Need Advice for 2 new Lyman moulds

[emmett22405]

Have been using Saecos in 40 and 45 cal for years and they work fine.
I just got the lyman 335 gr for 38-55 and the Snover in 40 cal and I cant get either one to fill out the bvullets. I have cleaned all original factory oil/grease offf the moulds cast for over 1 hour on each to snsure they got up to temp and have zero keepers using 20-1 alloy at about 720 F. Just to make sure it wasnt me or the alloy i tried the 40 cal saeco and it was casting perfect boolits even before the mould got up to temp. I have even retraced the air bleed grooves in the 38 cal with a scribe to make sure they would bleed air out of the mold. I am flummoxed and welcome any help.

[Randall]

I had the same problem with arecently purchased new lyman. I used brake cleaner to clean and then casting hot about 3 times before it really got to working like it should. Relube the sprue plate hinge and guides between cleanings.

[Maven]

After you clean the molds again, smoke the cavities thoroughly using either a BIC lighter or wooden matches. I yet to find a Lyman mold that hasn't benefitted from this.

[Willbird]

I have found that Dawn dish detergent, lots of hot water, and a toothbrush will get "something" out of a mold that brake clean will not touch.

Molds cleaned that way given a chance with NP smoking have out performed the SAME mold cleaned with other methods that WAS smoked.

Felix has opined that it is a synthetic surfactant leftover from the coolant used to machine the mold blocks, and I think he is right. We use some exotic coolants at work and the surfactants used make your shoes slippery when they encounter wet concrete days later.

Bill

[dromia]

Welcome aboard emmett22405. :drinks:

[GabbyM]

Seams sometimes it takes a few heat cycles to get them dry .
Try casting a few dozzen then laying the mould out open to the air for a while. Then repeat.
I've had better luck with new Lymans than other brands. They all come soaked in oil. Plus it takes a couple of thousand bullets to get a nice blue finish on the mold cavities.

[OLPDon]

Fear not Lymans: I have over 80 Lymans I have yet to be disapointed with the casting now thats not to say some of designs work poorly in what I have to shoot them with.

I am one of the few casters that uses spray on mould releases and have great results. However the moulds obsorb oil and after it is baked on will cause casting problem with fillout.
Give it a good cleaning and clean it again smoke as stated on the thread, and rest asure you will Love Lyman.
Don

[emmett22405]

thanks all for input
i forgot to post that i had tried 3x for one hour each and still no joy; each time using brake cleaner and scrub brush .
I will scrub more with detergent and smoke moulds and get back to you.

[Calamity Jake]

Using a knife sharpening stone, stone a very very small bevel on the mould top on the cavity side. This creats another vent right under the spru plate.
Reclean and smoke as stated above.

Some moulds just require a breakin period too.

[crowbeaner]

Some times when I'm breaking in a new mould I have to try 4-5 casting sessions to get them to fill out correctly. I've found that if I ladle pour they seem to break in faster for some odd reason, and that the bigger the boolit the longer the breakin process takes. I've tried every known method of degreasing, smoking, treating and spitting on them to get them to hurry up and break in, to no avail. You just have to be patient and keep using them. Big boolits are as hard or harder to cast than itty bitty ones in my experience. I had a H*** of a time with a Lyman 452490 2 cavity recently; it took 5 casting sessions and varied temps before I got the bleeper working well. Now it takes right off when the temp gets up where it should be. I traced the vent lines, smoked it, you name it, nothing worked until it decided to cast. I had a hard time with a 457122 also. My 429640 HP mould is still giving me fits. Just be patient and keep pouring; eventually they will work.

[44man]

Some molds need a ladle! [smilie=1:

[ra_balke]

Interesting about dawn diswashing liquid, I must try that.

Good advixce about the wood match, and smoking the mould, the only things I can add are:

1. Use a #2 lead pencil to coat the mould with pencil lead, and especially in the tight corners.

2. Get your alloy hotter.

3. Get a big head built up in your lead pot, then put the bullet mould right under the spout, so to force melted lead into the mould.

4. Try casting several with the spru plate open, just to get the mould good and hot.

5. You could add a little tin to the alloy.

Off the top of my head, that is about all I can offer.

[ra_balke]

Some more suggestions :

6. Cast several with a big header puddle on top of a mould with an open sprue plate, and with the blocks HOT. When you get it hot..

7. Close the spru plate, and cast several bullets with a big header puddle, and while it is still melted, drop the mould on to a wood block ... let it fall about 4 inches on to a soft wood block,, this will force the lead into the sharpe corners of the mould, and get those little places used to hot lead in them, and it will get them hot.