Look up Lymans master casting kit. Part #2712000.
A great place to start.https://www.ebay.com/p/Lyman-Cast-Bullet-Handbook-4th-Edition-9817004-Book/2255116714?iid=162958436387&chn=ps
Anyone opting for the "drill for probe" option when purchasing NOE moulds? I see they offer a Digital Mould Block Thermometer too. Sounds like a good idea for consistent cast, but I'm guessing most skip this process/expense.I know enough to know once the moulds get heated up enough from the initial casts they will work well enough without a temp check, but startup mould temp is where this would be the most handy I'm guessing.
Cut a soda bottle in half and screw it on top of the exposed threads, btw do yourself a favor and put a probe in all your molds. Mold temp is 95% of casting and without a probe you are just guessing. Everyone obsesses about pot temp because it is the easiest thing to measure. "Don't think about it as pouring lead into a mold, what you are really doing is pouring heat into a mold block" is some of the best advise I ever had from a very respected member of cast boolits. If the lead is liquid it is hot enough, over 750 degrees don't bother with tin cause it isn't doing much, and preheat your mold before you start casting (I start at 370 degrees for all new molds and fine tune the temp as I figure out what it likes)
I forgot one other very important thing, and the one im the worst at. Keep good notes. If you enjoy it you will eventually have at least one drawer full of molds (pro tip: make sure it is a drawer the other half will never go peaking into or you are gonna be buying a lot of fancy shoes in your future) and quality notes will make your life a lot easier when pulling a block from the back of the drawer