Broke the sprue handle on my new Lee 6 cavity mold ...

[Sheldon]

on my first session with it and didn't even cast a single useable bullet. I will need to try to clean the mold out and smoke it and try again when I get the replacement handle. I never could get a bullet without wrinkles on it. I think my main issue was my mold was not hot enough. I cast a bunch but they all were wrinkled badly and the sprue handle was hard to work. should the sprue holes be sorta sharp and help cut the sprues off?? Should I try to work a sharper edge there?

On a more positive note my old H&G 68 worked well and I was able to cast another 1100 or so. That's about 3500 rounds I have cast on that mold in the last month. I bought it used off Ebay years ago and have just finally started to cast bullets after looking at what they go for nowadays!! The bullets don't drop out most times without a little tap, so I may use the toothpaste bullet polish trick on it.

[MT Gianni]

Run a search for six cavity mold break in or Leementing a mold. I make sure that the mold is hot before I ever pour 6 which is asking the lever to do a lot. I pre heat it then pour 1 cavity two or three different times. I add one cavity each 3 pours if things are cutting easily. You should have 25-30 bullets in a pile before you ever are cutting six sprues at once.

[Ben]

Sheldon

I think my main issue was my mold was not hot enough

I think you just surmised your own problem with the Lee Mold.
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I'll " 2nd " MT's comments above :

I run only the " Front 3 " until I can get the mold up to temp. Then move to 4, then 5, then all 6. It usually takes me 10 minutes or so to get to # 4, # 5 and # 6......I don't rush things.

Have never broken any part on any one of my 8 different Lee , six cav. molds using this method.Trying to pour all 6 in a cold mold simply won't work. You'll break the cam lever.

Ben

[crabo]

I sent Lee an email telling them that I broke two handles. They replaced them both and I thanked them for their sponsorship of this website and that I had participated in a number of group buys.

I have since changed to the above mentioned practice of starting to fill only a couple of cavities at a time, then progressing to where I am finally cutting 6. I haven't broken anymore handles.

[Ilwil]

Well, I just broke a sprue handle today. The mould was pre-heated, and I had cast about 75 when it seized up. I remembered the Lee site has some recommendations about what to do when this happens, so I tried inserting a small phillips head between the cam and the mould. The handle still broke. This problem has been going on for years. Why can't they fix this problem? Lee's acknowlegement of the problem and recommended fix is vague and not very helpful. When the molds work well, they are great, nothing else can touch them, but this is an apparent inherent design flaw that deservesmore of Lee's attention than just repairing it and leaving it to happen again.

[shotman]

Check with ken he as the steel ones instock

[edsmith]

just get a cam lever from Ken-45 nut or Rick- red river rick, you will never break it again. well worth the money.

[leadman]

I have many Lee 6 cavity molds and have never broken a sprue handle. I make sure the mold is hot by dipping the front edge in the hot alloy until I see a little smoke coming off the mold. This is from the Bullplate lube I use on the mold.
I then drop a full mold of alloy and wait for the sprues to change color, then cut them. If they do not want to cut but the handle has moved some, insert a medium flat tip screwdriver between the mold and the cam of the sprue handle. this restores the mechanical advantage.
If it still won't cut reinsert the mold in the hot alloy or use a propane torch to heat the sprues until they will cut.

[bobthenailer]

welcom to the " Lee's broken handel club "

[imashooter2]

Another thing to watch is to make sure the sprue plate is completely closed before filling. The handle loses leverage quickly if the plate is even slightly open.

[VA Shooter]

Yea I broke mine on the first try boy was I mad had I guy at work put a bead of silver solder on it and it has worked fine ever since

[Sheldon]

I will call Lee about it and if they don't require me to send back the parts I will try some silver solder in the meantime.

[btroj]

I always hear the mould first. Even then I only use the 2 cavities closest to the pivot for a few pours to further bring the mould to heat.
Cut the sprue quickly and this won't happen. I have never broken a April cam on a Lee 6 cav. I can see how it happens but getting the mould hot before doing a full pair will help prevent this.

[JIMinPHX]

Heating the mold first is important. So is cutting the sprue before it gets too hard. Another thing to watch is that you get the sprue plate closed ALL the way before pouring your lead. If you have a gap between the cam lever & the mold block when you first go to open the sprue plate, then you don't get the leverage from the cam that you need. Sharp sprue holes help too. On most sprue plates, I sharpen them by filing or stoning the bottom of the sprue plate. On the Lee 6-cav plates, I don't do that because it would remove the venting that they put there. On those, I sharpen from the top, using a counter sinking tool. I've been doing it that way for a few years now. I haven't broken one yet. (sound of wood knocking)

[Sheldon]

All good tips guys. Nice to know it isn't a rare thiing to happen. I will do a better preheat and use the first 2 cavaties and increase as the cast time increases. I can't wait to try it again and start shooting my S&W 586!!

Is the broken Lee mold handle club sorta like the broken Lee priming tool club? I'm a dual member then!!

[Chicken Thief]

A thing i have learned is to cast from the "tip" of the mould towards the handles. That way the hardest spreue has the most leverage.

[hiram1]

i have 3 but thay sent me new ones

[Sheldon]

Lee was very fast to get me a free replacement.....gotta love that. Gonna try out all the tips I got here and report back. My main issue was cold mold and I think oil in the cavities as I was getting nice shiny crinkled bullets....could be cold or oil....guessing both.

