New Lee Mould Problems

[Matt3357]

Good afternoon everyone,

Here's the situation. I cast my very first bullets this past Saturday and after about an hour I was getting a pretty good success rate. I say pretty good because I was getting finning when I didn't hold the mold just right and pour it in just so. I went over the mould with a fine toothed comb to remove burrs and flashing, but it still had a pretty big slice of light shining through it. I think if I got it to shut correctly, I would have a much much higher success rate. I just ordered some bullplate lube to help with the sprue plate problems but I am still baffled with the gap.

Please help,
Matt

P.S. Despite the problems, I cast around 270 acceptable bullets in a few hours with a double cavity. I can already see a 6 cavity in my future.

P.P.S. It was a Lee C358-158 SWC mould.

[Wally]

Good afternoon everyone,

Here's the situation. I cast my very first bullets this past Saturday and after about an hour I was getting a pretty good success rate. I say pretty good because I was getting finning when I didn't hold the mold just right and pour it in just so. I went over the mould with a fine toothed comb to remove burrs and flashing, but it still had a pretty big slice of light shining through it. I think if I got it to shut correctly, I would have a much much higher success rate. I just ordered some bullplate lube to help with the sprue plate problems but I am still baffled with the gap.

Please help,
Matt

P.S. Despite the problems, I cast around 270 acceptable bullets in a few hours with a double cavity. I can already see a 6 cavity in my future.

P.P.S. It was a Lee C358-158 SWC mould.

I have many Lee molds--when this happens it is usually because a small piece of lead is preventing the blocks from fitting together completely. I have been know to close the blocks and placing sideways on my bench and giving the mold a slight rap with a piece of wood to close them better---I have never damaged one by doing so.

[canebreaker]

I have a problem with the halves not matting correctly. I tightened the handle bolt up some, that helped. When the halves don't mate, release some pressure on handles and tap the mold halves with your stick. If sprue plate is left open when closing the mold, it weight shifts the mold half up. There's the alignment problem.
I have never used any sprays for release. Light a candle and hold mold and sprue plate over it till it's black. Wipe it clean and run it over again, lighter coat this time. You may want to remelt the first few boolits. My boolit fall out of the mold. 356-125-2R, 356-102-1R

[Matt3357]

My problem is not with mating when closing between pours, it is when clean and aligned I can see alot of light between the blocks. It was this way when I got it and after I deburred it. Not sure if I can adjust the alignment pins in any way that will help or what to do. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
Matt

[Wally]

You can try closing them in a padded vise--I have done this with some Lee molds and it worked. I used pine wood on the jaws on the vise.

[mooman76]

Take your mould and hold it up as you have been doing and with light showing threw lower the mould and tap it with whatever you tap the sprue with to open it. A wooden handle or whatever and hold tention on it the whole time. I use a plastic mallet. Then hold it up again and see if it still has light showing through. Some moulds are a little stubborn and need a little jaring to close all the way. I just got in the habit of tapping my moulds when closing them and I get more consistant bullets that way.

[Echo]

Whatever else you do, do not use a candle to smoke your mold! It will leave a wax buildup on the blocks that will spoil many boolits before cooking on and becoming a bear to remove. Use a wooden kitchen match, or a butane lighter.

And your problem sounds to me like a little burr, somewhere probably on the Al extrusion blocks, and not on the steel inserts. Judicious scraping with an X-acto knife blade, or some such, plus using a dab of BullPlate, is what I would do...

[Springfield]

Make sure the mold halves are pivoting on the handles. Lee leaves lots of burrs in the handle slots and sometims it binds up the handles. Do the mould halves have light when they are OFF the handles?

[462]

Matt3357,

Springfield beat me to it. I had a Lee mould that had very restricted movement on one side, due to the handle channel being cut too narrow, which prevented the two halves from mating properly. An easy fix for slack quality control.

Hint to help with proper block alignment: Before closing the mould, set it on something flat, then close it and swing the sprue plate in place.

