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deerspy
03-15-2014, 10:53 PM
I cast some from lee 309-150-GC FN to day and had some gouging in top of block at the spur plate holes due to sharp edge at bottom of counter sink, is there a good fix for this? I was thinking maybe use a reamer to make hole bigger and give it a straight hole with a no radius instead of a knife edge at bottom of counter sink this would make it a little harder to shear spur off how big could I go and still shear ok?

btroj
03-15-2014, 10:57 PM
Cowboys have spurs, moulds have a sprue.

Get some AC ester oil or a synthetic 2 stroke oil and using a Q-tip apply a very, very thin coat to the top of the mould. Don't get any in the cavities.

You are seeing firsthand why people use a lube on the SPRUE plate.

osteodoc08
03-15-2014, 11:05 PM
Make sure there isn't any lead stuck to it. Carefully heat it with a propane torch and just wipe it off. If there is indeed metal that is a burr, I'll place some 600 grit wet or dry on a piece of glass and carefully run it over it in a figure 8 pattern to ensure it is flat. Be very careful doing that.

Synthetic 2-stroke oil has ester oil in it which does well in the high temp environment. Ill dab a little on with a qip. A little goes a LONG way. I've been using BullShop sprue plate lube as it's what I've got on hand. Works well.

Wayne S
03-15-2014, 11:17 PM
As to inlarging the sprue holes, like other things in life smaller is better. The way I read your post, there is a spur sticking down from the bottom of one of the sprue plate holes ? IF this is your problem, the quick fix would be to get a piece of glass [100 % flat surface] big enough to move the plate back and forth 2" or so. If the spur isn't to big, use a sheet of 400 sand paper to smooth it out. As stated above, use 2 cycle oil on the bottom of the plate, and when the mold is at casting temp. knock the sprue loose, but leave the bullets in the mold , and use a Q-tip to apply a light coat of oil to the top of the mold AND try NOT to get any oil on the bullet bases, as it could get into the cavities.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents

deerspy
03-15-2014, 11:32 PM
I was using ester oil to lube with but after a few bullets it made a mark in top of block and I looked at sprue holes and they are irregular as not round and come to a knife edge that looks bent up I would say it is to fragile. you would think these new lee mold would last longer than three times guess I could ream it round and if it don't work will i could make a new one or buy a new one and see if it is any better made.

osteodoc08
03-15-2014, 11:48 PM
Or buy one from NOE, Accurate or MP

mikeym1a
03-16-2014, 05:38 AM
If this is a Lee mold, then it is a common problem with their sprue plate. I have been removing mine, and using a large file gently on the underside to get it mostly even. I then take the file, and put a bevel on the edge of the underside, and then I use a flat oilstone to polish it and make it perfectly smooth, or as close to it as I can. It works so much better afterwards. Apparently the sprue plates are stamped out of sheet steel, and only basic cleanup is done. There is always a roughness on the edges, and around the holes. Hope this helps. mikey

Foto Joe
03-16-2014, 11:16 AM
Mikey is spot on, I like Lee molds but they just aren't "Ready to go" right out the box. Although I don't go through the entire Lee Menting process I do deck the sprue plate with wet dry emory paper after rounding off the edges all the way around. Aluminum mold blocks will eventually get dinged up on the top but cleaning up that sprue plate on a Lee mold goes a long way towards keeping it down to a minimum. I don't really think that the marks hurt anything unless you're getting finning into those marks.

243winxb
03-16-2014, 02:01 PM
I like Lee molds but they just aren't "Ready to go" right out the box. +1 Extra effort is required.

leadman
03-16-2014, 02:25 PM
There was a time period that Andy Lee was having the 6 cavity sprue plates ground on the bottom with a radius that peaked at the holes. The recent molds have a flat plate.
A knife edge usually cuts better as I have had many Lyman molds with varying amounts of a straight section in the sprue plate holes at the bottom.
The lead will stick to the sprue plate hole edges and build up like you describe. Clean this out and use a little of the above oil in the holes so it doesn't do this again. The lead will mar the blocks.

deerspy
03-16-2014, 09:33 PM
I took a .154 diameter drill bit and ran it real slow it made hole round then used 1000 grit paper to lap bottom and inside of hole it looks nice now will try it out next week I have two of the double cavity 150gr molds and both needed fixed I bought the second one thinking I just got a bad one the first time, nope second one worst than the first one this my be my last lee mold.

MaryB
03-17-2014, 12:04 AM
All the sprue plates on my lee molds get lapped flat with a mounted sharpening stone. The move over the blocks like butter without lube. Add a little lube and they glide easy.

hickfu
03-17-2014, 12:17 AM
I just cast with my first Lee mold (im used to NOE and Accurate) and I did not notice any issues with the sprue holes.... Hmm, I guess I need to take a closer look tomorrow to see, I have a very nice wet stone if I need to smooth it out.


Doc

TXGunNut
03-17-2014, 12:51 AM
If you let this experience sour you on Lee moulds you'll be missing out. Sometimes they need a little tweaking but all in all they're still an excellent value.

44man
03-17-2014, 12:10 PM
It takes me a long time to make a sprue plate.
Lap the bottom a little and do the edge filing and polish like Joe said. Then roll some fine emery and twist it inside the taper, then another swipe on the bottom.
You want a sharp edge. If not, the cutting of the sprue will force the boolit sideways in the mold and it is still soft.

Old School Big Bore
03-17-2014, 12:23 PM
+1 on the sharp edge; do not chamfer the bottom edge of the holes but do polish the burrs away. Make sure not to leave any of the lube but what will buff into the metal. To prevent migration of the lube into the cavities, I only apply it to the sprue plate, not the blocks, and buff it with a lint-free rag. Don't give up on Lee molds; I have a trillion of them from my dirt-poor past and Lord knows they are a headache and a half but still good value for the money. Look up the Lee-menting process thread here, (someone smarter than I please post a link?) and any of the steps explained there will be steps toward good utility with a Lee mold.

mdi
03-17-2014, 12:37 PM
Make sure there isn't any lead stuck to it. Carefully heat it with a propane torch and just wipe it off. If there is indeed metal that is a burr, I'll place some 600 grit wet or dry on a piece of glass and carefully run it over it in a figure 8 pattern to ensure it is flat. Be very careful doing that. Synthetic 2-stroke oil has ester oil in it which does well in the high temp environment. Ill dab a little on with a qip. A little goes a LONG way. I've been using BullShop sprue plate lube as it's what I've got on hand. Works well.

I've used this method (emery cloth and a flat surface) to clean up sprue plates and insure the plates are flat. Careful polishing makes a difference in the plate sliding smoothly against the aluminum mold blocks. Plus a bit of Bull Plate helps too...