armoredman
August 20, 2011, 05:53 PM
And sometimes, there is a happy ending. Like this one.
See, it all started when I thought to myself, "Self, you need a new 9mm mold!" Being somewhat of a wimp, I knuckled under to me, and looked around on the 'net. Only thing I could afford was Lee, and I had the tumble lube one, so I bit the bullet, figuratively, and ordered the 356 125 2R, a single groove round nose mold.
That beloved Big Brown Truck brought it to me the other day, and as I was checking it out, a disquieting murmur started in my fingertips - the mating of the top of the two mold halves was smooth and even, but the bottom was not...If this had stared as one aluminum block, the top and bottom would be identical. The bottom was higher on one side, not by very much, but enough to feel. I had two halves of two different molds slapped together. My heart went ker-plunk into the well of misery, gotta send it back.
Well, maybe not, I'll give it one try, see how bad these things are, can't hurt, right? Yes, I know that's what Samson said when he went for a haircut, different story. I didn't bother REALLY cleaning the mold halves, just scrubbed with a pencil eraser and then ran boiling water through the cavities, towel dried.
So I warmed up the pot, put in a few pounds of lead, figured I'd just try a few and see how it went. The mismatched mold went into the pot to warm up, I got suited up, cracked my knuckles, winced in pain wishing I hadn't done that, and then got to work.
The first few casts were the typical cold mold, not quite ready casts, then it happened. Perfect bullet after perfect bullet rolled on out. No undue hammering on the handles to drop them; half of them just fell out on to the towel with no encouragement needed. Like Plain Jane on prom night, this mold was bound and determined to show it could do it right, and being a somewhat mismatched human, I appreciated the sentiment!
Here's a representative of the group. Yes, it was elected by popular vote.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/casting%20stuff/3561252R1.jpg
I was just going to run about 30-50 or so, but it was running so smooth that I quit casting when the lead ran out, got a nice 146 good ones. I do wish I had remembered to put on my lap shield, AKA, old towel - I spent some time picking lead spatter off my black jeans. At least the silver spatter were easy to find on black denim!
Measured with my Frankford Arsenal calipers, the average diameter was .358, with one or two at .356, and one or two at .359. I used my odd sizing method, ( Hornady One Shot spray on case lube - hey, it works...), through the cheapo Lee push-through .356 sizing die, and here's about 1/3 of the total resting after resizing, waiting for the mule snot, er, I mean, Lee Liquid Alox to be added as bullet lube.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/casting%20stuff/3561252R2.jpg
I'm no expert by any means, that's obvious, but I was pleasantly surprised by a cheap mold I was sure was not going to give a decent slug. The proof of the pudding will always be shooting the thing...and that will happen on Monday, as the first batch is drying in the garage as I type this. Goes to show, everyone deserves a chance to shine. :)
See, it all started when I thought to myself, "Self, you need a new 9mm mold!" Being somewhat of a wimp, I knuckled under to me, and looked around on the 'net. Only thing I could afford was Lee, and I had the tumble lube one, so I bit the bullet, figuratively, and ordered the 356 125 2R, a single groove round nose mold.
That beloved Big Brown Truck brought it to me the other day, and as I was checking it out, a disquieting murmur started in my fingertips - the mating of the top of the two mold halves was smooth and even, but the bottom was not...If this had stared as one aluminum block, the top and bottom would be identical. The bottom was higher on one side, not by very much, but enough to feel. I had two halves of two different molds slapped together. My heart went ker-plunk into the well of misery, gotta send it back.
Well, maybe not, I'll give it one try, see how bad these things are, can't hurt, right? Yes, I know that's what Samson said when he went for a haircut, different story. I didn't bother REALLY cleaning the mold halves, just scrubbed with a pencil eraser and then ran boiling water through the cavities, towel dried.
So I warmed up the pot, put in a few pounds of lead, figured I'd just try a few and see how it went. The mismatched mold went into the pot to warm up, I got suited up, cracked my knuckles, winced in pain wishing I hadn't done that, and then got to work.
The first few casts were the typical cold mold, not quite ready casts, then it happened. Perfect bullet after perfect bullet rolled on out. No undue hammering on the handles to drop them; half of them just fell out on to the towel with no encouragement needed. Like Plain Jane on prom night, this mold was bound and determined to show it could do it right, and being a somewhat mismatched human, I appreciated the sentiment!
Here's a representative of the group. Yes, it was elected by popular vote.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/casting%20stuff/3561252R1.jpg
I was just going to run about 30-50 or so, but it was running so smooth that I quit casting when the lead ran out, got a nice 146 good ones. I do wish I had remembered to put on my lap shield, AKA, old towel - I spent some time picking lead spatter off my black jeans. At least the silver spatter were easy to find on black denim!
Measured with my Frankford Arsenal calipers, the average diameter was .358, with one or two at .356, and one or two at .359. I used my odd sizing method, ( Hornady One Shot spray on case lube - hey, it works...), through the cheapo Lee push-through .356 sizing die, and here's about 1/3 of the total resting after resizing, waiting for the mule snot, er, I mean, Lee Liquid Alox to be added as bullet lube.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/casting%20stuff/3561252R2.jpg
I'm no expert by any means, that's obvious, but I was pleasantly surprised by a cheap mold I was sure was not going to give a decent slug. The proof of the pudding will always be shooting the thing...and that will happen on Monday, as the first batch is drying in the garage as I type this. Goes to show, everyone deserves a chance to shine. :)