lee 6 cavity breakage

[XWrench3]

has anyone else broken off the sprue plate cutting lever on their 6 cavity mold(s)? i was casting some 38 spl boolits the other day, and on the third opening, the lever snapped in half trying to open the sprue plate. it was about 20 degrees outside, and i was using straight w.w. alloy. i have done this in colder weather before, and had no problems. so i am not sure why this happened.

[nicholst55]

Somebody here on the forum makes an upgraded lever, but I can't remember who it is. I was looking at it within the past few days, but my CRS is kicking in!

[excess650]

It seems to be a fairly common occurrence. Lee might replace the broken part. Red River Rick(?) makes a cam with different geometry that will be an improvement. Jim in Phx makes steel sprue cutters for these. I have one of Jim's and did away with the cam operated design. Check in the Vendor Sponsor area.

[garym1a2]

I start by only casting one out of it, than two than 3 till the mold slowly heats up. It's too much force on the mold to open with a cold mold and 6bullets.

[Larry Gibson]

Also if alloy spills over from the sprue into the cam area they break easily. I broke 2 before I figured that out. I haven't broke one since I started being careful about removing any alloy out of that area if it gets in there.

Larry Gibson

[Cherokee]

Preheating your mold is a good idea, I use a hot plate. Have yet to break one of my 7 Lee 6C molds.

[Char-Gar]

I have done the same thing. It is pretty easy to do with a hard alloy and a cold spru. I cut the sprus on a Lee six banger while they are still soft, but not soft enough to tear or smear.

[Beerd]

It happens all the time if you are not carefull.
You'd think Lee would get tired of sending out replacement parts and make them out of real steel.
..

[wellfedirishman]

Gary's right, this is the way to avoid breaking the lever. I did it once, called Lee and they sent me a new lever free, and told me to heat it up slowly, filling one cavity and cutting, then two and cutting, then three and cutting, etc.


I start by only casting one out of it, than two than 3 till the mold slowly heats up. It's too much force on the mold to open with a cold mold and 6bullets.

[leadman]

Lee is working on a replacement I am told. If you try to cut the sprue when it is too cold you will feel the resistance on the handle increase when the cam runs out of travel. Follow the Lee instructions and use the screwdriver between the cam and the mold like you did not close the sprue plate all the way.
Make sure you put the mold on top of the molten lead to preheat it as the instructions say to do or use the hot plate method. I have even tipped the mold over to put the end of the sprue plate in the molten alloy.
Call Lee and they probably will send you out a new plate for no charge.

[AZ-Stew]

Another thing you want to do is make sure the sprue plate is completely closed before casting. The only one of these levers I ever broke was because I pulled too hard when the cam lever was already almost at the end of its travel, due to the sprue plate not being completely closed. It was my first casting session with my first Lee 6-banger. No problems after I learned what I did wrong.
Regards,

Stew

[lwknight]

Pretty much everyone that gets a a Lee 6 banger and does not read the cautions on the internet has broken a sprue lever .

Preheat the molds!! Cast into only 2 cavities till the sprue cuts easily then cast into 3 then 4 till you graduate up to all 6 cavities.
Filling all 6 cavities with molds that are not up to temperature will result in a broken sprue plate lever!!

You can get parts from Lee and often they are free.

[mpmarty]

I broke my first one and then learned to "sneak up" on casting all six at once. Start with the farthest holes from the handle and gradually work up to all six when mold is up to temp.

[prs]

I don't sneak-up on them. I fill them all with hot lead and almost immediately dump and repeat several times. Have not yet had the pleasure of fouling the cam with spru spill.

prs

[lwknight]

I don't sneak-up on them. I fill them all with hot lead and almost immediately dump and repeat several times. Have not yet had the pleasure of fouling the cam with spru spill.

prs

Yer day is coming. Believe you me.

[captain-03]

Yep - count me in for 12 breakage!! 6 cavity 9mm

[pbraceguns]

Broke the original on my 200gr Tl 45 mold, but it was after 5000+ bullets. Called Lee and they sent another no charge. Bought an extra too, and they shipped it free with the other one. 3000+ more done out of it with no more breakage. I got distracted and let them cool too much and snapped it.

[HangFireW8]

I used to wonder what this kind of discussion was all about, then I let a Lee 6-banger cool a might too long before resuming pouring, and the sprue plate was stuck fast. I pulled on the handle a while, gave up, and got out the propane torch.

