What did they use before sprue cutters

[Grey Hawk]

I have a brass bag type mold or mould in a .490 caliber. It does not have a built in sprue cutter. I'm sure some may like this type and some others may not. But I was wondering what did they use before the built in Sprue cutter. I have ran a few balls and let them cool, then hold the mold like a pair of pliers and twist off with little or no scar on the ball and no bad wear on the mold.

Just wondering.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I have seen men hold the cold ball and sprue in the mold again, then use a sharp knife to cut and trim the sprue off the ball as close as the mold allows. The sprues were saved, of course, and put back in the pot for melting down for new balls. The smaller sprues heated up and melted down faster than the ingots carried( mostly sticks, rather than the more commonly seen bricks today). If there were any flashings of lead along the mold seams, because the mold was not fully closed when the cast was made, these flashings were cut off and saved, also.

 

[tg]

I use a knife or flat sided side cutters after the ball is out of the mold.

 

[Frank/Pa]

A knife.

 

[shootemup]

As much as it pains me to say it :grin: , Paul is correct.

 

[2172]

I'm casting .48 balls from a brass mold with no sprue cutter. When I've got about 50 balls cast, I use what I call a "nail pincher" to just snip off the excess and throw it back in the pot. I've also used a small plier like wire cutter with good success. Hank

 

[BrownBear]

When I was a kid I had one of those, probably an oldie from the looks of it and how long ago I was a kid. I used it to cast balls for my slingshot. Recollection sezz it was less than 45 cal and over 30 cal, but who knows.

Anyway, I would find a twig about the right diameter to fit between the ball and flat of the sprue puddle so the sprue rested on the ball. Lay the twig on the ground, lay the ball and sprue across it and cut the sprue with a knife. It was fast and easy.

When the pot was running low on lead, I'd pause and use pliers to grab the sprue puddle even on hot stuff. Position the sprue, make the cut and drop the waste back into the pot.

I turned out a whole lot of balls each casting session and it was a good thing, the way I went through them in a succession of sling shots.

Now I wonder what ever became of that mould. I bet my folks had something to do with its disappearance! :wink:

 

[brubincam]

-----if they make lead illegal for firearms--how about slingshots--they could never regulate them----- :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[bob308]

most of the old moldes i have seen had a cut off in the handels. for cutting the sprue.

 

[mazo kid]

most of the old moldes i have seen had a cut off in the handels. for cutting the sprue.

Exactly! The old forged molds had that pincer section in the handles just in back of the mold head. I have some molds that don't have a cutter of any sort (like Jeff Tanner molds) and I use a wire cutter pliers or knife to cut those sprues. Emery

 

[twotoescharlie]

I kinda figgered them ol' mountain men were so tough they just bit them off.

TTC