First Hand made mold

[JTknives]

I have been wanting a 200gr WFN for my 10mm for a long time and i could not find what i was looking for so i designed a boolit and made a mold. it still needs handles but at least the hard part is done sofar. o and just to let you know it throws a perfect 200gr boolit give or take 1gr depending on alloy. i made the top vents to deep and so i get a tiny bit of of them cast onto the base of the boolit but man does it make a sharp base.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs263.snc4/39492_1553128435145_1443189422_31475564_5540328_n. jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs249.snc4/39791_1553129395169_1443189422_31475565_5294056_n. jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs072.ash2/36956_1553130555198_1443189422_31475568_6289943_n. jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs194.snc4/38043_1553131235215_1443189422_31475569_7889477_n. jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs227.snc4/38664_1553132075236_1443189422_31475570_3022286_n. jpg

[HORNET]

That looks pretty good to me. You could pull the sprue plate stop pin and shave a few thousandths off the top to reduce the vent depth and fix the "whiskers". The general rule on vents is that it's easy to go too deep but hard to go too wide. That's why "Beagling" works. No handles yet, huh? Must have used the Crash Corrigan casting technique. Ref: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=40238

[theperfessor]

Nice job!

[HollowPoint]

Hi JTKnives:

I wanted ask you, what did you use to make your two alignment pins? Having made this bullet mold, what would you do differently if you were to do it again; I mean as far as the procedure you followed and the materials you used?

I'm asking because for the longest time I've been wanting to build my own bullet molds. In fact I've started on a couple but something always seems to come up to side track me.

Excellent job by the way.
HollowPoint

[MtGun44]

Looks nice.

Bill

[DLCTEX]

With a boolit in the cavity spray the vent lines with Frankford Arsenal mould release and wipe the top before it drys to fill the lines some. I used it to repair a scratched mould and then Leement the cavity leaving the scratch filled.

[JTknives]

Hi JTKnives:

I wanted ask you, what did you use to make your two alignment pins? Having made this bullet mold, what would you do differently if you were to do it again; I mean as far as the procedure you followed and the materials you used?

I'm asking because for the longest time I've been wanting to build my own bullet molds. In fact I've started on a couple but something always seems to come up to side track me.

Excellent job by the way.
HollowPoint

everything is how i wanted except the locating pins. which i'm changing to a cone shaped dowel pin the fits the 60deg angle of the center drill. net time (today) i will make the vent lines not as deep.

[JTknives]

OK i was not happy with how the locating pins worked so i made new ones. the pin was cut to the same 60deg and the center drilled locating hole so its an intimate fit. i also recut the mold to fix taper and to make it a touch bigger. i want to size my boolits down not up ;). here is the picture

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs269.snc4/39783_1553968096136_1443189422_31478137_1892550_n. jpg

[Trey45]

When you start a group buy for this mold sign me up for one.

NICE job.

[HollowPoint]

Did you buy a cherry or did you make your own?

If you made your own, was it one of the "D" reamer kind?

I like the look of your second set of alignment pins but, if the first ones worked OK and I was the one that made the mold, I probably would have been to lazy to make new ones.

You're an inspiration sir. I'm going to have to stop procrastinating and try, try again to make me a bullet mold.

I just got hold of a Big Bore Air Rifle that will serve as one of my incentives. The fact that I'm chronically cheap is another one of my incentives.

Thanks for posting this accomplishment.

HollowPoint

[Blammer]

Cool!

I'm curious where the handles will go.

[Buckshot]

...............JTknives, that's some very clean looking work, and the cavity appears to be as smooth as a baby's butt :-) The following is nothing negative about your work, which is excellent but everyone has their own ideas/suggestions, so here's mine.

I like to use 3 alignment pins in the blocks I make...............

http://www.fototime.com/55D15A4B5F3108F/standard.jpg

Like in this slug mould. Alternatively, one in each bottom corner and the 3rd in the upper corner away from the SP pivit bolt.

Since I use aluminum for the blocks and the alignment pins are steel (in a 'clapping match' steel wins), so I press in steel mating tubes .............

http://www.fototime.com/5F9B1C52B08A8C1/standard.jpg

As in this photo. It's some seamless stainless steel tube I got on E-bay in 6' lengths.

You might consider a wave washer under the SP pivit bolt to tension the SP. Since the pivit bolt appears to be brass, a brass washer on top of the wave washer wouldn't hurt.

http://www.fototime.com/530DD5A2E476BA1/standard.jpg

Since I use aluminum for the SP and a steel pivit bolt, I put the brass washer against the SP. You can see the brass washer and the wave washer on the pivit bolt to the left.

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

[Dannix]

Nice looking bit of kit there JTknives.

