Flat pointing a bullet mould

[JWFilips]

Gentlemen, just thinking:
I know when I have ordered a hollow point mould sometimes a flat nose pin is included but; would it be possible to flat point a mould without using a removable pin? Like a fixed pin arrangement.
I was doing some reading "over there" about hollow pointing moulds on a standard drill press & that got me thinking ...since I already successfully removed the gas check areas and converted my Lee C329-205-1R
to PB I would love to knock the pointed nose off the cavities on this mould but not wishing to have to use a removable pin. Is that possible?
Jim

 

[Ben]

Jim.

I sent Erik in OR a single cavity 454424.
He installed a " Captive Pin " arrangement in the mould.
I'm 101% pleased with his work.

If one sent him a round nose mould, he could do this with the mold and put in a flat point pin.

Easy work for him.
This mould cast just as fast as a regular single cav. mould.

Ben

 

[Ben]

Here are samples of the bullets from the mould.

 

[Ian]

You could also drill your own hollow point and install a permanent flat-point pin in one half. This would also help somewhat with alignment, but the pin would have to fit very tightly so as not to let lead flashing around it on the fixed side and make the bullets mechanically lock into the mould half. Personally, I'd think it easier to either bump a flat point using a reloading press and blank die body or order a more correct mould. I've shot a lot of RN bullets in tube magazines and never had an issue as long as they were a large radius, so I guess I'm missing the point.

Another possibility would be to cut a slot across the nose with a Dremel cut-off wheel and install a disk of metal.

 

[smokeywolf]

Were I doing it to one of my moulds I'd go for the captive pin so that I could swap back and fourth between flat and hollow-point pins.

 

[Ben]

Smokey,

Makes plenty of sense ! !

Ben

 

[williamwaco]

Erik ROCKS!

 

[JWFilips]

Ian,
To clarify my thinking as of why I would like the pointed nose flat:
The way this bullets shoots it tears ragged holes in the paper targets.95% of my shooting is at paper. My flat point bullets cut clean holes.
If I flat point it it will drop the weight back a bit & I would like that ( 215 grains now that it is plain based)
and If i were to use it for some hunting I would prefer a flat point over the pointed nose it has now.
It really is not an important enough mould to have Eric work on it ( There are far nicer quality flat pointed 8 mm bullet moulds out there)

I was just thinking of doing the project myself & if I ruin it it would be an $18 waste ( That's what i paid for the lee double cavity a few years ago)

 

[Ian]

Gotcha. Might be worth a go. You can get a pretty good start on drilling a straight hole through the mould by filing a v-groove from bullet tip across to the bottom of the blocks on each mould half. You can adjust as you file to get exactly in the center. I recommend starting with a 1/16" drill bit and working up.

 

[RicinYakima]

When Eric first started I had him make over a Lyman 358315 for my 35 Whelen. One mould body with pins to make a 170 grain big HP for vermin, a 185 grain small HP for deer and a 200 grain FP for target shooting. Three plugs with three nose punches for Lyman lube and sizer. Very happy and make a couple of hundred every year; just change the plug and change the bullet. Ric

 

[Ben]

For all you guys that like a " flat " on the nose of the bullet.
I have this NOE , 35 Cal., 180 gr. , 2 Cav., One is plain base, One is gas check.
This one scores high in " SMACK FACTOR ! "

 

[fiver]

I think he just wants to change the nose shape of the mold he has.

you could change some of the angles and add a flat to a round nose.
you would basically need to modify a drill bit to the diameter of the nose and make it a flat point then use the mold to guide the flat point down into position.
a slight truncated cone type nose could be re-cut fairly easily too, by making a captive bushing and placing it in the drive band area to guide the cutter into position also.
the T/C design would also strengthen the nose shape for hunting.

 

[Todd M]

That's the way my thought process has been going Fiver..reason Im watching this thread is I want to do exactly what you described just not sure the best way to make a poor mans end mill out of a drill bit.

 

[fiver]

well I bet smokey would have a real good idea.
or maybe Brad could chime in here they both have lathes and stuff.
facing off a bit couldn't be any harder than cutting a j-hook or a D-reamer.
in fact the D-reamer would be a good way to re-shape a nose too.
just squaring off the nose of a drill bit would make something similar to the bit a mill uses to face off a piece of steel, keeping the cutting edge sharp is the challenge.

 

[Brad]

Grinding a little cutter wouldn't be very difficult at all. The real key is the set up. Got to get the cavity running true AND make sure the mould top is true. Can't assume the mould cavity is perfecly square to the mould blocks.
I don't own a mill or drill press but do own a lathe so I tend to think in terms of how to do this with a lathe.

 

[fiver]

well for the stuff I got here.
I'd end up grinding down a piece of copper tubing to slip in the mold halves and act as a guide to the drill bit.

then grind the edges of the bit to be a slip fit inside the tubing or drill it out with the bit.
then re-shape the tip of the bit to just kiss the end of the mold and mark a stop point.
then put everything in the vise, fill the mold with cutting oil and give it a go.

trust me it wouldn't be the first time I had to do it all over again with a new part [mold]

 

[Ian]

Grind a chucking reamer to profile and back-cut/resharpen the edges with a diamond file . A drill press can turn the reamer and you can grind it with a Dremel while it spins. Square the cavity to the drill press table and ream the mould by turning the chuck by hand. I made a nose reamer for Lyman moulds this way and have fixed a couple of them. Oh, and back cut the flutes that will be riding the lube groove shanks in the mould, you can either make them fit the mould you have or cut it smaller and bush with masking tape.

 

[Todd M]

That's kinda the process I was thinking Lamar. I may be short on the copper tubing but I'm sure I can find something to act as a bushing/guide. I have access to lathe and mill but they are an hour away and I'd rather do it at home anyway. Or try to. I bet a sanding belt would do the flat pointing of bit but I may have to resort to a grinder held in the vise. Sharpening the flutes (correct term?) will be the real kicker....is it possible to anneal drill bits enough to file? But annealing very well may warp the bit. Just thinking out loud..

 

[fiver]

I think I annealed plenty of them as a kid trying to learn how to sharpen them.
just heat to a dull orange and let cool to room temp.

I would imagine one of the cheaper Chinese made bits would still be carbon steel and it should take an anneal and re-temper pretty easily.

 

[Todd M]

Lol good call I have annealed plenty also learning to sharpen. Didn't think about that. They still worked fine just didn't last more than 1 hole for me.

I hope Jim will chime in once he gets his done.