I never did get it to fill out well. Even when the mould and melt was really hot. Not only did it not fill out but the bullets stuck like crazy! I’ll try cleaning it with acetone next time maybe there’s some oils still in there.sometimes you get that white frosted look and just have to push through it a bit until you get to the grey look.
You might have some stuck on trash in the cavities that isn't readily apparent. If you can locate a typewriter eraser, the pencil looking type that you sharpen in a pencil sharpener, you can use that to scrub the cavity itself. Sometimes that, or lapping with very, very fine grit, is the only way to get a mould clean. I wouldn't worry about lapping just yet, but the eraser might show some cooked on gunk that the Dawn isn't touching.
I have to agree with the other guys on some of the bullets looking like they came out of a cold mould. Some moulds take a mess of cleaning and then they take 3 or 4 heating and cooling sessions before they get their act together and start flying right. I see that more with Lee's than any other, but it could certainly be the case with your H+G. Were it me, I'd avoid anymore snake oil miracle cures in the cavities themselves and try cleaning it while it was warm with whatever solvent you are comfortable using. Warm moulds, or any steel object for that matter, clean up different than cold steel, especially if you're tying to get oil products out of the pores of the metal.
That sprue plate is probably going to have to be lapped flat now. Why did you have it cut? Was it giving you problems?
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The sprue plate was warped in the first place. The sprue plate bolt was actually loose and could just fall out. So it is seen a lot of abuse. I re-tapped the hole and replaced the bolt. I think from running the sprue bolt so loose it bent the sprue plate around where it bolts through. I thought if I had the shop take a couple of thousands off it would clean everything up nicely. Instead I opened up a can of worms! Live and learn! I'm beginning to think these big moulds aren't for me. Lol
Sounds like this is the mould for you! LOL!keep at it.
if nothing else your getting a good 'learning' on how to deal with stubborn or 'abused' molds.
I have had a couple by well,, by well known makers that were beating me down for a while.
I just kept looking and poking and poking and finally got them to be the molds everyone else said they were.
I have cleaned out vent lines with razor blades and picked edges of cavity's, boiled and heated and scrubbed and boiled and sprayed and over heated and squeezed in a vice, lapped few, and one mold I even locked down and hit it with a 6lb sledgehammer a couple of times [that is a good mold now, the bullets come out within .1gr of each other]