Very strange- attempted beagling today and...

[HammerMTB]

I have a Lee 457-340Rf mold. It makes a .457 boolit, not coincidentally.... :roll:
But I want a .459 or .460 boolit.
So I tohught I'd beagle this one up.
The only aluminum tape I have is .005 thick, a bit more than what I read about in the how-to-beagle thread.
But I figured, Ya-ta-hey, what could go wrong?
I cast up a few, and once they were cool, measured them up. They're .457!
Scratch head :???:
Well, maybe I need more tin, or more heat....
Went back and added some tin, and some heat....
Got boolits .458 ....
Now I think my next step will be another .005 layer of tape.
How bad could it get, after all?
I just thought it was very strange, that the mold didn't cast a bigger boolit when the tape was in there.
One other thing- I could not see a gap between the mold halves. I thought that strange, too....
Things that make you go hmmmmmm :confused:

[yondering]

Hammer, bring it to work on Monday, let me look at it. I've beagled a few with good results, but that single cavity may be a little tricky since it's such a small block.

I'm guessing maybe there was a gap between the blocks before adding the tape, so that the tape didn't really do much?

[lead-1]

WOW, that would be nice, have a friend at work for face to face help. Post your results please because I would like to know how it turns out.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

WOW, that would be nice, have a friend at work for face to face help. Post your results please because I would like to know how it turns out.

Yeah! +1!

I have not even met anybody that casts there own . . . except for the comercial caster at a gun show . . .

[HammerMTB]

Hammer, bring it to work on Monday, let me look at it.

I'm guessing maybe there was a gap between the blocks before adding the tape, so that the tape didn't really do much?

I'll bring it along, Dan, but keep in mind I am working the night shift and will high-tail it outta there at 8 AM.

My "guesstimation" is also that there musta been a gap in the blocks to begin with, as well, so the tape didn't really open them.
Strange thing is, there's none visible. Experience tells me I should be able to see a gap of .005", but strange things happen.
Se ya in the morning? :bigsmyl2:

[beagle]

Must be something a miss with those mould blocks as .005" tape should have shown light and upped the diamter drastically./beagle

[jdgabbard]

I've never messed with the tape method...

But what I can tell you is that with the lapping method of enlarging a mold it has worked wonders. Its not hard at all, and only require minimal supplies and a very minor disassembly of the mold. And it has been able to open up molds for me quick. You might give it a try...

[yondering]

I'll bring it along, Dan, but keep in mind I am working the night shift and will high-tail it outta there at 8 AM.

My "guesstimation" is also that there musta been a gap in the blocks to begin with, as well, so the tape didn't really open them.
Strange thing is, there's none visible. Experience tells me I should be able to see a gap of .005", but strange things happen.
Se ya in the morning? :bigsmyl2:

That's why I haven't seen you... I'll try to make it by 8 but can't promise.

A bunch of my Lee molds have had a burr along the top and bottom edges of the cavity, so there is a gap between the blocks but you can't see it. Check for that...

Lapping works too; I've used both methods with good results. Usually I'll use the beagle method to experiment with; if I like the larger diameter I lap the mold.

[HammerMTB]

Must be something a miss with those mould blocks as .005" tape should have shown light and upped the diamter drastically./beagle

An update:
I put another layer of .005" tape over the first, so now a total of .010" in between the blocks.
I got boolits .460" X .458". They had been .458" in both measured dims before.
So, I found the point where the tape held the blocks apart, at least.
It's starting to look like I should lap the living daylights out of this one and then see if it needs beagling.