Sprue plate tinkering.

[JeffinNZ]

Team.

Has anyone tinkered with sprue plates and made them from different metals etc.

Thinking of trying some experiments with aluminium about 1/4 inch thick.

Any ideas/suggests/experience?

[IcerUSA]

If it where me I would be looking for an aluminum alloy that was a little harder than the normal aluminum as I think the softer stuff would start to elongate the holes in the sprues quite fast if the sprues are a little cold .

Just my thought on it , YMMV

Keith

[crabo]

I bought a new RCBS 250K and started casting with it. The first thing I had a problem with was having the bases fill out. I also had a problem of puddling up the lead on the sprueplate and having it run down the mold.

I made a new sprueplate and made it larger and ticker. I used a drill, die grinder and hacksaw. I put a trough in the top like the H&G molds have, and the result was well worth the hour I spent doing it. There is no problem with the bases filling out and my lead has a place to run when I fill it up.

Crabo

[JeffinNZ]

Crabo, you're a man after my own heart. Like the idea of the big puddle that doesn't run away.

IceUSA, I have a friend in the aviation business and have asked if he is able to source 2 x business card sized pieces of 1/4 alloy. We'll see.

[EDK]

Red River Rick makes replacement sprue cutters--don't know if he does the trough modification, but doubt it would be a problem.

Aren't the sprue cutters for LEE six bangers aluminum?

Someone made replacement sprue cutters for blackpower cartridge rifle moulds that had a ring welded on top so you'd really have a puddle over the sprue hole. Mike Venturino mentioned it and then I didn't hear any more about them.

[HORNET]

I usually make replacements out of 1/8" 5052 Aluminum. I used to work in a place that had a CNC punch press and worked out a deal with the operator to run me a couple dozen blanks from the DXF files that I sent him. We used 1/8" 5052 because it's what we had for scrap that we could "acquire". It's also the thickest that he would go with that 3/32" Dia punch for the sprue locations that I wanted for .22 molds. I just let the sprues overflow for a few seconds.
I got some 3/16" and 1/4" 6063 the other day but haven't used it yet. They're not hard to make if you use the existing one for a pattern.

[44man]

I was given a pile of 1/4" stainless scrap. I have to mill it to get it flat because it was rolled and punched. It is easy to cut until I get to the taper for the ladle. It will eat those cutters. I have to mount them in a four jaw chuck and cut the taper with a tiny toolbit I ground. It was free so I can't complain. Makes great sprue plates though.
I detest the Lee plates and the small puddles but won't invest the time to make plates for all of them I have.

[Dixie Slugs]

interesting! The problem Ole' Dixie has had with our production molds is the sprue plate hole was not sharp....tends to dig/break off the lead instead of cutting it clean.....worse on nose pour molds. Problem cleared up by replacing the plate with one with a smaller pour hole and sharpened the bottom of the hole.
Just some thoughts, James