GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Projectiles => Boolit and Pellet Casting => Topic started by: Franklink on January 01, 2019, 12:48:40 AM
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Wayne (or Bob),
I've seen your excellent results using the NOE moulds, and it seems like I've seen you mention getting the pins set right a couple times.
Do you have any advice for a newbie about making sure the pins are behaving? I've read around on the internet about possibly needing to gently bend the flat metal on the underside of the moulds. To be honest, I'm not sure what I'm even looking for or trying to avoid in regards to the pins. They seem to be sitting concentrically. They swing open when the mold is opened like I assume they'd need to dump their cast pellet.
My 20gr .22 Hunter mould arrived a few hours ago with the deepest skirt pins already in the mould. That's the pellet I'm most interested in. Is how they came from Al a good starting point?
Do pin adjustments only come into play when swapping out for different skirt profiles?
Thanks in advance. (I debated a PM but figured any knowledge/experience you're willing to share could be of benefit to others).
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Thanks
Franklink
I'll be following along, as I have the same questions. ;)
I was surprized about the lack of info for adjusting the pins,
in the instruction sheet.
Tia,
Don
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I just use a pair of pliers and barely tweek them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuzZOjgHvTs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuzZOjgHvTs)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7828/46547809861_b41b81c5f0_b.jpg)
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Much appreciated.
Just got it scrubbed with soap and water like the directions say to, and now cycling it up to working temp a couple times on top of my wood stove, again as Al's directions indicate.
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http://noebulletmolds.com/smf/index.php/topic,199.0.html (http://noebulletmolds.com/smf/index.php/topic,199.0.html)
http://noebulletmolds.com/smf/index.php?topic=160.0 (http://noebulletmolds.com/smf/index.php?topic=160.0)
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Basically when I break in a brass mold I don't even bother tempering the mold, I just wash them good, adjust the pins and warm it up just prior to my first casting session. Aluminum is different though, they take more breakin time but often I do smoke the pins when I'm casting if the pellets start sticking on them. I use a Zippo for smoking the pins, they work great :D
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I adjust my pins by loosening them, closing the mold with the pins in, and then tightening them back with the mold closed. That seems to get them seated right. Then, for each mold, after dumping the bullets, I have to figure out whether the mold should be closed either right side up or up side down. Most of my molds like to be closed upside down to get the pins to reseat just right.
To stop them from sticking to the bullets, I rub a little spru lube right on the pin heads with a qtip.
Finally, they stick less when the lead and mold are as hot as you can get them without being dangerous to the mold.
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Wayne, the pre-heat isn't for tempering. I know you use pure lead, but most don't. Most of us use a touch of tin in the mix for better wetting, or "Fill Out" with its resulting higher definition.
However, tin likes to solder itself in tiny spots in all the wrong places in a brass mold. The preheating imparts a layer of patina that makes it more difficult for the tin to start a seed, that eventually grows to an issue.
This is the reason Swede, (Al) of NOE, makers of Accurate, Arsenal, LBT, andLee, and lyman all suggest three preheats and cool downs.
In an alu. mold, it helps the release as well, and stabilize the blocks, and hard sets the inserts. (Harneded Alignment pins and hardened receptacle. This helps the molds from the get go, and more assures perfect alignment.
If for any reason you should need to polish the inside fo a mold, it is recommended that you reheat cycle the mold a few times to set the patina again. ;) [size=78%] [/size]
Mike
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Moulds should be ready to run out of the box, Tempering, adjusting, scrubbing, Tweaking, reseating, polishing are the signs of incomplete R&D and lack of Quality control. It's like buying a BMW and becoming a mechanic the next day because the guys at BMW forgot to tighten the bolts and left rough edges for you to take care of. ;D
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Actually, it's more like buying a Chevy because you can't afford the BMW.... JMHO.... I would imagine if NOE doubled the cost of their moulds they would easily be able to scrub, polish, temper and adjust each and every one of them before shipping.... with a delay in delivery time, of course....
It's the same story with any mass produced product.... You can have it fast, cheap or good....
