sticking Lyman mold

[kd5exp]

I have a Lyman 385429 mold and have been casting with it and noticed it was getting hard to get open. I decided to take it apart and clean it. Under the handle I found some lead that has stuck pretty good. It's in the backside of the guide pin. What to do to get this out. Should I heat it up and melt it out of there. What would be the best way without damage to the mold. I can't seem to scrib it out, stuck good.59226

[SciFiJim]

Heating it up and letting it melt out would be the best way. Don't take a torch to it though. The next time you are casting, heat it on top of your melt. The mold is designed to be able to take the temp of melted lead without being damaged. A torch could warp the mold.

[MikeS]

Considering where on the mould the lead is stuck, I would take either an exacto knife, or other sharp object, and it should just pick right off. Where you have to be really careful is the mould block faces, and the cavities themselves, an external part of the mould while it wouldn't look nice if it got scratched, it wouldn't effect it's operation either.

Normally when a mould gets hard to open either it's running too hot, or you need to lube the alignment pins. When you lube a mould you need to be sure an use a proper lubricant (BullPlate, fully synthetic 2T oil, or something similar) and be sure not to use too much, a little goes a LONG way! Checkout the sticky that I posted showing how/where to lube a mould.

[dromia]

What SciFiJim has said is prudent.

Personally I would take a plumbers gas torch to it, I've been heating up my steel moulds with one ever since I started casting all those decades ago and have had nary a problem. However the warning of warping is there and it comes from manufacturers as well so probably not advisable to use a torch. However I will continue to do so until experience teaches me otherwise, I can feel a little safer knowing that at least one illustrious boolit caster, the late Dean Grennell advocated the torch method and he knew more than I ever will.

When you have cleared the alloy from the pin socket have a look at the pins and see how much they are protruding as that is usually the cause of a tight to open mould, also make sure you use a good sprueplate lube like bullplate on the pins as well.

[kd5exp]

Sense I don't have a small torch I will try to heat it up with the smeltpot. I think it has pushed the alignment pin out a litte and is keeping the mold from fully closing. I measured it and it's about .009 longer than the other side. Can these be knocked back down with a punch?

[kd5exp]

Well I hung it from a wire and suspended it in the pot till it got good and hot. The lead was under the handle so I had to. Looks like it has disapeared. I let it cool down to room temp and cleaned it up with a bronz brush. It cleaned up good but when put together it doesn't close all the way. A slight light is seen between the halfs. I think it was doing this before because some of the bullets had fins on them. It was doing that last time I was casting but thought it was because of the lead under the handle. Acts like it is hanging on the guide pin and I can force it closed but then it sticks.

[DLCTEX]

Use a brass punch and bump the pin back. If you go too far it's easy to bump back the other way.

[kd5exp]

I did that and casted about 125 bullets and all is good. Thanks, Gene

[dromia]

I do like a happy ending! :-D