Lee Molds, Top Ten Tips

[scarter]

It has taken me 6 months to get to the point of happiness with my Lee 6-cav molds. I want to share my discoveries in top ten fashion:

10. #4 on the Lee Pro 4 20 Lb furnace is a good running speed.
9. Dip corner of mold into the hot lead. If it comes up clean, you can proceed, but if not, the mold is still too cold.
8. If spigot clogs, you can free it with a 1/16" allen wrench. Insert from below until it clears.
7. A 3/4" chisel is invaluable, for scraping surfaces of mold, and for prying sprue lead loose in early pours before you get up to temp. Also a small adjustable wrench for tightening sprue plate bolt which gets loose frequently.
6. Sprue plate must close completely before pour so that the cam will work on opening. When you close it give it a little whack, like you do with your magazine.
5. Open sprue plate immediately after pour so sprue lead will fall off easily.
4. You can add heat to the mold by leaving newly poured lead in the cavities for a few extra seconds before releasing. Do this several times and mold will get up to temp nicely.
3. If lead in pot gets too hot, add a small ingot to the pot and you can keep going.
2. You can cool sprue plate by touching it to a wet cloth between pours, just like the mold itself.
1. And the number one tip is: The key to easy release is the temperature of the mold. Forget about carbon, lubricants, lee-menting, etc. - when your mold gets to temp the boolits just drop right out!

Please critique and respond with your tips. Thanks!

[41 mag fan]

#5......Opening sprue plate immediatley can cause lead smears under sprue plate.
If spue solidifies immediatley, then your mold is not up to temp.

#7 ......A 3/4" chisel, it is possible to gouge your mold. lee aluminum is cheap and soft, hence it will scratch, nick, ding, and gouge easier.

Better to use a sharpened wooden dowel rod.

[Maven]

scarter, Take a look at this: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=654

[Danderdude]

A bent paperclip works equally well for unclogging a Lee 4-20 spout, but to stop the problem completely it takes turning the plug rod with a screwdriver at the top WHILE poking around in the spout and letting lead flow.

Also, USE A THERMOMETER. I spent a long time without one, judging the temperature externally. You can absolutely find 10F +/- precision with the Lee rheostat when you use a thermometer. Mine is from NOE.

Document the temperatures that work best on the mold box. 660-680 is the most common for my Lee 6's, but some Lee 2's like 710 or so, some like 650.

[x101airborne]

The number one tip for lee molds.....

Dont buy em.

[guidogoose]

The number one tip for lee molds.....

Dont buy em.

They have served me quite well.

[btroj]

A chisel? On a mould?

Am I the only one with a cold chill up the spine?

My number one rule for any mould- user properly and with care. This will allow it to last for many, many ears of use.

[Kraschenbirn]

The number one tip for lee molds.....

Dont buy em.



Currently, I have about a dozen Lee moulds of various calibers/configurations and every one drops good boolits if I pay attention to what I'm doing. That's not to say a few of them didn't need a bit of TLC to bring them up to snuff but they get the job done.

Bill

[Ben]

1. And the number one tip is: The key to easy release is the temperature of the mold. Forget about carbon, lubricants, lee-menting, etc. - when your mold gets to temp the boolits just drop right out!

Forget about lee - menting.......I don't think so.

When a Lee mold , or any other mold for that matter, has burrs on the edges of the mold cavity it WILL NOT release bullets properly as long as those burrs are present. If you want the mold to drop the bullets freely, there has to be a means to remove those burrs.

[saz]

1. And the number one tip is: The key to easy release is the temperature of the mold. Forget about carbon, lubricants, lee-menting, etc. - when your mold gets to temp the boolits just drop right out!

Forget about lee - menting.......I don't think so.

When a Lee mold , or any other mold for that matter, has burrs on the edges of the cavity it WILL NOT release bullets properly as long as those burrs are present. If you want the mold to drop the bullets freely, there has to be a means to remove those burrs.

Well said. +1

[462]

My moulds are in the gagage, at the other end of the house, and will never read of these "tips", some of which made me cringe.

