Well I discovered a lil problem...

[cwlongshot]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/CWLONGSHOT/AE88E485-15F6-4F6F-8C62-ABA263F840A5_zpswi22pucf.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/CWLONGSHOT/AE3219D2-03CD-4348-A539-3B97489D1A3C_zps9j5856yf.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/CWLONGSHOT/8EAC0028-2DB5-4AC8-AABF-75CE82B6697D_zpsqgmj9vyh.jpg

I didn't discover it till culling after stowing everything so I did not go back and look at the mold or handles... Its a Lyman 2 cav 357446 mold I quick cast up 5-6# last night for a friend. I threw the blocks on a new set of LEE handles.

I KNOW the first group of castings is/was fine normal. These must have been later in the casting time. Appears that its was getting progressively worse. I could JUST feel the seam on more than a few and about 20-15 are real bad and culled.

I did have some resistance on one side of the handles. I took a file to the handles to relive things. But the blocks seemed free floating on the handles. I'll look closer this weekend and maybe something will come to light. But figured I would ask you experts first.

What's happening here?? How can I fix it??

Thank you,
CW

[Reddirt62]

I am no expert but I would suggest taking a look at your alignment pins. Sometimes the move around on some molds and need to be reset.

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[Hossfly]

I agree, those alignment pins can move back into the body of the mold, the taper shape will allow the two halves to slide apart and cause the boolits to be offset. Or one may have fallen out.

[mdi]

OOPS! I agree with the fellers above. I have a "new"Lee mold that had that problem until I drilled and tapped the side of the mold for set screws to keep the pins in place...

[waksupi]

If the mold is not lubed properly, that can also cause problems.

[bedbugbilly]

+1 to alignment pins if the two halves were closing tightly together. Take the blocks off of he handles and then put the two halves together and see how tight the two halves are together - i.e. - with the two halves tightly together, try and slide them- one half one way and the other half the other way. That should tell you quickly.

I'm surprised that you didn't notice the misalignment when you cut the sprues and before you opened the mold to drop them. Not being critical by saying that, but that much misalignment should have shown up. A good reminder to check things as you cast. Sometimes you get a cadence going and forget to check things along the way - I've done it more than once - not so much with misaligned blocks but with slight piece of lead between the halves that doesn't allow them to close tightly - just enough that they are out of round but with no flash at the parting line.

I have had good luck with the Lee handles, knock on wood. I have accumulated probably close to twenty Lyman handles though over the last fifty years - large and small combined - and one thing I learned many years ago with them is that not all Lyman handles are created equal even when using Ideal/Lyman mold blocks.

[fast ronnie]

Those are for the new offset counter rotating inverted rifling.

Seriously, check the handles to see that they are not binding pushing the mold one direction or the other. This could have caused the pins to be misaligned when closing the mold and in doing so, pushed the pins back into the mold, thus no alignment when closed. It certainly looks like something has gone wrong with the alignment pins.

[lightman]

That looks bad! Hopefully it will be an easy fix.

[cwlongshot]

+1 to alignment pins if the two halves were closing tightly together. Take the blocks off of he handles and then put the two halves together and see how tight the two halves are together - i.e. - with the two halves tightly together, try and slide them- one half one way and the other half the other way. That should tell you quickly.

I'm surprised that you didn't notice the misalignment when you cut the sprues and before you opened the mold to drop them. Not being critical by saying that, but that much misalignment should have shown up. A good reminder to check things as you cast. Sometimes you get a cadence going and forget to check things along the way - I've done it more than once - not so much with misaligned blocks but with slight piece of lead between the halves that doesn't allow them to close tightly - just enough that they are out of round but with no flash at the parting line.

I have had good luck with the Lee handles, knock on wood. I have accumulated probably close to twenty Lyman handles though over the last fifty years - large and small combined - and one thing I learned many years ago with them is that not all Lyman handles are created equal even when using Ideal/Lyman mold blocks.

Haha, I agree... If I had my readers on when I was castin. :)

I don't put them on, till I'm cullin. ;)

CW

[cwlongshot]

Those are for the new offset counter rotating inverted rifling.

Seriously, check the handles to see that they are not binding pushing the mold one direction or the other. This could have caused the pins to be misaligned when closing the mold and in doing so, pushed the pins back into the mold, thus no alignment when closed. It certainly looks like something has gone wrong with the alignment pins.

This was my first thoughts as well! Thanks FR!!

Reading the posts, I'm now leaning to the pins myself.

