Ever wear out an aluminum mold?

[brewer12345]

I have been on a tear with the 6 banger Lee copy of the HG 68 45 SWC lately. Must be closing in on 5000 boolits cast with this mold. Once it is up to temp it casts nice boolits fairly quickly and empties the pot in a hurry. I was wondering if I need to be on the lookout for the mold wearing out. Anyone ever worn out an aluminum mold? What should I be looking for as signs of trouble? All my other molds simply do not get the volume that this one sees, and I suspect that the old school steel molds probably will never wear out unless I let them rust badly.

[Wayne Smith]

Not yet!!

[rancher1913]

does it look like its wearing out, only you can be the judge, but I believe as long as you dont warp it, it should last your lifetime.

[country gent]

The big differences between Aluminum and steel blocks are the heat distribution and how rough they can be handled or the abuse they will take and survive. The aluminum need to be handled a little mire carefully than steel does. But with proper care and handling both will last several lifetimes

[KCSO]

My oldest aluminium mould has been in use since 1972. Just don't drop it on the concrete floor.

[Phlier]

does it look like its wearing out, only you can be the judge, but I believe as long as you dont warp it, it should last your lifetime.

Yup, and aluminum molds can actually be warped pretty easily. I warped one on a hot plate. If you pre-warm your mold on a hotplate, use something as an intermediary layer between your hot plate and your mold. I use an old circular saw blade, now, as I warped a mold pretty badly by just putting it right on the hot plate. This wasn't a bare element hot plate, either, but one where the elements are down below some sort of glass surface.

One of my Lee molds has over 50k boolits cast, and it's still chugging along. It's not much to look at, but it still casts a pretty boolit. The top of the mold has some pretty deep grooves cut into it, yet it keeps on ticking.

It's mostly retired after I bought a new MP 9mm mold two weeks ago.

[vagrantviking]

Some of the old style Lee molds, particularly single cavity, had steel on aluminum mating surfaces and would get loose or difficult to align after enough use.

By the time that happened Lee had come out with better multi cavity molds with steel pins and bushings so an upgrade was in order anyway.

[Springfield]

I have a couple of LEE 44 moulds that have a few hundred thousand bullets through them. The moulds themselves are not worn out but the hinge pins and sprue plate pins are no longer the originals. Those self tapping screws LEE uses are really not intended to be used that much, IMHO. The locating pins often move also, very frustrating. I have mostly switched to an Accurate mould for my BP 44-40's, but eventually will rebuild the 2 LEE's someday, as they do work better in some situations.

[Kraschenbirn]

Old style alignment pins and sprue plate pivot are the only two issues I've ever encountered on Lee molds and I've got a couple that have dropped 30-40K boolits. Sprue plate is easy enough to fix but alignment pins are enough of a PITA (and the 'new style' so much of an improvement!) that I just bought a replacement when one fell out of my 312-155-2R after 10K+.

Bill

[Dusty Bannister]

I have not worn out a mold, but have repaired the threads by installing heli-coil thread repair kits for attaching the mold blocks, and thread repair for the sprue plate hinge bolt. If you have a favorite bullet form in a Lee mold, buy a spare.

[Petander]

I have been on a tear with the 6 banger Lee copy of the HG 68 45 SWC lately. Must be closing in on 5000 boolits cast with this mold.

My one and only Lee 6 -banger 358158 RF is 15 years old and going strong @ 75 k bullets. To avoid warping, I put my molds on a cold hotplate, then turn it on. I also let them cool down on a plate that is cooling down. No fast temp changes like putting a mold corner in molten lead.

[Walks]

I've got 3 2cav's that were passed on to me. A couple of years ago. They were beat to death.

On the other hand I have 3 2cav's that My Dad bought at a gun show 30yrs ago. Passed them to me, so I could cast .44cal Bullets for our Colt SAA's to get into Cowboy Shooting.
I cast 10,000+ from each of those 3 molds bought 30yrs ago. They still cast fine bullets.
I have always handled them gently, as I handle every mold I own.

Those 3 "dead" molds, I'm going to drill and tap them for lock screws for the sprue plate screws. Soon as I get time this spring.

[Cherokee]

I've got a Lee 6c 356120TC (lube grooves) that has cast more than 50k and still going strong. Just be careful with them and lube to sprue plate hinge.

[dtknowles]

I have an old Lee single cavity mold I wore out. I have peened the alignment slots back into shape a coupe times

[stubshaft]

I still have my very first mold bought in '69 I believe. It is a single cavity 150 gr., 30 cal boolit for a 30/30. I has easily had a couple of hundred pounds of lead thru it and is still going strong.

[Shopdog]

Got an old Lee 358-140 SWC that has over 20k on it. Isn't all that tight but,it'll still throw a good bullet.

[cwlongshot]

Not completely but YES! LEE 145g 10mm

BUT to its benifit I cast ALLOT WITH IT and I wasnt easy on it! Im on my second mold now.

CW

[lightman]

I haven't owned an aluminum mold long enough to know. My first mold, 40 some years ago, was a 2 cavity Lee. I quickly got tired of tinkering with it and went to Lyman and RCBS iron molds.

I've only recently, like this year, bought my first and 2nd Accurate molds.

[Chill Wills]

Like said above, the alignment is what goes if handled roughlly. I don't think the cavities can be eroded by liquid lead in our lifetime.

How careful we treat our molds when opening and closing, whether aluminum, brass or iron, will govern how long the two halves hold their register.

[mdi]

I believe it the mold is "lubed" and not mistreated it will last a lifetime. I use a Q-tip dampened with 2 cycle motor oil to put a light film of oil on the top of the mold and bottom of the sprue plate, where they rub on each other. A dab on the alignment pins/bars. My first Lee mold was purchased in '88 so I don't have any "old" molds...