Lee mold maintenance?

[I Haines]

I've got a half dozen old Lee molds from 20 yeas ago. I got em out to look at em and remembered why I quit using them. They are scarred on top from lead between the spure plate and blocks. Also I remember that after a while the halves didn't want to line up correctly.

I've successfully used RCBS molds for years. How is it that others can get their aluminum Lee molds to last so long? The instructions were still in one box and it mentioned lubing the sprue bushing and the v-ribs with bullet lube. I don't remember ever doing this. Was I my own worst enemy? :confused: IH

[grumpy one]

There are plenty of people on this list with more Lee experience than I have, but I'll give you my version. Lee moulds nearly always die of abuse, not wear. However things that are abuse of a Lee mould are fair and reasonable treatment for premium cast iron moulds.

You need to keep the top of the mould blocks from being spalled by the sprue plate, without putting something on there that will contaminate the cavities, or build up and hold the sprue plate clear of the mould blocks. You also need to keep from hammering the mould blocks against each other as they align themselves each time you close the mould. If you read the sticky on "Leementing" Lee moulds you'll see how both these things can be done.

[Buckshot]

"The instructions were still in one box and it mentioned lubing the sprue bushing and the v-ribs with bullet lube. I don't remember ever doing this. Was I my own worst enemy?"

.............Yup :-). I don't know what aluminum alloy Lee uses for their blocks, but it isn't the 'good' stuff. There is one thing that will kill any aluminum set of blocks and that's steel on aluminum. Steel will win everytime. Lee uses steel roller bearings in their 1 & 2 cavity moulds and they bear dierectly on the opposite block.

As they and their mating surfaces are both rather small in circumfrence, it doesn't take too much banging and clanging them together to ruin their ability to align. There just isn't much surface area there.

The blocks are extruded, and on either edge have male and female 'V's for horizontal alignment. We're casting at temps close to the annealing temps for aluminum and they (Lee Blocks) will get sticky. These 2 areas are the ones needing the lube most. They also have a bit to do with how well the steel bearings (vertical alignment) ease into the aluminum recesses in the opposite block.

For the sprueplate get some Bullshop SP lube, or coat the top and underside with pencil lead. The clay and graphite will help fill any tiny machine scratches, supply some lubeing and help keep lead fron sticking.

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

[Ranch Dog]

I've recovered several old and beat up Lee molds where folks hadn't followed the simple instructions. It is easy to lap the top of the mold blocks and bottom of the sprue plat to obtain a good flat surface and then as the others have recommended, Bullshop Sprue Plate Lube, it can be ordered below.

[Sundogg1911]

I just recently used the bull plate lube for the first time. I have no idea How i've casted as long as I have without it! I also use it for all of the steel on steel parts on my master caster. Great stuff!

[454PB]

I've stated before that I quit lubing my Lee moulds years ago. The lubing causes a carbonized crud buildup both inside and outside of the blocks, as well as the hinge screw of the sprue plate. I use my sprue knocker to align the blocks as they close, laying it under the bottom and gently closing as I watch through the top of the blocks and check alignment. It sounds like a time consuming PITA, but after a while it becomes second nature.

I own over 15 sets of Lee moulds, and have never damaged them, nor have I had one that had to be returned for repairs. Some of these moulds have cast many, many thousands of boolits with good results.

The Lee moulds will not tolerate the same abuse that an iron mould will. Keep them clean and be cautiously gentle in their use and they will last a long time. I haven't worn one out yet, and I have used them since they were introduced.

[Lloyd Smale]

I buy them 3 at a time and just cast the crap out of them and toss them in the garbage after a couple marathon casting sessions. (im talking 2 cavity) When im casting i dont have time to baby a junk mold and surely arent going to spend an hour of my time fine tuning a 20 dollar mold. For the most part there junk and i only will buy a 2 cav. lee when they dont make a bullet design i like in 6. The 6 cavity ones are better but still have a realitivly short lifespan at my casting bench. Now ive got rcbs saecos and ballistic cast molds that have been going strong for many years. I guess to me it makes more sense to buy a good mold to start with.

[MT Gianni]

I used to use a candle stub to lube with and have switched to Bull Plate. It does make there life span longer. Gianni
[1000 posts whoo-hoo]

[DLCTEX]

I keep a 12" piece of hardwood 1X6 (Ash at present) lying to the right of my casting pot. I set the Lee molds on that flat surface as I close them and this does a good job of aligning the halves and prevents banging the alignment pins. I only lube the tops and sprue plate, must get some of Bullshops lube. I do not bang on the rivot(bolt in Lee's case) much, if the boolit doesn't drop, I find out why and fix it. The molds with the stupid rivot and retaining washer get a bolt with lock nut, Mr. Lee, this was a dumb idea. With these methods the molds just keep on ticking.
DALE

[Lee]

So much information, so little time.

Dale, ya lost me there. "What" rivot and retaining washer??? I'm not sure what your meaning is??

