Holy Cow: someone at Lee woke up and smelled the coffee!!!

Just took delivery of a new Lee Two cavity mold for my 38-55 Sharps.

AS ALWAYS, LOL! I read the instructions before using, what an eye opener!!

For the First time they are telling people to not use LLA to lube bullet mold!

Can it be they've learned something at last or have they hired someone who actually casts boolits??

In either case the revised instructions are suggesting using beeswax ( of which I think not) or th use Permatex Anti-sieze lubricant on hinge pins and alignment pins.

Anti-sieze has been my long time preferred lube for molds as it has a huge temperature band in which it works without running all over the place and by that I mean straight into a cavity!

This must be a fairly new change as I bought a 401 SWC mold for my 40 S&W mid last year and it still had the old instructions in it.

Whatever the reason it's good to see a change for the better here, the instructions still have some bad ideas, such as hitting the sprue plate before the sprue puddle harden's ( what genius thought that one up??) but the new stuff is still welcome and has been a long time coming.

Hopefully I'll be surprised by other cool improvements: Like an actual QC dept? One can only hope and wait and see.

HM

Lee has NEVER given instructions with their molds to use LLA to lubricate a mold. Quite the contrary, as I remember the instructions specifically stating NOT to use LLA. At one time they advocated using the alox/beeswax that they market in hollow sticks. Furthermore, I know it to be fact that Mr. Richard Lee has cast many a boolit and it would be my guess that one or more of his sons has cast before as well. Nowhere in the instructions do I see a recommendation to hit the sprue plate before the puddle hardens. Number 7 in the instructions reads "Immediately after sprue solidification operate the sprue lever if equipped or rap the sprue tang with a wood dowel. (A frosted surface will appear on the sprue puddle upon solidification)." I fail to see that as recommendation to cut the sprue before it hardens.

All I have seen or got says "not" to use LLA"

mac60
if you'll send me an E mail address I will be more than happy to take a picture of the Lee mold box showing that : just before complete solidification strike the sprue plate with a mold mallet, and send it to you.


Trying to figure out how you time that so you don't smear lead all over the top of the mold blocks and bottom of the sprue plate??

I must have a 6 year old new one then, mine says to use beeswax as well, and I did. It's still making perfect 158grain round nose .359 slugs.

I love Lee molds. For those of us on retired status they keep us in the game with out feeling guilty.

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Holy Cow: someone at Lee woke up and smelled the coffee!!!

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Oh, lube... I've had issues getting full size boolits out of some of their molds.

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Originally Posted by HeavyMetal

mac60
if you'll send me an E mail address I will be more than happy to take a picture of the Lee mold box showing that : just before complete solidification strike the sprue plate with a mold mallet, and send it to you.


Trying to figure out how you time that so you don't smear lead all over the top of the mold blocks and bottom of the sprue plate??

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No need to send a picture. I looked at the side of a 2 cavity box and saw exactly what you are saying. I was quoting from the printed instruction sheet included inside the box. There is a difference in wording, which for the life of me I can't explain. Maybe this is something Lee should address.

mac60
glad you saw both the box and the instructions in the box, kinda confusing so what do you think a new caster will think??

It was very refreshing to see the updated part about using PERMATEX anti seize, surprised they mentioned a brand name,but still nice to see someone is kinda paying attention, LOL!

Lee makes fairly decent product at a good price but with very little effort it could be much better.

Hope to try out the 38-55 mold this week end.

HM

I've been using the bottles of sprue plate lube that come with NOE molds. I'm told it's basically synthetic 2 cycle oil. Works for me.

I too have noticed Lee has upped their game, the molds now are better than they used to be. I hated them for a long time, now I seem to be able to make good bullets with hem easily.

That Lee bullet for the .38-55 seems to be a good one, my older single cavity of it casts nicely. Haven't shot enough to figure out what the rifle likes yet.

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Originally Posted by HeavyMetal

mac60
glad you saw both the box and the instructions in the box, kinda confusing so what do you think a new caster will think??

It was very refreshing to see the updated part about using PERMATEX anti seize, surprised they mentioned a brand name,but still nice to see someone is kinda paying attention, LOL!

Lee makes fairly decent product at a good price but with very little effort it could be much better.

Hope to try out the 38-55 mold this week end.

