Lee six cavity very hard to open

[MikeSSS]

The mold is a Lee six cavity .358", 105 gr SWC, the lead is range lead, some of the lead is probably cast and shot many times already. The problem is the high force needed to cut the sprues.

Ah, yeah, I have broken a couple of the opening levers and have had to resort to a hammer to keep using the mold. This can't be a good thing.

Lately I've just been casting in the first two or three cavities nearest the handles. The opening cam moves this end of the sprue cutter more than the pivot end of the cutter. Using only 3 cavities pretty much defeats the purpose for having a six cavity mold.

The mold block aluminum that the opening cam acts on is now indented, I'm thinking about drilling it and installing a steel set screw for the cam to act on, or maybe a steel pin.

Any advice on getting the mold to cut the sprue's more easily?

Thanks

[Buckshot]

..............MikeSSS as you're no doubt aware, the harder the alloy, the harder it is going to be to cut the sprues. However if you've busted handles before then there is something else going on. Check the SP itself, the sprueholes specifically to make sure they aren't blunt. They cannot be knife sharp, but you should see only the very slightest 'edge' around the hole.

And yes, insert a screw or something made of steel there where the SP lever cam operates against the block. Steel against aluminum has always proven steel the winner every time

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

[ddeaton]

I have only had this trouble when the molds are cool getting them up to temp. After the mold gets hot the sprue cutter falls open. How long are you letting them cool? Is this your only Lee 6 banger?

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=4790
The link for the cam fix

[Willbird]

I try to cut the sprue just a bit colder than will cause it to tear a hole out of the bullet base.

Does your sprue plate swing freely when the mold is empty ?? There is a wave washer under the head of the pivot bolt to prevent that shoulder bolt from pulling the sprue plate down tight. I suppose you could have a bad shoulder bolt there that has too short a shoulder ?

That link did not work ddeaton

Bill

[MikeSSS]

Not the only one, the others are .45 and .44 IIRC, maybe one in .30 cal, these don't have this problem.

I'm probably casting too cool, that may be the problem. I'll try hotter lead and take a look at the "sharpness" of the cutter holes.

Tried a two cavity mold the other day, you do a lot of casting and don't get many boolits. It really makes you appreciate having six boolits drop at a time.

It's probably a good idea to get a second 105 mold anyway since it works so well for .380 and .38's.

[Ben]

MikeSSS :

A Lee 6 cav. REQUIRES a " brisk pace " in casting with the 1st boolits cast in the 1st 3 holes closest to the sprue plate hold down bolt. It also needs HOT alloy.

As the mold gets hot, you can go to 4 , then 5, then 6 holes with your fill.

If you don't use this sequence, you run the risk of breaking the wooden handle.

Once the mold is up to temperature, if the boolits are slightly frosted, the mold will run just fine. Don't allow the mold to drop in temp, continue to cast at a brisk pace. This will allow you to cut the sprues with less effort. On my 6 cav. molds the sprue plate underside will show evidence of antimonial smears ( evidence that the sprue is being cut on time or slightly early )

If using this sequence doesn't yield good results, the sprue plate may need replacing with one that cuts the sprue with less effort.

Thanks,
Ben

[armexman]

Bullshop Sprue Lube. cheap long lasting fix, works wonders even fo aluminum molds. i've used it on my RD 44 6-cavity and now I'm having to stop shooting 41 mag as I have so many 44 boolits since using Bullshop lube. Try it you'll like it!

[Cloudpeak]

Preheat your mold. I use a cheap electric hotplate. I'd rather error on getting the mold too hot and having to wait a long time for the sprue to harden as opposed to too cold and putting stress on the sprue cutter handle. With a hot mold, the sprue will cut like butter.

Eventually, you will find the right place on the dial so the mold temps will be just right, you will cast perfect bullets right from the start and your sprue will cut easily.

Cloudpeak

[Dale53]

Cloudpeak is EXACTLY correct. Use a hotplate to pre-heat. It has been a real blessing for me with aluminum AND iron moulds.

I have an H&G Six Cavity .38 wadcutter mould (#251) and it has so much mass to it that I doubt that I could get it up to speed with any reasonable number of casts without resorting to pre-heating with a hotplate. As it is now, I pre-heat and start IMMEDIATELY to have perfect bullets falling from the mould.

When using the Lee six cavity moulds, pre-heating eliminates the strain of cutting sprues before the mould is up to heat.

