Six cavity molds and handles

[exile]

I recently purchased my first 6 cavity Lee mold and handles. I have a couple of really stupid questions about them. First, how do you install the handles? Is it by removing the two large screws in the bottom of the mold? I know that must seem obvious, but many mechanical things that seem obvious to others elude me at times. Second, my mold handles appear to have some rust on them. Is it wise to lubricate them with a little oil, or will that drip off into the casting pot and cause an explosion? Third, I have a couple of bottles of Bullplate lube, is there anything special I need to know about lubing a six cavity mold before use? Thanks.

exile

[RGMJ]

Hi Exile,

1) Yes you need to remove the two screws at the bottom of the mold then insert the mold handle. It may be tricky to align the holes on the mold with the handle holes. But its doable with little patience.

2) No problem putting a light coat of oil on the handle. Wipe off any excess.

3) I'm not familiar with Bull plate lube. I use Lee NRA Beeswax to lube my 6 cavity mold. See the Lee instructions on how to lube the mold.

Good luck on your mold...I'm happy with mine...got several of them!!

[MT Gianni]

Go over every bit of the mold with the lead of a #2 pencil. If it sticks up or out make sure it is supposed to. Rub off the graphite with the wooden part after breaking off the point. Pre heat the mold by dipping one corner in the melt for a couple of minutes. Put some bullplate lube on a Q tip and lube the pins on the mold face. Warm it up by casting 2 bullets with one cavity before going on to the next cavity. By the time you cast in the 6th cavity you will have 2 from the 5th , 4 from the 4th, 6 from the 3rd, 8 from the 2nd and 10 frm the 1st. After cutting the sprue on the 6th and before dumping it run the Q tip over the top of the mold and the under side of the sprue plate avoiding the holes. Relube every 75 pours or so.

[41 mag fan]

MT Gianni explained it pretty good. There is different ways to get a 6 banger up to casting temp. I use a hot plate exclusively for preheating my molds. Lee molds like to be run hotter than a good quality mold like NOE, Mihecs or Accurates.
Place my mold on med/low and let it preheat while my melt comes up to temp in my Lyman furnace.
When the mold is up to temp, I take the Bull Plate and get one end of q -tip wet. I dab it on my alignment pins, then on the top and bottom of my sprue plate. I wipe off the excess with my dry end of my q-tip.
Same way with the sprue plate screw, I'll dab a bit around it to help with the opening and closing of the sprue.
One thing i do do is after applying my Bull Plate, I place it back on the hot plate, and start fluxing my pot. by the time my fluxing is done, my mold is back up to temp.

On my first pours, I'll leave the first cast in, cut the sprue, and with the casts still in, I'll use my q-tip with the Bull Plate on it, and apply it to the top of the mold, wipe with dry end of q-tip.
Just as MT Gianni posted, about every 75 casts or if you feel it is grating when opening

Also theres a sticky about the myths on molten lead and water. Pretty interesting reading on it.

[exile]

MT Gianni explained it pretty good. There is different ways to get a 6 banger up to casting temp. I use a hot plate exclusively for preheating my molds. Lee molds like to be run hotter than a good quality mold like NOE, Mihecs or Accurates.
Place my mold on med/low and let it preheat while my melt comes up to temp in my Lyman furnace.
When the mold is up to temp, I take the Bull Plate and get one end of q -tip wet. I dab it on my alignment pins, then on the top and bottom of my sprue plate. I wipe off the excess with my dry end of my q-tip.
Same way with the sprue plate screw, I'll dab a bit around it to help with the opening and closing of the sprue.
One thing i do do is after applying my Bull Plate, I place it back on the hot plate, and start fluxing my pot. by the time my fluxing is done, my mold is back up to temp.

On my first pours, I'll leave the first cast in, cut the sprue, and with the casts still in, I'll use my q-tip with the Bull Plate on it, and apply it to the top of the mold, wipe with dry end of q-tip.


Just as MT Gianni posted, about every 75 casts or if you feel it is grating when opening

Also theres a sticky about the myths on molten lead and water. Pretty interesting reading on it.

Thanks guys, great information as usual.

This brings to mind another question. When pre-heating a mold on a hot-plate, do you set the mold directly on the hot-plate, or do you put a pan on the hot-plate and then put the mold on the pan?

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and that you will have a safe and happy New Year. Take care and God bless.

exile

[PS Paul]

You can put it directly on the hot plate. I put mine on the edge of my melting pot then do the "one-cavity at a time" program to bring it up to temp. I do not like to put it in the melt as some do. Just my program, that's all.

One thing about filling one cavity at a time: it allows the entire mole to come up to temp. If you fill all 6 cavities at once first, it will be DIFFICULT to strike off the sprue. Many folks go wrong here and end up breaking the sprue plate handle, so do yourself the favor of the above advice on that and save yourself the hassle of going through getting another sprue handle.

I have molds from several makers, but for pistol boolits, I prefer my Lee molds (after some minor fine-tun ing) above all the others for several reasons, not the least of which is high-production quantities.
Paul

[exile]

You can put it directly on the hot plate. I put mine on the edge of my melting pot then do the "one-cavity at a time" program to bring it up to temp. I do not like to put it in the melt as some do. Just my program, that's all.

One thing about filling one cavity at a time: it allows the entire mole to come up to temp. If you fill all 6 cavities at once first, it will be DIFFICULT to strike off the sprue. Many folks go wrong here and end up breaking the sprue plate handle, so do yourself the favor of the above advice on that and save yourself the hassle of going through getting another sprue handle.

I have molds from several makers, but for pistol boolits, I prefer my Lee molds (after some minor fine-tun ing) above all the others for several reasons, not the least of which is high-production quantities.
Paul

Well, it just goes to show you, you get so much good information here. Thanks again.

exile