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Thread: Lapping Minie Molds ' Diameter

  1. #1
    hobbler is offline
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    Lapping Minie Molds ' Diameter

    How much have you successfully lapped a minie mold, increasing diameter?

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    WBR10654 is offline
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    hummmmmm

    Well that is an idea, I know people who have modified molds but I am not sure about this.

    My suggestion would be to ask on the for sale and WTB forum if anyone has a mold the size you want.

    Many of us have molds that we have tested and will never use again.

    Also, I assume you just are trying to make it larger or are you also trying to repair it?

    I shoot a Hodgeon Minnie sized to .579 that is much smaller than my bore, well over a thousandths. I have never had a problem because I use Pure Lead and my Skirts Expand just fine. It is .9987 pure.

    Talking about "skirts", for many molds you can buy a larger one that will make the skirt thinner and expand easier.

    ANYWAY: not to bore you with information you may already know...



    Quote Originally Posted by hobbler View Post
    How much have you successfully lapped a minie mold, increasing diameter?
    Last edited by WBR10654; 11-19-2019 at 04:18 PM.
    David P. Baldwin

  3. #3
    hobbler is offline
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    Lapping a mold to increase the diameter isn't hard to do. And with the variety of bore diameters that come out of Italy, well, just figgered it might be pretty common practice amongst minie shooters.
    Last edited by hobbler; 05-23-2020 at 05:25 AM.

  4. #4
    Lou Lou Lou is offline
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    I see this a lot on the cast boolits web site. Have never seen it in N-SSA. Most molds are made in USA. Rapine, Moose, Night Owl, Accurate etc. Dont think i've ever seen an Italian mould.
    Lou Lou Lou Ruggiero
    Tammany Regt-42nd NYVI

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    Lou Lou Lou is offline
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    I see this a lot on the cast boolits web site. Have never seen it in N-SSA. Most molds are made in USA. Rapine, Moose, Night Owl, Accurate etc.; Dont think i've ever seen an Italian mould.
    Lou Lou Lou Ruggiero
    Tammany Regt-42nd NYVI

  6. #6
    geezmo is online now
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    I tried lapping an old lyman 575494 wad cutter mold many years ago. A number of members I knew did it. We didn't have the variety of molds and sizes that are available now. Never quite got it to where I wanted it when I found another suitable mold. So, the project went on indefinite hold. I suppose you should try it once. Especially with this virus shut down, it will give you something to do. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

    Another method you can research is "beagling". I don't remember where I read about it. It might have been on the Cast Bullet Association site.

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    Lapping molds isn?t hard to do; however, it?s also just as easy to screw up a perfectly good mold.

    Present day, with available mould makers out there, esp. Accurate Molds.com, Moose Moulds.com, etc you can get a mould made to drop whatever size you want. I just had one made three weeks ago in fact.

    I personally have never attempted to lap a mould - I know my technical limitations and abilities! But I do know of a case where someone lapped their mould to produce the sufficient size needed. But as the owner admitted, the mould after lapping just wasn?t ?there?, as it would if the mould been professionally/commercial made...

    ?The longest distance between the shooter and the target is the six inches between the shooter?s ears.? I doubt anyone ever wants to stand on the line with nagging questions - is their home-lapped bullet true, is it balanced, is it capable of unfettered performance, will it hit the mark?

    Bottomline, keep the mold you got, you may need it later. Give you business to a mold maker who can use the revenue. And mostly, give your conscience a well deserved break by shooting rounds you can depend upon and not second guess.
    Semper Fi,
    Rob Freeman
    Col, USMC (Ret.)
    1987-2019

    The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor. - Vince Lombardi

  8. #8
    Jim Brady Knap's Battery is offline
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    I have had some work done by this guy. He can enlarge the bands to anything you need. Good job with fast turn around time. http://www.hollowpointmold.com/band-modifications/
    Jim Brady
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    Knap's Battery


    CUM CATAPULTAE PROSCRIBEANTUR TUM SOLI PROSCRIPTI CATAPULTAS HABEANT

  9. #9
    geezmo is online now
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    Jim,

    Good to know. Thanks for the link.

    Barry S.

  10. #10
    hobbler is offline
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Brady Knap's Battery View Post
    I have had some work done by this guy. He can enlarge the bands to anything you need. Good job with fast turn around time. http://www.hollowpointmold.com/band-modifications/
    Erik isn't doing the precision grinding any more to enlarge bands.
    That's a service I miss.

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