first time I used it, the bullets did not want to release from the pins. I always pre-heat the mould. After the mould cooled, I used a q-tip and coated the pins with mould release. After that, no more problems. The bullets drop at the first tap. I DO cast fast enough to keep the pins hot.

The Cramer style moulds are for the "Advanced Cast Bullet Caster". When you get one of these running right, you can wear the "Advanced Cast Bullet Caster" patch:mrgreen:

Just stay with it, it WILL happen!
Dale53

[theTastyCat]

Snuffy, those boolits are gorgeous. It brings me great comfort to see that they're beautiful and shiny and of course that they dropped off the pins - this is my goal with this mold!

Thanks all for the encouragement and expertise. I think my "Advanced Cast Bullet Caster" trophy might not find its way onto the shelf anytime soon, but I'm gonna stay on it!