First for me with lee pistol or rifle molds

[corey012778]

I been using only lee molds since I started casting. I was casting with the lee 358-158 double (going to load for 350 legend). New mold, could not figure out why the spur plate would not cut, could not get a good drop out. Gave it one more try before another cleaning. Ended up getting the mold smoking . Never had a pistol or rifle mold like to be that hot. I have had round ball, mini ball, and reals like the mold that hot. When I was done, pan full of boolets. Was such a good session my lee bottom pour was not dripping

[Winger Ed.]

That's a head scratcher.

If you have another mold with the same size sprue plate, ya might try to switch them.
With a known good plate on a questionable mold block, that would tell ya which part was the problem.

[littlejack]

Not sure what your question is. Is it that you're having trouble with the sprue plate not cutting properly? Or, is it that you're having to get the mould way hotter than you think you should?

[corey012778]

Once it got really hot, spur cut easily by hand ( welding gloves on while casting). I have a couple I could try. May go on and give the mold another cleaning but maybe casting as hot as I was may be the trick really good looking boolets.

[corey012778]

Not sure what your question is. Is it that you're having trouble with the sprue plate not cutting properly? Or, is it that you're having to get the mould way hotter than you think you should?

Hotter then I thought they should. I have a good number of older designs and newer design. I was running the mold as hot as the lee improved mini

[littlejack]

If the sprue puddle is left uncut for to long, it is harder to cut. That's why it cuts really easy just after it solidifies. After cutting, let the bullet cool a few seconds to shrink. Then it will drop out easier.

[Walks]

Did You polish the sprue plate as part of your new mold prep before casting ? Did you check for burrs ?

[corey012778]

Did You polish the sprue plate as part of your new mold prep before casting ? Did you check for burrs ?

Very mild abrasive polish and a brush. Did not see any burrs after smoked the mold, did not see olds left. May go on and give that mold another cleaning. A pre heat on the pot will heat it up, spur plate down

[Dusty Bannister]

If the current conditions of the mold are working for you, why would you even think about changing it by cleaning.

[Walks]

I run a dry Q-tip around the inside of every edge in mold cavities. I use a medium Arkansas stone with a bit of oil and run the stone over the bottom of All new mold sprue plates, then I "break" the edges.
If the edges in a cavity grab a bit of cotton, I run a ink eraser over it until the cotton "comes out clean". You may have to cut/shape the ink eraser to fit/reach into the cavity completely.

[corey012778]

Dusty, I just read in to things too much,

The heat I have to cast at with it gets me. Lee 255 452 same design mold took half the time to get to get good boolets, mainly used to cast sabot loads for muzzleloaders

[Chaparral66]

Are the "good" boolits coming out of the mold with a very frosty finish? If so, your mold and pot are too hot. Usually I can drop decent boolits from a cold Lee mold. Another solution is to cast a bunch with one mold, then let the mold sit while you cast with a different mold. Switching back and forth to keep the molds from getting too hot.

littlejack is right, don't wait too long to cut off the sprue.

In my first attempts to cast with my little dip pot it was filled with 63/37 tin/lead. That alloy is WAY to hard. Dumped it out and started with WW. Worked great. What alloy are you trying to cast with?

[corey012778]

50/50 range lead/ww, with out sending it off for analysis of the alloy, the best I can do telling y’all what it is. Run a pid on the pot.

[corey012778]

Did not see any of frosting on the boolets if there was any very mild