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Thread: Working on an abused 31141

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    Working on an abused 31141

    I bought a lyman 31141 from ebay. I took a chance on it, as the pictures were not super detailed. I didnt pay top dollar though.

    Its a 2 cavity.

    When I received it, the blocks would turn one against the other, as if the pins were not protruding enough. It had some metal raised around the alignment holes. I started by stoning the face to remove the raised metal. No problem there, as soon as the stone started to take the bluing off the face of the stone the raised metal was gone. I expected no more issue.

    I mated the two and drove the alignment pins further out, into the holes. After a few tries, the play was gone. Now the problem.

    The blocks are misaligned even without any movement. They were turned slightly one to another. It appeared that the holes had been peened from closing the blocks together hard or wrong over a long time. So I thought about it a minute and decided if I opened the hole up at the mouth I could drive the pins further into the hole, thus engaging the undamaged portion. I gently chamfered the end of the hole with my dremel and polished it with 1000 grit paper. I tapped the pins again, further out, and into the holes.

    It seems to have helped, but not all the way. Now, the top of the blocks are the same height and they are not twisted one to the other. BUT they are still off center slightly one to the other. In other words, while the tops are flush, the sides are not.

    Im not sure what to do to make it better. I am going to guess it'd probably be just a very slight line and they would probably look decent and shoot okay.

    However, I want it to be better If It can be.

    I could further move the hole back into the block and drive the pins further out. Maybe I didnt move past any damage that was there? I moved it id guess .010 max. They fit together now, like new blocks.

    I could cast with it and see how it does and shoots.

    I could drive the pins out and file them shorter and rotate them in a drill and round them again. The pins dont seem deformed, but this is what im learning towards.

    Anyone else got any ideas?

    ~Bazoo

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    I don't know if it will help , but I saved a abused mold by knocking out the pins and put them back in the other side of the mold .

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    Thank you! That is an idea I had not thought of.
    Last edited by Bazoo; 05-11-2018 at 12:41 AM.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    Not to mention, that the mould in question's sprue plate has been replaced with one that has wrong spacing so i'll have to call lyman to get the correct one.

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
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    Handle holes OK?
    Whatever!

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    As popper mentioned you might have a handle problem , it takes a lot of lopsided - misaligned closing to wobble out the alignment pin holes .

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    I removed the pins, and put them in the opposite block, and that helped. It still closes together with the cavity halves slightly off. I casted with it, and it casts up to .010 out of round. Sometimes less. I dont think its wear however... I think it is a factory mess up. The only way I can figure it happened was that the cherrying jig had some wear. It did cast okay though, othern that.

    Also....the original pin side of the blocks would not fit on my lee handles. I dont have a set of lyman large handles to try, but I had to file off some of the little nub on the handles as it was wedging against the block. It looks as though the hole is further from the edge on that block which might explain the holes being wallowed out.

    Think i'll try talking to lyman about it and see if they'll warranty it.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    Not having a set of Lyman mold blocks handy but if you know someone with a mill and a good mill vice maybe get the holes either reamed out slightly larger and get some dowel pins (usually tool steel) the same diameter as your new holes you may be good to go. Either that or redrill the holes,ream and dowel pins. The whole deal revolves around getting the mold blocks properly aligned in the vise. Parallels both sides and bottom. Just a suggestion. Frank

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    I emailed lyman about it, and, they said go ahead and send them in. Not sure if they'll do anything, but we shall see.

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bazoo View Post
    I emailed lyman about it, and, they said go ahead and send them in. Not sure if they'll do anything, but we shall see.
    I'll be interested to hear what Lyman says/does. Hope you (or Lyman) can get 'em working.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    Lymans response was, basically it couldnt be fixed. And that I could pay 50.00 plus 6 shipping to exchange it for a brand new 311041. I aint got the money until payday however.

    I figure its a better deal than getting it back and trying to sell it ebay as I doubt i'd get the 20 bucks I paid for it as I couldnt sell it without telling all about it.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master


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    Well, you'll have about as much in it as just purchasing a new one, so you aren't out anything.

    And, you got to play with a mold for awhile.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    Yeah, thats kinda what I figure. Its only worth the cost of the pins and sprue plate, which is what... 5 bucks? I want to learn to fix up and repair old moulds and, the only way I know to do that is have at it.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    Well, I finally bought the new 311041. I received it and, after some tweaking, cast with it. It casts .006 out of round. It went in the post today back to lyman. We'll see what they do. Im irritated at best.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master Mark Daiute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bazoo View Post
    Well, I finally bought the new 311041. I received it and, after some tweaking, cast with it. It casts .006 out of round. It went in the post today back to lyman. We'll see what they do. Im irritated at best.
    I don't get it. Why in this day and age do we get a mold like this fro a company like Lyman?

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master
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    No more " NEW " Lyman moulds for me.
    You guys make your own decisions on the subject.
    An old " Ideal ", now that is a completely different story.

    Ben

  17. #17
    Boolit Master Maven's Avatar
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    Thumbs up

    What Ben said in spades!

  18. #18
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    Im pretty dishearted over the whole mess.

  19. #19
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    I received the new mould. Upon inspection it looks okay.. spect it wont drop with the burr on the edges of the cavities, so I'll roll some steel wool in the cavities before I cast with it. Praying for good outcome with it.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    Have a Lyman 311284 that cast .297 on the nose section. Sent back to Lyman and they recut the mold. You can see the reaming marks on one side of the nose so basically was a waste of time. That 311284,311291,31141, and a couple more are reasons not to buy another mold made by them. Saeco does great molds and next 311284 type mold will from accurate molds. Tired of wasting my $$$. Frank

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