The habit is so ingrained, that I do it automatically reqardless of the mould brand and handle.

Edit addition: I find there isn't any reason to smoke a mould.

[Matt3357]

Ok just so it is clear, it is not a consistency problem while I'm casting, it is a problem when the blocks are closed "properly". I first noticed it when I was going over the mould with my xacto knife getting the burrs that they left behind. I have closed the gap just a bit by closing it in a padded vice. It seems to me it is as though the groove for the alignment pins is not deep enough. but I could be wrong. I will go over it again looking for the magic burr that I am missing but I don't think it is there. Both halves move freely on their handles and I am not sure how you go about getting them off of the handles, the pins are in a blind hole with aluminum staked around them. I did get in the habit of closing them on the edge of my bench after they didn't want to align a couple of times. Everything looks aligned other than the gap of light, the "hills" and "valleys" touch completely from top to bottom. So its either, Lee screwed up and took off a thou or so too much from the face of the halves or I'm missing something.

Matt

[qajaq59]

I align the mold with my gloved hand just as I close it. Even with the glove on I can feel a drag if it isn't even across the bottom. Got to be a habit very quickly.

[kyle623]

if its a new mold, I would call lee and talk to them about it. they have a very good customer service department.

[Matt3357]

It is a brand new mould, it was my first casting session with it, I'll call them this afternoon. Thanks,
Matt

[jack19512]

Matt

You must have got the mold that I recently sent back. Send the mold back for a replacement. I have a lot of the two cavity Lee molds and recently got my first bad one. Exactly as you described, could hold the mold up to the light and see through it. I had ordered mine from Midway, sent it back for a replacement and they reimbursed me the shipping.

[Matt3357]

Jack,

I am assuming the replacement you got was not afflicted with such a defect? I think I'll try Lee customer service first, they have been superb in the past. If that doesn't work, I'll return it to Midsouth.

Thanks everyone,
Matt

[BrianB]

Matt,

I had the same problem with a mold I got about a year or less ago. I cleaned, scrubbed, looked it over and over, got a friend to look at it, on and on.... Finally sent it back to Lee. Got another in the mail three weeks later. I don't know if it was a new mold or not, but it had obviously been smoked and tested. Works perfect. That was the first Lee mold I have purchased that didn't perform flawlessly out of the box.

[jack19512]

I am assuming the replacement you got was not afflicted with such a defect?

No it wasn't. It is fine.

[johnlaw484]

Whatever else you do, do not use a candle to smoke your mold! It will leave a wax buildup on the blocks that will spoil many boolits before cooking on and becoming a bear to remove. Use a wooden kitchen match, or a butane lighter.

And your problem sounds to me like a little burr, somewhere probably on the Al extrusion blocks, and not on the steel inserts. Judicious scraping with an X-acto knife blade, or some such, plus using a dab of BullPlate, is what I would do...

Echo is right, DO NOT USE A CANDLE! I use the graphite from a carpenters pencil to lube the mold.

[Matt3357]

Yeah I know not to use a candle, but graphite is an interesting idea. Just throwing this out there, but I have some spray graphite that goes on in a very thin film. I wonder if that would make a good quick mold lube.

Anyways back to the mould problem.

I talked to a Lee technician this afternoon and he told me that before the moulds leave the factory they are squeezed in a padded vise to close the gap and set everything and that mine might have sprung back. He told me to try and squeeze it in a hefty vise and see if it closes the gap and if that doesn't do it to send it back to them and they'll replace it for free.

So it seems that some of you have the right idea about the vise. I did try when you guys told me about it, but in the molds defense it was a very small vise. I am going to take it to work with me tomorrow and put some real pressure on it.

Thanks,
Matt

[Archer]

I have 9 Lee molds, and all work fine,
but if one didn't, I would send it back in a
heartbeat. If the vise doesn't do it, send it back.
They will take care of you. Good People.