Stripped Sprue Screw on a Lee mold

[mattd]

My sprue got lose after casting about 30-40 Lee 310g 44s, so i tightened it down. A few more casts and it was loose again, and threads stripped from the mold. To be fair, I had milled the gas check off and shortened the screw. probably would have been better to deepen the hole. Anyway, I'll repair the threads and tap the mold for a set screw, but how tight should the sprue plate be against the aluminum mold? I had it just slightly torqued, and the pivot was lubed with 50/50 bullet lube.

[fcvan]

I have a Lee 356-125 2R I bought in 1985. Since then, I have cast over 500k boolits. I didn't shoot them all, but I sure tried! I actually used to trade boolits for powder and primers with other reloaders who didn't cast. Anyway, I finally stripped out the sprue plate screw a couple years ago.

I drilled out the hole a tad larger, and re tapped the hole using a stainless steel bolt. SS and aluminum hasn't seemed to cause problems with fusing of the two metals. I adjusted the bolt to where the sprue plate is loose enough to swing free under its own weight and it is working fine. I have cast another 10k (at least) since I repaired the mold. Oh ya, I haven't had the bolt work loose like the original sprue plate screw would do. I have another Lee mold that does work loose and am considering replacing the screw with a SS bolt because it has worked so well for me.

[Ed_Shot]

I had a Lee 356-125-2R that was less than 2 years old and the spruce plate screw stripped. Other than loosening the screw when I first used the mold don't think I ever touched it till one day the spruce plate fell off. Anyway, sent it back to Lee and in one week had a new mold with a curt note attached not to break the mold again.

[mattd]

I went and got some 12-24 1/2" bolts. the 12-24 tap didnt require the hole to be drilled so it has threads again. I just need to shorten the 1/2" bolt to snug up against the sprue


spruce plate screw stripped.

the SPRUCE plate. gotta be an ipad. my message i sent to Lee last night described my spruce plate problems.

[TenTea]

:kidding:

73935

[williamwaco]

The sprue plate should not be "tight"

It should contact the top of the mold but it should swing closed under its own weight.