If you had a bullet mould to look like "A" ?

[Tom_et]

If you had a Mold that was cut to look just like a A or a Regular Pointed Jacked
Bullet (no groves)
Could you tumble it in Alox and let it dry Loader Up
I've also thought of an Pointed type with the Lube groove(s)From top to bottom
versus ringed
Just thinking

Thanks
Tommyt

[Harter66]

Probably out of my league here.

I'm dabbling with a spire pointed plain base of 200grn in 30cal.

Longitudial lines I don't think will get it .1st issue would come getting it out of the mould. 2nd is flame/pressure cutting issues.

Tumble lubed smooth sides are going to foul. Smooth bullets may be best served with paper patches.

Again I maybe over my head her.

[sqlbullet]

Some reading (http://www.lasc.us/FryxellLubeCastBullets.htm) if you haven't seen it before.

As far as lube grooves parallel to the bore I see a couple of issues.

First, the pressure will accelerate the lube much faster than the bullet. This will create channels through which hot gas can pass, reducing velocity and probably coating the bore of your gun with molten lead.

Second, even if item one did not occur (it will) you will lose the hydraulic seal the lube groove provides, resulting in gas blow by and leading.

As far as using liquid alox and just tumble lubing? Give it a try. You may find great success there. I personally doubt you will get a good enough coating staying on the bullet when it is seated to matter.

[runfiverun]

try rolling it across a file then dip/swirl lubing.
or the wax lube 303 guy uses on the nose of his smooth sided boolits.
a gas check would definatly help.

[Tom_et]

Yeah maybe I should type more Like I think lol
If the Lines where lets say 3/4 of the way from front toward rear
this way as was stated the Blow by and Pressures would get lost
I'm just thinking ,If a Guy could make his Own mold with a Drill Press

Tom

[bruce drake]

try rolling it across a file then dip/swirl lubing.
or the wax lube 303 guy uses on the nose of his smooth sided boolits.
a gas check would definatly help.


Hey! Thanks for the Idea! I've got a double cavity Lyman Truncated Cone 120gr 9mm mold that someone used a drill on one of the cavities and cut out the lube groove. The file trick may set that cavity back in operation!

Bruce

[longbow]

I make simple push out moulds, usually base pour. I started because it seemed like an easy way to make a mould for paper patch boolits. Figured I had stumbled onto a good idea. Turns out Ideal thought of it about 100 years ago.

They do work well for paper patch boolits and I have also made moulds slightly undersize to allow knurling then tumble lubing and believe it or not full groove diameter nose bore ride designs tumble lubed. They all work and I have had little trouble with leading.

In my .44 Marlin I have used the plain smooth boolit loaded right up to max loads over a grease cookie because there is no room for bore ride nose. In my .303 I have loaded knurled and tumble lubed, and smooth sided and tumble lubed successfully. The lube scrapes off the body of the smooth boolit as it is seated so only stays on the bore ride nose.

I often (usually) load .303 boolits over COW filler as well though and lube really is not required when using COW filler.

So, yes it may work for you at least to moderate velocities.

So far my experience is that the same rules apply to boolit fit ~ at least 0.001" to 0.002" over groove diameter. If it seals up well there is little to no leading.

As for paper patching, these smooth boolits work just fine but again the finished size has to suit the groove diameter. I machine mine to cast the size I want so I can wrap and not size after.

Longbow

[Tom_et]

Longgbw
I am running late right now but
I want to talk more of what you do
Do you have a Mill machine or Drill Press ?
Tom

[Centaur 1]

try rolling it across a file then dip/swirl lubing.
or the wax lube 303 guy uses on the nose of his smooth sided boolits.
a gas check would definatly help.

I don't see why this wouldn't work, use a course crosscut file to knurl the bullet. I see a lot of .38 wadcutters that look like that when I'm melting range lead. IMHO I think that you should forget about the longitudinal lube grooves. Even if the lines don't extend to the base of the bullet the rifling will possibly create a leak path for gas to escape. If you're looking to make your own mold on a drill press, maybe you could make a smooth sided bullet that was undersized. Then you could do this file idea to add a knurl and then run it through a sizing die?