[VA Shooter]

both clean mold and keep casting until mold gets hot and you will have nice boolits

[wiljen]

Pretty sure red river Rick makes a steel replacement part if you get tired of breaking the aluminum Lee ones.

[Char-Gar]

I broke several, before I figured out I had let the spru get too hard. Now I cut the spru sooner and don't break handles. I find the point where the the spru is hard enough to cut without smearing the bullet base. That is not the best situation, but it does work.

[rayzer]

Pretty sure red river Rick makes a steel replacement part if you get tired of breaking the aluminum Lee ones.

yup. Red River Rick makes steel replacements for Lee six bangers, I have 2 of them and they work fantastic. They have more mechanical advantage, than the Lee cam levers.

[MGySgt]

When I start a session with a Lee 6 Cavity, I preheat - but the first few sets are: Fill first 2 cavities, cut sprue (don't dump), fill next 2, cut sprue, fill last 2 (closest to your hand) cut the last set of sprues and dump all 6.

2 or 3 sets like this will normally bring it up to temp real fast.

[SSGOldfart]

Glad I saw this thread just got a couple lee six bangers myself don't need to brake handles right off the bat

[miestro_jerry]

What is Red River Ricks contact info? I may just replace all of my 6 banger sprue plates.

Jerry

[wiljen]

What is Red River Ricks contact info? I may just replace all of my 6 banger sprue plates.

Jerry

http://kal.castpics.net is his site. Should have all the info you are after.

[Springfield]

It's cheaper to buy a hotplate instead of new handles. I would have to replace 42 handles if I did that. I cast a few thousand bullets a week with my LEE moulds hand haven't broke one yet. Preheat, preheat, preheat.

[mroliver77]

When I PREHEAT, my mould is up to casting temp before the first pour. None of the cast onezy, then twosies then.....

As far as cutting I wait long enough that I am not tearing out the bottom of the boolit. A nice clean cut.

Non of my 6 cav sprue plates have venting on the underside????
J

[nanuk]

I figured I'd nip this issue in the butt.

I have one 6C LEE without a cam handle, and one with factory.

so I bought two off of KAL and should not have to worry now... but I'll still preheat preheat preheat

[k2ds]

Well they are still breaking. Last week I broke one on the first use on my new 6c 40. So I went and since everything was set I loaded some 9mm with no problems. I contacted Lee and they are sending me out a new handle. In the mean time yesterday I took the one off my new 6 c 9 mold and put it on the 40 and run a little over 250 and that handle broke off too. After 250 bullets I would think the mold would be hot. Guess I'll be contacting them again for another one.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Well they are still breaking. Last week I broke one on the first use on my new 6c 40. So I went and since everything was set I loaded some 9mm with no problems. I contacted Lee and they are sending me out a new handle. In the mean time yesterday I took the one off my new 6 c 9 mold and put it on the 40 and run a little over 250 and that handle broke off too. After 250 bullets I would think the mold would be hot. Guess I'll be contacting them again for another one.
Sounds like it's time to buy one that's machined from steel, instead of the factory cast with sintered metal.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?232755-LEE-4140-blued-3-16-replacement-sprue-plate!

[Springfield]

Been 2 years since my last post on this, still haven't broke one.

[imashooter2]

Well they are still breaking. Last week I broke one on the first use on my new 6c 40. So I went and since everything was set I loaded some 9mm with no problems. I contacted Lee and they are sending me out a new handle. In the mean time yesterday I took the one off my new 6 c 9 mold and put it on the 40 and run a little over 250 and that handle broke off too. After 250 bullets I would think the mold would be hot. Guess I'll be contacting them again for another one.

Make sure the sprue plate is completely closed before you pour. A slightly open plate will decrease the leverage a surprising amount.

[sidecarmike]

Been two years..., still haven't broke one.
I've got a number of these molds and know a lot of guys who cast. I've never heard of this happening until I signed up here. What are people using to open the molds? I have a Lyman that has a sprue plate banged up pretty good. The guy I got it from was using a ball peen hammer. When I got my first one, 30 years ago from Dixie Gun Works, it came with the recommendation to always preheat the mold and only use a small rawhide mallet. That is all I've ever used.

[JimA]

I've got a number of these molds and know a lot of guys who cast. I've never heard of this happening until I signed up here. What are people using to open the molds? I have a Lyman that has a sprue plate banged up pretty good. The guy I got it from was using a ball peen hammer. When I got my first one, 30 years ago from Dixie Gun Works, it came with the recommendation to always preheat the mold and only use a small rawhide mallet. That is all I've ever used.

You open the sprue plate on a Lee 6 banger with a mallet? I use the handle. I had one break on a brand new mold the other day after casting 120 good bullets. It broke when I closed it. The sprues were cutting like butter. These lee Sprue cam handles are hit or miss. Some are very fragile and some are fine. I will get the replacement Lee handle in the mail today and I'm waiting on one from Kal Tool that I know won't break.

[Walter Laich]

the replacement steel ones are well worth the money. I have several and won't go back to the OEM ones.
I cast partly for enjoyment and these new handles add to that

[sidecarmike]

You open the sprue plate on a Lee 6 banger with a mallet? Yes, I've been using the same mallet since I started casting, back around 1976 or so. About ten ounces or so. The guy who got me started would cast bullets for the Rochester, MN police range. He insisted that I use rawhide and I've never found a reason to change.

[TXGunNut]

Haven't broken one yet but have plenty of other Lee six-bangers around to swap one off of.

[dmize]

After I broke one,I smack the sprue plates with my hardwood mallet to start cutting the sprue.