Beagle333
03-17-2013, 10:50 AM
This was my first effort with a 4-cav and also the NOE HP system. I was using a NOE 360160WFN RG4 mold and we gave each other a pretty good workout. And I learned a few things. First..... a 4 cav brass mold is heavy.;-)
Next, the silly boolits stick to the pins. A lot.
The pins felt smooth to me, but I did get some relief by taking the pins out, chucking them up on the drill and spinning them in some 800 grit sandpaper for a few seconds and reinstalling them, and didn't even burn myself too bad while doing that. I think it could use some more smoothing, but it was much better at dropping them after that. They didn't really stick to the side of the cavity much at all, just the pins. I'm sure there is a good reason they are aluminum, but it didn't seem easy to keep them hot enough to work for me. Again, probably just a newbie thing that I'll figure out one day.
Fillout was pretty good. I was using 95-2.5-2.5 isotope and I had the temp set to about 8-1/4 on the Lee dial. (whatever temp that is). I got the mold pretty hot on the hotplate before I started. Then..... the wooden part of the handles on the Lee 6-cav handles came loose from the metal. That didn't deter me much, just annoyed me. I cast with gloves on anyway and I just pushed the handles back up on the metal every time I closed the sprue after dumping. I did end up with about 12# of pretty nice ones after all was said and done. I probably cast somewhere around 20# though. It was quite a learning experience. Part of the trick (as I discovered) was to get it casting really well and then cast like my life depended on it. As long as it was going really fast, they came off the pins much better and looked good. I never got it hot enough for any frosting (which was kinda my goal.... I seem to do best right before it gets frosty), so I might have to up the temp and my casting speed next time. It will be better when I get the handles glued together. (another trick I didn't know about)
And... it would probably help more to keep things hot if I hadn't been ladle casting. But I don't have a bottom pour.
Overall..... I thought it was a good first time. It was not bad and I did get a nice pile of boolits. I think with a bit more experience and perhaps some glue on the mold handles, the next time out will be more productive and fun as well. When it does get rolling and dropping, the boolits pile up fast. :-D
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/cast%20boolits/3-16-13_zpsd15f3702.jpg
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/cast%20boolits/DSC03545_zps0200aa70.jpg
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/cast%20boolits/DSC03543_zps8f6b8428.jpg
Next, the silly boolits stick to the pins. A lot.
The pins felt smooth to me, but I did get some relief by taking the pins out, chucking them up on the drill and spinning them in some 800 grit sandpaper for a few seconds and reinstalling them, and didn't even burn myself too bad while doing that. I think it could use some more smoothing, but it was much better at dropping them after that. They didn't really stick to the side of the cavity much at all, just the pins. I'm sure there is a good reason they are aluminum, but it didn't seem easy to keep them hot enough to work for me. Again, probably just a newbie thing that I'll figure out one day.
Fillout was pretty good. I was using 95-2.5-2.5 isotope and I had the temp set to about 8-1/4 on the Lee dial. (whatever temp that is). I got the mold pretty hot on the hotplate before I started. Then..... the wooden part of the handles on the Lee 6-cav handles came loose from the metal. That didn't deter me much, just annoyed me. I cast with gloves on anyway and I just pushed the handles back up on the metal every time I closed the sprue after dumping. I did end up with about 12# of pretty nice ones after all was said and done. I probably cast somewhere around 20# though. It was quite a learning experience. Part of the trick (as I discovered) was to get it casting really well and then cast like my life depended on it. As long as it was going really fast, they came off the pins much better and looked good. I never got it hot enough for any frosting (which was kinda my goal.... I seem to do best right before it gets frosty), so I might have to up the temp and my casting speed next time. It will be better when I get the handles glued together. (another trick I didn't know about)
And... it would probably help more to keep things hot if I hadn't been ladle casting. But I don't have a bottom pour.
Overall..... I thought it was a good first time. It was not bad and I did get a nice pile of boolits. I think with a bit more experience and perhaps some glue on the mold handles, the next time out will be more productive and fun as well. When it does get rolling and dropping, the boolits pile up fast. :-D
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/cast%20boolits/3-16-13_zpsd15f3702.jpg
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/cast%20boolits/DSC03545_zps0200aa70.jpg
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/cast%20boolits/DSC03543_zps8f6b8428.jpg