Pick two.... ::)
Bob
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True Bob. When the options are limited, you may have to work with whatever available.
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How many of the NOE molds do you have Ken... How many RG style pins have you set...? would love to see your long experiance in this field...
NOE and Al are not perfect but wow what you said above points towards a vested interest and lack of experience... Al is doing thing that none of the other Mold makers have tried yet to our benefit... He has with time built a good solid rep... how have you worked at achieving the same...
setting the pins is not hard just fiddly... If you can not adjust them then maybe you should do some homework first...is what I would say... to imply that Swedes work is sub par in all these areas to me is just sales/engineering buzz words...
My experience is within an aluminum Foundry mostly doing sand and lost foam process but did get some education and experience on the permanent mold side also... and feel you can never learn it all... If you really feel the ways you have said join cast boolits and go there and talk the same way... There are guys there that have been at this longer than I have been alive and I am in my 50's...
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Yep,
First time I opened the box on my mold my first thought was "How in the world does he do such great work for such a low price point!"
I work in Industrial Valve manufacturing. If our plant were to try to match his quality, we would charge WAY more than he does.
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Yep,
First time I opened the box on my mold my first thought was "How in the world does he do such great work for such a low price point!"
I work in Industrial Valve manufacturing. If our plant were to try to match his quality, we would charge WAY more than he does.
It can only be done with high end CNC equipment and a good CNC programmer, which I'm sure that they have.
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Yep,
First time I opened the box on my mold my first thought was "How in the world does he do such great work for such a low price point!"
I work in Industrial Valve manufacturing. If our plant were to try to match his quality, we would charge WAY more than he does.
Double Post - please delete
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I think NOE is the first to build pellet molds like this, there's a guy in England who makes swagers for about the same price but they're worthless, you might as well be shooting peas out of a straw the way they shoot because I bought one, literally worthless.
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Yep,
First time I opened the box on my mold my first thought was "How in the world does he do such great work for such a low price point!"
I work in Industrial Valve manufacturing. If our plant were to try to match his quality, we would charge WAY more than he does.
It can only be done with high end CNC equipment and a good CNC programmer, which I'm sure that the have.
Yep, we've got that. Here is but one of our machines (DS900)... http://www.trevisanusa.com/ds900300c.html (http://www.trevisanusa.com/ds900300c.html) http://www.trevisanusa.com/assets/ds900-300c_8-1-16.pdf (http://www.trevisanusa.com/assets/ds900-300c_8-1-16.pdf)
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The nice thing about the NOE RG series moulds is the ease of changing out the pins to make different weight pellets.... or different size HPs in their RG bullet moulds.... I find that the pins are all the same length, and you don't need to fiddle with the tabs when you change them, other than to assure they aren't binding from being rotated a bit.... Just make sure the pin has clearance in the slot when tightening the tab....
Bob
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Wow, I just got mine a few hours ago, and I commented aloud what great machining. Impressive, very well done product for the price and the customer service was great. I accidentally ordered the wrong size .30 cal and they sent me the correct one after the shipping label was created.
As an aside...kinda put the cart before the horse on this one, gambled on the accuracy.....
Waiting for the Evanix .30 Air Speed to come out ;D
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Moulds should be ready to run out of the box, Tempering, adjusting, scrubbing, Tweaking, reseating, polishing are the signs of incomplete R&D and lack of Quality control. It's like buying a BMW and becoming a mechanic the next day because the guys at BMW forgot to tighten the bolts and left rough edges for you to take care of. ;D
Young Ken hopefully gray hair and age will bring you wisdom and respect for others that are way farther down the path than yourself.
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Moulds should be ready to run out of the box, Tempering, adjusting, scrubbing, Tweaking, reseating, polishing are the signs of incomplete R&D and lack of Quality control. It's like buying a BMW and becoming a mechanic the next day because the guys at BMW forgot to tighten the bolts and left rough edges for you to take care of. ;D
Been casting for about 54 years now. Never in my life has a mold from ANY manufacturer been ready to run direct from the box. They always had to be degreased as a minimum.
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I deleted this post as I posted in the wrong post.
Sorry
Don