10 Cavity Moulds

[pjh421]

So I've got a couple 10 cavity H&G 50BB .38 wadcutter moulds that I dusted off the other day. After getting a $408 electric bill following several casting sessions with the Master Caster I was missing my RCBS pot. I'd put the cooled pile of boolets near the pot onto a towel on the garage floor to make room for a new pile near the pot. After a couple evenings of doing this following work, I had to move the floor pile into a bucket as they would not stay on the towel. I'm in love again! This is the next best thing to having someone cast for you. Checked ebay and can't find any 10 cavity moulds in .44 so I thought, Why don't we have some made? I don't see any of the usual mould makers offering 10 cavity moulds, or even 8 cavities in cast iron. I hope I'm not the only one who thinks this is a bright idea, lol. What is your opinion? Bring 'em back or leave it be? Too heavy? My cat, Bob, weighs more than this mould.

[DAFzipper]

Too heavy for me. 8 cavity aluminum is max size I like.

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[bangerjim]

Mabe a 10 cav Al mold. But out of Fe or Brass??????????????????????????:veryconfu

And the length would be prohibitive for anyone running a Lee 4-20. Unless you went in from the side.....VERY clumsy.....not of interest to me.

People complain on here all the time about the weight of a 4 or 5 cavity brass mold. But a 10 cav Fe mold?????????? Aches & pains in their wrists are arms. I have no problem with the weights, but others sure seem to.

I get more than enough boolits for my needs from my 4/5/6 cav molds!

banger

[dverna]

I used a 10 cavity H&G when I was in my twenties and thirties. Ladle cast with it. Rest the mold on the edge of the pot while filling it. 1000 bullets an hour IIRC.

I am 70 and have no interest in one now. But worth considering for competitive shooters who use thousands of one bullet. Cannot see one for .44....

[ascast]

I have a couple 10 cavs. 1 or 2 have a spot to hook on a support chain as part of the hinge pin. It makes the arm go a lot further.

[pjh421]

Its really not that bad. Doesn't sound like there's much interest so far though, lol. I like the idea of an aluminum 8 cavity even though I prefer ductile (not cast, lol) iron. Is it that there's just no market for such a mould? These wadcutter moulds are simply great compared to the Master Caster. I cut a piece of tubing that slips over the RCBS mould hanger. The blocks roll on it and I get a very smooth motion. It probably wouldn't be too tough to fashion some sort of riser with guide wings for use with the Lee pot. You could turn the pot 90 degrees and run the mould in sideways. Okay, thanks for responding! I'll keep an eye out for an old 8 cavity 503.

[toallmy]

I only have one 10 cavity , and I don't have a problem casting with it under my 4/20 lee at a angle . It empties the pot so fast I get plenty of breaks while filling the pot , but I probably only use it a couple times a year .
A group buy is probably extreme - the cost would be prohibitive + 4-8 cavity molds make big piles of boolits as well . But I really want to get Tom to cut me a iron 4 cavity mold for my favorite 45 acp boollits .

[Burnt Fingers]

I'm guessing the cost of a 10 cavity iron mold would be in the $400 range.

No thanks.

[pjh421]

If I live another 40 years that would be around $10 per year. If I don't, its someone else's problem, lol. With skilled CNC machining it shouldn't be an insurmountable task to make whatever number of cavities as well as moulds and cheaper than a Mark 8. I saw a nice 100 grain .32 mould (4 banger) on MP Molds website today so I asked if it would ever be available in a 10 cavity. I hope so!

[Lakehouse2012]

I have used the iron 10-cav molds, they are heavy, but if there is interested, I would also be interested. IF you guys want, I can talk with Miha about getting remakes but they most likely wont be iron, maybe aluminum... What do you think?

[GregLaROCHE]

Sounds heavier than I’d want these days.

[avogunner]

At around the 13:20 mark of this video shows casting with a Cramer 10 cavity. With ladle pouring, it doesn't look too fatiguing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDP8BRSEjrA

Semper Fi

[pjh421]

I've got a Rowell #1 laying around somewhere in the garage. I'll give that a try too if it turns up.

[GregLaROCHE]

Interesting video. Maybe filling a mould sitting on the ground (or maybe hot plate) with a ladle and dumping the boolits as in the video, would be less fatiguing. I was imagining having to insert it under a bottom pour, bring it out and cut the sprue while holding it in the air as with smaller moulds. Are you thinking of 5 side by side or 10 in one row?

