NOE 45 230gr HP 2 cavity Problems

[under_dawg]

I am pretty new to casting, but a friend of mine let me borrow his NOE 230 gr HP mold a while back. I used and had a little trouble with getting the bullets to drop off the pins. I like the bullets so much I bought my own a few months ago. I put it through the break in heating and cooling, scrubbed it the day it arrived with hot soapy water etc. I smoked the cavities with a lighter and went through a session with it. The bullets were sticking to mold and hp pins. The bullets were ugly with rough sides (like the mold was dirty. I cleaned the mold with mineral spirates and a tooth brush and q-tips. I let the mold heat back up on the pot for about 45. I tried not smoking the mold. The bullets were somewhat sticky, but had a couple of wrinkles like the mold was not hot or the lead was not hot. So I tried every temp from 650 to 850. The bullets were better at the higher end than the lower, but still sticky, and a couple of minor wrinkles. So I decided to try lightly smoking the mold. Bullets dropped much better, but the crappy looking dirty mold bullets started again. Now it's dark so I will try cleaning the mould again tomorrow. What is good to polish the inside of the mold with?

[Dale53]

Your mould is not likely to be the problem. Your smoking is laying soot in the bullet cavity. Use Dawn dishwashing detergent and a toothbrush to scrub the mould blocks. Dry them carefully. Pre-heat them (I use a hot plate). I also use mold release on the pins. Let the release dry and the bullets will drop right off the pins.

NOE are fine bullets but casting hollow points has a bit of a learning curve. Keep at it, it'll come. Just treat the mold carefully, like a fine watch, and it'll last you a couple of lifetimes.

FWIW
Dale53

[375RUGER]

Preheat your mould. I have the same mould, I preheat enough that the first pour produces good boolits. I run my lead over 700*F.
I have a little "coffee can oven" that holds the heat on the mould while preheating it over a hot plate.
Other than Dawn, I use Acetone or MEK on my moulds.

[tomme boy]

The aluminum needs to get a oxide coating to it. Keep using it. The more you use it the better it will work. I have had problems with several aluminum molds that give a finish like sand on the bullets. It eventually will go away.

[under_dawg]

Thanks for the help guys. I will get some release agent for for the pins. And scrub the cavities down with Dawn instead of mineral spirits. I am going to pick up some acetone from the hardware store as well. I was thinking about polishing the inside with some 0000 steel wool on a drill to get the cavities really clean, but I don't want to mess the mold up.

[bhn22]

You can smoke the pins, just leave the cavities clean.

[Blammer]

try as others have suggested a clean mould.

Keep the PINS hot.

Open the mould JUST enough to drop the bullets out then close up right away. Keep that heat in, it will help.