Need help with this mold

[BCM45]

What is the best way to clean this mold? I am having trouble with it leaving flash on the boolits it drops. I have tried getting it hot and wiping it off with little success.

http://i52.tinypic.com/egcsxx.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/egcsxx.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/96j9tx.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/ao8doz.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/2m319v6.jpg

[white eagle]

looks as though the blocks aren't closing properly
clean it with some fine steel wool or one dish cleaning pads

[BCM45]

Should I use Comet along with that?

http://i53.tinypic.com/eqd0qs.jpg

[deepwater]

Clamp the mold together.
Rub it back and forth on wet-dry sandpaper laid on a sheet of glass.
Use thin oil as lubricant.
Do not "rock" mold otherwise you will round the surface.
Start with 120 grit. Finish with finer grit if needed.
If progress is too slow for you patience, start with 80 grit. You will still need to go to finer grits.

[BCM45]

I will give this a try later when I can get to the shop babysitting right now. The screw on the sprue plate is really a bear to remove are they all that tight or is it just mine?

[osage]

BCM45 Are you talking about the mold parting line on the boolit or the base of the boolit?

As White Eagle suggested clean the face of the mold blocks and check for burrs.

I had good luck with wet-dry paper on glass cleaning up galls on the top of a Lee 6 banger mold and spure plate. I did heat the mold up before removing the sprue plate screw and was able to screw to stay tight when installed again. When you're done the use of Bull Plate Lube on spure plate to will stop galling.

[osage]

I type to slow I had hoped post before you removed the screw. If you have trouble with tighting screw I think you'll find solutions in the Lee-Menting sticky.

[BCM45]

Base of the boolit is where I get the flash, could the sprue plate be warped.

[BCall]

Could be, hold it up to the light and see if there is a gap between the block and sprue plate. Might have a burr by the screw keeping the sprue plate from laying flat. You can heat the blocks, sometimes that helps in getting the screw out, but you might need to install a set screw when you remove it, as sometimes they won't stay tight after removing them.

[BCM45]

Got everything clean and back together will post pics later. I should be able to cast some tomorrow.

[onondaga]

The alloy smudge on the mold block top is enough to give you base flash. Good you got that off. The bottom of the sprue plate has a scissor like relation to the mold blocks and tiny nicks may be there causing the little galling you have. I have had success beveling the edges of sprue plates with an extra fine diamond hone.

An unusual problem I have had come up on a couple of my many Lee molds is that I have bent the sprue plates from hitting them on an angle instead of dead straight on level with the mold top. This bends the plate close to the retaining screw hole and causes a gap between the plate and mold top. An upward or downward bend can cause a gap. figure which kind of bend you have by taking a magnified look at the plate in place with bright light. It can be pounded out with the plate removed. Don't try to pound it out while it is on or you can make things worse. Refining the finish on the bottom of the sprue plate as mentioned above is a good thing too, I agree. It may take a couple tries to get the gap closed. At worst get a new sprue plate from Lee. Bevel and refine it before you put it on!!

While you have it disassembled, use the opportunity to apply never seize to the screw threads and sprue plate pivot parts. I use my same extra fine diamond hone on my mold tops as it is large enough for truing paired mold tops also with a few careful flat passes. Then never seize the mold top near the plate pivot where you can never reach after assembly.

My diamond hone is 2 in X 8 in and 600 grit.

I wish you the best and hope you get this straightened out.

Gary

[BCM45]

I am pretty sure that it is an upward bend, I thought about hammering it out. I will try it in the morning.

[atr]

spruce plate could easily be warped.....in fact that is what I first thought when I saw your post/picture
you could use the same procedure to flatten it out as has been described to make sure the blocks are closing 100%....that is to hone it on a flat surface...sometimes I use a very fine wetstone for that, or a table saw (flat surface) with valve lapping compound will sometimes also do the trick.

then re-cut (sharpen) the edges of the spruce cutter itself. It looks like your spruce cutter might be dull. I use valve lapping compund for sharpening the spruce cutter.

and judging from your picture (the top of the mold) I would also dress the top of the mold with very fine lapping compund on the flat surface....clamp the two halves of the casting blocks together with a C-clamp and just touch up the top ever so slightly. Very important that the top is smooth, so only use a very fine grit for this work. Or better yet if you have a polishing wheel with some fine polishing grit use that.


Gary in the post above also has useful ideas

[BCM45]

I have a dremel with a polishing wheel, I can use for the top. I think lee sells replacement sprue plate for $2.00?? Still going to try to straighten mine little heat and a big hammer should take care of it.

[BCM45]

Here are some post cleanup pics I just noticed a nice ridge where the sprue meets the block. I would say that is the reason for the flash at the base of the boolit. I suppose it is time to send this one back to Lee for new blocks.

http://i53.tinypic.com/2cpubra.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/25knfcn.jpg

[geargnasher]

I'd say it's time to drop 20 bucks on a new one and use Bullplate sprue lube next time. Lee two bangers have a habit of galling under the sprue plate pivot area, and the pushed-up metal can make the plate stand off the blocks, especially on the far cavity. A speck of Bullplate around the pivot screw will prevent that.

You'll also probably need to drill and tap for a #6 allen-head setscrew to lock the sprue plate pivot screw in place when you reinstall it, they get to where they won't stay put after taking them out and putting them back in a few times.

Gear

[BCM45]

Thanks for your help guys, this thing is still under warranty I'll probably send it back and let Lee handle it from there.:smile:

[theperfessor]

Judging from your first photo (in post 15) it appears as if the top doesn't line up. This could be caused by deformation along the edges of the half-round horizontal hole that aligns with the pins in the mating half. Lee molds can sag on the handles and the aluminum they use is soft to start with and even softer when it is 400+ degrees. Close them too hard for too many cycles and the steel will beat up the aluminum pretty good.

The solution is to lube the pins, and set the bottom of the mold down on a flat surface when you gently close it. I sometimes roll it left and right just a little bit to let the pins/holes line up gently. I have purchased several used Lee molds that show just such a wear pattern. Most of them are still usable and line up correctly when I close them carefully, I just slow down my pace a little bit.

[BCM45]

That could explain why I wasn't getting the flash on the bottom everytime....

[theperfessor]

Quite likely. You can hold Lee molds shut as hard as you want without hurting them once they're closed properly, but slapping them together - most hit along the top edge first because they sag inward and then the halves bang together out of alignment on the bottom- will wear them out real quick. It shouldn't take any real force to close them properly.

[BCM45]

Thanks I will keep that in mind.

[onondaga]

To add to what the Professor said about how the locating pins fit the opposing block: You can accumulate lead or scuffed aluminum around the perimeter of the pin and this is easily removed with a sewing needle by hand. Scrape the point of a needle around the pin and you will see it dig up gunk and scratch it out from around the perimeter where the aluminum abuts.

That mold is salvageable, I've fixed worse than that! I have a few molds that are so worn that even as clean as I keep them I have to give them a tiny tap or two when closing and carefully check they they are closed completely before every pour. I just finally gave up and got a new .458 mold to replace a single cavity one that has cast over 5000 boolits. It got too tired and finicky!!

Gary

[BCM45]

I did notice the misalignment on the bottom but not on the top. I am going to try a different technique as the professor suggested, I will have some time in the morning to try this out. Thanks

[BCM45]

Got it all back together and cast about 300 today worked good, thanks for everyone's help.

[excess650]

Use Bullplate for lube on the alignment pins and the sprue plate. Not only does the pivot screw need lube, but it helps to put Bullplate on the bottom of the sprue plate and on top of the blocks. It only takes a little, and it helps prevent lead smears from sticking.