It is amazing how easy 6 sprues cut when hot, and who hard they (don't) cut when cold!

Now, I know why these things get broken, and I'm very careful to let it sit on the mold warmer while not using it.

-HF

[TCLouis]

I am up for two broken and both were when I got distracted heating my mold to final casting temp and the sprues got too cold.

I I don't do something wrong, all goes well!

[XWrench3]

it looks to me like they are made from pressed powder metal. i ordered a replacement, as it is more than 2 years old, along with some other little items for my dies. i also noticed how it has a built in "stop", which i may modify one of the replacement arms (i ordered 2 in case it happens again) and see if i like it better. it is funny, i have casted in a lot colder weather before with no problems. i have thought about having an entire new sprue plate made up that would pour all 6 cavities without moving the mold down the entire length. but my brother always seems to busy to help me out. and he will not let me use his machines (which really might be a good thing). i replaced it with one off my 45acp mold and used a propane torch to heat it up to opperating temp before casting with it. i had never heard of the progressive casting method until it warmed up. i will try that next time i cast.

[DukeInFlorida]

They seem to make that part that rolls against the block out of powdered metal. I have one that has a ragged chip missing from it. It still functions.

Powdered metal is a cost savings thing for the manufacturer, but unless they sinter it right, they will have issues.

I dip the end of my molds into the molten lead, and leave them in there until the aluminum is just about the same temperature as the lead. 4-5 minutes! I know it's close when the bullplate lube starts to smoke. I usually get perfect castings on even the first drop!

[Jim]

.....I dip the end of my molds into the molten lead, and leave them in there until the aluminum is just about the same temperature as the lead. 4-5 minutes! I know it's close when the bullplate lube starts to smoke. I usually get perfect castings on even the first drop!

I did that one time and, when I opened the mold, the alloy was still molten. I put my six ganger on top of the pot while the alloy is in the last ten minutes or so of melting down. By the time the alloy is ready, the mold is, too.

[snuffy]

I never broke one, BUT my buddy did! I got him interested in casting for handguns, which turned out to be me borrowing him molds! I even furnished him with an old lee 10# furnace 'til he got going. Then he bought a lee pro 20.

Anyway, I guess he wasn't listening when I told him to pre-heat the 45-200-rf 6 banger.

http://photos.imageevent.com/jptowns/bullets/websize/PA240099.JPG

I sent this pic as an attachment to lee. They said that was enough proof, they sent me two replacements! I took the busted one to work where I have access to a wire welder. Grinding a "V" at the break and welding it seems to have fixed it.

I just bought a hot plate for pre-heating molds. It works just fine for bringing a 6 banger up to casting temp while the pot is melting the alloy. Before that, I was using a propane camping stove that screws on the top of a fat propane bottle. A couple of minutes on top of that would do the trick.

[evan price]

Broke my first before Christmas 2010, was warming up a 45-230-2R and thought it was hotter than it really was. Broke like glass.
I had another mold (32 cal) full of chatter marks and swapped that sprue lever, then sent the broken sprue lever, chattered 32 mold, and some other stuff to Lee as a care package.... they replaced everything no q's asked, and sent me a nice handwritten letter advising how to prevent the lever from breaking, and some lube to grease the pivots.

[XWrench3]

snuffy, that is exactly what hapend with mine. the only real problem was i had no idea that these would break, so i j.b. welded the wood handle to the release arm (because it worked loose). i have since j.b. welded all of them. so i will be taking steps to keep this from happening again!

[BLTsandwedge]

Lee six-cavity mould sprue plates are like sailboats. If you sail and have never grounded your sailboat, you will. If you cast with Lee six-cavity moulds and never broke a sprue plate, you will.

Fortunately Lee is good about replacing them. I buy Lee moulds to test a bullet design/weight for a specifc gun. If it works out, I'll graduate to a Lyman or a custom mould and give the Lee to someone who could use it. That reminds me......I've got to post a few on 'pay it forward.' Next week I suppose.......

[Fly-guy]

Gee, we must all be related because I broke one of mine yesterday. One common factor keeps surfacing, casting when it is really cold outside. I'll be contacting lee next week.

[stumpjumper]

Me too! Friday i had a good run going, filled the pot back up and didnt put the mold back on the hot plate. then the second pour snap! The good lady at lee has one on the way.

