The discerning eye

[pearson1662]

Today, I received two Saeco molds I purchased via ebay. These are the first molds I have ever bought, they are used and to the untrained eye they look fine. What does the discerning eye see when looking to evaluate the quality of used molds? Or do I just use them and see if I have problems?

Jay

[shooter93]

Generally speaking...most things will jump out at you....nicks, gouges, light between the cavities etc.....slightly out of round etc made need bullets cast to check. We got a Brooks mold recently from a guy on Guns America which in a word was...pathetic but he took it back and refunded the money.

[Buckshot]

...............Just look for any bangs and dents causing raised metal. Especially on edges, the top and block faces. Hold'em up base toward a bright light and look for light between the blocks. Place the blocks together holding one in each hand and try wringing them back and forth. You're checking the alignment pins doing this.

Close the sprueplate and hold it up edge on to a bright light. If you see no light, good. If there is a very thin but even light line, it's probably fine unless you pressure pour, use a hot or very fluid alloy. If the light line widens as it goes away from the screw either the plate is bent, the screw is bent or the plate or blocks are galled around the pivit screw.

................Buckshot

[Bass Ackward]

Today, I received two Saeco molds I purchased via ebay. These are the first molds I have ever bought, they are used and to the untrained eye they look fine. What does the discerning eye see when looking to evaluate the quality of used molds? Or do I just use them and see if I have problems?

Jay


Jay,

When you get a new gun, do you disassemble and bore scope it before shooting?

When you get a new car, is the first thing you do to disassemble it looking for parts to replace?

Those mold blocks should have hit the stream no later than 30 minutes after the package was opened, and that delay was just to heat up the pot, making this question rhetorical. :grin:

[pearson1662]

BA,
I'm such a newb I haven't even got my wheelweights melted into ingots yet. I went to my first garage sale that didn't have muffin tins or slotted spoons for sale.:( I haven't finished reading my Lyman Handbook yet. I'm still saving for a pot to stream from. I haven't even decided between the LEE or the Lyman pot. Although I have been influenced towards the 20#. I havent decided what kind of wax to buy or if I want to buy floor wax and fashion my own. Basically, I'm just so excited that I had to tell somebody that might give a darn.:-D

[IcerUSA]

We give a darn or nobody would have replied . The light test is about good enough plus checking the pins as Buckshot said . Now you'll just have to wait till you can get some lead in them to see what you have .

Keith

[Bass Ackward]

BA,
I'm such a newb I haven't even got my wheelweights melted into ingots yet. I went to my first garage sale that didn't have muffin tins or slotted spoons for sale.:( I haven't finished reading my Lyman Handbook yet. I'm still saving for a pot to stream from. I haven't even decided between the LEE or the Lyman pot.


Pearson,

Shame on you fella. You read TOO slow.

Skillets on a kitchen stove worked for years.
Ordinary magnets remove clips.
Crisco works as flux and you don't have to remove the surface stuff.
And small skillets have a lip on each side for pouring just like a ladle.
A cake pan catches the over flow.

Bullets shoulda been going down range by now. Improvise! :grin:

[Lloyd Smale]

buckshot our super moderator needs a cape!!!!!!!!!!
...............Just look for any bangs and dents causing raised metal. Especially on edges, the top and block faces. Hold'em up base toward a bright light and look for light between the blocks. Place the blocks together holding one in each hand and try wringing them back and forth. You're checking the alignment pins doing this.

Close the sprueplate and hold it up edge on to a bright light. If you see no light, good. If there is a very thin but even light line, it's probably fine unless you pressure pour, use a hot or very fluid alloy. If the light line widens as it goes away from the screw either the plate is bent, the screw is bent or the plate or blocks are galled around the pivit screw.

................Buckshot

[mooman76]

I myself would just look it over initially for signs of abuse and obvious problems and then cast as see what comes out!

[mtgrs737]

I bought a Lyman 311359 at a gunshow and didn't have my reading glasses on. When I got home I gave the blocks a little better inspection and found that the alinement pin on the near side was pushed 0ut a little to make up for a alinement hole that was worn a bit. Even so the blocks have a tiny bit of wiggle at that pin. The sprue plate has a bit of light showing from under it but the screw seems a bit tight too so I don't know if it is warped or not yet. The top of the blocks appear to be fine as do the cavities. I will heat them up and cast a few soon to find out if there is a problem or not. Good boolits = Good Mould IMHO.


Mtgrs737

[Buckshot]

Good boolits = Good Mould IMHO.Mtgrs737

.............That's the way I figure it too :-) I don't know what a mould is supposed to do besides that. Give milk?

................Buckshot