First Run in a while.

[STIHL]

Finally got everything out the other night and made the first run of cast boolits In about 3 years. Made a few. 311-466 HPs and some 429-244s. Ran about 13 pounds of lead through the pot. Everything came back to me pretty quickly. I need to clean the 429 mold it had WD 40 in it and I figured it would burn out but it left my boolits kinda funny looking. The 429-244 all came in weighing 245-247 grains. In the process of building my new 3rd reloading bench to get my sizers up and running I will gas check these bad boys and see what they will do. Let me know what you guys think. Oh, and this was my first time running an iron mold and a hollow point mold.

My new bench will be 13’x8’ the cabinet is made out of pine lumber my dad and I fell, and milled ourselves. The top is going to be made out of 2 inch salvaged white oak. It was milled 24” wide, but my planer will only take a 13” board, so I had to rip them down to 12 inches. It’s coming along pretty well, I’ve been working on it at night after work for last 2 weeks hope to be done in 2 more weeks with the bottom, then I will build the top cabinets for more storage.

 

[RicinYakima]

You have really got a handle on it!

 

[STIHL]

You have really got a handle on it!

Thank you sir. The hollow points could have been a little cleaner on the nose, pin got cold on me a few times. Learning curve!

 

[RicinYakima]

We have all been there! I have a copper wire holder for the pin and put a propane torch on idle to keep it hot.

 

[BBerguson]

I think I have the brother to your RCBS 44 mold. Looks to be the same profile except mine is plain base. Nice looking hollow points too!

 

[STIHL]

I think I have the brother to your RCBS 44 mold. Looks to be the same profile except mine is plain base. Nice looking hollow points too!

That 429-244 is an old ideal mold I picked up a while back on eBay. It and the handles are in excellent shape to be an older mold. It was designed by a fella named Ray Thompson, from what I’ve read about him, he designed some fine bullets. Suppose to be extremely accurate in a magnum loading of the 44 magnum. I was very happy with it. I have an ideal 429-421 Keith mold that I’m going to get out on the next casting session and give it a shot for the plain base in the 44 Mag.

 

[Missionary]

That is a fine looking bench ! I would be inclined to stain or linseed that beautiful wood.

 

[L Ross]

That 429-244 is an old ideal mold I picked up a while back on eBay. It and the handles are in excellent shape to be an older mold. It was designed by a fella named Ray Thompson, from what I’ve read about him, he designed some fine bullets. Suppose to be extremely accurate in a magnum loading of the 44 magnum. I was very happy with it. I have an ideal 429-421 Keith mold that I’m going to get out on the next casting session and give it a shot for the plain base in the 44 Mag.

My first bullet mould was a Thompson designed Lyman 421215. It may have helped get me my job at GBPD. I did kill 3 deer with it, albeit in a .44-40.

 

[Glaciers]

Stay away from using WD40 it can leave a deposit that's hard to remove.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Looks great gotta love wood and wood you personal milled is just that much sweeter!! KUDOS MAN!!!

My good friends treated me to two new benches (since Im Laid up) and Im enjoyin them now!! Its GREAT ta have the extra bench space!!!!

Bullets look good too!! I have that second mold myself and have yet ta try it.
CW

 

[S Mac]

Going to be a pretty loading room, great work.

 

[STIHL]

That is a fine looking bench ! I would be inclined to stain or linseed that beautiful wood.

Ive been going back and forth on what finish to use. I’ve been thinking about an oil finish, linseed, teak, etc. I want to keep the natural color of the wood, that pine is pretty with the blue streaks in it.

 

[STIHL]

Stay away from using WD40 it can leave a deposit that's hard to remove.

Good to know. I will never use it again. WD40 has always been good for everything, not so much for bullet molds.

 

[Ian]

Looks like beetle-killed fir, I love the grey streaks. Our neighbor in Colorado did his new workshop ceiling in beaded beetle kill t&g 1x5s with matching trim and door casings and it looks fabulous.

Planing four sides is a chore by yourself but a breeze with two people, nice work!

 

[RBHarter]

I'm not a wood worker , I'm an airplane mechanic/rough out dog groom/ rough construction guy that got hurranged into rufstic finish work ....
Get a solid crosscut blade for the table saw , mill just 2 sides flat . One to flat enough for use , and the other to finish dimensions . Rip just enough off one edge to clean up the rough stuff to a chalk line . Set your T&G width plus an1/8-1/4" rip smooth . Set to T&G width and rip smooth . Route the T&G or lap to the finish face . If the saw is square flush fit T&G will be sanding fill close enough for most durable finishes .

This is also why I don't do wood work is that I have all the tools my doing just sucks .

 

[STIHL]

@Ian some of that was beetle killed loblolly pine. Some dangerous stuff to fall. We had a patch get hit on our place and we cut it all and milled it. No one will take blued wood here but it is nothing wrong with it and it makes pretty stuff. Friend of mine had a few get hit and I went and cut them. I’ve gotten so much salvage wood from people it is unreal. Luckily my dad helps me a lot. He enjoys doing the work too.

 

[Ian]

I like to use Minwax wipe-on poly (gloss rather than satin) to finish pine bench tops. It will darken yellow pine to about its naturally aged color. Sand the surface to 150 grit, apply the thin poly liberally with a rag, let it dry, steel wool or lightly sand it smooth (like you would sanding sealer), repeat until you have an even finish. The stuff soaks in really well and hardens IN the softwood rather than just building on the surface. The poly is resistant to most oils and chemicals and wipes clean so your top doesn't get stained. The satin variety is good for vertical surfaces that don't need cleaning often and it shows the wood better.

 

[Brad]

My bench top is painted with an oil based paint made for garage floors. It has yellowed with time but oil and solvent have not softened it in 15 years of use.

 

[STIHL]

I prefer the satin poly, over the gloss that’s just a personal preference. I’ve used the gloss too.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I coated both of these new tops with exterior grade Varithane on top of Cabot stain.
It should be a lol More dureable and water resistant. After seeing the prices of Plywood... I cheaped out and bought MDF. So the addition of the Varithane (I also already had it) I like the look.

CW