castmiester
Active Member
does any one make them or is it easy to case harden yourself ?
case hardened sprue plates
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You can purchase replacement Sprue Plates(at least for lyman molds). Find someone that does case hardening and send them some new ones. Gun Parts I have seen sent out for Case Coloring were provided to the service provider in the white. So maybe check on a surface prep required before sending. Hope this helps.
Bruce
castmiester
Active Member
Color Case Hardening - Turnbull Restoration
Examples of Turnbull Color Case Hardening. The process leaves a hard surface finish and a beautiful layer of colored carbon. Learn more about out process.
www.turnbullrestoration.com
castmiester
Active Member
I saw that thanks.
castmiester
Active Member
Didn’t know those were available.. l looked but never seen that type. Who sells them ?
The only ones l saw were kal tool 1018 steel.
The only ones l saw were kal tool 1018 steel.
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Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
It begs the question, Why?
Steel, even mild steel, is FAR harder than lead. There’s no need to use a hardened sprue plate on a bullet mold.
Any case hardening treatment runs the risk of slight warping during the hardening process and any grinding/sanding/machining to correct that after hardening, runs the risk of removing the hard outer layer. This would be counter-productive to the hardening efforts.
One could simply start with a harder steel for the sprue plate and machine it to the necessary flatness but there’s no need to use hard steel for that purpose.
If the top of the mold block is flat and the bottom of the sprue plate is flat, the only thing left to worry about is the pivot point. Typically, a screw is used as a pivot. Assuming the screw hole is perpendicular to the top face of the mold block and the bottom of the screw head is square, that’s about the best you’re going to do. A wave washer (or Belleville Washer) can help compensate for slight misalignments.
With a sprue plate that has a single pivot point (like mold blocks) you’re going to rapidly reach diminishing returns on efforts to improve that set up. But this is OK, because it only has to be good enough!
Steel, even mild steel, is FAR harder than lead. There’s no need to use a hardened sprue plate on a bullet mold.
Any case hardening treatment runs the risk of slight warping during the hardening process and any grinding/sanding/machining to correct that after hardening, runs the risk of removing the hard outer layer. This would be counter-productive to the hardening efforts.
One could simply start with a harder steel for the sprue plate and machine it to the necessary flatness but there’s no need to use hard steel for that purpose.
If the top of the mold block is flat and the bottom of the sprue plate is flat, the only thing left to worry about is the pivot point. Typically, a screw is used as a pivot. Assuming the screw hole is perpendicular to the top face of the mold block and the bottom of the screw head is square, that’s about the best you’re going to do. A wave washer (or Belleville Washer) can help compensate for slight misalignments.
With a sprue plate that has a single pivot point (like mold blocks) you’re going to rapidly reach diminishing returns on efforts to improve that set up. But this is OK, because it only has to be good enough!
anodized aluminum
I'm thinking that the sustained heat from casting will just anneal steel anyway
castmiester
Active Member
At this point I need a thicker plate, and it appears RCBS is gonna send me one soon no charge. Not sure how much thicker, but I heard soem guys have them up to 1/4 inch thick and they work great. No finning at the base
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
RCBS will send you a new plate.
I don't know if it will be any thicker than the old RCBS sprue plate originally installed.
Can't image why it would need to be thicker than the ones they've been using for the past 40+ years.
I don't know if it will be any thicker than the old RCBS sprue plate originally installed.
Can't image why it would need to be thicker than the ones they've been using for the past 40+ years.
castmiester
Active Member
and they warp, and you still worked with them ? I don't think I warped it. I pour melt at temps others do... 750 to get nice bullets.
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
Your words, not mine. /\
I never said they warp. And I've never had a problem with the quality of RCBS molds, including the sprue plates.
castmiester
Active Member
I straightened out my plate only to warp again.
castmiester
Active Member
so why are my plates warping then ?
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
Are you beating them open?
Are you applying force at a vector against the pivot direction?
Are they the original plates?
I don't know why you are warping them.
Are you applying force at a vector against the pivot direction?
Are they the original plates?
I don't know why you are warping them.
Anything over 100 degrees above full liquidus is too hot. Almost all of my bullets are cast at 700. The only exception is tiny HP's where I'll crank it all the way up to 725.
castmiester
Active Member
I don't beat them open...... I lightly tap them with a light 1/2 inch diameter wooden dowel mallet holding the mold on a downward angle almost vertical and SQUARELY with a light tap to break the sprue. I don't try and bust open the plate with one try. Yes they are the original plates
I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't speak swa-heely "vector"
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