HM

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Well, that's a good question. I can see where that would confuse a person new to casting. I assume it would be a simple matter for Lee to correct this particular issue. The statement you make about Lee improving their products with a little extra effort is a fair one. I do see a desire at Lee to make changes that improve their product line, and improve it does. Lee precision - you either like them or dislike them. Me, I tend towards the former. In my eyes their products are a good solid value. Everyone doesn't share this view though.

Like another poster I am still using synthetic 2 cycle oil to lube the top of mold blocks and the bottom of the sprue plate. So far I have not had any issues with other hinge areas of my molds getting reluctant to move freely but should that happen I would defer to the same lube there as well.

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Originally Posted by richhodg66

I've been using the bottles of sprue plate lube that come with NOE molds. I'm told it's basically synthetic 2 cycle oil. Works for me.

I too have noticed Lee has upped their game, the molds now are better than they used to be. I hated them for a long time, now I seem to be able to make good bullets with hem easily.

That Lee bullet for the .38-55 seems to be a good one, my older single cavity of it casts nicely. Haven't shot enough to figure out what the rifle likes yet.

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I use the 2 cycle oil also after i seen someone on here stated that.It works for me also.I use a pipe cleaner for it from the bottle to put on the mold.

2 cycle "blue" oil is all I have ever used. No need to pay for fancy re-packaged forms of it. Get a small bottle at WalMart. Will last for a lifetime!


Remember - - - - that is for lubing ON the mold (pins, surface of plate & screw), not IN the cavities.

well got to do some casting with the new Lee mold in 38-55, as usual some trial and error as to what works best happens with each new mold and this one was no exception!

Couldn't get a decent casting from my Lee 4-20 didn't matter where I placed the mold, then it dawned on me the sprue holes were to small, so I got my RCBS idle out and started dipping!

Sure enough no more wrinkles or pour fill out, since this is a Two cavity mold dipping isn't going to be an issue, if it was a Six banger I'd be annoyed, but as a Two I'll just fire up the Lyman 20 pound dipping pot next time I need a batch of these.

By the way once I hit on the ladle everything went smoothly and I made a hundred or so real easy.

Until I get a better Idea of bore diameter in the new Chiappa sharps I'll pan lube and shoot as cast they drop at .381 and round.

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Originally Posted by HeavyMetal

well got to do some casting with the new Lee mold in 38-55, as usual some trial and error as to what works best happens with each new mold and this one was no exception!

Couldn't get a decent casting from my Lee 4-20 didn't matter where I placed the mold, then it dawned on me the sprue holes were to small, so I got my RCBS idle out and started dipping!

Sure enough no more wrinkles or pour fill out, since this is a Two cavity mold dipping isn't going to be an issue, if it was a Six banger I'd be annoyed, but as a Two I'll just fire up the Lyman 20 pound dipping pot next time I need a batch of these.

By the way once I hit on the ladle everything went smoothly and I made a hundred or so real easy.

Until I get a better Idea of bore diameter in the new Chiappa sharps I'll pan lube and shoot as cast they drop at .381 and round.

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If you had a full 4-20 pot and the sprue holes are a bit small, you will fill the cavities too fast with swirling and may get wrinkles. That is what the flow rate screw on the 4-20 is for. I slow down the rate when a pot is completely full and increase the flow as the pot empties.

Bangerjim
Tried that and pretty much either was to slow or kept swirling.

That's when I made the move to the ladle and the issue went away.

Honest truth is the sprue holes are to small, another Lee problem that gets by QC more than it should particularly since this is 250 grain boolit!

Were it a six cavity mold I'd open the holes up being it's a Two banger Ladling won't really slow me down so I'll leave it be and make notes in my casting log per the new mold.

HM

I've been using Permatex Hi Temp anti-seize since I started casting. Has always worked great.

Lee DID recommend 50/50 Alox/Beeswax to lube the joints of the mold (never on the sprue plate or cavities). I recall even getting a small piece sent to me with a mold that I sent them under warranty with a broken pivot screw. I use full synthetic 2 cycle oil now exclusively for the joints and an ultra thin layer on the sprue plate.

HeavyMetal, you'll like that lee 250, I used it for a while in my Marlin 336 bored out to 38-55. Started out with a scope on it for load work up and was getting some great groups at 50 yards with several loads. Primary load now is the plinking load, 10gr. Universal or Unique, for hunting I switch to 21gr 4198 with a dab of dacron or 30gr-3031. In my carbine the 10 gr load runs around 1250-1275fps , the other two 1400-1450 depending on lube or PC. I've switched to the Accurate 38-250B in a 5 cavity, too lazy to stick with a double cavity for a main use load.