Check out these burrs....

[piwo]

I just purchased a NEW Lee 90473 .533 mold for my .54 muzzle loader. Look at the poorly cut hole on this mold, and the size of the burr on the right side. It has two VERY sharp teeth that laced my thumb open! I've seen pictures of my shoulder socket and while they looked a little worse, this ain't good!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/jsquaredjcubed/AMMO/Lee90473.jpg

Suggestions for removing them without harming the mold are solicited. I have a dremel with some burnishing toots, as well as some drill bits, as well as a propane torch. What are your preferences?

[felix]

The sprue plate can be taken care of without harm with sand/emory paper; those on the blocks around the cavity should be taken out with an exacto knife (sharp) under a good 10X glass using a sawing action, very lightly. Use a pencil eraser (on a pencil) laden with polishing cream to get the minor stuff within the cavities. Clean with toothpaste on a tooth brush, and then wash the whole shootin match in soap and water, hotter the better. Now, burnish in with a cuticle stick (osage orange wood) moly powder, and rag off excess until bright. This process is good for any kind of mold. ... felix

[44man]

The bottom of the sprue plate needs attention too, I can see the scratches starting. File all of the edges round and polish with fine sandpaper, then do the flat.
That has to be the worst looking mold I ever seen, it should have never left the factory. There is no cutting process I know of that could raise a burr like that unless there are no edges on the cutter.

[jdhenry]

Take it BACK!!!!! That is a joke!!!!!



Jeremy

[Phil]

Yeah, I'd send that puppy back. No reason to send out stuff like that, I don't care how cheap it is.

Cheers,

Phil

[arkypete]

My suggestion is determining the highest and best use for that Lee mold. I'd lean in the direction that mold would make at least three beer cans.
Jim

[piwo]

According to BKB Outdoors web site (where I bought it), they won't take it back because it has a manufacturer’s defect and is not an item they will restock. They say they will assist with you working with the manufacturer, which means “here's their number, don’t bother us”. So it’s Saturday and no one is at home in the Lee world, so I sent them an email with pics and will also call them Monday (in case they are open).

Spouse asked how much it was and when I told her she just laughed: buy another and move on if you wanna have one in the next few weeks. She’s right of course because if they “fix” this one and send it back, it will be weeks. If they wait till they receive mine before shipping another out, it will certainly not be here for next weekend either. So it's either turn a $25 mold into a $50 mold and acutally have it to use when you want it, or add shipping and make a $25 mold into a $30 mold, and not have it for a few weeks...

Think I’ll try to fix this one up and keep to my weekend plan. If it doesn’t work and I ruin it, well, I’ll order a NEW one from Lee this time, and will have it in time for next weekend.
Sucks.

[doc25]

Or maybe you can go buy another mold, send this one back and ask lee to send you a different one for another of your boolits. If you explain it really fast to your wife maybe you'll get 2 molds out of the deal.

[kywoodwrkr]

If you used a credit card, call your card center and dispute the charge.
Then order what you want from Midway. Midsouth or any of the other reputable online service providers.
I certainly wouldn't do business with thos who told you to basically 'pound sand'!:(
If you ordered other things let the online order facility provide you exactly what you paid for before you release the card money again.
I have absolutely no patience with order supply facilities which do not back up their customers and give them 100% support.
Don't know if they were a few coins cheaper or not, but I haven't had that problem with the folks I do business with.
Good luck.
DaveP kywoodwrkr

[44man]

You have gotten ripped off. A two cavity is only $17 and change plus shipping.
I can't believe Lee is selling seconds to dealers with no scruples. Are they too cheap to scrap bad molds?
For the price, I would buy a new mold, then send that one back. Now you will have two.

[bpg76]

call or email lee and tell them the problem..i emailed them with a problem with a new mold i sent it in and got a new mold in return for free

[piwo]

I ended up working on it in an attempt to correct the issues. I thought I did a pretty credible job, but not perfect. There was just no making the pour hole on the mold perfectly round (which affects the final product). I casted with it today and it casts like a dream: easiest casting I've done to date. I used the Permatex anti-seize lube on everything but the actual inside of the mold, and on that I used soapstone. I can’t' say the bullets cast with it were perfect as the "metplate" has an ever so slight ridge that can be fixed with the fingernail. I need a lead thermometer as a few of the bullets were nice and shiny, but most frosted. I could have cast MUCH faster with this mold, but the damn thing got so hot that the overpour would take forever to take a set. I’d have to keep blowing on the mold to cool it off some, and take some breaks.

I did email Lee with the "before" pictures, and I will see what they have to say upon seeing it.

These molds are only offered as "single cavity"; at I purchased it for 19 bucks plus shipping. Lee sells it for 25 plus shipping. If they don't shoot well, I may yet try for another as I believe the theory is sound, these may work out OK... I cast 112 "minnie" bullets in less then one hour, I discarded three because of flaws (opened the mold too soon: they were "droopy"), and I culled 8 more for too wide a disparity of weight. My final weight was @415gr, from a mold advertised as a 410gr mold.

