After Leementing it`s worst

[burch]

I did the Lee Menting process as far as scribing the vents. I have`nt tried the polishing part since I did this on a brand new mold so I didn`t have any bullets cast to use. After scribing the vents and trying the mold out the bullets stick so bad you have to pound on it to get `em to drop. I had some Kroil on hand and put some in the bullet cavities with a Q-Tip and they still stick pretty bad. I have some round ball molds from Lee and have never had such a hard time with `em like this one.


ANY IDEAS BEFORE I KILL MYSELF. :killingpc

burch

[btroj]

Did the acrimony throw up small burrs in the cavity? Sounds that way to me.
Try polishing the cavities. That should remove any burr a there, but go slow. A little is good, too much can cause you grief. Easy to remove more, hard to put it back.
I personally cast with a mould first and only fix what needs fixing. I think the Leementing thing can get carried away. Don't fix what ain't broke, otherwise it might become broke.

[Doc Highwall]

You probably raised burrs and the molten lead is solidifying around them making it impossible to release the bullet. You will need to deburr the mold. Try tooth paste or comet cleaner and an old tooth brush.

[JeffinNZ]

DUKE: Did you scribe away from the cavity or towards it?

[mooman76]

RB moulds are easy. No lube grooves. Finish the lementing process should fix the problem. The scribing the vent lines have nothing to do with the sticking unless you roughed it up to make them stick worse. The venting is to help fill out. Finish the process od polishing the mould and that should fix your problem.

[burch]

Did the acrimony throw up small burrs in the cavity? Sounds that way to me.
Try polishing the cavities. That should remove any burr a there, but go slow. A little is good, too much can cause you grief. Easy to remove more, hard to put it back.
I personally cast with a mould first and only fix what needs fixing. I think the Leementing thing can get carried away. Don't fix what ain't broke, otherwise it might become broke.

Words of great wisdom and lesson learned.

[burch]

DUKE: Did you scribe away from the cavity or towards it?

towards it

[burch]

Well everyone seems to agree on a polishing so i`ll do that tommorrow and get back to ya`ll.

[JeffinNZ]

towards it

And there in lies your problem. You have created burrs in your cavity. ALWAYS scribe away from the cavity.

[MtGun44]

Jeff is right. Scrub briskly with Comet and a toothbrush will remove small burrs, larger
requires magnification and a sharp knife tip to scrape away sideways.

Bill

[geargnasher]

Scribing raises burrs on the edges of the cavity and on the blocks as well, which can have the same effect as "Beagling" on a Lee mould. I rarely mess with the vent lines any more, I rely more on pouring technique to let the air out, but if scribing the lines I'd go back and dress the block faces with 600-grit emory paper and water to remove the knurlings. As has been said, scrub the burrs off the edges of the cavities with a toothbrush and comet or even lap with a boolit, screw, and comet to smooth out the burrs.

Gear

[HeavyMetal]

I'll agree with the don't fix what ain't broke theory!

When I get a new mold:

1 hit it with carb cleaner

2 magnifiying glass under bright light and examine all cavities and the mating surface area and the edges of the mold for dents and dings and burrs.

3 then fix only the obvious issues.

4 for Lee molds I do set screws and lube pivot points and sprue plate with Bull plate lube or Antisieze

5 Steel molds lube pivot points and sprue plate

6 put it back together and cast!

After this I decide if additional issues exist and address them after the mold is cool.

[gunslinger20]

I just got two brand new lee 2cavity molds the first thing i did was remove the spru plate file an angle on the leading edge on the under side that makes first contact with the blocks next debur all 3 holes very very litely polish the whole under side with a dremell tool polishing wheel and polishing compound set aside next polish boolit cavities with a qtip and flitz gray tube (takes about 4min percavity) wall mart has Heavy Duty Silicone spray lube made by CRC, DO NOT get in boolit cavity spraybolt and pivit alignment pins this spray evaperates very fast but leaves a super slippery coating. next alittle never sieze in the spru plate screw hole reinstall spru plate I did this to both molds and when you open them the boolits fall free with no assistance from a tap on the bolt or handles 90 % of the time.
Hope this helps.