Casting Hollow points ?

[boatswainsmate]

Hi,
I'm new to casting hollow points and was wondering if its ok to use mold release on the pins. Thanks in advance!

[JeffinNZ]

You should have no need for any sort of release agent on the pins. Run the alloy HOT. Make sure the pins are smooth. Commence to pouring.

[Beagle333]

Shine the pins up, pinch them between your fingers while holding them in some 800-1000 grit paper and spin slowly and make em smooth as glass. If they still stick, you can scribble on them, as if you were shading them dark, with a pencil. That will transfer some graphite to the pins and let the boolits drop easier and it also won't migrate to the cavities as any kind of oil or lube might do.

And I agree on the heat.... keep those pins hot! Cast fast and don't pause to admire or sort what you have dropped... keep that hot lead on those pins. That is the number one mistake of new HP casters..... it's hard not to stop and look at the shiny new HPs, even if it isn't perfect fillout, but that pause will only make your HP's get worse. There'll be plenty of time for sorting and looking after you are done.
Good luck!

[dubber123]

One handy tip if it is an older style mold with a removable pin, is to drill a slightly larger than pin sized hole in a block of steel, aluminum, brass etc. and keep it on a running hot plate. When you take out the pin while casting, put it in the block. It will keep it much hotter than just laying it down between uses. You will get a lot less rejects.

[knobster]

One handy tip if it is an older style mold with a removable pin, is to drill a slightly larger than pin sized hole in a block of steel, aluminum, brass etc. and keep it on a running hot plate. When you take out the pin while casting, put it in the block. It will keep it much hotter than just laying it down between uses. You will get a lot less rejects.

Excellent advice. I've been casting 180gr 45HPs for a couple months and still get a few dimpled bullets.

[Fishman]

One handy tip if it is an older style mold with a removable pin, is to drill a slightly larger than pin sized hole in a block of steel, aluminum, brass etc. and keep it on a running hot plate. When you take out the pin while casting, put it in the block. It will keep it much hotter than just laying it down between uses. You will get a lot less rejects.

I must try this. Thank you for the tip!

[HeavyMetal]

the Pin heater is the right way to go for single cavity HP casting, set your hot plate to just under medium and dip the sprue plate and then the corner of the mold in the alloy every 7 or 8 casts and your "loss" rate will be close to zero.

[boatswainsmate]

There coming out nice but the penta pin likes to hold on to the pin.
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn271/ericlee1971/img_0164_zps9493e4f0.jpg (http://s306.photobucket.com/user/ericlee1971/media/img_0164_zps9493e4f0.jpg.html)

[enreynolds]

From the looks of the picture, the penta-point looks like it could use a little polishing. That would be my guess.

[Alferd Packer]

Thanks for the pin heater idea-Excellent!

[Gunslinger1911]

Dremal with a polishing wheel and jewelers rouge has worked well for me on some not so smooth penta pins.
I have been known to put just a touch of Bullshop lube on pins with a q-tip (I know, sacrilege !! but it works)

[Beagle333]

Ahhh, I missed where it said the Penta pins. Yes, those can come a little rough from the shop.
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/cast%20boolits/Picture015_zps36d7ad56.jpg

I have never smoothed any of those up though. As gunslinger1911 says, I very lightly dampen a Q-tip with sprue plate lube (I use whatever that blue stuff is that Miha sends with the mold) and touch that to the face of the pentas. Reapply about every 15-20 pours and they jump right off those Penta pins just like the round ones.
I think it makes a nice wood grain pattern inside the HP. :D

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/cast%20boolits/Picture019_zps61f8a684.jpg

[harley45]

I use a bit of powdered graphite on my pins and that seems to work well with the Pentas.

[dakotashooter2]

I screw a brass wire terminal to the top of my pot and us it as a "pin" holder. It maintains the same temp as the pot and I don't have to monkey with a hot plate. I also use the same to hold my thermometer.

[grubbylabs]

I am going to have to try that polishing tip.

[MT Chambers]

With most molds i use 2 or 3 molds at the same time and they cool better between casts but, with a HP mold I can only use 1 mold at a time or those pins cool off more then the rest of the mold.

[Dale53]

When using the Mihec Cramer Style hollow point moulds, I have found it VERY advantageous to use mold release on the portion of the hollow point pin that creates the hollow point. It is probably best to use it the night before but I have often decided to cast some hollow points spontaneously and it seems to work just as well as if I had let them dry overnight.

NEI makes a mold release and I believe it is superfine graphite suspended in denatured alcohol. It dries almost immediately and will work perfectly through a whole pot of molten metal (20#+ in my case).

FWIW
Dale53

[Poodleshooter]

I use the NOE RG HP molds. Hot pins, and a hot melt are the key for me. I leave the first few casts (and sprue) in the mold for a long time to dump all of their heat into the mold, then I dump them straight back into the pot. I may run 10 pours before I actually start checking for unwrinkled boolits. I candle smoke my HP points too, but only for the first few uses. Once it's broken in, I don't have to do anything but get it to temp, cast rapidly, and cool with a wet rag if I start getting frosty. Too much haste to get casting just means more culls.

[boatswainsmate]

Thanks for all the info.