Lee molds

[Slugster]

Having completely sworn off of buying Lee Moulds, I of course had to purchase the following: 6.5 140, 8mm maximum, and 459 405 HB. The molds all drop the bullets easily, or at most need a tap or two on the hinge pin. Washed the molds in hot water and dawn dish detergent three times each. Sprayed down with brake clean twice. Still throw wrinkled boolits as expected. I have been setting the mold blocks on the top of my lead pot to allow them to heat and cool in hopes of that would help to condition them. The jury is still out on whether this helps or not. It has been my observation that the molds have to be used (heat cycled) until they will cast good boolits. I dislike smoking a mold and will only do so in extreme cases. Wish me luck, please.

[Bazoo]

I hope you get good results! I've never have any issue with getting Lee moulds not to wrinkle, but I run them hot. I usually let the mould set with a corner in the alloy for 5 minutes, until it's so hot that it frosts and would smear badly if I cut the sprue. Then I let it cool and start casting.

Not withstanding some of Lee's mould's issues, I do like most of their bullet designs and use several regularly.

[quilbilly]

I have many Lee molds and some of them are the best I have in certain calibers. Having been casting fishing jigs commercially for over 40 years and boolits from aluminum, iron, and brass molds for over 30 years, I have always smoked (lightly) every mold occasionally and it helps. Most of the molds don't need smoking more than about once a year to ease fill out.

[mehavey]

'Never had that that (wrinkle kind of) issue w/ Lee molds (the few I use)
But I do pre-heat while the lead is melting.
See:
https://thefiringline.com/forums/sho...1&postcount=16
https://i.postimg.cc/bw7J0YPq/350-Le...ECO-LEE-sm.jpg

[deces]

I would get them hotter before dropping and not let them cool as much in between drops. You might need more tin in your alloy too.

[PositiveCaster]

I’ve cast with Lee molds for about 50 years. IME a wrinkled bullet means either the mold is not hot enough, or the alloy is too cold…or both. I rest the mold on top of the melt until it is hot then try a cast. Wrinkled? I crank up the pot a bit and leave the mold on the pot. I smoke the molds out of habit, not need.


.

[Gtrubicon]

I much prefer my 6 cavity Lee molds more than my 2 cavity Lee molds. Mine like to be run hot. I use an electric hot plate to bring all my molds to temp prior to casting, aluminum, brass and steel. I cast with a fast cadence and don’t have wrinkles. Adding tin has helped when I do.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

+1 on using a electric hotplate as a mold oven to preheat any brand of boolit mold.

[deces]

Lee's aluminum molds are for production, you can't be lazy. You gotta have a rhythm to keep up or they will cool on you.

[ACC]

Having completely sworn off of buying Lee Moulds, I of course had to purchase the following: 6.5 140, 8mm maximum, and 459 405 HB. The molds all drop the bullets easily, or at most need a tap or two on the hinge pin. Washed the molds in hot water and dawn dish detergent three times each. Sprayed down with brake clean twice. Still throw wrinkled boolits as expected. I have been setting the mold blocks on the top of my lead pot to allow them to heat and cool in hopes of that would help to condition them. The jury is still out on whether this helps or not. It has been my observation that the molds have to be used (heat cycled) until they will cast good boolits. I dislike smoking a mold and will only do so in extreme cases. Wish me luck, please.

I run mine hot and have done so since I bought my first Lee mold in 1974. Try dipping the corner of the mold into your alloy for 10 seconds. That's what I do and it ain't hurt a Lee mold yet.

ACC

[Frank V]

I use the lee molds hotter than steel, but I like Lee molds.

[Bloodman14]

Definitely get a hot plate! My setup is next to a repurposed electric stove; I use the small front burner to preheat my molds. Works perfectly!

[Mk42gunner]

I've never (yet) had a problem with wrinkled boolits from a Lee mold. I preheat the molds by dipping sitting them on the edge of my casting pot, then judicious dipping into the molten lead.

In my experience, Lee molds (any of them--single cavity to six, including the new style two cavity) like to be ran hot and fast. If you feel the need to examine your freshly cast boolits, you better be glancing while the sprue solidifies. In other words, don't let the hot mold sit empty, or even worse open.

I have had a few that took a couple of casting sessions to start working right.

Robert

[wmitty]

I have the old style mould in 8 mm Maximum design and it works well with wheel weight alloy; but as others have mentioned here, the casting rate must be rapid and the alloy hot in order to produce acceptable boolits.


If you continue casting at a rapid rate my experience has been the heat the mould absorbs continues to rise to where non- wrinkled boolits are being produced. You may have already tried this and not found this to occur, but it might be a step you could try.

[Larry Gibson]

Slugster

Try playing the flame from a propane torch over the surface of the mould, in the cavities too. You will see what appears to be "moisture" of some sort come to the surface and then evaporate. When it evaporates move the flame on until the entire mould is done including the top and bottom of the sprue plate. No the blocks will not get "too hot", they won't melt, nor will they warp. Let the blocks cool a bit and swab the cavities out with a clean Q-tip. Apply mould prep to the hinge pin, the alignment pins, top/bottom of sprue plate and the top of the mould blocks keeping the prep out of the cavities.

You will find doing the above the moulds will cast perfect bullets within in one or two castings.

[mehavey]

".... apply mould prep ...."

What is the difference between commercial (Rapine?) "Mould Prep" and old-fashioned Lock Ease?



* Classic Rapine product apparently no longer available
(also "?" )

[beemer]

When I get a new mold I stand it in a pot of water covering the blocks, add a few drops of dish washing liquid and boil it for a couple minutes. Any oil will be gone long gone.

[More_Slugs]

+1 on the hot plate hack
If I have to sit the mold down, it's on the hot plate so it's as if I never stopped casting.

[Four-Sixty]

Doesn't brake cleaner contain petroleum distillates? Using brake cleaner is like oiling your mold in my opinion. The brake cleaner could contribute to the wrinkling problem.

[mehavey]

Proper Brake Cleaner leaves no residue whatsoever.