Vent-Free Mold Blocks?

[BrushBuster]

Hey folks, I got my very first mold the other day. It's a brand new #108 Meehanite iron mold from N.E.I. and it will soon be casting 250 grain FNGC boolits for my .348 Winchester.

It Looks great, and seems really well made, but what surprised me was that the block faces have no vent lines? I have read numerous posts here on keeping vent lines open, cleaning vent lines, enlarging vent lines etc. and now I have one that doesn't even have any? So naturally I have to ask, what determines why some molds require them?

[sundog]

Brushy, cast with it first and see if makes good boolits. If it does, just go on. It's MOJO, my man. Make believe you didn't ask. If it does not cast right, report back.... sundog

p.s. Looks like y'all got a 'smoothie'...

[44man]

Do you see tool marks on the block faces? (from the mill) If you do, it is vented.

[BrushBuster]

Yes, I do see coarse mill lines on the block faces. I had suspected that these numerous shallow grooves would function as vents, thanks for clarifying that.

One thing I might mention about N.E.I. molds, and not to critique their quality, is that their online mold descriptions are not always graphically accurate. They do need to update their catalog. The product looks good, I look forward to bragging about these boolits.
Brushy

[sundog]

I have exactly one NEI mould, a nice one at that. A DC 185 gr .41 Fn aluminium block. Hadn't looked at it in a long time, so I just went out to the shop to take a looksee. It's got vent lines cut into the block faces, but only just down past the nose of the cavity, no further.

Not too long ago I described in detail about tuning a new mould. One of the things I mentioned was honing the underside of the sprue plate, but not removing the machine marks. The reason is that they provide a vent.

I'm interested in how your mould works out. Please post an after action report. sundog

[The Nyack Kid]

Yes, I do see coarse mill lines on the block faces. I had suspected that these numerous shallow grooves would function as vents, thanks for clarifying that.

One thing I might mention about N.E.I. molds, and not to critique their quality, is that their online mold descriptions are not always graphically accurate. They do need to update their catalog. The product looks good, I look forward to bragging about these boolits.
Brushy

yep NEI says that you can take a caliper to the CAD plots , i did the nose on my #346 is differant than the nose of the CAD . every thing behind the front drive band is the same. oh well it still works .

[NVcurmudgeon]

One of the best casting moulds I have is an old Ideal 311413, made completely without vent lines. The very low number of rejects and the almost always dropping of the boolits as soon as the handles are opened, make this mould a pleasure to use.

[beagle]

I got a NEI meehanite form NEI right before Walt passed away and was surprised that it had no vent lines...only the machining marks.

Over the past several years, it has turned out great bullets.
for me with no problems

Many of the old unvented Ideals turn out great bullets. I'm pretty sure your NEI will do well with the machined lines as they are./beagle

Hey folks, I got my very first mold the other day. It's a brand new #108 Meehanite iron mold from N.E.I. and it will soon be casting 250 grain FNGC boolits for my .348 Winchester.

It Looks great, and seems really well made, but what surprised me was that the block faces have no vent lines? I have read numerous posts here on keeping vent lines open, cleaning vent lines, enlarging vent lines etc. and now I have one that doesn't even have any? So naturally I have to ask, what determines why some molds require them?

[Maineboy]

One of the best casting moulds I have is an old Ideal 311413, made completely without vent lines. The very low number of rejects and the almost always dropping of the boolits as soon as the handles are opened, make this mould a pleasure to use.

I have a completely unvented Ideal mould marked 308284 that performs like yours does.

[BrushBuster]

Thanks guys, for the encouraging comments. The impression I have is that the N.E.I. management is turning out a fine product.

I have to admit to feeling something sensual when handling that mold and feeling the mating of those precision machined parts. Nothing else like it! Except of course, well you know what I mean.

Friend beagle, if I can't get this mold to drop the fat boolits I'm hoping for, I may just be looking you up. But first, lets shoot and see what it can do.

[BruceB]

My very first NEI is the 338-283 I recently mentioned on this Board.

I had EXTREME difficulty getting fully-formed boolits until I deepened several of the "scratches" on the block faces with a needle file. I also just lightly broke the edges of the blocks where they mated-up on the top, under the sprue plate. It only took a very few minutes, and the mould now casts flawlessly.

Just goes to show that moulds are individuals, just as we've all said since time immemorial. I expect to order another NEI soon.

[Frank46]

Brushy, I have an old tong tool in 32-40 that has the integral bullet mold. Absolutely no vent lines. Yet casts great bullets. Course the darn thing does get hot so I wear welders gloves. My NEI mold for their 180 gr DD bullet has wavy lines on the faces. I guess you could call them vent lines. But it too casts great bullets. That was a walt made mold. Frank