Anyone, I have possession of several bottles of "colloidal graphite lube" a black mix of graphite in isopropyl alcohol. Goes on like very thin paint. Might this work on a sprue plate, mold surface, boolit cavity??? Any one ever tried this?? I'd hate to ruin a mold, especially if I can be told that it "don't work"

Thanks.........................Lee:wink:

P.S. Sounds like some BPL is in order in any case.............Lee:coffee: :wink:

[DLCTEX]

Some of my Lee molds came with a rivot held in place with a thin steel spring washer, one sorry arrangement, they keep working loose. I drill the hole out to 5/16 and use a fine thread grade five bolt with self locking nut, mo better. How much can Lee be saving? Reminds me of when power tool companys began putting tiny little cords on tools, requiring you to use an extension cord for all jobs. Some company figured out what people wanted and began putting long cords on their tools. It wasn't long before the others got the message. Competition is a good thing. Dale

[Buckshot]

............The folks spending the extra couple seconds, (or fractions of a second) in gently closing their moulds are helping to increase the life of the moulds by doing exactly what the steel roller bearing is incapable of. That is, by gently guiding the 2 alignment surfaces together you eliminate battering by "Almost aligned" blocks. Once these inadequet areas are compromised, your mould is junk. I wouldn't buy a used Lee mould on a bet, unless I could see it.

It's not just Lee moulds that suffer this disease, as any caster with some experience knows. However, with a Lee it can happen REAL quick. Buying or trading for used moulds, even those made of cast iron or steel, you will readily see that some may have the mouths of the alignment pin holes ovaled. And if not ovaled, they'll have a ramp where the alignment pin continually hits, then slides fully into the mating hole.

The alignment pin holes in mould blocks are NOT supposed to be used like funnels. The problem can be tracked to poorly fitting handles which allow the block halves to merely flop all over the place. I've seen Lyman blocks where the upper rear corners had been smacked together at closing, so that when the blocks were closed flat, this area had a fairly wide seam with expressed metal that was shiney from the sprueplate riding on it.

Since our mould handles open and close the blocks in an arc, and not directly away, the blocks do have to have a bit of fore and aft movement allowed. However they don't need slop :-). Slop to me is radial movement as if flopping up and down on the handles. Ie: the mould tops or bottoms meet first.

Remedial alterations to handles to eliminate fore and aft movement can be accomplished by D&Ting for a 4-48 or 4-40 setscrew or sockethead screw on both sides of the block attaching screw on both jaws. When the blocks are attached and closed, adjust the screws in to touch the blocks. Then try opening the blocks. Adjust the screws out just enough to allow the blocks to part.

Slop is best handled via shims. Shims can simply be made by cutting a few likely thicknesses about 1" long by 3/8" wide. Anneal them first (if you happen to get steel ones) , but beverage can aluminum works great and can get rid of a great amount of unnecessary 'Floppiness'. Then bend them in half down the long axis (like a piece of angle iron). You will need to cut a piece out of the top to clear the handle attaching bolt. Since they are bent down between the handle jaw and the mould block, plus the attaching bolt passes through the notch you cut, they will not fall out.

Lee one and 2 cavity moulds suffer due to the thin stamped handles and the fact that the pins are staked and not readily removeable.

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

[ktw]

Lee one and 2 cavity moulds suffer due to the thin stamped handles and the fact that the pins are staked and not readily removeable.

I glued the handles on my small lees to the blocks as per an Old Feller post. That helped a lot.

-ktw

[I Haines]

Thanks for the info. I'll read up on the other posts about Lee molds and try to resurrect a couple of mine. I have a little bit more patience now than I did 25 years ago. Even got a plaque on the wall thanking me for my patience and hey they wouldn't have gone to all that trouble iffn it wasn't true. :-D

BTW, where do you find Bullshop Lube? IH

[Buckshot]

BTW, where do you find Bullshop Lube? IH

.............Scroll to the bottom of the page for a link.

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

[scrat]

Ok i guess its about time i reply to something. im usually on other forums. However i got bored tonight. So here it goes. i have a bunch of lee molds. Just like anything if you take care of it. then it will last. I lube my molds and i clean the top of the sprue plate. Its easy maintenance. Just you need to make time to do it. Same time true when you lube the v grooves after a while they do build up carbon. Thats why they sell brass brushes. Spend five minutes with a brass brush and some acetone. Few minutes later the mold is clean. as for the top after a good cast session i turn the mold upside down in the mold to heat up the mold itself. Then pick it up. do one quick scrape and its clean again. Its all about maintenance. yes they are cheap molds but you dont have to deal with rust. Once you get the hang of them you can cast thousands of bullets from them. I have.

:castmine:

[Bret4207]

I use a soft lead carpenters pencil to lube my Lee's. I want to try some Bullshop lube. I also keep some coarse cotton toweling and 4/0 steel wool around. If I get some build up I swipe at it with the cotton. If that doesn't work I use the steel wool, bronze or brass would work too if I could find it locally in 4/0. The I re-lube things. For me I find if I fix RIGHT NOW and don't wait things work better. Polishing the bottom of the sprue plate helps too.

So far my #1 anti-build up method has been to use the BruceB Speed casting system. 99.99999% of my issues were at the top of the mould and sprue plate. By cooling the top I get almost no problems at all, and perfect bases to boot.