Old Dog learns new trick. Rubber bands.

[prs]

I have thought of this for years. Have not seen it mentioned here or elsewhere, but its sooooooo simple I can't be the first.

With my Lee 6 cavity mould for TL401-175 TC I was using today, and all my othe rmoulds, I do best if I hold very light finger pressure on the main handles during the pour and until the freeze begins. No big force, just very light closure pressure. So today I wrapped a good sized rubber band around the handles about 1/2 way out from hinge. I figured this would make opening too cumbersome, but it did not bother that at all. It just made the whole process easier. I can now let go of the handles as soon as the pour is finished and do other things while the spru goes through the color/texture changes and again while the boolits cure a few seconds after the spru is gione. Add an ingot, pick up that dropped tool. prepare a wooden applicator with mould lube, cull an imperfect boolit, what ever. Neat. Who else has done this?

prs

[Jeff H]

I might just have to try that one. I've stood there wondering what else I could do with one hand between the pour and cutting the sprue. Odd how little time it takes to get restless.

Another use for rubber bands on moulds - using a bicylce inner tube, cut 1/4" to 3/8" wide bands ("Ranger bands") from the tube and place one aroiund the ends of the handles to keep them from falling open when being moved around or pawed through to select a mould. It works well on the blocks too and they don't seem to degrade like regular rubber bands.

[prs]

Jeff, I also started using rubber bands around the handles to store the moulds, but did not think about the inner tube trick for better rubber. When I come to the end of a casting session, just before dumping the last boolits, I apply libe to the spru cutter pivot, spru cutter latch bolt, and handle hinges. Then I wipe the outside of the blocks with a clean dry cotton cloth ("T" shirt), as well as wiping the top and bottom of the spru cutter plate. Then dump the boolits and lube the guide pins. Close it up carefully, close the spru plate while still very hot and apply the rubber bands to the main handles only. When cool, the blocks are cemented together fairly well in perfect alignment. Now, I gotta sneak out tonight and cut of some kid's cycle tires!

;-)

prs

[williamwaco]

Potential problem with the Lee 6 cylinder.

even very light pressure on the sprue cutter handle will hold the mold faces apart and you will get over size bullets.

There have been several threads on that problem here.

You can also see some photos here:

http://www.reloadingtips.com/pages/missing_tumble_lube_grooves.htm


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[Echo]

Good post, WW.

[1Shirt]

Good post. I keep various sized rubber bands in my reloading room and in my range box. They come in handy for a number of things.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[prs]

Potential problem with the Lee 6 cylinder.

even very light pressure on the sprue cutter handle will hold the mold faces apart and you will get over size bullets.

There have been several threads on that problem here.

You can also see some photos here:

http://www.reloadingtips.com/pages/missing_tumble_lube_grooves.htm


.

Absolutely! That is why I was very clear about stating the rubber bands were attached to the main handles. Stay clear of the spru handle until its time to cut the spru.

prs

[Axton1]

Potential problem with the Lee 6 cylinder.

even very light pressure on the sprue cutter handle will hold the mold faces apart and you will get over size bullets.

There have been several threads on that problem here.

You can also see some photos here:

http://www.reloadingtips.com/pages/missing_tumble_lube_grooves.htm


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AWE Crispy ****![smilie=b:
If I would have had that tid-bit of info, I could have avoided SOOOOOOOOO much trouble on my first trial! I DID figure out - finally - that I was allowing my pinky finger to sneak over there and hold on to the sprue cutter handle but, took couple hundred bad boolits......
thanks for the info!
Note to Self: READ MORE!