I recently purchased a NOE 360429 RG HP mould. WOW it is a whole new learning curve casting with the HP pins. Keeping the pins the correct tempeture is proving to be a challenge. I hit the magic mould, melt and pin temps and produced a few okay HPs. It took, it seemed forever, to get the perfect combo. Just when I thought VICTORY it all went for crap and the magic was lost. SIGH this could take awhile to get it figured out. New challenges keep things interesting. I don't need to cast HPs but it is fun to learn a new skill. Hopefully I will learn the HP mould rhythm. Just keep trying and learning I guess.
Casting Hollow points
- Thread starter 1927 caretaker
- Start date
i have several HP molds and keeping the pins up to temp is the biggest thing from my experience. the way i start casting is waiting for the pot to melt the lead (lee 4-20) then letting the bottom of the mold sit in the molten lead for about 5-8minutes which gets it up to temp quickly. i'm not sure how slow or quick that is compared to a hot plate but it's alot faster then using a blow torch and casting with it very quickly. if the hollow points are forming nicely i use a blow torch on the pins only and that usually fixes it. i also cast fairly quickly to the point i sometimes don't let the sprue solidify 100%. my bullets aren't match quality but plenty good for target shooting which is all i do. i got fast enough that i use gloved hands to break the sprue on 4, 5 cavity molds. i use a PID controlled pot and put the sprue's back into the pot, then top the pot back up once it's about 1/3 to 1/2 empty.
some of my hollow points,
some of my hollow points,
Threemorewishes
CGN Regular
- Location
- Ottawa Ontario Canada
Nice looking slugs. The 700 grain 500 S&W Magnums in a single shot Handi rifle reached my recoil limit.
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
I use the Lyman 330gr Gould design, I've never had an issue with the pin. What issues are you having? http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/bullet-casting/mould-details-rifles.php?entryID=72
Pre-heat your mold with a hotplate for about 30 minutes. Usually I can get good bullets right from the first pour.
If you don't have a hotplate, run your pot temp 75-100F warmer to start - this will heat the pin up faster - and then crank the temp down gradually as the pins wake up. Saves a lot of wasted pours and time.
If you don't have a hotplate, run your pot temp 75-100F warmer to start - this will heat the pin up faster - and then crank the temp down gradually as the pins wake up. Saves a lot of wasted pours and time.
After almost a half century of casting, I only discovered the hot plate idea about two years ago. It is the only way to go as far as I'm concerned. It's the best $17 I've spent in a long time. It is especially valuable with HD mould and Lyman steel 4 cavities,
Thanks to All for the pointers and tips. The learning curve will be less steep with repetition . I have been using a hot plate to pre heat for awhile. The torch to boost the heat is a good idea!
If everything was easy I wouldn't learn much in life. At some point I hope I can be helpful, to someone else, as you guys have been. Pay it forward so to speak.
If everything was easy I wouldn't learn much in life. At some point I hope I can be helpful, to someone else, as you guys have been. Pay it forward so to speak.
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I would do that as an absolute last resort, smoking them is a better option. Even that I don't do, but it also depends on the pins shape. The penta pins that mihec makes can hang onto the bullet sometimes, so a bit of sanding will usually fix it.
You don't need to smoke or lube the pins it just creates more problems. All you have to do is preheat on a hotplate and then heat your mould pins with a small butane torch. The pins can be hotter than the mould and actually need to be so they will release the boolits when you open the mould.
If you sit the mould down for a while sit it on the hotplate to keep it warm. Something that helps is to get a piece of aluminum plate to sit on top of the hot plate, and try to sit your moulds on it with the bottom flat in contact with the plate. Maybe a piece of square stock to go under the handles to support the mould so it lays flat on the plate.
The little torch doesn't need to be anything extravagant just a regular $10 butane torch will do what you need. It doesn't take much above normal mould temps to get the pins to release and when it happens you'll see it.
Also if you lose that little bottle of mould lube, you can use Synthetic 2 Stroke Oil, which is exactly what is in those little bottles.
I like the green stuff!
Randy
If you sit the mould down for a while sit it on the hotplate to keep it warm. Something that helps is to get a piece of aluminum plate to sit on top of the hot plate, and try to sit your moulds on it with the bottom flat in contact with the plate. Maybe a piece of square stock to go under the handles to support the mould so it lays flat on the plate.
The little torch doesn't need to be anything extravagant just a regular $10 butane torch will do what you need. It doesn't take much above normal mould temps to get the pins to release and when it happens you'll see it.
Also if you lose that little bottle of mould lube, you can use Synthetic 2 Stroke Oil, which is exactly what is in those little bottles.
I like the green stuff!
Randy
So you guys with NOE RG style molds don't lube the pins so they slide easier? I mean on the bottom of the pins where they slide in the metal rails. I found it made a huge difference. Anywhere there is metal on metal contact should be lubed. I also lube ever so slightly where the aluminum molds close around the pins. I know a lot of people don't lube enough of the contact points of their molds and handles. I don't actually use the green sprue lube that comes with the molds. I use Four Seasons brand Ester 100 air conditioning oil P/N 59009. You can buy it at most good auto parts stores...Not Canadian Tire. It's way better than the green "Bullplate" that ships with the NOE molds. It doesn't migrate quite as bad and never builds up. And there is slightly more to Bullplate sprue lube than just synthetic 2 cycle oil...I believe there is some STP added to it but I don't remember the exact percentages.
