First casts

[kalison]

First boolits!

Lee 358-158 TL SWC

133962

Lyman 358477 SWC

133963

Not the best photos. Plan on taking 18 of each out tomorrow and give them a test run.

Having some issues with the Lyman wanting to close fully. Thorough cleaning and lube. I think it could be defective, you can see daylight when it's closed and requires a heavy squeeze to close it.

[blikseme300]

Very nice! Looks way better than my first casts did. Welcome to our common addiction.

[kalison]

Very nice! Looks way better than my first casts did. Welcome to our common addiction.


Thanks! Another hobby, wife is loving it [smilie=l:

[Animal]

Great job! It is a satisfying feeling isn't it?

[leebuilder]

Nice work. Good bullits too.

[freebullet]

Nice boolits.

Post a pic of each mold half. There is a lot of experience here. Some folks maybe able to give some pointers on the mold.

[btroj]

One of the alignment pins might need a gentle tap back into place to let the mould close properly. Also look for raised areas around the holes where the alignment pins enter the other block, that is a common cause of blocks not closing entirely.

[s mac]

Do the blocks go together without the handles attached? Some times the handles themselves are the culprit.

[Yodogsandman]

Those look awesome!

Some times just a spot of lead is stuck somewhere on the block faces and when heated up can be wiped off with a leather gloved finger or wooden stick.

[OutHuntn84]

+ 1 on the alignment pins.
Those look great! Now go kill some paper!

[kalison]

Great job! It is a satisfying feeling isn't it?

Sure is :)


Nice work. Good bullits too.

Thanks!


Nice boolits.

Post a pic of each mold half. There is a lot of experience here. Some folks maybe able to give some pointers on the mold.

I'll do that today :) thanks!


One of the alignment pins might need a gentle tap back into place to let the mould close properly. Also look for raised areas around the holes where the alignment pins enter the other block, that is a common cause of blocks not closing entirely.

didnt even cross my mind! Thank you!


Do the blocks go together without the handles attached? Some times the handles themselves are the culprit.

thats a negative.


Those look awesome!

Some times just a spot of lead is stuck somewhere on the block faces and when heated up can be wiped off with a leather gloved finger or wooden stick.

Thanks! I have cleaned and cleaned it, no lead on these blocks.


+ 1 on the alignment pins.
Those look great! Now go kill some paper!

Heading out there now!

[bedbugbilly]

Nice job! The Lee 358-158 TL SWC is one of the best shooting boolits I cast.

[montana_charlie]

Having some issues with the Lyman wanting to close fully. Thorough cleaning and lube. I think it could be defective, you can see daylight when it's closed and requires a heavy squeeze to close it.
Look closely to see if the mould and handles make binding contact while closing.
Usually at the back corner(s) of the slot(s) in the mould.

A few strokes with a file can alleviate that.

CM

[kalison]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I will post photo of the blocks tonight. I was able to tap the pin (used a brass pin and small tap hammer) back just a bit and it now smoothly closes but there is still daylight in one cavity. it looks like the locator pin holes are a little beat up :sad:, which sucks because its brand new.

25ft Lyman 358477 off hand, windy as hell. Two groups of three.


134032


I think I threw away the Lee target by accident, but they were shooting just as well. Both bullets were tumble lubed.

[Cherokee]

Good job...you are hooked now.

[Echo]

Plus 1 on checking the blocks dismounted from the handles - could be hte problem...

[Boolseye]

Well done. That Lee .38 mold was my first, still one of my favorites.

[dsh1106]

Awesome job. I too just started casting, not sure my wife is liking it as much as I am.

[kalison]

Look closely to see if the mould and handles make binding contact while closing.
Usually at the back corner(s) of the slot(s) in the mould.

A few strokes with a file can alleviate that.

CM

once the alignment pin was brought back, the mold started closing and opening without binding, my biggest issue, now is the gap when closed. The gap is there even when it's not on the handles. I am using the Lee 6 cavity handles, should that help.


Good job...you are hooked now.

yeah.... Wife is thrilled LOL


Plus 1 on checking the blocks dismounted from the handles - could be hte problem...

When not on the handles the mold still had issues closing and would be stiff to separate from each other. The alignment pin adjusted made all the difference in that regard.

The mold still has light coming through one of the cavities no matter how hard I push them together.

issue exsists on and off the handles.


Well done. That Lee .38 mold was my first, still one of my favorites.

I am very happy with it!


Awesome job. I too just started casting, not sure my wife is liking it as much as I am.

LOL hear that! Although when I explained how much I'll save over the next 10,000 (roughly a year) rounds, she yelled at me "why haven't you done this before!" LOL. She didn't actually yell, but, had I known she would be responsive to it, I may have taken the dive earlier.


Going to get the photos in my next post.

[kalison]

Photos, hope they help;
134087134088134089

[Moonie]

Those boolits look awesome, well done.

[kalison]

Those boolits look awesome, well done.

Thanks!

[jeepyj]

Noted to follow post
Jeepyj

[Yodogsandman]

Photos, hope they help;
134087134088134089

Yep, just a little bit of raised metal around the holes, as mentioned by btroj. Best to take it off slow, flat and careful, with a stone.

It almost looks a little warped but, no I think what we're seeing is carbon from smoking the mold. Did you smoke your mold cavities? Maybe just the angle of the mold halves being kept apart at the locating pin holes.

[kalison]

Yep, just a little bit of raised metal around the holes, as mentioned by btroj. Best to take it off slow, flat and careful, with a stone.

It almost looks a little warped but, no I think what we're seeing is carbon from smoking the mold. Did you smoke your mold cavities? Maybe just the angle of the mold halves being kept apart at the locating pin holes.

yeah I smoked them.

let me get different angles for you tonight. I see what you're saying, however it could just be an optical illusion and not warping.

[Yodogsandman]

yeah I smoked them.

let me get different angles for you tonight. I see what you're saying, however it could just be an optical illusion and not warping.

Yeah, no photo needed, just couldn't see a clean line through the whole length of the cavities. A few swipes with a stone and you're good to go, IMHO.

[Frank V]

kalison
Welcome to the forum. Those are pretty nice looking bullets.
How do you like the tumble lube method, & do you tumble them in a tub, like a cool whip tub?
Thanks

[taco650]

Before stoning the mold, answer this: do the boolits from the cavity in question have flash on the noses or do they look just as good as the other cavity? If they look fine, why bother with trying to close the gap?

[BrianL]

Very nice job!

[kalison]

kalison
Welcome to the forum. Those are pretty nice looking bullets.
How do you like the tumble lube method, & do you tumble them in a tub, like a cool whip tub?
Thanks

Seemed to work just fine! No leading that I could see. Yep rolled them around in an old ice cream tub. Didn't take much, just enough to change the color of the boolits.



Before stoning the mold, answer this: do the boolits from the cavity in question have flash on the noses or do they look just as good as the other cavity? If they look fine, why bother with trying to close the gap?

Yes, it does. It'll even have some flashing from the vent lines. I did stone the material slowly and it now closes with no light through the cavity. Going to cast a few more tomorrow and see how they come out now.

Thank you for your comment, I was in the same frame of mind about the finished boolits, until I started seeing vent lines on my boolits.


Very nice job!

Thanks!

[BrianL]

I had the very slight gap problem on a new RCBS mold and noticed it in a slightly higher weight and out of roundness from one cavity.

[Frank V]

Thanks kalison I just may have to try the tumble lube method.