11 cavity mold tips for use

[BT Sniper]

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZxzd9aSeVw


I've had a couple customers report difficulty in cutting the spure from top of lead slugs using the factory Lee Cam lever/handle. Even a couple reports of breaking the metal portion of this top spure plate handle of the stock Lee 6 cavity molds.

I spent last night and this morning attempting to replicate a situation that might lead to breaking the stock metal lever/handle that is used to cam open the top spure plate. I was unsuccessful in breaking this handle yet I feel I may have come up with some tips that I found to make this mold work as it should and this top spure plate to cut/shear with minimal effort and very little risk to breakage of this cam handle.

I recorded a video of my efforts and tips I feel should be very helpful to many that currently use this mold and the several that will be soon. Click on the pic below to view video. Currently uploading on youtube. I'll post link soon.

Here is what I feel are important tips, in no particular order, that will allow for best results from this mold.

1. Run the Lee 20# pot as hot as possible on it's max temp setting.
2. Only fill the Lee #20 pot 1/3-1/2 full of lead at a time. This will keep the lead as hot as possible for best results.
3. clean the mold of any left over machining oils and preheat the mold before "first" use
4. use wooden matches to soot the cavities of the mold
5. use the supplied bullet lube (orange popsicle stick) to lube all hinge points of contact as well as the under side of the spure plate across the hole locations. In my experience I feel lubing the bottom side of the spure plate had the greatest effect at lessening the required force necessary to break free the top spure plate. A quick review of "BullShop" spure plate lube in the past listed the same advantages as I recall.
6. Adjust the poor rate of the bottom poor lee pot to be fairly fast. Quick enough to fill all the cavities and the wells in the top spure plate completely quick enough that you have them all full before the lead starts to solidify on the top of the spure plate.
7. run everything as quick as possible to keep your mold hot.
8. with your first casts only fill the first couple cavities and slowly increase the number of cavities you fill at one time till the mold is good and hot. If you preheat the mold as directed within 3-6 casts you should be able to fill all 11 cavities at once.
9. when pulling on spure plate handle pull from the short side of the handle rather then from the end


I used a rubber mallet in the video to tap on handles of mold to allow lead cores to drop from mold. As the mold heated up cores would drop with ease from mold with little effort needed from mallet.


Here is a link to my youtube video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZxzd9aSeVw


BT

[BT Sniper]

Video Link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZxzd9aSeVw

Follow these steps, simple tips and advise and you should experience the same success and results as I have posted here in the video.

Good shooting and swage on!


Thanks

Brian

[BT Sniper]

Any of you that may have experienced any difficulty with the spure plate handle and the Lee 6 cavity molds or my 11 cavity molds please feel free to chime in and let us/me know if you feel any of these tips would be helpful or any advise/stories you may have.

Thanks

BT

[plus1hdcp]

Good video and explanation Brian. I haven't had an issue with the core mold or the cam. I did however have the wooden handle break. It looked like a bad handle as it broke down the grain.

[runfiverun]

brains tips are spot on.
cleaning the mold to begin with will really help with good fill out and more consistent core weights.
the fill only 1-2 cores to start then add one cavity at a time as they heat up and cut easily is good advice for these type of molds.
speed is definitely your friend, fill open dump, fill open dump.
don't be messin about looking at stuff.

[BT Sniper]

One more thing to look at..... the Lee factory instructions supplied in the box with the mold should be read as they cover very important info as well.

Thanks

BT

[supe47]

Brian- good video. Another hint for those sticky cores. De-burr the edges of the holes of both halves of the mold. Burr- a thin ridge or area of roughness produced in cutting or shaping metal. No matter how precise those holes were made there might be burrs keeping the core from falling easily. I use a magnifying glass and a X-acto knife and gently scrape the edges at a 45 degree angle. You're not dealing with a $300 custom made brass mold. We're making little cylinders of lead we're going to squish the snot out of. Your mold will tell you which holes need de-burring. Cores should almost jump out. Also, do not use spray on release agents like Frankford Arsenal Drop Out. You will not be happy in the long run. I use a barbecue lighter to smoke my molds.

[fredj338]

Brian, I broke my spru handle pretty quickly. I pre heated, cast 4 front & 4 rear cavs separately to get the mold hotter, then the first full mold snapped the handle. You are cutting 11 vs 6 sprus, almost twice the surface area. So the steel handle I replaced it with works way better. It is just about getting the mold super hot & keeping it hot. 11 sprus is a lot to shear cleanly.