Lee 6 cavity issue-I HATE when that happens

[excess650]

I plugged the pot in and placed the Lee 6 cavity on top to preheat. When I checked later, the pot was up to temperature, so I applied Bullplate to the mold. After the first cast, I noticed the front alignment pin was deep in its recess. I was able to coax it out pretty easily, so I staked the back side of the reamed hole to prevent it from moving back out again. After casting for about an hour, the front pin went MIA when dropping the bullets! It had gone into my water bucket, so I dried it off and found it slid rather easily back into the aluminum block. OK, no problem, the blocks were hot and the pin cold, it'll be fine. I was pretty careful, but the pin fell out again after another hour. That ended that casting session.

I think I'll roughen the OD of the pin, reinstall it, and stake it from the inside. I can't think of anything that will stand up to the amount of heat the mold needs, otherwise, I would try some sort of adhesive.

[Springfield]

I always stake mine before I even cast with them.

[Doby45]

High temp RTV might work..

[imashooter2]

Good plan. Stipple the pin with a center punch, leave a bit of the end unmarked to give some alignment, press it in place and it'll be there forever. Has worked very well for me.

[Buckshot]

...............HA! Been there done that, AND some! Have had both the SP screw and SP handle screw loosen. Have cast quite a few before realizing one of the alignment pins had fallen out! Now I stake the SP handle screw into the nut with a prick punch, remove the SP pivit screw then D&T for a 8-32 setscrew, then drill and install a flathead wood screw in the block for the SP cam to bear against.

I don't mess with the alignment pins unless one does come out. When one does I put a 'Straight Knurl' it with a chisel. You have to be really carefull or you can sent the alignment pin off into never-never land. I tried all manner of ways to try and hold the pin while performing the mangle-ation upon it.

What I finally came up with was a 3/16" thick x 1" wide piece of steel plate from the scrap box. I cut off a piece long enough to sit on the arm of the moveable vise jaw, that comes up about halfway between the vise jaws. I then used the Dremel to grind in a bit of a semi-circular trough in the top of it. Bring the vise jaws up close and set the alignment pin in the semi-circle trough. Put the chisel between the jaws longways on the alignment pin then smack it a judicious smack. I put on 2 which has the 1st strike against the fixture for the 2nd hit, but doesn't seem to really affect the raised metal enough to matter. After all, the smooth pins are originally supposed to be a press fit to begin with. Drive the modified pins in from the handle slot side. Never had another issue with THAT pin!

..................Buckshot

[deltaenterprizes]

Using a file to roll the pin back and forth can increase the pin dia enough to make it fit snug by producing a "knurl".

[excess650]

I may get to resolving the pin issue later today. I'll try clamping it in a vise between a couple of ingots, and then use a center punch around the periphery.

I'm using one of Jim in Phoenix's steel sprue plates (of the conventional variety) vs Lee's cam operated aluminum affair. It is heavier and requires a bit of technique to cope with its extra weight, but a worthwhile change, IMO.

[imashooter2]

Don't clamp it in the vise. Open the vise a crack, just enough that the pin can't fall through and set the pin in the groove. If you aren't confident in getting good centered strikes with the punch, put a piece of masking tape over the pin to hold it in place and stipple through the tape.

[sqlbullet]

One of mine had this issue. Drilled, tapped, set screw, issue over.

[Dale53]

There are a number of good suggestions here. Sure proves that this bunch is resourceful!

Dale53

[a.squibload]

I never would have thought to check this stuff before.
I bought a Lyman 429421 from Swap & Sell here, rounded lube groove.
It already has a set screw on the SP screw, suppose that was a modification,
or did they come that way?

The mold wiggled when closed, one alignment pin was pushed in a little.
I could rotate the mold halves slightly around the other pin (without handles).
Read in another thread about the "vice grip stipple" technique, squeezed the pin
and tapped it back in.
Seems to work.

Now have a NOE mold of same number, but you can't have too many I guess!