Lee boolit mold prep

[SkookumJeff]

I was prepping my Lee moulds today, getting ready to cast my first boolits ever. I read several versions of Leementing instructions to give me a quick education on what to do with these moulds. I was using a carbide scribe to trace the vent lines on the mould.

The mould is a 2 boolit mould, on one side of one of the boolit cavities, none of the vent lines seemed deep enough to be effective. As I thought about it, I figured maybe the vent lines on the opposing side of the mould would be sufficient to vent the boolit cavity. Should the vent lines be the same on all surfaces of the mould? Or, is it sufficient to have vent lines on one side or the other, so long as there are vent lines somewhere?

Sure is a lot of work to get to the point where you can cast a dad gummed boolit.

[onondaga]

There is variance in manufacture and quality control. I could humor you and tell you to close the mold and blow through the hole to check the vents or maybe fill it with water and see if it leaks. Try the mold.

Swirl casting eliminates the need to be concerned with vents. Keep a short stream into the sprue gate hole and position the stream half the diameter off center of the hole while the mold is tipped about 5 degrees right or left. The off center pour and tilt will send the alloy swirling into the mold and venting will be unnecessary as the air comes out the empty side of the gate hole where the metal is not coming in. This takes a little practice but can be done with a bottom pour spout pot or a ladle and is an excellent casting technique that will calm down the most stubborn molds.

Even if you botched up the carbide scribe job and clogged every vent, this casting method will work with good practiced hands.

There are much more important things to worry about beginning casting than vents. A clean, good fitting mold properly lubed with temperature warm-up of the mold and sprue plate along with moderate pot temperature and good casting cadence are much more important. Mold vents are for leveling the playing field and lowering the Bell curve for dummies that refuse to learn to cast well and think they know it all.

Gary, ( retired casting analyst )

[stubshaft]

All the vent lines do is to allow air to escape. Early Ideal/Lyman and most other moulds didn't even have them. Try out the mould and then determine your next course of action.

[SkookumJeff]

You both make a good point. I guess I don't even know if I have a problem or not (with the vent lines). Duh....:?

I should have tried the mould before making any changes. I guess I got all wrapped around the axle reading all the posts here on Lee moulds, Leementing and all that. I had come to believe these moulds just won't cast boolits as these moulds come from the Lee factory. Of course that's nonsense and I should have realized that.

My bad, too much time reading and not enough time doing. I failed to adhere to the old adage....If it ain't broke...don't fix it. :Fire:

[stubshaft]

There are so many articles and threads regarding Lee molds because they are the "trainee mould" of choice. A high propensity of people buy them as their first mould to learn how to cast.

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. Some of them forget that there are situations where they cast great booits right out of the box.

[captaint]

I'd be willing to bet 90% of the members here bought a Lee for their first mold. I know I did. And after people here convinced me to get it really clean and hot, it made perfectly good boolits. Still does. And really cheap!! enjoy Mike

[mooman76]

I have only attempted to increase the size of vent lines one time and it did not help at all. I'm not saying it isn't worth wile but, usually not needed.

[coopieclan]

I was reading this instruction booklet

http://media.midwayusa.com/pdf/instructions/Bullet_Mold.pdf

It it true that we usually don't cast with 100% lead?
I am interested in casting 454 balls for my muzzle loading revolver.
If it works I would move into conical boolits.

[onondaga]

Your link is to general instructions for bullet molds and bullet sizing. There is no direction there not to use pure lead . Different alloys are appropriate for different pressures and velocities. In the case of muzzle loading revolvers, pure lead has always been the first recommendation and choice for ease of loading and good expansion on tissue. Harder alloys will be much harder to start in cylinders or muzzles and may even be un-loadable. Get the softest, purest lead for casting round balls or conical for muzzle loaders. Stick on wheel weight scrap is good and soft, clip on wheel weight is too hard for muzzle loader bullets, and difficult if not impossible to load in revolvers. Lead for muzzle loaders should be easy to scratch with a fingernail and have a measured BHN of 5 to 8, harder than that is troublesome for muzzle loaders.

Gary

[NHlever]

I got a new Lee C-309-170-FN in the mail yesterday. I cleaned it with a q-tip moistened with lighter fluid, and then cast 150, or so good boolits after the first 8-9 pours. Make sure the underside of the sprue plate remains clean, and close the mold gently. I use welding gloves, and wipe my thumb across the sprue openings in the plate if I see any lead at all there, and use the gloved hand to gently align the mold halves when closing thee mold. I've gotten long service out of Lee molds being careful with them.

[Doby45]

Jeff, just boil that thing in some soapy water, dry it and get to casting. You will know within about 30 casts if you need to do anything to it. I have about 6 Lee molds and I only had to do anything to 2 of the 6. And the 2 only required me to spin some cast boolits covered in Comet in the cavities. They drop like they are greased now..