Lee 2 cavity mold - missing vent lines? **with pic**

[Jailer]

Got a couple new Lee molds yesterday and noticed something I thought looked a little odd. It seems to be missing some vent lines. I have't checked all the molds I got but the 2 that I have checked are both like this. I've attached a picture so you can see what I'm talking about. I had to hold it at just the right angle and adjust the exposure on the camera to get them to show up but you can clearly see where they are missing on the outside edge of the interior cavity.

Is this normal for a Lee mold? Should I send it back to Lee for replacement? I've never noticed it on the other ones I have and I would think that it would be impossible to do the Lee-menting on this mold.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b180/Jailer/posting%20pics/Mold.jpg

[sundog]

Does it make round boolits, both cavities the same size and weight and correct for application? If yes, I would use it and move on. If no, return it.

[Jailer]

Does it make round boolits, both cavities the same size and weight and correct for application? If yes, I would use it and move on. If no, return it.

Haven't tried it yet, just took it out of the box. Looked odd so I thought I post a picture of it so the more experienced casters could weigh in with their opinion.

If I had to guess, I'd say I'm going to have fill out problems with this one. My last Lee mold had really faint vent lines that I opened up very slightly and the fill out problems went away.

As soon as I get a chance I'll try it and report back on my results.

[Blammer]

looks normal to me. should cast fine.

[geargnasher]

Looks like all the ones I've ever owned. Might need work with a scribe and then some 600 grit emery paper backed up with a straightedge, but I'd cast with it first.

Gear

[1Shirt]

I have a couple of old Ideal molds that are flat surface with no vent lines, and they cast like a champ, as is.
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[JIMinPHX]

I think that what you are trying to say is that the vent lines are OK on one part of the mold, but as you move to the other side, they fade away & disappear. I've seen that on a few other Lee molds.

Sometimes I take a triangular file & cut some additional vent lines between the cavities. Sometimes & make a very slight chamfer on the top of the blocks. Sometimes I loosen the sprue plate. Sometimes I use a sprue plate with vent lines cut in the bottom of it. Sometimes I just adjust my casting technique. Some of the very old molds never had any vent lines at all. There are techniques that you can use to still make good boolits without vent lines in the blocks.

As was said before, try the mold out. If it works well, then keep using it. If it gives you trouble, you can either return it, or mess with it. The choice is yours.

[Floydster]

Looks exactly like the one I got today, the lt 230 gr.
Floydster

[Jailer]

I finally had a chance to use the mold this weekend. Once I got it up to temp it cast nice. Boolits are a little out of round but not enough that a sizing doesn't fix.