How do i fix this?

[82ndMedic]

Ok, This problem has been happening a lot lately, I cleaned the ever lovin' out of this mold, and it still does it. What causes it, and how the heck do i fix it? I don't have time to be sitting around wasting throwing back boolits that are no good. Never used to do it, or at least not often, but now its every single cast. Tell me oh gods of the castboolits forum, what am I do to to fix this issue?

74250

[462]

The sprue cutter is too loose.

[jcwit]

What he said, or it might be bent, but I'll bet the former.

[GLL]

As 462 indicated the sprue cutter is loose because the pivot bolt is coming unscrewed. This is a very common problem with LEE 6-cavity molds but is easily fixed by drilling and tapping for a set screw on that bolt!
I do this on new LEE molds even before I start casting the first time !

Jerry

[82ndMedic]

so just tighten down the two nuts on the top i assume? or just the far one?

[10mmShooter]

Medic the idea is to keep the spur plate flat as well, so be careful to not over tighten one screw and flex the plate, you will need the plate to be perfectly flat across the mold.

[MT Chambers]

Careful tightening that screw, you can pull the soft alum. threads right out with the screw, tapping the side for a set screw is the best fix.

[MtGun44]

Make sure the sprue plate is dead flat - lap on a piece of glass with 400 grit wet or dry.
Clean off the smeared lead with a large flat fine cut file dead flat, a few wipes will clean it
and you may find a few raised bumps on the edges of the sprue plate or top of mold.

Dead flat mold top and and dead flat (not bent!) sprue plate, now lube with Bull Plate lube
and you will not have this happen. Do not overtighten the screw, it should pivot freely.

Bill

[MGySgt]

Another issue besides a loose sprue plate is that the sprue plate and the mold are galled where the sprue plate pivotes on the mould.

You will have to hone down the sprue plate AND the top of the mould. You can use the 400 Wet/Dry sand paper on plate glass to hone them both and get them perfectly flat.

[snuffy]

so just tighten down the two nuts on the top i assume? or just the far one?

Tighten just the pivot bolt or what you call the far one. The bad boolits are nearest that bolt, the other one is made for the sprue plate to go under it to hold the end of the sprue plate down.

Also, do NOT hold all 3 handles while casting. Just the 2 that open/close the mold.

[cummins05]

I had to do this very process on my lee 6 cavity mold it wasn't machined very well from lee but a little polishing on a piece of glass cleaned everything up and it is now good to go

[w5pv]

after cleaning the mold, sprue plate several times,checking the sprue screw and all of that found my fix was to let the mold cool a few seconds longer.I haven't cast any since but the smear and flags disappeared.I think that the melt was a little hot.The next time I will use a variact to controll the temp with instead of depending on the thermosat on the pot.

[mikeym1a]

Another issue besides a loose sprue plate is that the sprue plate and the mold are galled where the sprue plate pivotes on the mould.

You will have to hone down the sprue plate AND the top of the mould. You can use the 400 Wet/Dry sand paper on plate glass to hone them both and get them perfectly flat.
What he said. I take the sprue plate off, and take a file to the edges of the sprue plate to take off any raised areas, gently run a file across the bottom of the sprue plate to see if there are any raised areas, then hone it on a nice flat oil stone. I put the mould on the stone as well to make sure it is true. Good luck.

[runfiverun]

check that there isn't some lead under the sprue plate by the bolt.