Need help with new NEI Mould

[Woodtroll]

Hello, folks.

I just received a new NEI mould today, and set out to cast a few bullets to check the mould.

The handle cuts seem to be thicker/ taller than they need to be, letting the blocks rock laterally on the handles. As a result, the heavy steel sprue plate really cants the half of the block it is attached to, and you just about have to line the two halves up by hand to close them. I try to take very good care of my moulds, and close them gently, and the CLASH I get when I don't close this one just right does bad things to my nerves! The handles are RCBS handles, which NEI specifies, and which work fine on my other moulds.

Has anyone solved this quirk, either by technique or mechanical means? This is a really fine mould, comparable to one I have that Walt himself made, and casts a nice bullet, but this tedious method of closing will get old if I run many bullets from this mould.

Any input would be appreciated.

Many thanks! Regan

[BruceB]

I've had the problem before, with moulds rocking badly on the handles and making accurate alignment difficult when closing the mould.

Get the mould HOT, by dipping a part of it (a corner, or the bottom, or whatever) in the molten alloy for a while....at least thirty seconds for an iron mould. Then (if using bottom pour) just hold each side of the mould under the spout and pour a shot of alloy into the handle slot on each mould half. PRESTO! Instant, custom-fitted lead bushings! If using some other method of pouring, use your imagination to get molten lead into the loose areas of the mould-to-handle fit.

You may have some minor trouble getting the mould halves OFF the handles when done, but it's not all that bad.

[LAH]

And Bruce comes through again........Creeker

[montana_charlie]

I don't know why NEI recommends using (thin jawed) RCBS handles with their moulds.
My blocks are aluminum, and KAL and Saeco handles fit them just fine. I have never seen any of their iron moulds, but I assume they have the same sized slots.
CM

[GLL]

If you have a set of Lee 6-cavity handles available give them a try !

Jerry

[BruceB]

In my previous post, I made an ASS-umption, which needs to be addressed.

The molten alloy should be applied to the mould-to-handle gaps with the mould closed, to ensure the stuff indeed holds the blocks in proper alignment for filling.

This is a stopgap measure (literally!) but it has worked well for me for many years. My handles are a vast agglomeration of types and vintages, from pre-WW II right up to the present, and the moulds are equally varied.

[Woodtroll]

Thanks, friends. BruceB, I ASS-umed you meant with the mould closed- at least that made sense to me <G>.

I appreciate y'alls help. Take care! Regan

[chunkum]

Ditto, GLL's recommendation on the Lee Handles. I used them on my first two NEI moulds and actually they were such a tight fit in the slots that I dressed them a little bit with a file to loosen them just a bit. If your slots are a tad oversized, the Lee handles may well be just exactly the right fit for your NEI mould.
Best Regards,
chunkum

[9.3X62AL]

There's a little blurb on the NEI site home page that describes a "modified" set of RCBS handles to address this problem. What that modification consists of, I don't know--but it seems to be some kind of clip at the attachment area of the handle set that stabilizes the mold block.

[Slowpoke]

I wonder if you just set them on a flat surface if they will close up square.

good luck

[chunkum]

I've used "Slowpoke's" technique on several moulds that needed a little assistance in "finding" the right position necessary for easy and correct closing. It always works well for me. However, if the looseness is due to too much space in the "slots", you might want to try this:
Cut the top and bottom off an empty alulminum can with your pocket knife, cut it down one side with some kitchen shears or utility sissors, open it out flat and cut out a smaller piece - maybe 1" x 1". then fasten this piece between two old pieces of 1" x 4" scrap board in a vice or clamp and drill several holes through it with bits that are the same diameter as the screws provided by NEI for attaching the blocks to the handles. Take out the flat 1" x 1" piece of aluminum and, with your kitchen shears or utility sissors, cut out around these holes you've just drilled to get the little "shim-washers" you've just cut the centers for. Now use them as needed to make your handle - slot fit a bit tighter. If oversized slots were the cause of the difficulty, then this should correct that.
Best Regards,
chunkum

[montana_charlie]

The first mould I bought for my Sharps was a single cavity 500 grainer from NEI, in aluminum. I didn't own any handles at the time it came in, and I was checking several online auctions for a cheap set. Well, I succeeded. They turned out to be Lee handles...the kind that come attached to their moulds.

From a scrap of eighth-inch aluminum, I cut two strips 1 1/4 long by 1/2 wide and drilled them...so they could lay on top of the jaws to fill up some empty space in the mould slots.
I prefer long strips that thicken the entire jaw, not just 'washers' at the screw hole.

The halves would still sag a bit when the mould was open, so laying them on a flat surface would lift them up for gentle closing. But, as I used the mould, I learned that if I swung the sprue plate clear around (after opening) so that it laid across the rear of both halves as they came back together I could forget the 'flat surface'.

Your fit with RCBS handles can't be as sloppy as mine was with those skinny Lee's.
CM

[GLL]

CM:

All of my RCBS handles are just the opposite of yours. They mic @ .297" while the Lee's all mic @ about .305" ! The Lee handles must be very slightly thinned to slide smoothly through all of my NEI moulds. I really like them, they feel good in my small hand, and they are less than $13.00 each !

Jerry

[tom barthel]

I fixed my loose handles by finding some metal strapping to take up the extra space and cut to fit. I used a hammer drill to make the holes. The mould seems very secure in the handles. Lock up and alignment seems great. I've only used this method with one each RCBS and Lyman mould.
Tom

[montana_charlie]

CM:
All of my RCBS handles are just the opposite of yours. They mic @ .297" while the Lee's all mic @ about .305" !

Yeah, Jerry...
You are talking about those Lee six-cavity handles that are for sale everywhere. Mine were the eighth-inch thick jobs that come pre-mounted on the moulds. My aluminum shims got the jaws up to about a quarter-inch...which was still a loose fit in an NEI mould.
CM