[Tom_et]

Thanks guys for Input
Now here is where or what I am thinking may work and if so
I can make a Mould for a very low cost ,which is me
If its free or if its cheap its for me
The 2 tools I have it the pictures is what I am picturing could make
me some moulds and for that anyone could for not much more than the
Block of Metal you choose to use for it
I'm thinking the first drill to be a few thousands Less than the Finish
then take the cutter Bit and somehow Jig the blocks to make 3 cuts
,one at a time and the Points or space would hold the Lube
In my thought it seems to simple ,which makes me thing I am missing
something Thanks
Tom

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i319/tommytt1/cutterForbullets.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i319/tommytt1/Cutter4bullets.jpg

[longbow]

Tom:

I have an old beat up Craftsman lathe. It is a little sloppy and needs some refitting which I plan to do but it works fine as is for most things.

Depending on caliber, I either bore or make a D reamer. Usually for small calibers like .30 cal I make a D reamer in the shape of the boolit I want then simply "drill" the cavity. I normally use a standard drill but a little undersize to take out most of the metal then run the D reamer in to finish.

Sometime I drill and ream right through then make a sliding nose form which allows different nose profiles by simply making a new nose form and better, it allows the mould to produce different length boolits so adjustable weight which is handy.

Longbow

[DLCTEX]

We do all we can to hold pressure behind the boolit. I think anything that aids pressure forward will be counter productive. My two cents.

[Tom_et]

Because I am so Green to moulds and Casting
But now seen the light .....
acmech
In his post on his Martini put all my Thoughts into Play
I new I wasn't making the wheel ,Just trying to figure
How it was made ,when I see,Custom or semi, the Prices
just threw me and my mind wouldn't let it rest, I mean no
disrespect toward makers, I wanted to hear or see what in fact
ran the cost up so much,The High Tech ancient tools ,I now feel
a good mould can be made by the shade tree,somewhat
skilled man,jig and drill press
Now would anyone care to Guesstimate the cost of having a
cutter like acmech made for his ?

Thanks
Tom

[Tom_et]

Guys if anyone is following this the man called yesterday left a Message saying he thinks he
can do what I asked I wanted a (45 cal cutter /Drill and one Bit a little smaller) so I'll be calling him soon do any of you do it yourself-r's have any interest in buying or maybe like the Reamers Rent it ,I don't have any $$ numbers but If I have others interested it may offset the cost for everyone who wants a go at it

Tommyt

[deltaenterprizes]

Tommyt,
I have been working on making molds to replace the ones I lost in Hurricane Katrina. I have been a machinist for about 10 years. What makes molds so expensive is that I have at least $11,000 invested in tools another couple thousand in tuition and all the time to make those damn little blocks square on all sides and the right dimensions. Then making the vent lines across the face of the blocks and drilling and reaming the alignment pin holes.
The cherry has to be made in the lathe EXACTLY on size and then the flutes cut in the mill. The relief angles need to be filed by hand.(Tool and cutter grinders are expensive) I do not harden my cherries because I use aluminum for the blocks.
Now the blocks are placed in a centering vise with special jaws made to hold the blocks. I face the top of the blocks to make sure both sides are even and then I center the blocks and cut the first cavity then if the first cavity is right I move the mill table to the position for the second cavity.
Many little things can go wrong that will make all this work turn out to be nothing but scrap metal.
If I paid myself minimum wage for all the hours making my molds I could buy molds and have money left over! I like what I am doing so it is not really work but it does take a lot of time and expensive machinery and tooling and buildings to house all this.The mold manufacturers have to pay for this and their workers and the stockholders. They have hundreds of MILLIONS of dollars invested.
I am truly amazed that Lee can make a 2 cavity mold with the handles and sell it for $20!

[Tom_et]

DeltaE
I truly understand where your coming from, including the $20 Lee
Please don't think I feel you nor anyone who custom cuts a Mold
Doesn't earn the $$ and have to Have the machining and
PAY upKeep on all of it,
Have you looked at the MARTINI video's? I just want to do something like him
If it works I may make a 100 of them just to Pay for the tooling
so what it comes down too is a Bet/Gamble so too Speak
that I can say Thats a Tommyt Mold :)
The "$$" of the Lee mould is what got me thinking well today I spoke to the guy
and sent him a Bullet Drawing he Said he had NO Problem making
'it and it would have it made from Cobalt and it would cut hundreds
He also stated 100 or so Leaning above
He stated as long as I could draw it(the block) Hies tool would Chuck
up in my Press and work like a router Bit ,Now I'm thinking of maybe using a
Router

Tommyt