I do "look" at what I am doing... I just don't always "see" what's going on. :)

CW

[Texas by God]

I've got an old Blackhawk that will shoot them just fine[emoji16]
Seriously I have an old Lee mould that needs a tap on the bottom before pouring to square things up. I use a wood dowel to cut sprues so an extra lick is easy. The boolits are fine if I do this. You have some slack somewhere.

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[cwlongshot]

OK guys....

PINS IT WAS!!

They had recessed in far enough to allow missalighnment.

I removed them alighned them and gently tapped the pins deeper.... and locked the mold together. :)

I was able to tap lighter thru holes to release the halfs.

Now its pretty good needs a bit of finnesse. But should be good now that i know to watch this.

Guess I have been lucky never saw this before. I own about 17-18 molds and have used about a dozen more than that from my frend as loaners.

CW

[robg]

Chainsaw boolits chew their way through the target .

[John Boy]

Step #1 with any new mold: Hold the handles, close the mold halves and hold to a strong light. If you can see light between the halves ... start determining what the issue is ... which can be several

[jungleman9941]

Good thing to look for when you start before you do like 1k

[KenT7021]

Unusual for the alinement pins on Lyman molds to push in during use.Check to make sure your handles aren't causing the problem when you're closing the molds.I've been using Lyman molds for at least 55 years and haven't had the alinement pins move during use.

[cwlongshot]

Unusual for the alinement pins on Lyman molds to push in during use.Check to make sure your handles aren't causing the problem when you're closing the molds.I've been using Lyman molds for at least 55 years and haven't had the alinement pins move during use.

I was surprised myself!!

Unsure if it was this way outta the box. (NEW OLD STOCK mold) as it cast some nice bullets at first.

But I know to watch this one now and its ready for the next casting session.

CW

[David2011]

Haha, I agree... If I had my readers on when I was castin. :)

I don't put them on, till I'm cullin. ;)

CW

The optical center at my local Wal-Mart carries safety glasses with reader bifocals in them as do most safety supplies vendors. I love 'em.

[sutherpride59]

Not to be rude but how was such terrible alignment not easily noticed?!?! That’s pretty badly off to go unnoticed.

[cwlongshot]

Revist this posting in about 15 or so years and you will likely answer your own question. :drinks:

Thank you for your service.

CW

[brass410]

been there done that. started casting one afternoon about halfway through I stopped for a little break drying the sweat from my glasses I managed to leave them somewhere so I just put on safety glasses instead, after finishing up I soon discovered why I had glasses, one of the alignment pins had dropped completely out of the mould!!! Rats now I'll have to dig thru that pail of bullets to find it, that's when I realized I had cast 3hrs of good bullets and about 4hrs of off-set bullets no doubt for an asperly aimless with an overbore offset. Oh the demons of age have struck again the good side was that there is no such thing as a bad casting experience.

[cwlongshot]

been there done that. started casting one afternoon about halfway through I stopped for a little break drying the sweat from my glasses I managed to leave them somewhere so I just put on safety glasses instead, after finishing up I soon discovered why I had glasses, one of the alignment pins had dropped completely out of the mould!!! Rats now I'll have to dig thru that pail of bullets to find it, that's when I realized I had cast 3hrs of good bullets and about 4hrs of off-set bullets no doubt for an asperly aimless with an overbore offset. Oh the demons of age have struck again the good side was that there is no such thing as a bad casting experience.

:drinks: :roll:

[Grmps]

cw you should always wear glasses when casting. Mine have been splattered with lead on more than 1 occasion.

Once you get the alignment pins set, you will need to keep an eye on them.
Is the mold too tight to the handles?
I had a set of handles that didn't align with the mold until I enlarged the holes?

Keep the pins lubed with synthetic 2 stroke oil (Stihl is good)

I keep the oil in a needle tip bottle these are also great for oiling your guns and press, they allow you to dispense "micro drops"
like these https://www.amazon.com/Needle-Applicator-Quilling-Precision-Squeeze/dp/B071G84WW5/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1534350909&sr=8-7&keywords=needle+tip+bottles
I haven't had oil foul a cavity after lubing the sprue screw since I started using these bottles 1 "micro drops" and your good to go.
A couple micro drops on a lowly q-tip then lube the mold pins before and during the casting session will diminish the possibility of the pins slipping again
if they do slip you can tap and use set screws or peen the mold depending on how close the pins are to the edge.

[Tom W.]

My RD mold did the same today. I was casting along when I looked and saw light through the cavity. I had to try other things, but I believe it is the pins, which are a cobalt blue color.


The last time I used my Lee 160 gr rn sc mold it did the same thing, so I mixed some J B Weld, poked the pins in and filled the holes with the goop. I didn't try that mold today. It is the very first mold that I ever bought for a 30/30....