I cant spin the pin !

[superior]

Hi guys. My Lee instructions tell me to lube the locating pins. I think they are the 2 cylinder shaped pins at the bottom of my Tl401-175-swc mold. They look like roller bearings if those indeed are the locating pins. I've been lubing them with candle wax and sometimes silicone. Are these pins supposed to roll freely? I've noticed after casting about 350 boolits that these pins wont roll at all. Is that normal? If not, how can I safely free them so they can move again? They appear to have a varnish color now but have no visual build-up of deposits that I can see. I should have checked to see if they rolled BEFORE I began to use the mold but in my excitement to get started I failed to check that.:confused::confused::confused:

[HeavyMetal]

I don't think those are supposed to move, ever!

Stop using boolit lube and candle wax on them you'll just make them sticky!

Two choices here: Anti sieze lube or Bull Plate lube! Don't get either in the cavities!

[superior]

Whew! Thats a relief. Thanks, Heavy Metal. The instructions say use bullet lube or silicone. I can see how candle wax could eventually lead to problems but from what I understand, silicone should be a good choice as it is highly resistant to heat. If the pins dont move, what is the purpose of lubing them in the first place?

[45nut]

lubing the locating pins prevents wear on the opposite blocks, wallowing them out and introducing mis-alignment of the cavities. Proper alignment is vital everytime.

Comprende'?

[superior]

How often should I lube them during the casting process? I've been doing it about every 5 pours or so. Too much? Not enough?

[shotman]

Too much about once an hour. If you close blocks easy and dont snap them you wont have trouble. Lee has a steel pin/roller that mates with Al so the AL is the one that will wear

[runfiverun]

way too much.
i do it at the start of a session ,and maybe once in the middle if i am doing a long one.

[MT Gianni]

Whew! Thats a relief. Thanks, Heavy Metal. The instructions say use bullet lube or silicone. I can see how candle wax could eventually lead to problems but from what I understand, silicone should be a good choice as it is highly resistant to heat. If the pins dont move, what is the purpose of lubing them in the first place?

Go to the bottom of this page, click on bullshop and order some bullplate lube. You will save yourself years of grief.

[Ia.redneck]

+1 on the Bullplate lube, started using it recently and my molds have never run so smooth! The Lee aluminum molds should last much longer using it also.