Lyman mould problem.

[gtivan]

Well, somehow I broke the bolt holding the sprue plate off in my mould. Lymann double cavity 358477. Bad end to a fun casting session.

Anyone ever try to tap one of these out? Already got a call in to a machinest friend. Good thing I do his taxes and was already planning on picking up his stuff this weekend. But dang, that sucks.

See where I can get a rebuild kit from Lyman. As long as I can get the bolt out.

Suggestions for next time or on how to get the sucker out are most welcome.

In hindsight, probably my own damn fault. It was starting to stick and instead of letting it cool down and look at it, I forged on ahead and broke the dang thing.

:oops:

[462]

An E-Z out should do it. Maybe a bit of heat.

It may be that it was too tight, to start with, and useage caused it to get tighter. If there is a lock washer, throw it away and get a wave washer instead.

Also, use a gloved hand to open the cutter, instead of beating on it with a piece of wood or mallet, etc.

[MtGun44]

Did you loosen the locking screw on the side before you turned it? I could imagine
that the locking screw could mess up the threads if overtightened and these damaged
threads may make it nearly impossible to remove.

Good luck. My best results have come from the use of left handed twist drills and VERY
carefully center drilling to start with a lathe/mill center drill which is MUCH stiffer than a
normal drill. Once you have a good center, using progresively slightly larger left handed
drill bits will eventually have a thin shell that grabs on the bit and suddenly unscrews.

Bill

[HeavyMetal]

This can be a pain alright!

Your machinest freind should know all the removal tricks and I have found that, in many case's, once the "pressure" is removed the remains of the bolt come right out.

Now the problem is replacing that screw!

Just recieved, from our own Red River Rick, a replacement sprue plate kit for some Single cavity HP lyman molds.

Design as a thicker replacement for the original sprue plates they come with a new washer and bolt.

The ones I have are for the old style small single cavity Mold blocks I don't know if he has the DC style or not but a PM will get info or you can visit his web site

Google Kal Tool as I don't have it at my finger tips.

[gtivan]

It had the lock style washer. No set screw on the side though. has a place for it, I always assumed it was for heat/stress relief or something. I just noticed it was threaded.

And I had just washed it and cleaned it the night before so i assume it was a bit dry around the sprue plate.

will check out the forum member who make replacements.

Thanks

[masscaster]

Hi gtivan,
I can fix it no problem.
Old screw out, new screw in, and a new set screw.
You pay the $5.00 Shipping (USPS) each way
I don't charge for this, but i do take a donation after your inspection if your so inclined.
With 100 + working moulds here, and 35 years of experience i've become very adept at mould repair and restoration.
Up to you of course
Good Luck,
Jeff

[gtivan]

Thanks fo the offer, but the mould has already been dropped off at a friends to be taken care of.

[John Boy]

Thanks fo the offer, but the mould has already been dropped off at a friends to be taken care of.
That means you never had a problem to begin with!

[JIMinPHX]

Midway carries Lyman mold rebuild kits with a full set of screws & a new sprue plate. Unless your mold is VERY old, everything should just fit.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=888667

[leadman]

Lymans new sprue plates are thicker than the old plates and work better. Just make sure the sprue holes are cut with a sharp edge, as Lyman does not do this at times.
Also have your friend run a bottoming tap in the locking screw hole as most are not threaded to full diameter all the way thru the hole. Doing this keeps the sprue bolt were you set it.