Help with 32 Sixgun Sledgehammer

[autodidact]

Bought one of these from a forum member recently. First casting session last night. The boolits are sticking something awful.

The mold appears to have a good patina from the previous owners use. I gave it a good going over with a hardwood dowel to remove any burrs (as if the would be any on an MP mold !!). Gave it a good spraying with brake cleaner and wiped thoroughly. Preheated on hotplate until MP sprue lube barely smoked.

I am casting with hardball alloy from Missouri Bullet. Fillout is good with a few wrinkles. Alloy temperatures from 710 to 735 all resulted in sticking. Attempted pushing the stuck ones out with the dowel so I could refill mold quickly. Never got to the point where boolits would release without some stern whacks on the mold handles. Increasing alloy temp and refilling quickly as described has worked for me on other hesitant MP molds.

The sticking is not confined to any specific cavities or mold half. I am using the blank pins and they slide freely when the mold is opened to drop boolits.

I am going to try ramping up the alloy temp tonight since I never got to the frosty boolit point and some of my MP molds run best just at the point of frosting. Usually when the sprues can be cut by hand, MP molds start dropping boolits freely. Not this one so far.

Any other suggestions from someone running this mold? That was a big buy. Someone has to have experience working out casting with this mold.

Thanks for any help.

JB

[sixshot]

JB, I won't be much help because I haven't had a bit of trouble with mine. Sounds like the previous owner used some kind of release agent or something on it & now its sticking. I do think going up in heat might help. Good luck,

Dick

[Larry Gibson]

on an MP mold

I am casting with hardball alloy from Missouri Bullet. Fillout is good with a few wrinkles. Alloy temperatures from 710 to 735 all resulted in sticking.

There in is the problem. MP GB moulds are cut for COWW/Pb at 50/50 which shrink a lot more than your alloy in the mould. This is especially a problem if the mould is brass. Common problem. Suggest you cut your alloy at least 50% with PB and try that.

BTW; I've come to the conclusion that I'll not get another brass mould if #2 alloy or harder is to be used. After 3 of them now I'm done with brass.

Larry Gibson

[autodidact]

Larry,

I agree that your suggestion should help the issue.

I regularly cast hardball in approx 15 other MP brass molds with no issues (a few are of very similar design). They stick a bit until up to temp. Once I can cut the sprues by hand the boolits drop freely after a short cooling pause before opening the mold.

I want to maintain hardball BHN. May have to experiment with the alloy for this mold.

[45 2.1]

Brass retains heat........ a fan is your friend.

[autodidact]

Brass retains heat........ a fan is your friend.

Yeah, thought about that. Will do. It was warm (80 degrees F) and humid in the shop last night.

Thanks all for the input. This forum is invaluable.

[Green Frog]

I just got notification that my first brass mould (from MP) is ready to ship. I'm hoping its advantages will outweigh its disadvantages when it arrives, as it is intended to be my mid-weight mould for the 32 revolvers.

Froggie