[Martin Luber]

Why the big bill from a master caster as compared to an RCBS pot? It's watts in to melt and then to keep up with heat loss. A fan on the MC can't be much either. Just sayin'.

I have 10 cav h$g #50, l don't lift it, l slide it. In, fill, out, empty, all on a maple block under the RCBS 20. Same hing for the armory moulds.

[GregLaROCHE]

Why the big bill from a master caster as compared to an RCBS pot? It's watts in to melt and then to keep up with heat loss. A fan on the MC can't be much either. Just sayin'.

I have 10 cav h$g #50, l don't lift it, l slide it. In, fill, out, empty, all on a maple block under the RCBS 20. Same hing for the armory moulds.

I was wondering the same thing. Watts are watts and it takes close to the same amount to melt lead no mater where. Is it the size of the melting pot on the Master Caster? Maybe if it’s much bigger, it consumes more energy to keep it hot.

[Burnt Fingers]

I have used the iron 10-cav molds, they are heavy, but if there is interested, I would also be interested. IF you guys want, I can talk with Miha about getting remakes but they most likely wont be iron, maybe aluminum... What do you think?

MP has 6 cavity brass and 8 cavity aluminum molds. Those 8 cavity molds are a dream to work with.

[pjh421]

Has anyone seen finishman2000's YouTube video where he is cutting the sprue with a cam operated sprue cutter pusher? Pure genius.

[Walks]

HOLY CHALK, BATMAN !!!!!

I don't know who has more brass one's ???
The Shooter or the "Holder".

To the best of My recollection, H&G made 10cav molds in .38cal or smaller and using the same size blocks they cut for 8cav in .44/45cal.
My Dad & Uncle used to stand over a 100lb Plumbers pot and put the leading edge of the big 8-10cav blocks on the edge of the pot, tip them up at a 45degree angle and pour a ladle full of alloy starting at the bottom and going up. Left a good sized sprue.

[pjh421]

Has anyone seen finishman2000's YouTube video where he is casting with a gang mold and moving the sprue cutter with a lever operated cam? It's pure genius. This would take most of the work out of using a gang mould.

[Lakehouse2012]

Has anyone seen finishman2000's YouTube video where he is cutting the sprue with a cam operated sprue cutter pusher? Pure genius.

Agreed, also the small squirrel fan above the mold will be just enough to keep rocking fast...

[quasi]

At around the 13:20 mark of this video shows casting with a Cramer 10 cavity. With ladle pouring, it doesn't look too fatiguing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDP8BRSEjrA

Semper Fi

they use a Star sizer and a Star progressive operated by 2 people.

[alamogunr]

Going back to earlier posts in this thread, I've got a 6 cavity H&G 50 mold. I much prefer to cast with the 4 cavity. I've got a couple of MP 6 & 8 cavity molds and they are a joy next to a 6 cavity iron mold. Even 50 years ago when I was in my late 20's I don't think I would have wanted to cast with a 10 cavity.

[quasi]

I think if you are a tradesman or some other kind of manual laborer it is no problem. I am almost 60 and my 8 cavity Redding #68 is no sweat. I use an RCBS pot and mold guide.

[ElmerKieth]

Just my two cents, Fe is actually lighter than brass. That said even my 4 cav Lyman 358429 gets a bit much to throw around. But, I would like a ten cav just for the coolness factor!

[pjh421]

A ten cavity iron mould just isn't very heavy. That's subjective though and so I believe the heyday of these moulds is over. I sure like mine though.

[Martin Luber]

I think the fours are optimal for ease of use and good volume. The h&g 6 is cumbersome and not that much smaller than my 10. I slide the 10 on a wood block under the pot. I don't lift it a lot.

[Martin Luber]

Love that LASD video! But it looks lie they open the mould too soon. Do you age bullets before use, and how long? I do, but not on purpose. I'm not ready to use them soon.

[cwlongshot]

I recently picked up a 10cav. Its all hype, yea its heavy. But ya get allot of bullets pretty quickly so its relative.

https://youtu.be/w8D1nV-gLIc

[toallmy]

I picked up a project 10 cavity 50bb H&G from a member hear a couple years ago and with Eric hollow point mold help it is a beautiful thing to behold when being used . I had him remove the beveled base because of damage to the top of a couple of the cavities , but it turned out really well . As far as the money I would have been better off finding one in good shape but I chose to go for the save on a abused one .
I cast more than I can shoot with 4-6 cavity molds so I will probably not look for another 10 cavity , but you never know .
Enjoy using historical tools