[pistolman44]

I own 4 Lee molds and are very satisfied with them. I also own 2 Mihec's, 2 Accurate, 2 Lyman and 2 RCBS molds. Each one runs at a different temp. Once you get the temp. right for each mold, no problems. I use clip on WW only for all my bullets, some water dropped and some air cooled.

[45-70 Chevroner]

Currently, I have about a dozen Lee moulds of various calibers/configurations and every one drops good boolits if I pay attention to what I'm doing. That's not to say a few of them didn't need a bit of TLC to bring them up to snuff but they get the job done.

Bill

Lee molds are the working mans mold.
I currently have at least 20 Lee molds of various calibers and they all work great but not perfectly all the time. If money were no object custom molds would be in order, but I'm not too sure I would not still buy Lee molds. I have quite a few Lyman and RCBS molds also. Lyman used to be the bench mark in molds, but have lost thier appeal in the last few year mainly because of thier quality controls, and thier customer service sucks. Lee has had some problems also and thier customer service is great, they will really work hard to take care of your problem. I'm not sure what 101's problem is but he does have his nose out of joint for Lee products. I'm not trying to start a fight with you but Lee is not going to go away no matter how much you knock them. From what I have seen here most of the guys here really like Lee products. I have probably wasted my breath "typing" here because it is not going to change the way you feel about Lee. On top of that you probably won't read it anyway.

[Mk42gunner]

My #1 tip for Lee molds is to buy new, not used. A two cavity costs like twenty bucks, and a six cavity is somwhere around $40; just how much are you going to save by the time you fix the previous owners' problems?

Robert

[Bent Ramrod]

My number one tip for Lee moulds is to read the instructions that come with Lee moulds and follow them exactly. The only problems I've ever had with Lee moulds came when I failed to do this and fell back on my "vast casting experience" with other brands of moulds, made of other materials.

[snuffy]

My number one tip for Lee moulds is to read the instructions that come with Lee moulds and follow them exactly. The only problems I've ever had with Lee moulds came when I failed to do this and fell back on my "vast casting experience" with other brands of moulds, made of other materials.

Nope. I ignore their destructions. I WILL NOT smoke any mold. I WILL NOT use 50/50 alox to lube any mold. That's about it for what they say.

I DO use lubrication on all molds, it's called bullplate sprue plate lube. An alternative is 2 cycle synthetic engine oil, since bullplate is out of business.

Scarter, thanks for your input.BUT as you can see there's more than one method used by the rest of us. I could pick your thread apart as to what I disagree with, but it would only serve to confuse the matter.

BTW, the firefox spell checker says moulds is wrong, I agree, it's molds!:kidding:

[geargnasher]

It has taken me 6 months to get to the point of happiness with my Lee 6-cav molds. I want to share my discoveries in top ten fashion:

10. #4 on the Lee Pro 4 20 Lb furnace is a good running speed. This differs from pot to pot, as well as with different alloy compositions, so the number you give is essentially meaningless. Also, the Lee 20-lb pot will make the alloy hotter for a given setting as the level falls in the pot. The best rule is get yourself a lead thermometer and keep the alloy at 100 degrees above it's fully-liquid state.

