Warning about Lee molds

[chris in va]

I'm sure someone already posted about this, but need to share.

Twice now my molds have come apart. I'll be whacking open the sprue plate as normal and SURPRISE the handle pin falls out. Today half my mold fell into my quenching bucket, and I hope it didn't warp. Brand-new mold too, 150 boolits made.

Seems a worker at Lee is going a little too fast when using the punch to seal the pin in, and missing their mark. I'll give Lee a call Monday and let them know.

Bottom line, if you get a new Lee mold inspect the punch mark over the retainer pin to make sure it's centered. If not, might want to re-punch it yourself.

[warf73]

Chris thanks for the heads up on the punch pins.
Just something to try, get ya a pair of leather gloves and try using a gloved hand to open the spur. Easer on the mold and really seems to make things go faster, no need to pick up a tool to strick the mold then.

[geargnasher]

+1 on the glove and don't wait so long to cut the sprue. Lee moulds are decent tools but will fall apart if you whack 'em too hard too often.

Gear

[chris in va]

If I cut the sprue any faster, the boolit base smears.

[btroj]

I use a stick to cut the sprue but am gentle with it. I can cut a lot sooner now that I am using Bullplate. With Bullplate you have to wait a long tome to keep from getting lead smears.
I have had the same problem Chris. I just did as you did, use a punch and keep the pin where it belongs. In 20 plus years of using Lee moulds it has only happen twice.
I have never tried a gloved hand for cutting the sprue. I keep the mould in my ledt hand, stick in my right. Neither one is ever set down. Once I get in a rhythm it goes pretty quick. I am careful to strike the sprue plate squarely though. Not in a manner than may lift it up from the blocks or smash it into the blocks. I also use this to whack the hinge on the handles should any bullets not want to drop freely from the mould.

[Mikael]

Had the same thing happen to me, third/fourth pour in the 148gr TL WC and it fell apart.
I opened the sprue gently wearing a welding glove and was just rattling the mold to drop the boolits when... whoopsie the whole thing came apart.

[kelbro]

I open mine with a gloved hand. Just after the sprue changes color. No smearing. Nice bases.

[mooman76]

I've had it happen a couple times but lucky for me, I caught it in time before it fell apart. I used to use a piece of broom handle but started using a small plastic mallet when I saw an older long time caster use it. It works great and doesn't harm the mould.

[HeavyMetal]

+1 on the gloved hand, at least with one and two cavity molds.

I have a 3 cavity Saeco that works with the glove but 4 cavities and more I look for a stick if it isn't a Lee 6 banger.

Part of my "lee-menting" process is to re stake those pins before I heat it the first time! Aluminum is soft so it doesn't take much to make a better stake and, real important here, make sure you put the mold down on a smooth surface with the steel sprue plate still on the mold!

That way you won't ding the top of the block when re staking the pins!

[Bagdadjoe]

Gloves from day one...about 15 years now, on Lee, LBT and NEI molds. Glove on right hand bare left hand, bottom pour pot...knock wood, but never a burn in all that time. I use the Drop Free graphite spray from Midway and they drop right out. Maybe they out to rename it "Drop Right Out". I cut the sprue just when the lead "freezes" or maybe a millisecond later and get flat bottoms.

[Recluse]

I'm sure someone already posted about this, but need to share.

Twice now my molds have come apart. I'll be whacking open the sprue plate as normal and SURPRISE the handle pin falls out. Today half my mold fell into my quenching bucket, and I hope it didn't warp. Brand-new mold too, 150 boolits made.

Seems a worker at Lee is going a little too fast when using the punch to seal the pin in, and missing their mark. I'll give Lee a call Monday and let them know.

Bottom line, if you get a new Lee mold inspect the punch mark over the retainer pin to make sure it's centered. If not, might want to re-punch it yourself.

Chris, are these new or fairly new molds?

Reason I ask is I've got probably half-a-dozen/ten or so Lee two-cavities and I've dropped thousands of boolits out of all of them with no problems. Now, these are older molds from what I call the "pre-Obama era" where there was no shortage of reloading or casting materials and tools.

I've heard about QC issues with a lot of different manufacturers in this "Obama-era" where they're trying to catch back up in production. I've had problems with primers (CCI and Wolf) and a phone call solved both problems (both sent me a new box of primers and apologized profusely--which leads me to believe that THEY knew they were having QC whoopsies ).

Give Lee a call. They're good folks and they can't fix it if nobody tells them what's broken.

And remember: I'm the weird one around here because I actually like Lee's two-cavity molds a LOT better that I do their six-cavity molds and have had exceptional luck with them. In fairness, I literally Lee-ment the living hell out of them before I start casting, but I also like tinkering and tuning. Never been a "straight out of the box and into production" guy.

[Tim357]

I use a rawhide mallet to cut the sprues and tap on the hinge pins if needed. Works well!

[462]

This only confirms that all moulds require a serious pre-casting inspection.

As many have said, use a gloved to open the sprue cutter...it's senseless to beat on a mould.

[kelbro]

I forgot about my 4-cavity Lyman, I can't open it with only a gloved hand.

[MtGun44]

With Bullplate lube you will not smear no matter how soft the metal is when you open the
sprue plate by gloved hand. Actually, the smear that is already there will go away by itself
with Bull plate lube use.

Bill

[462]

I forgot about my 4-cavity Lyman, I can't open it with only a gloved hand.

It can be done, just not as easily. Too, the sprue cutter is quite massive, compared to that on a Lee mould, and built to withstand the rough treatment.

[chris in va]

Chris, are these new or fairly new molds?

Yes, with the 45ACP mold I bought last year and the one I just got in a couple days ago. I've only been casting a year though.

[40sandwfan]

I've put several thousand bullets through a Lee 2-cavity mold and haven't had a problem from the get-go! Use either a gloved hand or something soft to cut the sprue off with and you'll be fine. My mold looks like hell because I got it second-hand but it still works!
Keep it up and heed what some of the old salts on here have to say, they've been in this game a while and can give some pretty sage advice!

[realfisher]

i had my spru plate lever break on a brand new mold the second time using it. lee wont replace it unless i send it it. im slowly going to get rid of my lee molds for better molds

[Freightman]

All you have to do on the pins that hold the handle is drive them in then preen them no more problem.