Modify Lee Mold

[Ben]

I realize for the people who have been forum members here for a long time that this information isn't going to be very interesting to you.

However, we are adding new members at a rapid rate now. Many will be on a budget and trying to cast good bullets with economical Lee double cav. and single cav. molds.

I had a 41 Mag. single cav. mold that was over 25 yrs. old. The sprue plate screw would not stay tight ( I know that isn't new is it ? ). I decided to do my standard modification to this particular mold and get my dig. camera out and shoot a few photos that might make it educational for a " newcomer " that has never seen the process before.

As many of you are aware, Lee often ships molds that have the sprue plate screw so tight that within just a few opening and closing of the blocks, you've got damaged, galled blocks.

The sprue plate is far too tight on many of the Lee molds and there was no lubrication ( need to use Bullplate ).
All this combines to render the molds un serviceable in a fairly short period of time.

By removing the screw plate hold down screw and removing the sprue plate and drilling and tapping a 10-24 threaded hole, this problem can be fixed permanently. This allows you to put any amount of sprue plate tension on the plate that you need and then lock the screw down just as you would a Lyman , RCBS, or SAECO mold.

Here are photos showing how I do this modification. I hope this is helpful to
many of you young casters :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Lee%20Mold%20Modify%20-%20Set%20Screw/PICT0001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Lee%20Mold%20Modify%20-%20Set%20Screw/PICT0003.jpg

It is very possible that there are other sizes of taps and drill bits to do this job with.
This size works well for me however :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Lee%20Mold%20Modify%20-%20Set%20Screw/PICT0002.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Lee%20Mold%20Modify%20-%20Set%20Screw/PICT0004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Lee%20Mold%20Modify%20-%20Set%20Screw/PICT0005.jpg

Here is a poor quality movie ( took the movie with my cell phone ) that will let you see the end result of this work.

Thanks,

Ben

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WAnEcgdFJk

[Hamish]

Much apreciated, Ben!

[thegreatdane]

Very nice.

[Fishman]

I have read several descriptions but no pics ever. Thanks a bunch!

[RobS]

I use 8/32 NC set screws with a bit of brass stock placed in the hole first as to not mess up the threads on the sprue plate bolt. I'll add that cutting threads does require something to cut with such as aluminum thread cutting fluid and I've used dish soap, beeswax, and now probably the best that I have around here as a boolit caster Bullplate sprue lube. Adding to the picture show is some Lee six cavity work on the sprue plate pivot screw and the sprue plate hold down bolt.

http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt206/RobS01/Setscrews.jpg

http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt206/RobS01/sprueholddownsetscrew.jpg

http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt206/RobS01/sprueplatepivotsetscrew.jpg

[DragoonDrake]

Ben bc of your post I went and picked up a 10-24 tap and some set screws. Thank you.

[excess650]

Nice, helpful post Ben![smilie=s:

I've used small bits of lead like #7-1/2 shot between the lock screw and sprue cutter hinge screw/bolt so as to not harm the threads.:cbpour:

[Ben]

DragoonDrake

It will be $ and time well spent. It is a big step forward with a Lee 1 cav. or 2 cav. mold.

Ben

[JIMinPHX]

Thank you for remembering the newbies Ben. I've gotten so that I forget that they are here sometimes.

I've used #8-32, 10-32, & 10-24 set screws for that purpose. They all seem to work. I've taken to using the #8 lately because it leaves me enough meat to move up to a bigger one later if I run into trouble. Also, I drop a piece of lead bird shot under the set screw before I install it. That keeps the threads of the sprue pivot screw from getting munched up.

Another board member recently posted instructions for getting that sprue pivot screw out without wrecking it. That can be a trick sometimes.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=109241

[songdog53]

Nice Ben

[turbo1889]

I just quoted the OP of this thread in the Lee-Menting sticky thread so the principle info is now part of that sticky for future reference.

[Ben]

turbo1889 :

Thanks for your efforts and help. I hope this post will be beneficial to many of our young bullet casters that are just getting started.

Ben

[casterofboolits]

Once I remove the screw, I also stone the bottom of the sprue plate flat with a hard Arkanas stone. Also stone the edges of the sprue plate to remove any burrs. In addition, I chamfer the top of the screw hole as the self tapping screw pulls up a ring of material which prevents the plate from lying flat.

