Just bought a brass mold

K

Kappe

New member
You know, one of those little replica Colt-style molds with the one cavity for round balls and the other for conicals. Yes, I know they're not supposed to cast match-quality bullets. Yes, I know they get super hot while casting.
I still want one, so don't tell me to give it up.

Jesus Christ this thing is hard to open. The amount of strength it takes for me to do it is ridiculous. Are they supposed to be like that?

And is the sprue cutter even supposed to move on these? I can't budge it at all.

Oh, and there's a gap between the two halves unless I keep squeezing the handles. Not too thrilled about that.

SjvLzJN.jpg


Some of you guys ought to have one of these, and I know for a fact they can be used successfully. Should I send this thing back for another one?
 
With my modern molds I use an old hammer handle to "Whack" the sprue cutter. I dunno if the Cowboys "whacked" around the campfire or not.

I would think any mold with a gap isn't a keeper.

Interested in how it works out for you.
 
With my modern molds I use an old hammer handle to "Whack" the sprue cutter. I dunno if the Cowboys "whacked" around the campfire or not.
Click to expand...

Original molds didn't have a sprue cutter.
 
Have you tried using some silicone lube to lube up the moving parts?

I also find that rubbing the parts that move against one another with a pencil provides graphite lubrication that prevents galling.

There is this stuff called Moose Juice that I think is graphite in rubbing alcohol that you can paint on that does the same thing only better.

Steve
 
Steve,

I don't think lubricating it will help with that gap, which is my biggest concern.

I think I'll just leave it be and exchange it for another one. I was really looking forward to casting some old-timey conicals this weekend :(

I'd still like to hear from anybody who actually has one of these. I've read some bad things about them, mostly about the handles getting too hot, but nothing about stiffness.
 
I have 2 of those, you probably can work them loose enough to use, but mine both cast under size, both ball and conical. Forty years ago I took a a dye grinder and cut a little band out on the conical of one to have it fit tight in the chamber.
 
Thank you 44 Dave, I already have a Lee 375-130. It works great, but I wanted a mold that casts a more authentic conical bullet shape than the Lee, and that means one of these brass molds.
 
These things have been around for years (the repro brass molds) and I have yet to see or hear of one that works worth a toot. Most of these were considered "eye candy" to put in with the cased sets. You might luck out and get one that casts a projectile that is actually "in round" and maybe even big enough to use . . . I hope so but I wouldn't hold my breath on it. There are a number of custom mold makers that could probably make one up . . but I doubt the $$$ spent on one would really be worth it.

There certainly were original molds for the original revolvers . . . and I'm sure a number of them got used. However, combustible cartridges were widely available and I have a feeling the conicals in those were probably made the same was as the majority of the minieballs for rifled muskets . . . they were not cast . . . the were swaged on machinery made for that purpose.
 
I'm sure the guy that made Mike's bullets used a custom mold. Most of the brass repros don't cast bullets with a groove.
 
I had one that I got in a box of stuff

It was very stiff when trying to open or close it just as you describe, Kappe.

Sprue cutter barely budged unless a stick was used to bang it one way or the other just as you describe, Kappe.

I sold it on the evil Bay.

When I first started in Cap and Ball revolver/single shot pistol and rifle, I bought two of the cheapest molds I could find.

They were the bulky brass ones with the sprue cutter that was part of the handles. Kind of acted like a wire cutter. Looked like this, only a 1970s manufactured replica.

http://www.google.com/imgres?start=...&dur=906&page=19&ndsp=26&ved=0COABEIQcMEk4rAI

I used them enough to know that brass bullet molds with the handles cast to the mold itself were not intended by the lord to cast bullets.
 
Thank you Doc Hoy!

Figures it's another characteristic typical of these molds. Assuming the next one closes properly, I'll make sure to slick it up as much as possible with some oil or grease before manhandling it.

I'll keep this updated. I will cast some conicals with one of these.
 
Best of luck, Kappe

When I tried using the old ones I had originally, I tried gloves but that did not work.

Any glove that gave protection from the heat was too bulky to handle the mold and ladle safely.

I never did get a decent bullet from those molds.

The ones you have might work a lot better.

Some years ago I developed a set of spring loaded handles for Lyman and Ideal style molds. I wanted better consistency of my round balls. The spring arrangement achieved the results I want, but the geometry of Lee molds does not permit adaptation of the idea. So for those molds, when I am really trying to be careful I use a little spring loaded cabinet makers clamp to hold the mold closed. Kind of like these but with the plastic pad removed from the jaws.

http://www.google.com/imgres?sa=X&b...cMDg&iact=rc&dur=6813&page=3&start=42&ndsp=24

This might work to hold the mold closed for you. It'll probly change the way they cast because of the heat transfer through the steel clamp
 
Doc,

That's a neat piece of engineering. I see you are still using parts of the crutches! The laminated wood is great for lots of things.

TK
 
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