Author Topic: .25 cal 34-38 gr. Pellet Mould at NOE - In the Store (Read 41876 times - 2 votes)
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rsterne · « **Reply #160 on:** June 13, 2018, 11:23:27 PM »

Modern pewter is 91% tin, 7.5% antimony, and bit of copper.... The antimony will harden the alloy significantly, so I would just buy pure tin and pure lead from Rotometals if you want to make your own alloys.... I used to do that, now I just buy 40:1 nuggets from them for the sake of consistency.... It is still soft enough to scratch easily with a fingernail....

Bob

KnifeMaker · « **Reply #161 on:** June 13, 2018, 11:26:11 PM »

Thanks Bob!

Knife

K.O. · « **Reply #162 on:** June 13, 2018, 11:42:58 PM »

Well..

My first melt had trace antimony in it... used recycled pellets for luck and they were mainly Crosman... They have 1% antimony according to a guy on cast boolits that had them analyzed... but my mix knocked that down to about .025% with 4-5% tin... that worked good for the 30G .22 BBT out of a disco barrel at 550 fps and was 1" groups at 40 yards(my MK1322 carbine pumper)... Pretty good considering...

I already had some 60/40 bar solder for the tin content...

just recently got some 40:1 from roto for ease of use...

used sawdust and old birthday candles for flux...

K.O. · « **Reply #163 on:** June 13, 2018, 11:51:15 PM »

well once again..

sawdust was the flux works to clean a dirty melt...

wax is just a reductant to help the tin mix back into the clean melt...

a slight technical but useful difference..

Wayne52 · « **Reply #164 on:** June 14, 2018, 03:25:57 AM »

For now I'll stick with the pure lead myself, seems to be working for me

nielsenammo · « **Reply #165 on:** June 14, 2018, 01:14:19 PM »

I have tried all the flux with sawdust, candle wax and products you can buy. I found Marvelux to work the best and the lead is so much cleaner than I could ever get with sawjust.

We buy pure lead by the pallet from Rotometals and process a lot bullets and blanks in our machines and we need very clean lead since our system is fully automated and dirt really messes up the machine. Marvelux has been our go to now for the past few years and I highly recommend it. I believe Frankford has a similar product and most likely the same powder.

I thought the lead was clean before, after using this you see how clean you can actually get your lead.

KnifeMaker · « **Reply #166 on:** June 14, 2018, 02:32:48 PM »

I use good smelling Cedar shavings in the smelting pot outside.
IN the actual Casting Pot, marvelux, and or Frankford Arsenal.

Both do a fine job.

I will sometimes use beeswax on the surface to stay off oxidation in the tin.

Knife

K.O. · « **Reply #167 on:** June 17, 2018, 03:02:05 AM »

I was feeling pretty good today and got in a little explorational casting done... I LOVE THIS LITTLE BRASS MOLD...

all I did for mold prep was to wash with ajax dish soap and hot water(toothbrush), cycle to 400* 4 times wash again and cycle another 5 times...

and then wait about a week to cast with it... The melt this time was half the roto 40 to 1 cut with an equal amount(roughly) of roto 99.9% pb... so about 80 to 1 or 1.25% tin... once again my melt temp was 780-790...

so no hotplate oven this time just sat my mold on the edge of the little lee pot and did a couple sacrificial pours... I had not gone over the edges with a dowel or any other prep except a drop of noe lube at the sprue bolt with full cavities... no fill out probs and the pellets dropped easily no sticking...

I thought about a guy on the NOE forum having trouble with spiraling and figured that maybe his pellets were out of balance plus I wanted to adjust the pins with a hot mold so I started them on the loose side... sure enough while the looked pretty darn good with a very little lip on one side hard to spot but I could feel it with my fingers... loosened a bit more they got worse...if real loose they start to look like they have an extra bit of lip all the way round the skirt...sort of like a sniper mag...

so then worked at tightening the pin guide just right and in no time was getting perfect pellets with a very relaxed pace and med size sprue puddles... In fact went just a hair to fast and got one pour just slightly frosted... so yeah it looks like I got a quick basic feel for my mold... was a touch tired by then so called it a day... looked for tinning and found none...

so it does look like getting the pins set just right is very important to getting perfect bases...imo(first time I have used the pins)...

gotta say am glad I went for the two cavity(for cavity to cavity consistency)... a four banger would be heavy...

so this was the 34g pins which seem to me would be the most challenging to pour... will be trying all but the solid skirt pins next week...

but so far am loving the relaxed pace with the brass mold once it is up to temp... I did try to pour at 750*-760* after dumping cooled sprue back in, did not work to well...