Dale53

[LqChrome]

you can also preheat the mould by polacing it on the casting furnace. Another cause of breaking lee 6 cav mould handles is not makins sure the handle ia closed all the way. Believe me, I have done it

[DanM]

All the suggestions are good, but no one has mentioned sending the mold back to Lee. They have replaced molds for me with no problem. Lee customer service is usually tops. Just include a nice, polite cover letter and you will likely end up with a new mold in a week....
Another thought would be to swap sprue plates with one of your other Lee sixers that works normally. If that solves the problem, then just send the bad sprue plate back to Lee for replcement.

[Willbird]

I will add my agreement for pre heating. I use a walmart $8.95 hot plate with a smooth piece of 1/4" aluminum plate on it. I set the hop plate to "med" and set the mold on it, they balance funny so I set a weight on the pivot end of the sprue playte, I have a 4" long piece of cold rolled I use. When I pull the mold off the hotplate I set enough ingots on it to refill the pot. The when it is time to refill the pot the mold goes back on the hotplate and the ingots go into the pot.

100 grains is right around the tipping point where it is hard to keep a 6 popper working. I quench my sprue plate on a wet towel to keep the tempo at 18-30 bullets a minute at least.
The 105-38 works better than the 30/32 grain round nose in a 6 cav, probably because the mold and sprue plate has more surface area to absorb heat from the bullet ??

I agree not getting the sprue plate all the way closed is a good way to break the sprue plate cam, that is the only way I ever broke one in fact.

[Springfield]

I have a 105 grain 38 LEE mold also, along with about 25 other different LEE 6 cavs. You MUST preheat before things will work right. Either use a hotplate or dip the mould in the lead or even just cast the first couple holes and work your way up when the mould heats up. With the smaller bullets I have found that the casting the first few holes doesn't work, just not enough mass in the bullets to heat up the mould. Even after preheating the mould with the small 105 grainers the mould sometimes cools off too much if you don't keep up a very good pace. ANYTHING that slows you down is too much. Even stopping for 30 seconds to put some lead in the pot is too much. I think the smaller bullets would work better with a smaller mould block, but LEE doesn't offer one. So, preheat, cast quickly and don't stop. And DEFINATELY get some Bullshop Sprue Lube. I bought 15 bottles just so I NEVER run out. And I have never broken a LEE handle, and I cast thousands a week. The mould needs to be HOT.

[Willbird]

There might be some kind of heat barrier that could be applied to the mold blocks that would help.

Bill

[GrizzLeeBear]

A Lee 6 cav. REQUIRES a " brisk pace " in casting with the 1st boolits cast in the 1st 3 holes closest to the sprue plate hold down bolt. It also needs HOT alloy.

As the mold gets hot, you can go to 4 , then 5, then 6 holes with your fill.

If you don't use this sequence, you run the risk of breaking the wooden handle.

Hey, I resemble that remark. LOL

I damn near threw away my 1st Lee 6 cavity thinking "what a piece of junk, can't even cut the sprues right!" But after cooling down for a couple days (me not the mold) and doing some searching here I found the sequence of starting with just the first 2 cavities, casting as fast as I can, and working up to 6 cavities. You might want to turn the heat up on the pot a little, too.
I usually find that once the boolits are dropping out frosty all over (I like my boolits that way) things are moving along nicely and the sprues cut easily.

[Tokarev]

When I turn on the pot, I just place the mold on top of it until the ingots melt, then dip the mold in the pot until it's hot enough to maintain molten alloy for 10 seconds, then start casting. That allows you to cast all 6 cavities from the start.

[Cloudpeak]

I forgot to mention in my other post but, while I'm preheating a 6 cavity on the hotplate, I also have my small Lyman pot on the burner with 3 "muffin" ingots in it. About the time my Lee bottom pour pot is half way down, the lead on the hotplate is ready to pour into the Lee pot. Really speeds things up.

Cloudpeak

[MikeSSS]

Thanks guys, I'll get a hot plate and use it.

Forgot to add, not closing the sprue plate all the way on a Lee six cavity is indeed the kiss of death.

I have another 105 six cavity coming and will then send this one back to Lee, maybe. There are some parts coming from Lee too. The first thing will be to add a steel rod or screw for the sprue cutter cam to work on, make sure the sprue plate is all the way closed, pre-heat and run the lead hot enough to frost the bullets. I am guilty of running the alloy too cool. The alloy temp seems to work OK for the .45 and .44 bullets but not the 105's, just not enough mass of alloy I guess.

Off topic, went to a knapp-in yesterday and cut myself nicely on flint chips. Those things aren't that sharp untill you find a "SHARP" one, that's the one that bites you and good too. Nice bleeding and nice little pain for a couple days. Yes indeedie, flint can be SHARP.