issue with lee 309-160 mold, running out of idea

[corey012778]

I am having problems with drop out on my lee 309-160. have to tap out. I have done everything short of lee-menting. drops light by 2grs both cavities. not worried only check 1 out of 10.

I cast two other lee 30cal molds both drop out with at most a shack (one, just open the mold boolits fall out) and both drop 2grs heavy. (thinking alloy)


I have had bad luck with lee-menting. my fault, full admit that.

anything else I could try?

[hunter74]

I wouldn't worry if it drops 2 gr light. That's most likely your alloy. If it's a tad harder than the alloy the mould is made for that's the reason. Sn and sb is lighter than pb.

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[corey012778]

Forgot to list what I done.

My normal cleaning (dawn and a toothbrush) smoking the mold.

Very fine grit polish and toothbrush

Tooth paste and medium toothbrush

Eraser

Few other thing I know that would not damage the mold.

I have jar of mother mag and aluminum polish, but it may ruin the mold.

I have some muzzleloader round balls and conicals the are setting to be remelted. Maybe about pound. I’ll give see if the helps before giving up

[MT Gianni]

Ideas
http://www.castpics.net/subsite2/Mol...ee%20Molds.pdf
http://www.castpics.net/subsite2/Cla...0Oldfeller.pdf

[corey012778]

Mt, I looked through both those when I had the same problem with an older lee mold with the diamond pattern face. The newer mold look more shallow. Leementing is a last resort.

May take the mold completely apart and give it a detail cleaning.

[kungfustyle]

Mold may be too hot while you cast. Set a wet towel away from your pot and when they start sticking try cooling it down on the wet towel. Just about three seconds or so and see if that makes a difference. Some molds just take a whack or two but that's OK, just hit the handles not the mold.

[Dusty Bannister]

Do not take the blocks off the handles, and if you remove the hold down screw, it is LH threads and then you will need to drill and tap for a set screw to prevent the sprue plate screw from moving.

What is your alloy? Any idea of the casting temp? No mention of frosty bullets (might be too hot mold or alloy). Similar problem in the past suggests more than just the mold. Have you tried to cast several sessions or just getting going with this mold. Smoked the mold? Did you then brush out the soot and try it again?

[redhawk0]

Many of my older Lee's, I've used a light spray of carbonized mold release on them. (Bought mine from Midway) It has worked wonders for me. Just don't spray it on a hot mold....it will not coat evenly.

redhawk

[vagrantviking]

Before Lee-menting you could take a magnifying glass to the cavity edges and opening to look for burrs or irregularities. Some people use a knife edge to remove or turn the burr or a needle file might be a safer bet.

Have you tried smoking the mold with a candle or lamp? Graphite spray lube works very well also.

[JSnover]

If you've try everything else, why not try polishing the cavities? It's easy to do and if you pay attention you won't ruin anything.

[MT Gianni]

Before polishing them with a drill try Felix's old trick. Get a yellow wooden #2 pencil, the older the better. Old Pencils were often made with Osage Orange wood. Sharpen it and go over every centimeter with the lead. Break the lead off and blunt it, then go over every centimeter with the wood removing the graphite.

[corey012778]

What is your alloy? mix of ww and range
Any idea of the casting temp? run around 671f (run a pid )
No mention of frosty bullets (might be too hot mold or alloy). I get good bullets at a dull silver, shiny I do not get good bullets, at completely frosty loose my edges


every mold I own is lee but one lyman 45cal ml conical (ebay grab)

left the bullets for the mold with issue. right bullet casted in the same session, same alloy.



I smoke my molds with the same thing I always do, a bic lighter. smoke the mold, wipe off soot from face and top. every time I clean the soot out and resmoke.
see if helps if I walk through what I do when I set down for a casting session.

turn the pot on aswell as the hot plate I prewarm my molds on (lee 20lbs bottom)
low heat on the hot plate and a mini loaf pan as a cover, place the mold letting it slow heat up while the alloy heats up
once alloy is heated, flux with just a wood dowel.

quick two second pour into my drip pan to make sure the spout is clear.

lube the spur plate screw.

2 rounds of rejects to heat the cavities a little more.

start casting drop boolit in a pan for air cool or in water.

if casting multiple molds start preheat the same as did with the first mold.


hope anything I have added or answered helps.

[corey012778]

could a small drop of lead cause the problem. did I quick cleaning and put it under a magnifying glass. small little dot of lead right next to the cavity where I am having the problem. took the back of a razer blade and scrapped it off.

ran a q tip over both cavities, not more one strain of fiber on it. came out dirty. may put the mold in my sonic cleaner with just dawn to get clean out all the old soot as well.

[gwpercle]

Spray the cavities with a dry Lubricant , I have used Liquid Wrench Dry Lubricant but I'm sure any brand would do . If you have a small bottle of the liquid dry lube just apply a coat with a Q-Tip .
Dry lubes are alcohol based with micro Teflon particles suspended in it. When the alcohol evaporates it leaves behind a thin coating of non stick Teflon. When I read this I thought it was BS but had a mould that didn't want to give them up. One coat and the first time I opened the mould the boolits jumped out...No Joke...they jumped out and I was able to deplete the pot before I gave the cavities another coat.
Dry lube doesn't contaminate the cavities , I coat them before putting the mould away.
Also good for the block top and underside of the sprue plate....keeps the galling and smears down.
Just try it once.
Gary

[corey012778]

dry lube maybe my next try. casted some up, had it fall out on its own like my lee 309-150 f, twice then back to whacking the mold.
was advised the boolit looks like my alloy was not clean enough. completely emptied my pot and cleaned it out. did a flux with twice the amount of beeswax I would flux with wax. also remelted all my old ingots and fluxed 3 times with the method I would used for extreme dirty lead.

did put 7 boolit off to the side for leementing. also turned the temp up my pot pushing the 700 plus range. (my pid only reads in C, did not do the conversion these time and it works)
something keeps telling me to look at the top of the mold where the spur plate meets the mold.

[corey012778]

well dry lube worked for about 5 drops then back to the same issue. getting everything set up for Lee-menting. just not sure when compound to use. I have some rubbing compound and some mag and aluminum polish. may have some other. out of flitz and lost my jb bore somewhere. think I need some more of both of those anyway.