Help! Broken mold handle screw!

Well, after decades of casting bullets I managed to break off a mold screw in the block.

The mold is an Ideal 358158 double cavity and the handles are RCBS. The problem is that the screw broke in such a way that the mold block is stuck on the handle. The block can't be removed to extract the threaded portion of the screw the way it is. Anyone familiar with this problem and have a solution?

I expect I'll have to drill out the broken portion of the screw until the mold block can be safely removed from the handle. Any advice to keep from damaging the mold or the handles would be appreciated...

Also, any suggestions for a replacement screw without buying a mold rebuild kit?

Thanks!!

Send the mold to Buckshot and you'll have it done right ! !

On the replacement screw. Go to your local hardware and pick up a couple of cap socket head screws 8-32 X however long the good screw is.

Chuck the screw portion in an electric drill and using a file, cut the head diameter down until it fits the countersunk holes in the block and you're all set.

Darn mould screws never will loosen up when you need then to. Maybe heat and tap and work the handles and see it it eases out./beagle

If a nut or bolt does not want to come loose easily KROIL it. I am currently working on 2 1981 VWs. I follow my own advice and so far have not had any broken or stripped bolts. Try taking an 8 32 x 2" radiator bolt that has sat for over 25 years exposed to all that road junk loose. :bigsmyl2:

If you're forced to drill it out, use a left hand bit. Yes, there really is such a thing and it's available from any tool supplier. The beauty of it is that by running it in reverse it simply rides over the threads without damaging them while removing the unwanted screw.

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Originally Posted by beagle

On the replacement screw. Go to your local hardware and pick up a couple of cap socket head screws 8-32 X however long the good screw is.

Chuck the screw portion in an electric drill and using a file, cut the head diameter down until it fits the countersunk holes in the block and you're all set.

Darn mould screws never will loosen up when you need then to. Maybe heat and tap and work the handles and see it it eases out./beagle

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Thanks Beagle.... Problem is I have to get the broken part out before I can remove that side of the mold block. I appreciate the info on the screw. I'll be using some kind anti-seize agent in all my molds in the future.

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Originally Posted by Bad Water Bill

If a nut or bolt does not want to come loose easily KROIL it. I am currently working on 2 1981 VWs. I follow my own advice and so far have not had any broken or stripped bolts. Try taking an 8 32 x 2" radiator bolt that has sat for over 25 years exposed to all that road junk loose.

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Yep, I've got two cans of Kroil sittin' around and should have used it earlier. The screw actually broke somehow as I was casting and half of it just dropped out with some dropped boolits.

First problem now --- get the mold block off the handle (It broke with a remaining nub that prevents the block from coming off). Second problem -- remove the threaded and broken part still remaining in the mold block.

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Originally Posted by 3006guns

If you're forced to drill it out, use a left hand bit. Yes, there really is such a thing and it's available from any tool supplier. The beauty of it is that by running it in reverse it simply rides over the threads without damaging them while removing the unwanted screw.

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Good advice, 3006 guns.... I'm trying to save both the molds and the handles without damage if I can. I could send the items to Buckshot or try to have the screw removed by a machine shop. Problem is by the time I pay shipping both ways as well as for the repair I could probable buy a new mold. A machine shop would probably be considerably more expensive...

I appreciate all the tip, guys!

A couple of suggestions.


1 Soak with KROIL and come back tomorrow with a left drill and your drill set for reverse. This may just turn the broken bolt out. If you have to, then put the easy out in and it should fix things.


2 Take it to a local machine shop. It may cost a few bucks but you never know where you will run into a fellow shooter or someone wanting to know about them. Plus it never hurts to be on a first name basis with a good machinist.

To Beagle's point, I've replaced all the slotted handle-to-mould screws with socket head screws because they don't get buggered. Use 8-32X 3/4" screws and turn the head down to fit. A T-handle Allen wrench makes quick work of installation and removal.

Put anti-sieze on all screws.

I'd get a 1/8" or so center drill (whatever size that the noncutting shank would fit the hole in the mould block), start a hole in the center of the broken screw and enlarge if necessary with small drills until the tip of the smallest EasyOut would fit in it. Turn the EasyOut in so it grips in the hole, and the broken screw should come right out. I think the smallest EasyOut is a #0.

A drill press with vise would be the best setup for this job, but it can be done by hand.

An update....

I carefully used a hand drill to remove as much of the broken nub that kept the block side from dropping off. It worked and the mold side dropped off! No apparent damage to the mold or the handles.

Now I believe I have a shot at using a small Easy-Out to remove the threaded broken section.

I'm certainly going to take 462's advice on replacing all my mold screws with Allen head screws. Anti seize material is a must do too.

Bent Ramrod has made the remainder of the fix simple by offering the sizes and items I'll need to finish the job....

Thanks everyone for all the knowledgeable suggestions. This board is a great resource!!

You mentioned the bolt broke during use.
Something that is overlooked is the tightening of a loose bolt only when the mold is at room temp. To tighten up a bolt under heat can put a heck of a strain on the bolt. I try to check the bolts, both block and sprue prior to starting a mold session.
I have seen some Heculian torque put on the smalls screws and bolts before. Just about a 1/4 turn beyond contact is plenty.

I do not know if there are specs for these things...anyone know???

I remember one "Bubba" who wanted a scope mounted and just could not wait to have it done and put the bases on and tapped the little 8-32's in as he tightened them with a screwdriver to "hold them in place". It worked. I could not move them and the mounts were put on wrong.

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Originally Posted by RICKLANDES

You mentioned the bolt broke during use.
Something that is overlooked is the tightening of a loose bolt only when the mold is at room temp. To tighten up a bolt under heat can put a heck of a strain on the bolt. I try to check the bolts, both block and sprue prior to starting a mold session.
I have seen some Heculian torque put on the smalls screws and bolts before. Just about a 1/4 turn beyond contact is plenty.

I do not know if there are specs for these things...anyone know???

I remember one "Bubba" who wanted a scope mounted and just could not wait to have it done and put the bases on and tapped the little 8-32's in as he tightened them with a screwdriver to "hold them in place". It worked. I could not move them and the mounts were put on wrong.

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Good advice from Ricklandes!!

Thinking back I've come very close several times to barely loosening those screws, especially on some of my older molds. The constant contraction and expansion of heated molds are bound to take their toll eventually by predictably fatiguing the metal.

This little episode taught me to pay more attention to some serious details I haven't bothered with before.

Bought some new Allen screws today and I'll be picking up the right sized Easy-Out tomorrow... I'm going to replace all my old mold screws with Allen heads.... and be a little more careful about how tight I make them....

TDC

Stop off at your local drugstore and purchase a small bottle of their house brand Milk of Magnesia. Shake it up and use a Q-tip to apply a drop on the threads of the bolts. M-of-M is the best, cheapest anti-seize on the planet. My crazy uncle was a diesel mechanic for about 50 years and swears by the stuff. I watched him take a Marine 6-71 diesel exhaust system apart without strain, swearing, bending or breaking a single bolt or nut. He had used M-of-M on it when he assembled it ten or so years previous. Great stuff, and cheap, too.

Gerry N.