Wayne52 · « **Reply #168 on:** June 17, 2018, 05:14:54 AM »

I'm pleased with my mold also but I never did get the brass mold like I was supposed to

I've got the 4 cavity aluminum. yesterday I did three groups of five with my Mrod of the different weights, I didn't try shooting the flat back ones though.

They're not as good as JSB's but I never expected them to be, they're very usable though and I'm happy with them.

K.O. · « **Reply #169 on:** June 17, 2018, 05:41:51 AM »

Honestly I do not have much faith in the flat bottomed being very good for other than very short range... I think that a pellet needs the drag of the hollow skirt... and to be weight forwards because of the waist...jmo

KnifeMaker · « **Reply #170 on:** June 17, 2018, 04:44:14 PM »

Took a bit to get the pins where I wanted them. Once there, nice!

I didn't think I would like them at first. Much easier to work with than I would have thought.

The pin bases don't like to play with the RCBS guide rod well. Will eventually order the NOE Guide Plate. found a flat piece of alu the right size and propped it under the pot. Works fine for the time being.

This is a 4 gang, alu. mold, and with my arthritis a guide really is a life saver for long casting sessions.

Knife

K.O. · « **Reply #171 on:** June 17, 2018, 05:00:36 PM »

I have read a lot of folk saying they have trouble doing small rounds with a bottom pour pot... me I would not know... I would think that bottom pour would work better for the long skinny small bore stuff..? I am using the tiny lee my kids got me... honestly I like it cause it is easy to empty to change to a different alloy... I am using the Lyman bottom pour ladle...

rintafile · « **Reply #172 on:** June 17, 2018, 05:28:53 PM »

Never had issues to cast small calibers for bottom pour pot. But I have custom pot. Exellent quality. One German fellow did it.

Art of casting pots.

KnifeMaker · « **Reply #173 on:** June 17, 2018, 05:54:09 PM »

Love a good bottom pour pot. I would NEVER go back to dipping!

Cleaner pour, keeps melt cleaner, can get as much pour or pressure you want. None of which can be accomplished with a dipper.

If all else fails, a pressure pour works every time!

rsterne · « **Reply #174 on:** June 17, 2018, 05:57:54 PM »

Quote

If all else fails, a pressure pour works every time!

Do you mean holding the sprue plate right against the bottom of the spout?.... Is the intention to inject the lead into the mould cavity under pressure?.... I've never tried that....

Bob

KnifeMaker · « **Reply #175 on:** June 17, 2018, 06:14:54 PM »

Exactly Bob. You have to lower the flow rate to keep from it spewing out.

This is in effect an injection. Used in industry as Injection molding. Very effective in filling out hard to cast objects. Does away with inclusions.

I only use this method on very hard to fill out tiny bullets.

Knife

KnifeMaker · « **Reply #176 on:** June 17, 2018, 06:16:18 PM »

I'm heading out to try the lighter .25 noe's right now!

Knife

Wayne52 · « **Reply #177 on:** June 17, 2018, 06:48:40 PM »

My ladle is one of the kind with a spout on it, well I found out a long time ago that once I got the mold up to temp that holding the spout right into the sprue plate and tipping mold and ladle together like this is almost like injecting it into the mold, I make sure the ladle has plenty of lead in it for every one. This way the sprue is separate for every one and there's much less lead to put back in the pot and it seems to fill the mold great every time in the hard to get spots. That's probably why I haven't had any problem with the skirts filling out good. I still get some but it's usually when the mold is not up to temp.

KnifeMaker · « **Reply #178 on:** June 17, 2018, 11:34:33 PM »

Cast about 300 next to lightest NOE's and their first group looked darned good. 5 touching at 36 yards. Then ka-blooey. Scattering all over the place again. Nice skirts, good fill out no wrinkles.

since it was night, and using a powerful light on the bench, The issue was stark in the light. Huge half spirals. Very slow spirals.

The groups were at times 4-5 inches,and then one or two touching again.

Never seen the before other than clipping.

I pushed a few pellets thru the barrel. Man is it tight. and the choke, unreal how tight it is. Wow!

Knife

I have a lot of things to check tomorrow. GRRRRRR!!!

Nomadic Pirate · « **Reply #179 on:** June 18, 2018, 12:00:26 AM »

Sizer ?
.251 Sizer ?

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.25 cal 34-38 gr. Pellet Mould at NOE - In the Store

Author Topic: .25 cal 34-38 gr. Pellet Mould at NOE - In the Store (Read 41876 times - 2 votes) )

Nomadic Pirate

Author Topic: .25 cal 34-38 gr. Pellet Mould at NOE - In the Store (Read 41876 times - 2 votes)
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