Inline FabricationSnyders JerkyRotoMetals2MidSouth Shooters Supply
Load DataWidenersLee PrecisionTitan Reloading
Repackbox
Results 1 to 14 of 14

Thread: Ballisti-Cast 10 cav mold and my Cam acion sprue cutter

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    360

    Ballisti-Cast 10 cav mold and my Cam acion sprue cutter

    Well I finally received my mold. It has been a long ride, over a year since ordered and returned twice for corrections. First was sprue plate was made wrong (thing it was old stock that they assumed would work. It's holes weren't even close to center of the cavities. I returned it and the new one was perfect. Next the mold would not close all the way. it was close and I thought it may not effect the bullets but it did. Off it went back again.

    Back it came and all looked good so I fired it up. Man does this thing crank out the boolits.
    I didn't want to be hitting the sprue with a lead hammer because I find this the most tiresome part of working with big molds. I thought it out and came up with a cam wheel that with a lever very easily and quickly cuts the sprue. Another bonus is that I used a large piece of aluminum plate as the base which seems to help keep the mold temp under control. I've been casting hot, about 750' and the plate gets very warm as I'm casting. I didn't get any frosting and was able to keep a steady quick pace.
    Anyway, here is a link to my youtube vid of both in action.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1bp...ature=youtu.be

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    HeavyMetal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Orange county, Ca.
    Posts
    3,944
    When I click'd on the link I figured I was going to see some montroisty bolted to the side of your mold, LOL!

    This is a very impressive, and creative, way to work the sprue plate.

    It could be used, with some small adjustments, on Lyman 4 cavity molds as well.

    It looks to me like you just put the molds in the handles "backwards" and apply pressure as usual to the corrct spot on the sprue plate.

    Used with a two mold rotation, be they 4 , 6, 8 or 10 cavity molds production would be staggering to say the least.

    You'd also have arms like King Kong!

    Nicely done by the way.
    Last edited by HeavyMetal; 06-01-2014 at 11:26 AM.

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master Tatume's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    VA
    Posts
    5,612
    Very nicely done. Thank you.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

    Hamish's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Edge of The Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge
    Posts
    3,571
    Great idea on the stationary cam. I would think that the two pound sledge is overkill by about a pound and a half though

    Really enjoy when guys post video like this to show their set up!
    More "This is what happened when I,,,,," and less "What would happen if I,,,,"

    Last of the original Group Buy Honcho's.

    "Dueling should have never been made illegal in this country. It settled lots of issues between folks."- Char-Gar

  5. #5
    Boolit Bub aviator41's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Oklahoma
    Posts
    68
    Fantastic video. I'm still a very new to casting bullets, this setup has me in awe, especially after going to their site and seeing what it all costs. incredible!

    Love the cam-plate to cut the sprue.

    So how much does the mold weigh empty?

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    360
    Quote Originally Posted by Hamish View Post
    Great idea on the stationary cam. I would think that the two pound sledge is overkill by about a pound and a half though

    Really enjoy when guys post video like this to show their set up!
    You haven't worked with the big ole' H&G molds have ya? They need a pretty good hit or three to open as well as it's hard to place the mold it hit the sprue without it hitting the bench or something else.

    The new set-up has me actually holding the mold very little which extends the casting time that I can handle.
    The sprue plate on this mold isn't up to the old H&G standards of the past. It actually was getting damages by a brass 3lb hammer though they said they did harden it. If they did they don't know what they are doing because the non hardened wheel of the cam is ever so slightly damaging the sprue plate. I don't care because if it ever gets bad enough I'll just tig some weld and reshape it.

    As far as how heavy the mold is empty....I really don't want to know, ignorance is bliss lol

  7. #7
    Boolit Master




    Echo's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Tucson AZ
    Posts
    4,604
    Great video, and great idea. And GREAT production!
    Echo
    USAF Ret
    DPS, 2600
    NRA Benefactor
    O&U
    One of the most endearing sights in the world is the vision of a naked good-looking woman leaving the bedroom to make breakfast. Bolivar Shagnasty (I believe that Lazarus Long also said it, but I can't find any record of it.)

  8. #8
    Boolit Master



    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Nashvegas, TN
    Posts
    1,386
    I am not sure what caliber his mold is but my 10 cavity H&G .38 mold is 7 lbs. His should be close to that.
    At one with the gun.

  9. #9
    Boolit Man
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Nampa, ID.
    Posts
    91
    Pretty good work out! Glad you got the bugs worked out!

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    360
    well here is a pic of a couple good hours of casting. I increased the cam wheel diameter so the sprue is easier to open after "camming". With the bigger wheel it is completely cut and requires little effort to swing it all the way over.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails output.jpg  

  11. #11
    Boolit Master

    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    East Arkansas where I55 & I40 come together and then split
    Posts
    698
    Nice set up. I need to come up with something like that. I have an 8 cavity H&G and have use a lead hammer to open the sprue plate.
    It does get tiresome. I work for a steel fabricator and could possibly come up with something close to what you made.

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Posts
    240
    That is a great idea and well executed!

    Love the pic of the huge bucket of boolits.

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    360
    I may cast up another 5 gal pails worth and sell the mold. 2-5gal pails will be a lifetimes supply (I can't pick the one up in the pic at about the 4gal mark) and figure I might as well pass it on to the next 9mm shooter.
    I bet Ballisti-Cast is in no hurry to do another ten cavity, mine was the first done since 1990.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master


    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    West Virginia
    Posts
    1,006
    Love that idea, now to send 4 gallons of boolits down range.
    Lead bullets Matter

    There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves. - Will Rodgers

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check