NOE molds and Magma machine - ???

[Whelen B]

I'm new to casting bullets but I'm considering buying one or two of Swede Nelson's NOE molds. The question I have is whether or not his molds can be used in a Magma machine.

I have a friend who has a magma caster and I thought it might be good to buy a mold that he could use in his production machine too - if that opportunity came along. Are only certain molds compatable?

Thanks - this is my first post on this board.

[That'll Do]

Welcome to CastBoolits!

I'm certainly no expert on Magma machines, but I think that only Magma molds work on the machine. Someone will be along shortly to give a definitive answer.

[hammerhead357]

I don't know if you can adapt NOE moulds to a Magma machine but in my experience the Magma machines are to hard on a mould to use aluminum. It will beat the h e c k out of them and will ruin an aluminum mould very quickly.....Wes

[evan price]

iirc, doesn't a Magma machine need multiple moulds, like 5 or 6 on the wheel? It'd be a pretty expensive undertaking unless you wanted to make thousands and thousands of the same bullet. The Magma machine is based on commercial production.

[deltaenterprizes]

The Magma Mullet Master has a capacity to use 8 two cavity molds and the Master Caster uses 1 two cavity mold.
Most 2 cavity molds can be fitted to the Magma machines. It requires drilling a size "F" hole for the sprue plate screw all the way through the block and milling a counterbore on the bottom to create a recess for the tension spring. If the handle slots are not 5/16 wide they need to be opened to that dimension ans then two holes 8-32 ,I think, need to be drilledand tapped in each block half for the screws to hold the keys used to mount the molds in the machine.
An alternative key can be made to use the screws that mount the mold to the mold handles.
Installing the hardened alingnment pins Magma uses will add to the life of the mold(requires a "F" REAMER), and a good lube where the sprue plate pivots will reduce wear. When the corner wears a new hole for the sprue plate can be drilled in the opposite corner or the top of the mold can be milled to true it, but that will result in a slightly lighter bullet weight depending on the amount of wear and how much metal needs to be removed.
I have converted RCBS,SAECO,Lyman and NEI molds for use in Magma and Ballisticast machines and SAECO are the best, better than Magma. Magma used SAECO when they first started making machines.
I had 3 Magma Bullet Masters and auto lube/sizers and a Ballisticast and still have a Master Caster I bought 25 years ago that I used to start my bullet business.
I am now working on making my own bullet molds. The cost of Magma parts made me go to machinist school!

[Whelen B]

Asked the guy with the local magma machine tonight and he pretty much confirmed what has been said here. As hammerhead357 stated, aluminum won't take the beating in his opinion. He likes Saeco too.

Thanks all. Guess I'll be casting with my NOE mold when I get it without the help of a magma machine. I'll probably learn a thing or two that way too. Shouldn't hurt me at all.

[MT Chambers]

I want the mullet master, no question.

[No_1]

Don't be discouraged. If you cannot find a factory mould in steel there are plenty of mould makers that can make you the custom design you want. NOE make a great mould but out of aluminum which will not last in the casting machine. When I bought mine I ask about using aluminum molds and was told be the nice lady that I could but they would not last.

Robert