9. Dip corner of mold into the hot lead. If it comes up clean, you can proceed, but if not, the mold is still too cold. That works ok with two-bangers, but for the six, a mould oven made from a steel electrical box and a hotplate works much better fro preheating.
8. If spigot clogs, you can free it with a 1/16" allen wrench. Insert from below until it clears. If the spout clogs, you either need to learn how to keep trash out of your pot, or more likely what's happening is the spout is freezing because the alloy is too cool. A propane torch or often even a BBQ Bic lighter will unclog a frozen spout in short order.
7. A 3/4" chisel is invaluable, for scraping surfaces of mold, and for prying sprue lead loose in early pours before you get up to temp. Also a small adjustable wrench for tightening sprue plate bolt which gets loose frequently. I am in disbelief that anyone would take a wood chisel to soft aluminum.
6. Sprue plate must close completely before pour so that the cam will work on opening. When you close it give it a little whack, like you do with your magazine. If you have to give a sprue plate a "whack" to get it to close, your'e seriously doing something wrong.
5. Open sprue plate immediately after pour so sprue lead will fall off easily. Nope. Let it "just" set, and cut it while it's still soft so it will fall off easily.
4. You can add heat to the mold by leaving newly poured lead in the cavities for a few extra seconds before releasing. Do this several times and mold will get up to temp nicely. This is true, but watch cooling the sprue plate too much while waiting.
3. If lead in pot gets too hot, add a small ingot to the pot and you can keep going. Or turn down the thermostat.
2. You can cool sprue plate by touching it to a wet cloth between pours, just like the mold itself. I have a hard enough time keeping them properly heated, I've never needed to cool the sprue plate on a Lee six-banger, but that's just me.
1. And the number one tip is: The key to easy release is the temperature of the mold. Forget about carbon, lubricants, lee-menting, etc. - when your mold gets to temp the boolits just drop right out! I'll never forget about Lee-menting. If you've owned more than one Lee mould (I have nearly three dozen), you'll know what I mean. I agree fully that a clean cavity is a good cavity, no smoke graphite or anything in mine thank you very much.

Please critique and respond with your tips. Thanks!

You will learn in time, Grasshopper. I'm sorry that it took you six months to come to mostly the wrong conclusions, though! Why didn't you ask?

Gear

[462]

"BTW, the firefox spell checker says moulds is wrong, I agree, it's molds!"
__________________

If "mould" is good enough for Lyman and others in the casting business, it's good enough for me.

"I could pick your thread apart as to what I disagree with, but it would only serve to confuse the matter."

I agree, but figured that Gear would come along and give a much better critique.

[ShooterAZ]

My number one tip for Lee moulds is to read the instructions that come with Lee moulds and follow them exactly. The only problems I've ever had with Lee moulds came when I failed to do this and fell back on my "vast casting experience" with other brands of moulds, made of other materials.

My number one tip for Lee molds is throw the instructions in the trash. They are worthless....sorry.

I too have been casting for 6 months, but have come a long ways. A long ways to go...yes, but I won't be following Lee's instructions. I use what I have learned right here on this site.

[Stick_man]

My number one tip for Lee molds is throw the instructions in the trash. They are worthless....sorry.

I too have been casting for 6 months, but have come a long ways. A long ways to go...yes, but I won't be following Lee's instructions. I use what I have learned right here on this site.

+1 I have 7 or 8 Lee molds and have only had problems with one. That one I happened to pick up used and just needs some TLC to get it back in shape. Unfortunately, my time is fairly limited and that mold is a fairly low priority for me right now.

Lee makes an overall pretty decent mold. Lyman and RCBS make better molds, but you need to watch the drop sizes from the Lymans lately. The BEST molds I have found so far come from Slovenia or Provo, UT (Mihec and NOE). I have heard great things about Accurate Molds, Ballisti-cast, and Mtn Molds, but have no experience with them. When comparing the Lymans and RCBS molds to the Mihec or NOEs, it is like comparing the Ford Mustang to a Lambourghini (sp?). The Lee molds would be like a Ford Focus or Escort.

All of the molds need some attention to get casting great boolits. Some more than others. The Mihecs and NOEs that I have have required very little attention other than to the temperatures.

[Elkins45]

+1 on the value of Leementing. A smooth, burr free cavity doesn't need gimmicks like smoking or release spray.

Leementing saved my RCBS 35-200 after dummy let it rust over the winter. And it changed a 312-150 Lee from a frustrating hammer target to a drop on opening joy.

[scarter]

Thanks to everyone who responded - especially the 2 or 3 non- snarky ones. Scarter

[snuffy]

Please critique and respond with your tips. Thanks!


Thanks to everyone who responded - especially the 2 or 3 non- snarky ones. Scarter

Snarky? Then why did you ask for critique?

Whatever, the most important thing is; did you learn anything?

