broke handle, need help

[Siggy226]

****! How you guys break yours (sprue lever)? I should have ordered a couple for sapre. If this thing breaks I'm out for at least a week. I live in Canada too... I dunno how 'free' it would be getting directly from Lee. I mine as well just order parts from my supplier.

[Howdy Doody]

Been there, done that on the 6 gang Lee molds. Cast is what they are.

So, what I do now is fill the first two cavities and dump, making as big a puddle as possible to heat up the sprue plate. Then I work it a couple times. Boolits are usually wrinkled anyway and then on to the first three until the sprue cuts off easily and then on up until I am filling and discarding all 6 and all the boolits and sprue goes back in the pot and I have my mold and sprue plate heated up to cast away.
On the Lee molds it seems to work better than trying to dip that big aluminum mold into the mix. I do however just dip into the mix my 2 gang and single metal molds.
I have also cracked the handles and I get out and cut a piece of dowel to length and then drill a round hole in it and tap on to the metal tangs. That will work too. I have had instances when I have left a mold cool too much and I can feel some big resistance on the sprue cutter. I then take a propane torch, light it and heat it with that and it will slice the sprue off easy. So, why do I have a propane torch handy? I use it instead of matches or a candle to smoke my molds.

[lwknight]

I second Howdy Doodie. I broke my spru handle too. Now I cast a big puddle onto 2 cavities then move to 2 other cavities a couple of times then start casting the last 2 cavities and when they cut easily I cast 3 or 4 cavities till I get brave and cast all 6 when everything is good and hot.
I noticed that when casting harder alloy the spru cuts better than softer gooey lead.
Another idea I have used is to preheat the spru plate with a propane torch to speed up the heating up process.
I usually end up to cast 30 or more starter/warmup boolits before going all out.
I love the 6 cavity mold. Once you got it going full bore, you can crank out some boolits in short order like 600 per hour without even trying.

[MT Gianni]

In an emergency you can pull one off another 6 cavity mold while you are waiting.

[Siggy226]

I see, so you guys snapping off the spruce lever when the mold is cold, thus the lead is hardening too fast. Note taken. I will gradually warm up sprue in the beginning. I only one 1 mold now. I can't swap parts yet.

[Howdy Doody]

I see, so you guys snapping off the spruce lever when the mold is cold, thus the lead is hardening too fast. Note taken. I will gradually warm up sprue in the beginning. I only one 1 mold now. I can't swap parts yet.

Yes, it is temperature issue. Only heat will cure it. The tang is cast steel and it will break if forced. Heat is your friend in the case that is is taking too much effort to cut the sprue on those big 6 gang Lee molds. If you get where it won't go, you need to get some heat on that sprue plate by either adding more lead on top of what is already puddled or use a torch. It can save a casting session. Just don't force it. I know.... the hard way.

[Hickory]

I bet there is nothing you guys can't fix!

We can't fix stupid.

[lwknight]

Actually, there are times when stupid can be fixed.
Example: I can warn and tell someone not to walk behind the horse.
The horse can teach that person not to be walking behing

[mpmarty]

I heat my six banger in the molten lead before making my first cast and just go for it. I don't have any wrinkled casts and the first ones out are smooth and shiny. After the first couple of pours they start to frost and then I lay the filled mold on a wet rag every other cast to keep temps down. My pot is kept below 700* f. and seems to work best at around 650 - 675 with my mix of 80/20 WW/Monotype.