Best way to prep new brass HP mould for casting?

[Cowboy T]

Folks,

I just bought one of Miha's brass HP moulds. After first cleaning the machining oil off of them, I've read some folks smoke them, others don't do a doggone thing. In your experience, which is the best way that will result in good boolits?

Thanks!

[Doby45]

Hot water, dish soap and a toothbrush.. I have 8 molds and have never smoked a single one. Be it brass, aluminum or iron.

[Frozone]

A good cleaning (you did that) to remove oil.

Then a couple of heat/cool cycles to seat the locater pins and bushings. I use my Hot Plate.

That's it. Although you May want to pressure pour the first few dozen or so.

A lite smoking of the HP pin tips helps the more stubborn ones release. Some need it some don't.

[Wayne Smith]

Some Bull Plate on the top of the mold, bottom of the sprue plate, the arms of the Cramer pins, and the recesses in the top of the sprue plate. All this once the mold is hot.

You have already done everything else that is needed.

[Shooter6br]

I clean the cavities with a de greaser . I find with the Mihec molds you need to pre heat them and run "hot" I use a hot plate i had sitting around. i smoked Lee molds but no need with Mihec it seems.

[pistolman44]

I have 2 of his brass HP molds. All I did was clean them with a tooth brush and brake cleaner. Let the cleaner dry out and started to cast.

[buck1]

I have 2 of his brass HP molds. All I did was clean them with a tooth brush and brake cleaner. Let the cleaner dry out and started to cast.

+1. And some spray graphite on the pins works magic.
Mine took about 100 bullets to get noce and broke in.

[timkelley]

I've been fussing with my Mihec 45-200 HP Mold for a month or two. The learning curve has been steep but I have, I think, finally got it figgered. Biggest problem is that nobody said anything about the weight of a brass mold and that an old fudd with Arthur in his wrists should beware.

[whitetailsniper]

i have a few of his molds also ,,i cleaned them with crc break cleaner,,agood couple blasts is all thats needed,and it evaporates dry,,and your ready to warm up /heat the mold prior to casting. thats all i do on all my molds.nothing else needed

[fatnhappy]

Folks,

I just bought one of Miha's brass HP moulds. After first cleaning the machining oil off of them, I've read some folks smoke them, others don't do a doggone thing. In your experience, which is the best way that will result in good boolits?

Thanks!

I had trouble with mine on the first try. It was mostly an issue with the pentagonal HP pins. I couldn't get them to release easily so it impeded my casting speed. Speed is everything when you need to run hot, and let me tell you, my MIHEC mould loves to run hot.

So I replaced the pentagonal pins with the standard round pins. I coated them with graphite to aid release. I'm not certain it was needed but certainly couldn't hurt anything. Then I went off to the races. When I finally got a tempo going that kept the mould on the verge of frosting boolits... or did frost boolits... I could do no wrong. That brass mould just shucked good boolits like a racoon stealing corn.


My first Mihec mould, and certainly not my last.
YMMV

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h152/lhsjfk3t/007-2.jpg

[Bob J]

I have a number of Miha's Cramer moulds and have never had a problem getting the bullets to fall free.... Cleaned with break cleaner and run them hot and have never had to smoke them.... Great workmanship and a pleasure to cast with.....

[Jaybird62]

If the previous comments are enough to get your mould running correctly, congrats. If not, you need to check some of the threads posted under the Group Buy section. I ran into problems with the pins releasing the boolits. Mould release on the pins did the trick.

[sljacob]

no problem with dropping from the pins with mine, the biggest secret is keeping the pins hot, a good cadence and closing the mold as soon as the booits drop helps a lot

[white eagle]

In mine i poured hot lead in it and got rite afta it
cast a few sinkers but the rest were as they say priceless

[Doby45]

I use the spray high temp graphite on my pins and with the pentas I can drop them all night long, great lookin boolits. But, the round pins are another animal. They will not drop without some serious hitting on the handle joint. Is there a way to "Lee-ment" the round pins? I was thinking of taking some of the boolits I cast and chucking the boolit in my drill and putting some Comet in the hollowpoint and running it on the pin. I have done everything with these pins heat wise and release agent wise, so I am thinking there is something not exactly smooth with them.

[Edubya]

I use the spray high temp graphite on my pins and with the pentas I can drop them all night long, great lookin boolits. But, the round pins are another animal. They will not drop without some serious hitting on the handle joint. Is there a way to "Lee-ment" the round pins? I was thinking of taking some of the boolits I cast and chucking the boolit in my drill and putting some Comet in the hollowpoint and running it on the pin. I have done everything with these pins heat wise and release agent wise, so I am thinking there is something not exactly smooth with them.

Doby, I removed the two guide pins (using the drill chuck for solid grip) then you can spin the HP pin in your drill.

EW

[Moonie]

I actually have the opposite issue. The penta pins stick some, the round drop right off.

[Doby45]

This is with the 402, Moonie. The 452 drops right off like they are buttered, both the penta and the rounds. Reply to my PM so I can send you some 402 penta boolits.

[Cowboy T]

Thanks, everyone. I'll give all of these suggestions a shot, as needed. Being accustomed to aluminum Lee moulds, I tend to cast pretty quickly anyway, so keeping the mould hot shouldn't be a problem. My goal with this mould is to get both penta and round HP's, so I'll try one of each and see how it goes.

[Doby45]

Doby, I removed the two guide pins (using the drill chuck for solid grip) then you can spin the HP pin in your drill.

EW

Edub,
I did exactly as you said. I took the guide pins off and chucked the HP pin in my drill with a wrap of electrical tape around it. Dipped it in water and then in Comet and much spinning inside a previously cast boolit began. I worked exactly like the mold "Lee-Menting" process and NOW the boolits drop off those pins like underware on prom night.

[Edubya]

Edub,
I did exactly as you said. I took the guide pins off and chucked the HP pin in my drill with a wrap of electrical tape around it. Dipped it in water and then in Comet and much spinning inside a previously cast boolit began. I worked exactly like the mold "Lee-Menting" process and NOW the boolits drop off those pins like underware on prom night.

That makes me feel good that I could be of help to you. Thanks for the update.

EW