I don't lube the pins on any of my hollow point molds. I tried it but found that after a short time it starts to make the pins stick worse, and it can migrates from the pins into the cavity and make problems there too. The best advice I know for using HP molds is never lube the pins and keep them immaculately clean. They work better clean than they do lubed.
Hollow point molds need more care than regular molds. Never store any mold dry - always spray them down with some type of rust preventative. I use penetrating fluid - whatever is cheapest at the time. When you are done a casting session, just lightly spray the whole mold inside and out and then put it away in an airtight container and forget about it. It is now rust proof and the penetrating fluid helps to dissolve old lube and grunge as it sits. The screws will never seize up either.
Clean the mold immediately before using it next time. Rub the exterior and vented suffaces with a plastic scrubber or choreboy but NEVER in the bullet cavities. Then scrub the mold inside and out using a strong dish soap/water mixture and a stiff toothbrush, and now you can scrub the bullet cavity too. Rinse with boiling water. Dry the mold and it is ready for use. takes about 4-5 minutes and saves hours of frustration.
I fought with HP molds at first but found that keeping them immaculately clean and lube-free has worked best for me. I only lube the sprue palte bottom, mold top, and alignment pins lightly about every 50 casts. More is less when it come to lubricating bullet molds.
Hollow point molds need more care than regular molds. Never store any mold dry - always spray them down with some type of rust preventative. I use penetrating fluid - whatever is cheapest at the time. When you are done a casting session, just lightly spray the whole mold inside and out and then put it away in an airtight container and forget about it. It is now rust proof and the penetrating fluid helps to dissolve old lube and grunge as it sits. The screws will never seize up either.
Clean the mold immediately before using it next time. Rub the exterior and vented suffaces with a plastic scrubber or choreboy but NEVER in the bullet cavities. Then scrub the mold inside and out using a strong dish soap/water mixture and a stiff toothbrush, and now you can scrub the bullet cavity too. Rinse with boiling water. Dry the mold and it is ready for use. takes about 4-5 minutes and saves hours of frustration.
I fought with HP molds at first but found that keeping them immaculately clean and lube-free has worked best for me. I only lube the sprue palte bottom, mold top, and alignment pins lightly about every 50 casts. More is less when it come to lubricating bullet molds.
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What do you use for lube? I found that once I switched to ester 100 a/c oil casting got so much easier. I also don't have to reapply nearly as often as 50 pours. A couple hundred, easily until I start to notice lead smearing and sticking to the top of the mold. When used sparingly, this stuff just does not migrate like even bullplate. One caveat however, do not get the stuff with "I.C.E." in it as whatever that crap is, I believe it's designed to reduce the surface tension and it will cover an entire mold with one small application.
I used to be into lapidary as a hobby to do with the kids. The polishing compounds used on rocks can be used to polish metal. An aluminum oxide, chalk and vegetable oil mix works well. I brought the HP pins to a high luster then scrubbed them clean to remove oil, before attempting my first HPs. I noticed Brownell’s sells aluminum oxide polishing compound. It cost allot more than a quick visit to a rock hound shop though.
I will make a habit of keeping the pins super clean and polished. Thanks again for the great advice.
I will make a habit of keeping the pins super clean and polished. Thanks again for the great advice.
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I lube the pins and slides with Bullplate lube, as well as the sprue plate and alignment pins. If I get lead buildup anywhere including inside the cavity's, I rub it with a cotton swab wet with Bullplate. If your mould is hot enough, it will cast fine with Bullplate.
Honda or Evinrude synthetic 2 cycle oil for lube. I probably don't need to lube every 50 casts, but i do because I don't wait until I have a problem. I lube with very small amounts - wipe it on the mold with a swab and then wipe it off with a rag. With my casting methods if the lead smears it's not a lube problem - it means that I should have waited longer before cutting the sprue. Lubing the way I do it takes 15 seconds every 5 minutes so it's not a big deal for me. I learned the hard way that aluminum molds will start to gall on the top if you run them hot and hard over extended periods without enough lube. I lubricate to preserve the mold, not to prevent smears.
I lube the sprue plate bottom, mold top, and alignment pins only. After repeated use (thousands of bullets) the lube builds up on the pins and makes more problems and is them MUCH hard to clean off after it's been baked on in layers and repeated cycles. The NOE HP molds aren't so sensitive but the MP molds are very sensitive and the pin struts are a real PIA if they start to get sticky. I have used Bullplate lube and it's as good as what i use but it's not any better. I never lube or smoke or graphite the bullet cavities.
I cast in quite high quantities so you may never have the problems I experienced. I cast 60,000 bullets last year and more this year. My lubrication and cleaning regime are more radical than a hobby caster needs but it works for me and minimises downtime. I fought with those MP HP pins for some time before i finally stopped lubing the pins and my problems went away.
YMMV. There's more than one way to cast a bullet. I do what works for me, everyone else should do what works for them.
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Perhaps this is backwards but I cast hollow bases for my 12ga slugs and that is one big cavity. I don't lube or polish anything, just bring the melt up to a high temp (pure lead requires more heat), heat the base pin in a torch for several seconds and cast. It takes longer for the melt to get to temp and get quality slugs but once I'm there the casting goes quickly. Best of luck.
