Sprue cutting for dummies

[moose30273]

Just got a Jeff Tanner mould. Have always used moulds with a sprue plate. What is the best way to cut the sprue off of a ball? Also having always used a bottom pour pot. I think the Tanner mould might work better with a ladle. Any suggestions there? Thanks.

 

[RADeO]

You might try a pair of side-cutting pliers (we used to call them dikes) and then smoothing the little nubbin that is left with a mill file.

I can't say for sure since I've never used a Jeff Tanner mold, but I don't know why you would not have success using either a ladle or a bottom-pour furnace to fill it.

Good luck. :thumbsup:

 

[RC]

yup.. what he said.. only I have a jt mold an use my bottom pour w/ it... side cutters with a lil grindin work pretty good, think jeff makes a side cutter spru cutter ...but you can too... :thumbsup:

 

[Grizzled Roberts]

I use a laddle always. I have some heavy duty curved blade toe nail clippers ( set up like dikes
or side cutters ) I got from one of those mail order catalogs like Carol Wright. The curved blade
contures the cut round just like the ball.

 

[mazo kid]

I think you will like Jeff's moulds; I have 4-5 of them now. I use my bottom pour Lee or RCBS to good advantage and use a pair of Diagonal cutters (Dykes) to trim the sprue. Depending on the size, you may be able to use a big nail clipper, but I never had any luck at all using one.

 

[Bubba45]

Ive used both end nippers and side cutters for clippin the sprus off . Use bottem pour and dipper both for casting . With a 75 cal ball and bottem pour if I go too fast the mould gets hot and when droppin ball onto pad it has enough weigth it will egg so I have to pace myself and somtimes fan mould to cool it off some

 

[J.D.]

Someone reported that Tanner sells, or sold, a modified side cutter that removed all of the sprue.

I seem to remember someone describing these modified side cutters as having a tapered hole, similar to wire strippers, that removed nearly all of the sprue.

Someone else reported that they used wire cutters or wire strippers, for heavy gauge wire, for cutting sprues, that worked very well.

I have not used these types of tools as sprue cutters, and cannot comment on how effective they might be. I am only going from the reports of others, but it is worth a try.

God bless

 

I have a JT mold in .84 caliber and the sprue just falls off. He cut the pour hole very close and it works just fine. I use a bottom pour melting pot and have found that heating the mold with a propane torch prior to pouring works well.
Mark

 

[silverfox]

When I got my Tanner mold I asked for a sprue cutter. What I got was a pair of cheap (China) side cutters. They were modified by grinding the back side concave so the the ball would fit close to the cutter blade. It took the sprue off as good as a Lee mold. Fast and effective. Cost about $3 as they were the 4" cutters.
Fox :thumbsup:

 

[ohio ramrod]

Back before I retired I reground some side cutters with the radius for my round balls ground into the cutters. But a side cutter will work as well as a sprue /plate cutter.Plate cut sprues are flat so a flat side cutter shouldn't be much different.

 

[catman]

I get my RB's from Eddie May and they come with very little spruce showing. At first I was using a file to knock of the spruce (that got old fast). The other night I just put 50 of them in my Lee brass tumbler (with no media) for about 2 hours and you can hardly tell where the spruce was almost. The tumbler works if you have one...

 

[Lostrifle]

How about: put the balls into an empty coffe can, put the lid on, and roll it around for while. Wouldn't that be just as effective as using a tumbler? :hmm: Anyone who can't find a coffee can must always be going to Dunkin' Donuts (or Starbucks!)! :grin:

 

[B.Habermehl]

I have used Jeff Tanner's molds and the best sprue cutter is a pair of heavy duty toenail clippers. They look like diagonal wire cutting pliers. Just no bevel on the side you would hold against the ball. They cut the sprue off so cleanly that you would have to "mike" it to find a measureable difference in dia. BJH

 

[moose30273]

Update. I have found that there is a temp where with the Jeff Tanner mould, where the sprue just falls off as you tap the ball from the mould. The ones with the sprue still on I just cut off with side cutters. Then I put them in the rock tumbler for about 30 minutes or so. Look great. Will be able to shoot them in a day or so. Thanks for all the help.