BallMaker molds are products for casting projectiles for Less Lethal Weapons, mainly airguns from variety of materials. The molds are available in two types depending on what material they are made of: - resin molds, - silicone molds.
The resin molds are hard and very durable, have a hard bending hardness in low tempreture. They are resistant to a temporary temperature of about 200 °C. During long work, is needed to cool the mold in cold water, because long heating mold, can deform. The durability of the mold depends of its use. Better try not to scratch the surface of the mold with sharp tools. Before casting, the surface of the mold should be protected first with any oil so that after casting material do not stick too much to the mold. The projectiles made of them come out evenly and with details. The gray parts of the molds contain steel or aluminum powder, thanks to they imitate steel and also helping with the cooling process.
The silicone molds are soft and medium-durable. They are resistant to a temporary temperature of 200 °C. The durability of the mold depends of the chemical aggression of the casting material used. These types of molds do not need to be lubricated with oil. The castings come out clean and detailed without any deformation and these are very easy to remove from the mold.
Casting materials.
In resin and silicone molds, projectiles can be cast with: HOT GLUE - cheap, easy and quick to cast material (15 minutes), is similar to hard rubber. It is best to use the less sticky glue. White transparent, due to its low stickiness, is recommended for beginner users of molds. The best glue gun should be about 100W. A low-power gun heats the glue too slowly, too little heated glue will not be able to fully flood the steel balls placed in the chambers of the lower part of the molds.
ACRYLIC RESIN - a cheap, medium-difficult material, but quick to cast (5 minutes), is similar to plaster. Very hard material which easy dirty mold. Projectiles made of this material have more weight, therefore this material is recommended for casting balls. Non ball projectiles, due to the hardness of the resin, sometimes may not fit into the magazine.
FLEXIBLE POLYETHYLENE - more expensive, medium-difficult to make, longer-cast material (1 hour) it is similar to hard rubber.
LEAD - more expensive, difficult to make, material that cools quickly (15 minutes). The casting for advanced users, can be made only in resin molds immobilized in a vice, with extreme caution. It is not advisable to cool hot molds with cold water. Molds may crack due to the high temperature difference. Lead is very heavy and is recommended for casting small caliber bullets.
EPOXY RESIN - more expensive, medium-difficult to make and very slowly bonding casting material (12 hours). The casting can only be made in a silicone mold. The advantage of this material is to get nice hard projectiles but after a long bonding time.
Casting.
Casting BALLS in a resin mold:
Prepare for casting: - mold, - casting material, e.g. hot glue gun, - some steel balls, - rubber band or clip for tie the mold, - oil and brush for lubricating the mold with oil (or oil in spray), - a knife for divide the mold, - rounded nail clippers, a sharp knife or scissors that will help cut off the unnecessary glue around the projectiles.
MANUAL: 1. Place the mold on an even surface and lubricate the chambers with oil. Do not regret the oil so that the glue does not join the mold too tightly. 2. METHOD A: Pour glue under the edge to all chambers of one part of mold. Next, insert steel balls approximately in the center to the chambers with glue. Close and tie the mold with an elastic band, then pour under pressure (completely blocking the hole of the mold with the nozzle of the gun) with hot glue, preferably with excess, so that no air remains inside. Make sure that the two parts of the mold are still firmly connected. METHOD B: Another way is to flood chambers of both parts of the mold. Put steel balls on one part and join both parts tightly. (this method is alternativ for powerless glue guns). 3. Wait 10 minutes when the glue cools down. The cooler is, the faster the glue cools. You can put the mold to cold water (it is recommended for longer use). 4. Open the mold gently. It is best to use a kitchen knife to carefully separate the elements. 5. Take out balls. 6. Use a sharp knife, scissors or nail clippers to cut off the remains of unnecessary glue from the balls. Alternatively, smooth the balls with a lighter or the warm metal tip of a glue gun.
Casting SLUGS in a resin mold:
Prepare for casting the projectiles:
- mold, - casting material, e.g. hot glue gun, - some steel balls, - rubber band or clip for tie the mold, - oil and brush for lubricating the mold with oil (or oil in spray), - a knife for divide the mold, - rounded nail clippers, a sharp knife or scissors that will help cut off the unnecessary glue around the projectiles.
MANUAL: 1. Place the mold on an even surface and lubricate the chambers with oil. Do not regret the oil so that the glue does not join the mold too tightly. Join the 2 side mold parts and tie both parts with a rubber band ( if the elements have a large clearance after joining, it is possible to calibrate them. To do this, pour one drop of glue into both holes on one side of the mold and close the mold evenly and firmly). 2. Put some steel balls or any tip to chambers. 3. Fill the holes with hot glue to the edges. Note: sometimes dense glue does not reach the bottom of the mold when using larger steel balls. Therefore, it is advisable to first pour a little glue, put a ball and then pour the rest of the chamber. Then we get a fully cast projectile with a ball inside. 4. As soon as the glue is still hot, close the mold with the upper part. IMPORTANT: Make sure you press all 3 parts together - otherwise the cartridges may be too wide. 5. Wait 10 minutes when the glue cools down. The cooler is, the faster the glue cools. You can put the mold to cold water (it is recommended for longer use). 6. Open the mold gently. It is best to use a kitchen knife to carefully separate the elements. 7. Take out balls. 8. Use a sharp knife, scissors or nail clippers to cut off the remains of unnecessary glue from the projectiles. Alternatively, smooth the balls with a lighter or the warm metal tip of a glue gun.
Casting requires little practice. Practice makes master.
Ready ammunition.
From ready-made projectiles cast with BallMaker molds, you need to cut off the remaining glue pieces with a knife, scissors or nail clippers. You can also smooth their surface with a lighter. Strongly greasy slugs should be wiped with a dry tissue. Well-cast BallMaker projectiles should correctly fit into the magazines of the weapon. If the projectiles fits too tightly into the magazine of the air rifle or falls out of it, it is not properly cast and we should not use it. A projectile that is too tightly inserted can block the pistol, and a projectile that is too lightly fited can fall out before firing or have a low muzzle force. Of course, it should be noticed that not every projectile will be perfect, sometimes there will be air left in the chamber of the mold or the tip will crook. Hot glue bullets can be reused if fully recovered. If such a projectile loses its tip, you can stick a new one to it. Glue-cast projectiles do not damage the barrel and leave an easily washable dirt in it.
The shape of the slugs is important depending on what endings they are intended for. BallMaker bullets, like air rifle pellets, have hollows on the bottom that absorb all the energy of the air shot from the air gun, which allows you to maximize the power. Due to the use of heavy tips on the tips of the slugs, the ammunition behaves like a Babington shuttle, always flying forward with its heavy end.
Frequently asked questions.
What tips is better to use? Here is free choice. For molds, it is mainly recommended to use steel balls, e.g. bearing balls or BB balls. In addition to the balls for the tips of the projectiles, you can also use, among others studs for clothes, nuts for bolts, etc. The heavier the tip, the greater the power of the projectile.
What is the best oil? You can use any greasy spray or liquid form of oil to lubricate the mold. The cheapest one is cooking oil, which work well when the surface will be grease by it. The slugs, however, will come out sticky and will be need to wiping them with a dry tissue. Another better medium is spray or liquid oil for guns, locks etc., the bullets will then be less sticky. It is better not to use lubricants that can make layers on the mold because they can reduce the diameter of the cast projectiles.
How to take out slugs from mold when we forget to lubricate it? It is best to put the mold in warm water for a while, when the glue softens, open the mold and carefully cut off the glue with small pieces. Don't worry if there are any small glue pieces left in the mold. We'll take them out with the projectiles on the next casting.
