CWLONGSHOT
Well-Known Member
I took a old RCBS mallet. I heated a close fitting PVC cut to fit. Is very maluable when heated. Then cooled to fit tightly. Worked well for a while.
CW
CW
New Mould Mallet!
- Thread starter seagiant
- Start date
Intel6
Active Member
I used a broken off hammer handle (like many here 
it seems) for many years and then it finally started turning to mush. I picked up one of the mould mallets from NOE. It is a wood handle with a piece of PVC pipe over it. I got one of the first ones Al made and it worked well for many years until the adhesive he used let go and PVC came off. I talked to Al about it to see what kind of glue he used. He sounded perplexed and said he only used glue on his very early ones and has since switched to putting on O rings to hold the PVC on and to make it easy to replace if needed. He sent me a new one to replace my original one and it has been working great.
it seems) for many years and then it finally started turning to mush. I picked up one of the mould mallets from NOE. It is a wood handle with a piece of PVC pipe over it. I got one of the first ones Al made and it worked well for many years until the adhesive he used let go and PVC came off. I talked to Al about it to see what kind of glue he used. He sounded perplexed and said he only used glue on his very early ones and has since switched to putting on O rings to hold the PVC on and to make it easy to replace if needed. He sent me a new one to replace my original one and it has been working great.BigBearJoe
Member
Over the years I've beat to shreds a number of hardwood dowels, hammer handles, and oak sticks. Then I found a half pound lead casting mallet in eBay that was cast using the very rare H&G casting hammer mould. Wow, this little jewel makes sprue tapping a pleasure! The H&G hammer on the left is about 5 years old. I can't find the H&G mould, but if it ever finally wears down I recently found the 1 pound lead machinist's mallet on the right. The mould for this hammer costs almost $300!
Does anyone in thr group have one of the H&G hammer moulds?
Does anyone in thr group have one of the H&G hammer moulds?
BigBearJoe
Member
Forgot to post thr photo. H&G casting hammer on the left, machinist's lead mallet on the right. Either one beats the heck out of the old splintered "sticks" I used for years!
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BigBearJoe
Member
seagiant
Member
Hi,
Saw this, cheap hammer mold anyway!
Saw this, cheap hammer mold anyway!
Casting with my homemade lead hammer mold.
6272 My wooden mallet was wearing out from hitting the sprue plates on my bullet moulds. Also I had to hit the sprue plate several times on 8 and 10 cavity moulds to knock them open. 6273 I switched to a plastic hammer, but it was damaging the sprue plate. 6274 Sprue plate damage. I...
castboolits.gunloads.com
RBHarter
West Central AR
Sections of broken push broom and mop handles . Cheap, round , sometimes laminated bamboo . Also useful when replacing mould handles .
Having located my kevlar cut gloves and sleeves it is again practical (read comfortable for me) to open most of my moulds with a gloved hand again. The H&G 8c behemoth still gets the stick if I want to my hand the next day at all . The one 5c NOE with the large sprue stems is more than is comfortable by hand also now I expect that to increase in frequency as the thumb/wrist continues to degrade . The small cal 4c are safe for now even the large sprue stem 3c is ok . All of the singles and 2c are good once up to temp . I'm sure I'm not unique in having moulds from a 5c 22 up to a single .690 RB . The 3c 469-543 Postell and 200 gr 45 SWC 8 cavity moulds are probably a little off the track of most .
For what it's worth I can't work in high bulk gloves so traditional hot work gloves aren't really an option for me ......extra large fingers that yourn for a medium length with a large palm ...... So gloves that fit without stretch don't fit . The gloves are high temp rubber-like palms , fingers , and cover above my wrist with a fine knit body and not coated back . The sleeves have a thumb hole and cover almost to my knuckles . So that only leaves my top finger sections potentially burned maybe.
Having located my kevlar cut gloves and sleeves it is again practical (read comfortable for me) to open most of my moulds with a gloved hand again. The H&G 8c behemoth still gets the stick if I want to my hand the next day at all . The one 5c NOE with the large sprue stems is more than is comfortable by hand also now I expect that to increase in frequency as the thumb/wrist continues to degrade . The small cal 4c are safe for now even the large sprue stem 3c is ok . All of the singles and 2c are good once up to temp . I'm sure I'm not unique in having moulds from a 5c 22 up to a single .690 RB . The 3c 469-543 Postell and 200 gr 45 SWC 8 cavity moulds are probably a little off the track of most .
For what it's worth I can't work in high bulk gloves so traditional hot work gloves aren't really an option for me ......extra large fingers that yourn for a medium length with a large palm ...... So gloves that fit without stretch don't fit . The gloves are high temp rubber-like palms , fingers , and cover above my wrist with a fine knit body and not coated back . The sleeves have a thumb hole and cover almost to my knuckles . So that only leaves my top finger sections potentially burned maybe.
BigBearJoe
Member
that's pretty cool! I should have thought of it myself. and now I know!
CWLONGSHOT
Well-Known Member
I cant imagine it would be terrible difficult to make a mold... I like idea...
Missionary
Well-Known Member
20 years at a yard sale a feller had a 5 gallon bucket full of hickory hammer handles. Whole bucket for $3. Must have been over 15. All I wanted was one. We had a yard sale before returning here. Sold about half for $1 each. Still have the rest minus the one I needed.
The broke handle came down here to open molds.
The broke handle came down here to open molds.
seagiant
Member
Hi,
Sorry, no "attitude adjusting", allowed these days!
You just let them do as they please!
Guess you missed the Memo!!!
L Ross
Well-Known Member
Hickory shampoo.Hi,
Sorry, no "attitude adjusting", allowed these days!
You just let them do as they please!
Guess you missed the Memo!!!
RicinYakima
High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Still prefer Boston Leather's Denver Saps. Best non-lethal tool ever made, IMHO.
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
I know there is this entire convention that sprue plates should be opened with a gloved hand, but I’ve never really liked that method. Yes, it works, and I’ve used it, I just didn’t care for it.
When the mold is operating at temperature, and everything is just humming along, it takes very little force to open the sprue plate on SOME molds. The problem for me is it takes a while to get the mold to the correct temp and not all molds behave well even when hot. So, I still need a mallet of some sort. Which brings me to the problem of, “when do you switch to the gloved hand method”? The answer for me is, I don’t. I just always use a mallet (stick) of some sort.
I think the vector that you apply the strike to the sprue plate is key. And when I say “strike”, that generally means a very light tap. I don’t beat on the sprue plate, and I don’t apply force in a direction that is wasteful. The goal is to get the plate to pivot on the screw.
This just seems to go faster for me, and I don’t find myself mentally debating about using the mallet or a gloved hand. YMMV.
When the mold is operating at temperature, and everything is just humming along, it takes very little force to open the sprue plate on SOME molds. The problem for me is it takes a while to get the mold to the correct temp and not all molds behave well even when hot. So, I still need a mallet of some sort. Which brings me to the problem of, “when do you switch to the gloved hand method”? The answer for me is, I don’t. I just always use a mallet (stick) of some sort.
I think the vector that you apply the strike to the sprue plate is key. And when I say “strike”, that generally means a very light tap. I don’t beat on the sprue plate, and I don’t apply force in a direction that is wasteful. The goal is to get the plate to pivot on the screw.
This just seems to go faster for me, and I don’t find myself mentally debating about using the mallet or a gloved hand. YMMV.