I’m going to shoot on Monday and I’ll see how they do. If I have success, I’ll call it a win. If they don’t, I’ll explore the other options.

[piwo]

Here's the reply from Lee. They offered to fix it for me, or explain how to do it myself.

Lee Precision:
The burr on the top surface of the mold block is a manufacturing issue, and happened when the top surface of the mold block was turned to create the opening in the top of the mold. If you would like us to fix it, return the mold to the factory with a copy of this message. If you would like to fix it yourself, fill the mold with lead and then lightly clamp the mold in a vise (so you have both hands free). Remove the sprue plate, and then file the top surface of the mold, holding the file as flat against the top surface as possible. You want to avoid putting a crown on the top surface.
The dent you see along the seam on the back of the mold is part of the manufacturing process. Hollow base molds are machined at both ends; on the bottom for the core pin, which produces the hollow cavity in the bullet, and on the top to create a flat surface for the sprue cutter. The dent on the seam is so when the machine operator flips the mold around in the lathe chuck the two mold block halves stay aligned.

SO, some potential helpful instructions from the mold people.

[Bear Claw]

[QUOTE=piwo;150337]I ended up working on it in an attempt to correct the issues. I thought I did a pretty credible job, but not perfect. There was just no making the pour hole on the mold perfectly round (which affects the final product). I casted with it today and it casts like a dream: easiest casting I've done to date. I used the Permatex anti-seize lube on everything but the actual inside of the mold, and on that I used soapstone. I can’t' say the bullets cast with it were perfect as the "metplate" has an ever so slight ridge that can be fixed with the fingernail. I need a lead thermometer as a few of the bullets were nice and shiny, but most frosted. I could have cast MUCH faster with this mold, but the damn thing got so hot that the overpour would take forever to take a set. I’d have to keep blowing on the mold to cool it off some, and take some breaks.

I did email Lee with the "before" pictures, and I will see what they have to say upon seeing it.

These molds are only offered as "single cavity"; at I purchased it for 19 bucks plus shipping. Lee sells it for 25 plus shipping. If they don't shoot well, I may yet try for another as I believe the theory is sound, these may work out OK... I cast 112 "minnie" bullets in less then one hour, I discarded three because of flaws (opened the mold too soon: they were "droopy"), and I culled 8 more for too wide a disparity of weight. My final weight was @415gr, from a mold advertised as a 410gr mold.

I’m going to shoot on Monday and I’ll see how they do. If I have success, I’ll call it a win. If they don’t, I’ll explore the other options.[/QUOTE

Have you tried the "damp rag" trick ? Lee mould's get hot pretty fast for me so I set a damp rag on my bench and touch my mould to it about every 3rd pour this helps keep temp down and let's me keep my speed up..

P.S. " DAMP" not dripping,also I only do this to an mty mould.....BTW Lyman mould's cost more but they work better for me, have you tried them yet

[piwo]

Have you tried the "damp rag" trick ? Lee mould's get hot pretty fast for me so I set a damp rag on my bench and touch my mould to it about every 3rd pour this helps keep temp down and let's me keep my speed up..

P.S. " DAMP" not dripping,also I only do this to an mty mould.....BTW Lyman mould's cost more but they work better for me, have you tried them yet

No, I've never tried the "damp rag" trick... I'm guessing after you release the bullet you simply touch the bottom for a quick second? I'd hate to warp the thing, but that does sound like a nice way to bleed off some heat. The mold stayed so hot, that tow of the bullets I retrieved from the water can I dropped them in were bent, meaning the lead had not set up when I dumped it! I'll give it a try next time.

As to Lyman molds, yes I do have two: a .535 and .575 round ball molds. I didn't see the hollow based Lyman dimensions, but perhaps I'll call them and get the skivey on that as well. Looking for the .533-.535. My Lee mold states a .533 - 410 grain mold, but what I got was .535 and 416 gr. bullet. Not complaining, just an observation.

Thanks for the tip! :drinks:

[Buckshot]

.............Actually, as a nose pour Minie' mould it is VERY tough to not have a tiny issue there at the spruehole in the nose, because the aluminum is so very thin right at the edge. I have every 58 cal Minie' mould Lee makes (that's 4 HB nose pours I think) and none of the sprueholes are perfectly round. Good thing the base steers, eh?

If the aluminum were thicker there, you'd get a nub on the nose of the Minie'. If the slug were smaller in OD and came to a point, or the FN portion more quickly, the metal would not have to be so thin for such a great distance.

.................Buckshot

[Bear Claw]

It has worked for me for yrs with no damage, just close the blocks and just touch it to the rag count to 3 and it seem's to do the trick:drinks: