Can you personally fix a mold?

[burrkiss]

I have a Lee Precision Ctl312-160-2R Double Cavity Mold that was not dropping well from 1 cavity. I attempted to leement it and failed. I wanted to know if I can ship it to you (a skilled molder) and tell me what the problem was/what I did wrong.

If you fix it, you keep it. Its only a $20 mold, I just want to know what I did/could have done better for the future.

Thanks

Burrkiss.

[.22-10-45]

shimming mould blocks apart will do nothing if there is a tiny burr on cavity edge..use magnification under good light..a Q tip can be run around cavity edges & will leave strands if there is a burr. Sometimes a rubber pencil erasure will take these out.

[Catshooter]

burrkiss,

What I do when I have a mould that doesn't want to drop is this.

Either remove the sprue plate or swing it out of the way. Place a 3/8 nut over the top of the cavity. Pour the cavity and the nut full of lead.

After it cools, open the mould, pull out the boolit/nut, coat the cavity with 240 grit grinding compound, place the boolit back in the cavity, close the mould and then spin the nut with a cordless drill. Fast.

Clean the mould with carburetor cleaner and then try it. If the problem was just some small burrs that'll probably fix it. If the cavity is a tiny bit off center you may have improved it but it still may stick. Doing it all again may get it.

If the cavity is too off center then there is only so much you can do. Just FYI, the cavity off center means that one half is more than 180 degrees thus the circle is starting to close which wants to hold the boolit.

Welcome to the forum. Hope this helps, keep your mould!


Cat

[Fishman]

You should also check for raised burrs along the edge of the cavity. I have fixed more than one new Lee mould that had displaced metal curled up along the edge of the cavity from the cutter. I simply hold a razor blade at a slight angle facing the edge of the cavity from the flat next to it. Gently slide the blade toward the cavity. Any raised edges will be very apparant and can be removed. Then leement as Catshooter describes.

There is also the possibility that you have lead splashes on the face of your mould blocks. If so, preheat on your hotplate (you are using a hotplate aren't you ) and wipe the lead off with a paper towel when the blocks are hot enough. This could cause sticking because it holds your blocks apart and lead migrates out of the cavity causing finning. Alignment pin issues could cause this too.

In my experience, the tumble lube (tl) moulds drop bullets really easily and are fun to cast with.

Fix your mold. Keep it and cast with it. You will feel better that way.

[burrkiss]

Well, I read more after posting and learned that no matter what the problem was before, I 'cleaned' the mold with some comet and a dremel wire bristle........game over man game over!

Thats why I buy the Lee molds so I dont ruin a $100 mold.

I do preheat now that I ponied up $10 for a hot plate, much nicer and faster. I also think I had "schmutz" in the lube groves and a razor would have fixed it better than a fast spinning wire brush.........

Oh well, at least I learn from my mistakes. My 45acp/9mm/327 magunm 6 cavs are all perfect since I tore them all down, cleaned them, lubed them, smoked them then used them. 9's are dropping beautifully with a flick of the wrist.

Thanks for the advice guys.

[Catshooter]

Ah, there you go. We all make mistakes. I've got a nice bone pile of Lyman moulds. The key is to learn from them, which you obviously have. Carry on man.

Oh, and another point that may serve you. The wires in steel brushes are hardened. They aren't as hard as some hardened steels, but they are indeed hard. They are harder than any mould and most firearm parts including the hardened ones. Dangerous little buggers. I don't even let them touch my files even though they aren't that hard.


Cat

[fredj338]

Oops, a stiff toothbrush is about as aggressive as you want to go in any bullet mold.

[CastingFool]

Don't use a steel wire wheel on a Lee mold. the steel wire will eat up the aluminum. (no, my mold had already been wire wheeled before I got it. Amazingly, it still drops just about perfectly round boolits, albeit, with very tiny ridges along the seam lines, and only in a couple of spots.

[jeepyj]

burrkiss,

What I do when I have a mould that doesn't want to drop is this.

Either remove the sprue plate or swing it out of the way. Place a 3/8 nut over the top of the cavity. Pour the cavity and the nut full of lead.

After it cools, open the mould, pull out the boolit/nut, coat the cavity with 240 grit grinding compound, place the boolit back in the cavity, close the mould and then spin the nut with a cordless drill. Fast.

Clean the mould with carburetor cleaner and then try it. If the problem was just some small burrs that'll probably fix it. If the cavity is a tiny bit off center you may have improved it but it still may stick. Doing it all again may get it.

If the cavity is too off center then there is only so much you can do. Just FYI, the cavity off center means that one half is more than 180 degrees thus the circle is starting to close which wants to hold the boolit.

Welcome to the forum. Hope this helps, keep your mould!


Cat

^^^^i must try this on a mould that has given me a little trouble.
jeepyj

[Catshooter]

It works for me most of the time jeepyj.


Cat

[country gent]

Its better to go slow and easy "tuning" a mould that isnt dropping good. A pencil eraser lightly rub around the edges and worked in the cavities and faces will remove alot of burrs / sharp edges if really bad then a little flitz or shimichrome polish helps. If cavities are "rough" a couple bullets to lapp with the above polishes will smooth them out. The big thing is to look everything over very good and make sure of the problems before starting in. Vent lines can be fixed by hand with an xacto blades point . Pins can be tapped in or out to set fit. Dremels and wire brushes are much to aggressive and actually remove metal in an aluminum mould. Aluminum cuts much easier than Brass. Brass cuts much easier than steel. In aluminum a rawhide bob will remove material slower than a wire wheel but still can cause issues. A felt bob will polish and remove alot less. The nylon bristle brushes are less aggressive than wire but either on can round edges and cause issues. Hand lapping, the pencil erasers, a wood stick or small dowel, flitz and or shimichrome are slower and not nearly as agressive.

[casterofboolits]

Do not! I repeat "DO NOT" let a dremmel and a wire brush within three feet of your moulds!

I ruined a four cavity Saeco 230 grain RN 45 mould I had modified to drop 200 grain boolits. I was kicking my self for months. Lesson learned!