[JTknives]

thanks guys, i went to jer's (THX) house to dy and tried and tried to cast a good boolit wit it and could not for the life of me. well when i got back to the shot i cleaned it and bam great boolits that weigh 207gr at .405 so not to bad a bit big for what i wanted but i can easily size down. and this is after i re cut the mold so im happy. i will be doing a second mold with 2 cavetys and enough material thickness to mount handles ;)

[geargnasher]

Very nice job. I'm curious about the cherry, too. What did you use to make it?

Gear

[JTknives]

Very nice job. I'm curious about the cherry, too. What did you use to make it?

Gear

i used the cnc lathe i run at work to turn a tool and then i cut the top off the tool (D cutter) then used a manual lathe to turn the bullet cavity.

Man the bullets just drop out of this mold, i changed the bullet design just a touch to be .403 di with a deeper lube groove so it falls right in at 200g. the lube grove on this boolit is shallow and i am worried about it but i have seen boolits that have a much shallower lube groove

[jmsj]

JTknives,
That is one good looking mold. It must be really cool to be able to make a mold in any style, caliber, weight and cavity count.
Great job, jmsj

[thx997303]

Not to mention JT, it's really hard to get the mold up to temp when you are doing Crash Corrigan style. [smilie=w:

[JTknives]

Not to mention JT, it's really hard to get the mold up to temp when you are doing Crash Corrigan style. [smilie=w:

it was a diry problem, it onley took about 3 castings to bet to mold to through good boolits. ether that or your shed is cursed

[Southron Sanders]

First of all, you have done a beautiful job on that mould of yours!
My only comment is that I really don't see the need for vent lines on the top of the mould. I have made and used moulds with NO VENT LINES anywhere and they seem to work O.K.

Alternatively, I have used a fly cutter to cut "smiling" vent lines in my mould blocks, the theory being that since hot air rises, the "smiling" vent lines actually make it easier for the hot air to evacuate the mould cavity (IF vent lines are really necessary.)

Using a center drill to cut 60 degree alignment pin holes is ABSOUTELY BRILLIANT! I will try that on the next mould I make.

HINT: ONe of the biggest "HASSLES" of casting bullets is having a sprue plate that gets looser and looser the more you cast.

I have pretty well gone to the system used on moulds that are designed for casting machines, i.e., For my Sprue Plate screw, I drill the hole all the way thru the block. Next, for my sprue plate screw, I pick a stainless steel screw that not oonly goes all the way thru the sprue plate and block, but hangs out about 3/4" BELOW the bottom of the block.

Then I simply put a coil spring around the part of the screw that protrudes below the block. That is followed by a washer and then TWO nuts (along with some Hi Temp Loc Tite) to "lock" the screws on and compress the spring somewhat.

The beauty of this system is that your sprue plate never loosens up during a casting session, no matter how long because the coil spring keeps a steady downward pull on the sprue plate screw!

[thx997303]

My shed cursed? Naww, you shoulda seen that big spider though. :mrgreen:

[frankenfab]

I only hope my first mold turns out that well. I'm sure that your future molds will only get better!

[a.squibload]

JT (and Buckshot): nice work!

I'm no expert, and I guess you solved the vent problem.
I was thinking cut (sand? polish?) the mold faces down 'til the vents are not so deep,
then re-cut the cavity. Just don't throw the mold away, looks good!

Southron: I have a mold that used to give me fits, plate kept gettin loose.
Thought about drilling into the side & tapping for a setscrew.
Maybe I could remove the SP screw, drill through, and apply your spring idea.
How much for royalty payments? I have some rubber checks...

[Dannix]

it was a diry problem, it onley took about 3 castings to bet to mold to through good boolits. ether that or your shed is cursed
This is what he was referring to. :mrgreen:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=40238

[tward]

GREAT JOB!!!
wish I knew something about machining.
Tim

[Blammer]

souther sand, great idea on the spring and stuff for the sprue!

[Dannix]

I have pretty well gone to the system used on moulds that are designed for casting machines, i.e., For my Sprue Plate screw, I drill the hole all the way thru the block. Next, for my sprue plate screw, I pick a stainless steel screw that not oonly goes all the way thru the sprue plate and block, but hangs out about 3/4" BELOW the bottom of the block.

Then I simply put a coil spring around the part of the screw that protrudes below the block. That is followed by a washer and then TWO nuts (along with some Hi Temp Loc Tite) to "lock" the screws on and compress the spring somewhat.
Does it get in your way though. like when resting the mold across the top of the pot and the like?

[Blammer]

You could counter sink the hole to have the spring recessed inside it and have it all flush with the moulds outside.

[bbailey7821]

VERRRRRY COOL! Good Job!