44 FWC casting report

[HeavyMetal]

Today I got a chance to use the 44 FWC mold purchased from Blammer's GB.

I recieved a 4 cavity mold and finally got the chance to give it the "once over" today.

Of course it needed to be cleaned which is, and should be, a standard practice with every mold purchased be it new or "new to you".

Cleaning the OWBM was actually easier than most as it wasn't covered in cutting fluids when I got it. A quick touch up with Q-tips dipped in carb cleaner seemed to be all I needed.

The sprue plate seemed a bit loose but wonder of wonders OWMB acutally sent the correct tools to service the mold! Big atta boy for that!

Pulled the sprue plate off and found a few metal chips in the screw hole for the pivot. A quick dip of a Q-tip and they were gone! Sprue plate went back on, with a bit of antiseize as a lube, and the sprue plate was tensioned just how I like it!

Put the mold on a set of RCBS handles. Seemed a bit loose to my way of thinking but worked perfectly fine for the run of casting I did. Next time out I'll put the mold on a set of Lee six banger handles and see if that's a little tighter.

Heated up the pot and started casting, after a warm up of course, using the 44 FWC mold and a Lee 40 cal. 2 banger. Not exactly a balanced act but I promised a friend some 40 boolits.

Things I liked about the mold: it stayed at the right temp and believe it or not never overheated! I worked it for the best part of 2 hours and never got a frosted boolit! Yet the mold stayed warm enough that the sprue "puddle" would still be molten after I pulled it out from under the spout and set in on the wooden table to switch the the little Lee 2 banger!

Boolits dropped out with just a touch of rapping on the mold handles. My rejection rate looks to be quite low ( less than six or 7 obvious ones) but I need to size and make a count before I give and actual pass and fail number.

I realize by now that you'd like to see some photo's. However that seems to have escaped me at the moment. My eldest daughter should be home in the next day or so and I will as her to show me how to get that done now that I have survived the Xmas "upgarde" gift!

Over all I'm going to give this mold a 9 on a scale of one to ten for performance!

In a couple of weeks I'm going to set up a company shoot and then we'll see how these perform on target.

[cuzinbruce]

I received mine last week and have cast with it twice. The first time I put it on a pair of RCBS handles but didn't like the way they fit. So I tried it on a pair of SAECO handles. They seemed to fit better but I was having problems getting the pins aligned each time I cast with it. I was starting to think the pins needed to be adjusted or something.
The next day, I cast with it again. But I put it back on the RCBS handles and the problem with getting the pins aligned when I closed it was gone. But still not happy with the way the noses were filling out. I was putting the mold under the spout and running the four cavities in one pour like I do with some Hensleys with the trough in the sprue plate. I was casting with 16-1 at 750 degrees on the thermometer. The bases were filling out perfectly but I was getting a rounded edge on many of the noses. Time to try something else.
After a short break, I tried putting the spout on the bottom pour right against each hole in the sprue plate and pouring them individually. That did it. Perfect noses now. What worked for me was putting the spout right against the sprue hole, pouring the bullet and pulling the mold away from the spout as I closed it, so I got a little extra on top of the sprue plate. If I didn't, I got holes in the bottoms of the bullets.
Just a matter of figuring out what worked best with this individual mold. Once I got that out of the way, the bullets are beautiful. Furnace is an RCBS Pro-Melt. Cast from 16-1, the weight was about 246 grains. As cast diameter is .432. I sized and lubed a bunch and loaded them up. Hope to shoot them Tuesday or Wednesday. I do want to get a set of Lee handles and see if I like the way they fit better than the RCBS, but the RCBS are usable. I hope the bullets shoot as well as they look.
Bruce

[EDK]

I used LEE handles on mine. I did three pots full out of my Magnum Melter with a Hensley & Gibbs ladle. Wheel weights at about 10 BH, per my SAECO tester. It came up to casting temp sitting on the top of the pot and a "welders cloth" on top to hold the heat in. Practically zero rejects. Only complaint is standard on almost all moulds...why don't they cut a trough from cavity to cavity. Since this one is steel, I think it will go to work on the next round of 4-to-12s and get this corrected.

I also did a cast of group buy clone of 311041 plain base (Thanks Garandsrus) and had a learning curve on them. I'll play with these in my 30/30 Cowboy and do some tinkering with alloy and technique. Good mould, but it isn't in the same class as the Old West brass mould.

Thanks again Blammer

PS This mould is definitely a keeper. I am eagerly awaiting the next group buy you hinted at...especially in a 4 cavity from Old West Bullet Moulds.

:cbpour::redneck::Fire::drinks:

[HazMat1]

I am very interested in getting a fill wadcutter/ogival wadcutter in .430. Does anyone have one they would part with?
Thanks
Jerod

[HeavyMetal]

HazMat1:
First welcome aboard!

I don't think you'll find anyone ready to part with a mold from this group buy just yet.

However no need to be down! Old West Bullet Mold was the maker on these and he kept the Cherry in stock!

If you want one, he cut two and 4 bangers on this deal, you can contact Bernie at 970-858-1449.

Bernie can give you a price, and delivery date, for either mold.

You will also find photo's on the original group buy thread, just go to the Group Buy Icon, click in, then go to the search thread icon in the top right hand corner of the box. 44 full wadcutter should get you the thread. I think Blammer ran the web addy as well.

[HazMat1]

Thanks for the info I will be getting ahold of them soon.
Jerod