New Noe Mold. Question About Sprue Pivot Screw Set Screw.

[G. Freeman]

Hello Guys,

Just received my first Noe mold. I went about disassembling the unit in order to degrease. I noticed that the the set screw for the sprue pivot screw doesn't have a brass bead (my RCBS mold has it though).

Is this common with Noe molds? Because of the absence of a brass bead, the set screw has damaged the thread on the pivot screw, making it difficult to completely remove and reinstall the pivot screw.

I have a new MP mold arrive as well but haven't even looked at it. Are these made without a brass bead on the pivot screw set screw as well?

Thanks in advance.

[DHDeal]

McMaster-Carr. MP's won't have the brass insert either. The metric (MP) set screws will come in a pack of 5 and are more expensive than the SAE, but as you noted you won't bugger up the bolt anymore.

Another way, and cheap, is to cut a very small piece of 12-2 copper wire, flatten it a small amount and then drop it in the set screw hole. This copper will mold itself relatively quick to the threads and do the same as the specialty allen screws.

[Conditor22]

You can buy brass set screws or put a small lead shot between the set screw and sprue screw.

I usually don't take the sprue plate off when I degrease, the only critical parts to degrease are the cavities.

often you don't have to adjust the sprue plate tension. IF you do at least wait until the mold is up to temperature.

DON'T make the mistake of over-tightening the sprue plate screw. It's ok if the sprue plate is loose ., as long as you can't see light between the sprue plate and the top of the mold.

[G. Freeman]

Thanks folks. I will definitely try the copper wire trick. However, currently, the screw threads on one spot are already damaged so if the pivot screw is unscrewed or adjusted, it just eats into the aluminum threads.

Basically just leave alone?

[DHDeal]

It's your mold so you gotta do what you feel safe doing, but I personally would try to get the bolt out and clean the threads up with a small file. Depending on how tight that stop screw was and how much it buggered up the threads would be the final deciding factor.

The copper wire trick I mentioned works to protect those threads from this happening again. If you do it, you'll notice sometime down the road that the small clip of wire has molded itself to the threads and will be just a thin flat washer. Heat and pressure I suppose...

I don't use the copper trick anymore as I've replaced all of the allen set screws with the brass tipped one's from McMaster-Carr. However, those more expensive rascals don't do anything the copper wire doesn't do.

[Conditor22]

Thanks folks. I will definitely try the copper wire trick. However, currently, the screw threads on one spot are already damaged so if the pivot screw is unscrewed or adjusted, it just eats into the aluminum threads.

Basically just leave alone?

Try it, if it works the way it is then your golden.

If you have to loosen or tighten the sprue plate a little you will still have plenty of good thread left.

[gwpercle]

Thanks folks. I will definitely try the copper wire trick. However, currently, the screw threads on one spot are already damaged so if the pivot screw is unscrewed or adjusted, it just eats into the aluminum threads.

Basically just leave alone?

If you can gently back the screw out, use some grease in the hole , then clean the damaged threads up with a small file , needle file or rat tail (triangular) and replace into the blocks ... then cut a small piece of #12 copper wire , flatten a bit and drop into hole ... everything will be fine.
If this will cause too much Damage get in touch with Al and see what he says to do .
Gary