Problem with 9mm HP mold.

[Shooter Mcgun]

So I have been casting for a little over a year now and I’ve had great success casting boolits for 44mag(first mold) 357mag/38spec, 500mag, 45LC/acp. Most of my molds are 2 cavity Lee aluminum and I’ve had virtually no problems with them.

From my research, when I get a new mold, I put some neverseize around the sprue bolt, clean the cavities, and smoke it with a bic lighter.

But... I got a new 9mm 4 cavity from NOE, it took FOREVER before the boolits came out without wrinkles. Then, when the mold got hot, everything got extremely tight, after the sprue dries it’s very hard to break the sprue, then, it’s even harder to pull the mold apart to dump boolits. Then once it does open, they seem to cling to the HP pins excessively. I hope I’m doing something wrong or I need to do something different for a HP mold than I do a standard one?

Look forward to any help you experienced casters can give me, I’m at a loss. I thought I had this casting thing figured out

[tomme boy]

Your going too slow. Preheat the mold and don't take any breaks.

[Shooter Mcgun]

Your going too slow. Preheat the mold and don't take any breaks.

Interesting, I would’ve thought I was moving too fast if anything, I’ll fire it up again in the morning and try to move a little faster. Thanks for the advice!

[Wheelguns 1961]

You don’t say if the mold is aluminum or brass. Noe hp molds are hard to preheat because the bottom is not flat and won’t sit correctly on your hotplate. I solved this by cutting a piece of angle iron that fit the mold exactly, so that it sits flat on the hotplate. This still wasn’t enough to preheat the mold because the angle iron absorbed too much of the heat. The mold was hot, but the sprue was still cold. So, I made a cover for the hotplate that basically turns it into an oven. As far as the mold sticking together, you probably have a burr on the female side of your alignment pins. You can remove these with a case chamfering tool. Just use light pressure and try not to remove much. When the mold gets hot, put a small drop of sprue plate lube on the male pins. I think if you get your mold up to temp, the bullets will stop sticking to the pins. For hp molds, I much prefer mp-molds.

[Shooter Mcgun]

You don’t say if the mold is aluminum or brass. Noe hp molds are hard to preheat because the bottom is not flat and won’t sit correctly on your hotplate. I solved this by cutting a piece of angle iron that fit the mold exactly, so that it sits flat on the hotplate. This still wasn’t enough to preheat the mold because the angle iron absorbed too much of the heat. The mold was hot, but the sprue was still cold. So, I made a cover for the hotplate that basically turns it into an oven. As far as the mold sticking together, you probably have a burr on the female side of your alignment pins. You can remove these with a case chamfering tool. Just use light pressure and try not to remove much. When the mold gets hot, put a small drop of sprue plate lube on the male pins. I think if you get your mold up to temp, the bullets will stop sticking to the pins. For hp molds, I much prefer mp-molds.

Mold is aluminum, I’ve been preheating all my molds with a mapp gas torch, it seems to work for the smaller ones but perhaps it’s time to invest in a new preheat method. I am going to check the female side for burs though, It sure seemed like the mold was adequately heated but I guess nothing bad can happen by going hotter? Perhaps I was spending too much time pulling the mold apart and it was cooling down too much. As long as the mold can’t be hurt by going too hot, I’ll try going hotter. Thanks

[Mal Paso]

MP is sold out of 9mm HPs, has been for a while. :(

[winelover]

Nothing wrong with pre heating a mould with a torch. I did it for years. Mostly use a hot plate or a panini press, nowadays. However, still keep a torch handy.

You don't say if your ladle casting or bottom pouring. Ladle casting will get your mould up to temperature much faster................if your ladle is large enough and you flood it with all the excess lead in the bowl. For a four cavity mould, I like a Rowell#2 ladle. It will hold a full standard sized ingot of lead. Just let the excess run back into the melting pot. I judge my mold temperature is optimum when I can open the sprue plate with just a gloved hand. With my method, that takes about 4-5 pours. I don't even look at the bullets until then. Just return them into the pot.

There is a learning curve anytime you change mould sizes and or mould block materials. All of the mould combinations have quirks. A brass four cavity takes much longer to get up to temperature than a two cavity aluminum. Factor in the HP option, another set of parameters must be met. HP pins must be hot to function properly............never yet have I had to polish the pins.

I have exactly one NOE HP mould. It's a four cavity brass. I will not purchase another RG mould. I don't like the pins protruding out the bottom. I've heard RG referred to a Rube Goldburg. MP will get my business for HP moulds.

Winelover

[LenH]

I bought a NOE HP mold in a .45 Colt bullet. That thing gave me fits the first 2 or 3 castings. I called Al at NOE on a Sunday afternoon and had a talk with him.
He told me that the pins needed to be heated good and hot. I get that mold rocket hot and work as fast as it will let me. Then I took the pins and chucked them in a
cordless drill and spun then in some 800 grit sand paper and that really helped.

Then I started cheating, I removed the pins and coated the ends with some Frankford Arsenal mold release spray. I use it only on the pins and that is all.
I used it on a cantankerous Lee Mold and it is very difficult to get off.

[sigep1764]

McGun, If the boolits are not coming off the pins, it is too cold. If the sprue is hard to open, too cold a mold. I usually run my HP mold a little hotter, 760 or 770 degrees. You can take a propane torch and heat the pins, no problem. I usually leave the mold on top of the pot while the pot is heating up, then dip a corner into the melt for a minute or so.

[Conditor22]

You never mentioned If you heat cycled the mold before using it?

IF my boolits have wrinkles, I clean the mold again/ or add a little more tin. IF it doesn't fill out, I add a little more tin/pewter or turn the heat up a little.

preheat the mold upside down on a hot plate set to 400° (with a can over it to hold in the heat)(I've been planning on drilling holes in the piece of metal I have on my hotplate for the sprue plate screws so the sprue plate site flush

coat the pins with the graphite from a carpenter pencil for easier release.