Lee Mold Issues

[armednfree]

I have a Lee 358TL-158 grain 2 cavity mold. When I cast with it I have to be careful about how much lead I leave on top of the plate on one cavity, the other doesn't seem to care. The base of the bullet in the one cavity will be rounded. Why I don't know, just one of those things I guess.

The Lee spruce plate seems to be 11 or 12 gauge hot rolled steel. I like the trough on my H+G molds and I'd like one on these Lee molds. The current spruce plate on the lee seems too light to cut much of a trough. So, I wonder what would happen if I made new ones.

The spruce plate on the H+G is about 3/16" thick. If I made some like that for the Lee molds with a trough between the holes. Questions though.

The Lee plate has a bent down dog. unlike the H+G molds which use a stop bolt. The big issue is weather I should use a stop bolt or the bent down dog. I'm wondering if the plate hitting the screw head would wallow out the hole in the aluminum.

[John Boy]

The base of the bullet in the one cavity will be rounded. Why I don't know, just one of those Your not pouring the cavity with a good head pressure from a full ladle of melt for 5 seconds

[armednfree]

Your not pouring the cavity with a good head pressure from a full ladle of melt for 5 seconds

No, I dip all my lead. I have a bottom pour on my Lyman lead pot but that thing doesn't work right, never did.

[MT Chambers]

You really shouldn't mention Lee and Hensley and Gibbs in the same post, the only way to do what you want would be to start with a new sprue plate that is the same thickness as the H&G.

[armednfree]

You really shouldn't mention Lee and Hensley and Gibbs in the same post, the only way to do what you want would be to start with a new sprue plate that is the same thickness as the H&G.

That's what I'm thinking, from a piece of 3/16" flat bar stock.

[geargnasher]

Lee's making sprue plates out of spruce now? Redefining cheap. No wonder you're having problems! :kidding:

I'll bet the cavity closest to the pivot screw is the one with the rounded base. You might try pouring that one first, and be sure and mound a quarter-sized puddle of lead on top of the well after you fill it, that will help keep the plate nice and hot which helps fillout. The sprue plate might be a bit tight, too, but getting that screw backed out on a Lee two-banger is kinda tough to do without pulling the threads out of the block. They use self-tappers and rely on the friction to keep them tight. Once you change directions on the screw it can pull the threads out or become eternally loose.

Gear

[armednfree]

Some people and companies call it a spruce, others a sprue, as exampled here:

http://www.pnjresources.com/pdf/Lead%20Mold%20Instructions.pdf

[MikeS]

I've never heard it called a spruce plate. I've heard it called a spur plate by some, but mostly it's properly called a sprue plate. I'm willing to bet that those that call it a spruce plate are doing so because of a spelling checker, either a computerized one, or an editor that's unfamiliar with the terms used on a mould.

[armednfree]

I've never heard it called a spruce plate. I've heard it called a spur plate by some, but mostly it's properly called a sprue plate. I'm willing to bet that those that call it a spruce plate are doing so because of a spelling checker, either a computerized one, or an editor that's unfamiliar with the terms used on a mould.

How about it's the same thing called by two simular names. I can't believe a company, or several companies, would not correct an error in advertising.

Like this mold company.

http://www.brooksmoulds.com/order.php


But you are correct that both Lyman and Lee call it a sprue plate

Of course on this forum and other places they use the term MOLDS, but Lyman and RCBS use the word MOULDS

[alamogunr]

It's a losing battle! Let's just ignore the whole spruce thing and move on. I bet if you did a search on "spruce" you might lock up your computer.

[armednfree]

It's a losing battle! Let's just ignore the whole spruce thing and move on. I bet if you did a search on "spruce" you might lock up your computer.
Yeah, really, non issue