[btroj]

Gee, we must all be related because I broke one of mine yesterday. One common factor keeps surfacing, casting when it is really cold outside. I'll be contacting lee next week.

I don't think outside temperature is a factor at all. It is the temperature of the mould that matters. Start off with a cold mould and you are flirting with disaster. I always heat my mould by dipping it in the melt for 30 seconds or more. Have never broken a cam lever yet. I tend to cut the sprue quickly upon hardening so it reduces the stress on the lever.

[gwilliams2]

Broke one on my 9mm six banger, went to the Lee Precision website http://www.leeprecision.com and ordered 3... The Lee Product number is SC1156

[JIMinPHX]

Red River Rick makes a replacement cam lever for the Lee 6-cav molds. He makes them out of real steel, not powder metal. Prices are reasonable. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=97479

With that 6-cav Lee system, you really need to preheat your mold and/or cut the sprue quickly before it hardens up fully. For the first 10-20 cycles, that means cutting immediately after you pour. Once everything is up to temperature & you start ripping the base centers out of otherwise good boolits, then (& only then) it's time to slow down & wait a little longer before cutting your sprue. At least that's the way that I do it.

[HangFireW8]

With that 6-cav Lee system, you really need to preheat your mold and/or cut the sprue quickly before it hardens up fully. For the first 10-20 cycles, that means cutting immediately after you pour. Once everything is up to temperature & you start ripping the base centers out of otherwise good boolits, then (& only then) it's time to slow down & wait a little longer before cutting your sprue. At least that's the way that I do it.

With a really good pre-heat, I get good bullets on the second pour, sometimes the first. Geez, I sound like a Lee advertisement. Anyway, I get that really good preheat from a constant 500W hot plate, not a corner dip.

-HF

[Willbird]

Another thing you want to do is make sure the sprue plate is completely closed before casting. The only one of these levers I ever broke was because I pulled too hard when the cam lever was already almost at the end of its travel, due to the sprue plate not being completely closed. It was my first casting session with my first Lee 6-banger. No problems after I learned what I did wrong.
Regards,

Stew

I'll say +1 to this, the only 1 I ever broke yet was from trying to cut a sprue where I did not have the plate fully closed. Will remember the screwdriver trick.

[XWrench3]

i dont know how this will work yet. but i modified one of the new levers. so it cams the sprue plate further before it his the "lock". basicly i ground much of the raised section off. it may break first time out, or it may make no difference at all. but i have this thing, i just have to tinker with almost everything.

[Red River Rick]

Here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=97479

RRR

[BD]

I broke the lever on my six banger BDacp mold last week. That mold has maybe 2,000 cycles on it. I've had quite a few Lee six bangers, and I use six currently. This is the only sprue handle I've broken and I drill and thread all of them for an 8-32 screw as the wood sliding off the end annoys me. I think that sintered metal castings can occasionally had faults cast into them as I've broken a few other things made that way. A Kimber thumb safety comes to mind.
BD

[Ilwil]

I've had this experience too, and a too-cold mold wasn't the problem. Lee is good about replacing the cam lever, but their web site also has a how-to tip that explains how to free the cam when it freezes. It works, too. Believe me, if it freezes and you try to force it, it will break.

[Alferd Packer]

The empty six Cavity mold in cold weather can be held tightly together by the film of mold lube between the moving parts.
Even after being heated, the sprue plate and the mold parting halves need to be separated before ever filling the mold.
Asking for breakage even if you heat the mold, but fail to exercise the sprue and parting line before filling the first time.
The sprue plate and parting line maintain a close suction that has to be broken first, even when the mold has been heated.
The mating surfaces should also be lightly wiped with a clean paper towel as well.
Any machinist can explain this tight bond that can form between machined surfaces that have been in contact for a short period of time.

The metal can stick together as though welded to gather till the seal is broken, and not the sprue lever.
Once used, that day, no problem.
Just my 2 cents.

[MT Gianni]

One of the things I hate about ten year old threads is seeing the members who are no longer with us. RIP friends.

[Alferd Packer]

T he posters may be gone, but their thoughts can still be useful.

[fredj338]

Yes I have, more than once. There was a vendor here that offered machined steel instead of pot metal. I have a couple & use them on molds I use a lot. Preheating helps but you still have to be careful with the first pour or two. I generally fill half the mold a couple times then start with all 6cavs.