WOOHOO!! My First NOE mold arrived today!

[Gelandangan]

[smilie=w:

I have 2 already on order with the Group Buys, I thought I would like to have one sooner.

So I PM Sweede and ordered a 460 350Gr.RF (RD) RG2 mold.

Sweede send it to me in a Priority mail flat pack real quick :-D
So today, it arrived and I will cast this weekend. [smilie=w:

As this is my first "custom" mold, I would like to tap to the general wisdom here.
Any advice on what to do with the mold till then?

Any good prep I could do? Soak it in acetone? Ultrasonic cleaning? Boil it?

[Ben]

A good cleaning with Dawn D'washing detergent and HOT water with a soft tooth brush.

A couple of treatments with the above. Blow it 101 % dry with a hair dryer on HIGH prior to casting with it.

Once clean, apply a tiny amount of Bullplate on the alignment pins and after you've cast 25 bullets with the mold.........stop & take a tiny ( and I mean TINY ) amount of Bullplate on the end of a q-tip and rub on the underside of the sprue plate.......don't do this with a cold mold. Wip off any excess.

You should be good to go......

[btroj]

And don't be surprised if it takes a couple of casting sessions to get things settled down.
The RG moulds also take a bit of time to get a rhythm with. Once you figure it out you will have a heap of bullets fast.

Ejoy it.

[Blammer]

boiling the mould in hot soapy water then a good hot water rinse and good drying work well for me.

I also use brake cleaner and toothbrush, works well.

Read the directions NOE sent with the mould. Follow them, they will help a bunch!

Preheat the mould to HOT before casting with it. RG's take more heat than normal.

and NEVER Take a pliers to pull off the stuck boolits on the pins. You'll damage the cavities. (ask me how I know this.... :( )

[Hickory]

[smilie=w:

I have 2 already on order with the Group Buys, I thought I would like to have one sooner.

So I PM Sweede and ordered a 460 350Gr.RF (RD) RG2 mold.

Sweede send it to me in a Priority mail flat pack real quick :-D
So today, it arrived and I will cast this weekend. [smilie=w:

As this is my first "custom" mold, I would like to tap to the general wisdom here.
Any advice on what to do with the mold till then?

Any good prep I could do? Soak it in acetone? Ultrasonic cleaning? Boil it?


I hope getting a custom mould nevers becomes a "Ho-Hum" affair for you.
It never has for me. Good casting and good shooting for you.

[HollowPoint]

"Sweede send it to me in a Priority mail flat pack real quick
So today, it arrived and I will cast this weekend."

OK; let us know how it goes, be careful and Don't burn yourself.

HollowPoint

[Gelandangan]

Thanks all for the suggestions and answer :smile:
I have been casting for years using Lee and Lyman molds so casting is not a stranger to me.
It is the "small production" molds I never had, but I am definitely willing to try.


NEVER Take a pliers to pull off the stuck boolits on the pins. You'll damage the cavities. (ask me how I know this.... :( )

Blammer, this will be my first RG, what would be the procedure to remove stuck boolits off the pins?
Would heating the pin with small propane torch work? would it damage some other stuff?

[btroj]

Getting the mould hot, teal hot, will help prevent any sticking to the pins. At least that helped with the 313640 rg4 I got. I held the mould on end just into the lead for a good 30 seconds or so. This was to heat the mould without getting lead in the mechanics of the eg mould system. Then I started casting. If a bullet stuck on a pin I would just close the mould back up and cast the other cavities. In short order they all fell free easily.
I cast with the mould and lead hot. Seems to make a difference with hp moulds, especially the little guys.

Good luck, they are a great mould

[Blammer]

yes heating the pins with a small torch will help, only touch it to the 'base' of the pins, don't let it "melt' tourch the mould, a second or two on the pins should be all it takes.

I just knock the handles with a wooden mallet until they fall off, sometime when they are cold the take quite a whack. With as heavy a boolit as your casting it probably won't take to needing the torch.

then I heat the mould MORE after they are really stuck on the pins.

I have the 44 cal 325gr Ranch Dog RG2 and it hardly takes anything to get them to fall of the pins, hot or cold. So with yours I'd not sweat that too much.

[Gelandangan]

Was raining here on weekend so I cannot try the new mold :(
I am seriously considering to build a shed just for casting jobs.

[Gelandangan]

Tried the mold yesterday, dropping 322gn projectiles with nominal diameter of 0.459

I only got a few bullet stuck on the inner side pin, where a few hard thwack on the mold handle would persuade it to move on.

I learn to be patient and wait till the lead harden a bit more after the sprue hardened, before opening it.
Otherwise, the center pin would RIP the somewhat soft lead off the opposite side of the mold and make the hollow point off center.

Definitely is a pleasure to use once you got the hang of it.