[45-70 Chevroner]

"BTW, the firefox spell checker says moulds is wrong, I agree, it's molds!"
__________________

If "mould" is good enough for Lyman and others in the casting business, it's good enough for me.

"I could pick your thread apart as to what I disagree with, but it would only serve to confuse the matter."

I agree, but figured that Gear would come along and give a much better critique.

Their both right, check Websters. Mold says a cavity something is formed in, and several other things. Mould says a variance of mold (period). I think firefox is right but Websters covers both of them use what you will "Mould or Mold" and you will be right. We will understand.

[snuffy]

BTW, the firefox spell checker says moulds is wrong, I agree, it's molds!:kidding:

Notice the tugging chain smilie? I know it's a personal preference. But which one do you use for what grows on stale bread?[smilie=f: Penicillin?:holysheep

[geargnasher]

Mould I believe is the old English spelling for either one, but I prefer to use a different spelling to indicate if I mean something to form objects (or the verb version, TO mould an object) or if I mean the nasty stuff that's growing on rotten fruit or damp drywall. I think it IS a personal preference in America anymore, that's why I say "why don't you get a custom mould from MP Molds?" I can respect someone else's usage preference, but I reserve the right to mine in an area where the "correct" way is a moving target.

Gear

[David Bachelder]

I have three or four LEE molds.

Get them to the right temp and mine all work well, very well. I watch for wrinkles, If I see wrinkled bullets I know the mold is not up to temp. Once I reach the right temp the wrinkles vanish and some great bullets fall out. I try to keep the lead around 750 degrees F, this works for me. I use a thermometer in a LEE 4/20 and the setting is usually around five on most days. Some days less and some days more. I believe the number is only intended as a guide and is not consistant.

[Texantothecore]

Lee molds are the working mans mold.
I currently have at least 20 Lee molds of various calibers and they all work great but not perfectly all the time. If money were no object custom molds would be in order, but I'm not too sure I would not still buy Lee molds. I have quite a few Lyman and RCBS molds also. Lyman used to be the bench mark in molds, but have lost thier appeal in the last few year mainly because of thier quality controls, and thier customer service sucks. Lee has had some problems also and thier customer service is great, they will really work hard to take care of your problem. I'm not sure what 101's problem is but he does have his nose out of joint for Lee products. I'm not trying to start a fight with you but Lee is not going to go away no matter how much you knock them. From what I have seen here most of the guys here really like Lee products. I have probably wasted my breath "typing" here because it is not going to change the way you feel about Lee. On top of that you probably won't read it anyway.

Correct in all particulars. I own several Lee molds and they worked well after some experience and testing but I expect to also own Mihec, Accurate and Kali molds in the future.

[MikeS]

Lee makes an overall pretty decent mold. Lyman and RCBS make better molds, but you need to watch the drop sizes from the Lymans lately. The BEST molds I have found so far come from Slovenia or Provo, UT (Mihec and NOE). I have heard great things about Accurate Molds, Ballisti-cast, and Mtn Molds, but have no experience with them. When comparing the Lymans and RCBS molds to the Mihec or NOEs, it is like comparing the Ford Mustang to a Lambourghini (sp?). The Lee molds would be like a Ford Focus or Escort.


Lee does make some good moulds, their 6 cavity moulds in particular. I don't really care much for their 2 cavity moulds, they're much lower in quality than their 6 cavity moulds. So if a 6 cavity mould is a Ford Escort, I guess that makes their 2 cavity moulds Yugos. Accurate Molds are every bit as good as a Mihec or NOE mould. While both Accurate & Mountain let you design your own boolit, I prefer Accurate simply because you get some help with your design. If you have a design that you think will work, but in reality it probably won't, Tom from Accurate will let you know in advance that it probably won't. Mountain doesn't offer any assistance with mould design other than a few pointers the online mould design software might give, so if you design a really poor boolit, you'll get exactly what you asked for, for better or worse. If you're a good boolit designer Mountain Molds can work very well for you, but in reality most people are NOT good boolit designers.