[oscarflytyer]

small tip when using set screws that I use on all my die lock rings, etc.

Put a single piece of lead shot under the set screw. It will mash down and hold things very secure, while also saving the threads of the screw you are trying to set.

[Ben]

casterofboolits & oscarflytyer , JIMinPHX :

Those are great suggestions that you have offered .

I wanted this article to offer a new caster some options when they purchased an inexpensive off the shelf Lee bullet mold that would make their casting sessions run smoother. You contributions have helped greatly.

Thanks,

Ben

[Space Cadet]

Hi guys,

I am a 65 year old newbie. This basic information is what guys like me need.

Thanks for not fogetting us Ben.

[Ben]

Space Cadet :

There are many on this forum that do a much better job than I'm doing of helping other casters. Thanks for those nice remarks however.

Ben

[Bzcraig]

Forgive my ignorance but does the set screw lock on the sprue plate screw via friction to keep the screw from backing out?

[Wal']

Forgive my ignorance but does the set screw lock on the sprue plate screw via friction to keep the screw from backing out?

Yes.....

[Spector]

Doesn't a piece of lead shot under the set screw just melt when the mold comes up to temp? It will expand some when melted, but unless the lead shot is expanded by the pressure exerted by the tip of the set screw into all voids in the tapped hole under the set screw it seems to me that it would no longer exert much pressure on the sprue plate screw. Or is an additional tightening necessary after the mold is up to temp to competely expand the lead shot?

In practice this may work fine, but I'm just wondering. A small piece of brass under the set screw, or a brass set screw would seem a better choice to me...........Mike

[RobS]

Doesn't a piece of lead shot under the set screw just melt when the mold comes up to temp? It will expand some when melted, but unless the lead shot is expanded by the pressure exerted by the tip of the set screw into all voids in the tapped hole under the set screw it seems to me that it would no longer exert much pressure on the sprue plate screw. Or is an additional tightening necessary after the mold is up to temp to competely expand the lead shot?

In practice this may work fine, but I'm just wondering. A small piece of brass under the set screw, or a brass set screw would seem a better choice to me...........Mike

I never considered lead shot because I figured it to squash/swage too much or possibly become soft with the heat of the mold etc. For those reasons I chose to use a piece of brass stock between the set screw and the sprue plate bolt.

[kywoodwrkr]

I never considered lead shot because I figured it to squash/swage too much or possibly become soft with the heat of the mold etc. For those reasons I chose to use a piece of brass stock between the set screw and the sprue plate bolt.
My old Ohaus and Lacmiller molds have thin brass wafers under their set screws.

[MT Gianni]

A piece of copper wire under the set screw works as well.

[rintinglen]

^True words. I found a foot or so of wire at work that I use I just snip off an eighth of an inch and wack it once with a hammer to shorten and swell the bit of copper and it works fine. I tried using lead shot, but if the mold over heats, the shot melts and the screw can loosen.

[Old School Big Bore]

I installed a 10-24 setscrew in one Lee mold and the side of the mold is only thick enough for two threads there, so it would have to be a pretty thin piece of brass/copper...

[Trinidad Bill]

Great thread! Thanks Ben.

I have the problem and now I have the solution!

[Prospector Howard]

This is a good thread on making the Lee molds work better. Here's something to consider though. I too started putting a set screw on my Lee molds to help keep the sprue plate bolt from loosening up on me. The main problem as pointed out, is to keep from ruining the threads on the sprue plate bolt so that when you take the sprue plate off; the flattened threads on the bolt won't ruin the threads in the aluminum block. No matter what you put in between the set screw and the bolt (like a small piece of brass or copper), it will still tend to mess up the threads on the bolt. Also, the lead shot method didn't work all that well, since it mashed down too easy. What I started doing was taking a dremel tool and a small file, and removing the threads in the area where the set screw contacts the bolt. Then you can tighten the set screw nice and tight without ruining the threads since there aren't any in that area. This is the best method I've found to keep that sprue plate bolt where I want it and not ruin the threads in the block. Also, I use a 10-32 tap instead of the 10-24 for the set screw. The finer threads seemed to work better for me.

[Walter Laich]

I've used the shot in the hole method, too and melting doesn't seem to be a problem. The main screws are still holding tight on all the Lee molds I've done