Homemade boolit mold version 2.0

[KTN]

If at first you don´t succeed,try,try again.......and again......and again.....and..........
Today I made my second attempt on moldmaking,and it ALMOST worked out.This time it´s my form tool that needs little improving.Those extra grooves on the nose were made by form tools backedge that needs to be grind down a bit.Tomorrow I will fit handles,sprueplate and hollowpoint pin to the mold.Casting report coming soon.


Kaj

[KTN]

First casting session with home made boolit mold is over,and the results are,,,,,,:???:
First the good news,boolits diameter is .433" and I was aiming for .430"-.432" diameter.Boolit weights 201gr and I was aiming for 200-250gr,and boolits drop from the mold easily.:-D
Now the bad news,boolit is out of round by .001",since there are no vent lines on the blocks,not a single boolit came out properly filled, bases were good but driving bands were rounded (and all those little grooves on boolits nose didn´t help any.):violin:
Looks like my second hand boolit mold collection is growing fast[smilie=1:


Kaj

[felix]

Why not scratch the inner surfaces before making the cavities? 25-50 grit sandpaper? Don't know, but it appears the LBT molds are done this way. ... felix

[StarMetal]

KTN,

You don't have to have vent lines.

Joe

[DLCTEX]

try casting hotter or heating mold more before giving up, .001 out of round is no problem, the bore will round it up, or size it through a die to reduce the size to what you want, it might square up the bands also.

[KTN]

Felix,
Thanks,I must try that sandpaper trick in my future projects.

Starmetal,
maybe molds don´t need vent lines,but I´m going to try it out anyway,in fact I already have,in my no:3 mold.I haven´t had this much fun for a long time.

Dale Clawson,
I will try it again,some day.Maybe it was the hollowpoint pin that wasn´t hot enough.My Lee pot was on max.

Here´s my no:3 mold.This one was completed without any major disasters,and is looking good.


Kaj

[Four Fingers of Death]

Thats a great looking mould. Things will only get better from here on in. Well done. Mick.

[RayinNH]

Kaj, that's a nice looking mould. What are the particulars, caliber and weight wise? ...Ray

[DLCTEX]

Kaj: You've got it going on with that one, did you turn the cherrie in a milling machine or a lathe? What kind of jig do you hold the mold halves with? It has occured to me that your poor fillout with the other mold may have been lube left in the metal from machining.New Lee dies often have to be cleaned repeatedly to remove the lube, or cast really hot for a while to burn it out. Just a thought.

[Buckshot]

[QUOTE=dale clawson]Kaj: You've got it going on with that one, did you turn the cherrie in a milling machine or a lathe? What kind of jig do you hold the mold halves with? QUOTE]

Dale, I think he used a form tool instead of a cherry. I'd like to know the setup he used to hold the blocks too>

Also, what did you use to cut the vent lines, and did you turn the alignment pins and mating tubes then press then into the blocks?

Looks like first class work to me! Looks like you're off and running.

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

[44man]

I like vent lines because they make casting easier. I put the block half in my vice and use a pointed cutter in my fly cutter, swing it across the block to cut a curved line about .001" to .002" deep. Then I advance and swing another line, advancing until the whole block is done. I only do one block. I do this before cutting the boolit cavity.
Rubbing the block across course sandpaper would work too.
Why take a chance on the mould not casting good when it is so easy to make some lines?
My block faces fit so tight I can stick them together before cutting the vent lines, I know air will not get out.
KTN, you are doing very good and it will get easier. I just hate to waste blocks because I have to saw and mill them from scrap.
Here is what I start with. It is aircraft aluminum.

[KTN]

RayinNH,
boolits caliber is .44 and I´m aiming for .430"-.432" diameter,Weight should be around 300gr +/-,don´t know for sure,before I cast some.

Dale Clawson,Buckshot,
My form tool was made without too much measuring,mostly by eyeball and some comparing to boolits I have.I made it with angle grinder,bench grinder and Dremel,and final sharpening with fine Arkansas stone.I like this form tool method,I can make several different caliber molds with just one tool.Mold blocks were held in 4 jaw chuck.I cut those vent lines with sharp blade and ruler,then lapping the surfaces with fine sandpaper on a piece of glass.Alignment pins and mating tubes are turned from stainless steel and pressed in.I milled slots for handles in lathe,with 8mm drill bit that I sharpened for milling,it´s slow but it works.

My milling machine arrived today[smilie=w: .I need to buy truck load of tools and materials now.

44man,
I hope it´s getting easier,it only took two molds for me to reinvent K.I.S.S.[smilie=1:
On my future projects I will try gascheck tools,some Finnish wildcat reloading dies (7x53R) and multiple cavity molds and all other neat reloading tools and gun related stuff,like silencing my M-31 Suomi smg :mrgreen: .


Kaj

[StarMetal]

KTN

Here's a tip for getting the right bullet weight. I turn the bullets style on my lathe that I want out of WW alloy. Then I weigh it. If it's the weight that I want then I merely cut a form tool exactly like my lead bullet. My weights have be dead 100 percent on. On the diameter I use a dial bore gauge, so my diameters are pretty much dead on now too. For the handle slots, I cut those on my table saw with a 40 or 60 tooth carbide blade. Works great. Just make sure you wear a long sleeve shirt and eye and face protection. Yeah, button your sleeves too, don't want any clothe hanging loose. Lube the carbide blade with paraffin or beeswax. Wear gloves because the blocks get hot when you cut that slot in them.

Joe

[KTN]

Starmetal,
Thanks for the tip.I will try it out sometime.This is one reason I like this place so much,you can have help,advice and tips to all problems under the sun from here.:drinks:



Kaj

[Buckshot]

................You got a milling machine too! You lucky dog!

http://www.fototime.com/E5745333F6A7CCE/standard.jpg

I bought a dual toolpost cross slide then mounted a piece of 1/2x4" steel to the T nuts and use that for a milling vise for some stuff. It's a PITA to swap out cross slides and then swap back.

http://www.fototime.com/6AF3BE634A683B4/standard.jpg

I mainly use it for facing stuff. My other milling machine is the milling half of a cheap lathe/mill combo tool I bought many years ago. My grandfathers old Craftsman bench drillpress would do a better job! I'm hoping that next fall at the latest I'll be able to get a new milling machine.

So far your work is very impressive. Keep it up, and keep the pictures coming.

BTW, making a form tool as Starmetal does is easy. You can grind small tools to cut in the lube grooves after you've turned the bullet to shape. Then mill it in half, leaving a full diameter portion for the tool holder. Harden it, then stone it to sharpen.

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

[KTN]

Buckshot.
Well.....what can I say......maybe I did get a little carried away when I started buying these machines[smilie=1: .I don´t have any experience with tool hardening yet,so I choose the easy way and made my form tools from high speed steel.Today I got some guide books on heat treating,machining,tool making and material selection from my old handcrafts (is that right word?) teacher.I will keep you all posted on those little successes and massive disasters that are sure to mark my path on my machining adventure.:)


Kaj