Mold repair or not.

[WILDEBILL308]

I hade saved the links to a site/store where they did work repairing re working molds. I have lost all my old files, hard drive crashed. Now I am looking for help finding places like that again. I have a Lyman 4 cavity 452460 that was abused before I got it in an estate sale. I am wondering if the mold can’t be re worked could the blocks be re cut to a slightly heaver / larger bullet? I was thinking .458 350 gr. I don’t know if it would be cost effective.
Thanks for your replies
Bill

[Beagle333]

www.hollowpointmold.com does mold repair..... I'm sure there's more.

[MtGun44]

Yes, Erik at HP molds is the one, top man.

Bill

[bhn22]

I've never heard of him recutting molds though. Just normal repairs.

[Leadmelter]

He is a very skilled machinist. Send him an email with your problem and he can quote a price if he can help you! I have used him for a few mold issues. Great guy for our group!
Leadmelter
MI

[dubber123]

It would probably be cost prohibitive to do more than repair the mold to it origional configuration, and maybe not even then. I have had a .30 cal mold re-cut to .45 cal, and it's one of my favorites. A friend did it for me, and I know I wouldn't have liked to pay for the job he did.

[JMtoolman]

Wildbill, in most cases a mold really cannot be recut to a slightly larger size because of the limitations of the original shape of the bullet. The lube groves are not in the right place, crimping grove is not in the right place, ect. It is generally not satisfactory to try to recut an existing cavity unless the new cut will completely remove all of the cavity. Having said that, I would be interested in your mold, to enlarge it and use it and try to make it into a 45 colt mold for me. I would have to make a cherry that would open the cavity to .454 and recut the nose slightly. Then it would have to be placed in a lathe and each cavity recut. Lots of time in the machine shop, which right now is about 0 degrees. But being retired what the heck! So if you are interested in a trade, another mold maybe, or may be we can work something out. Let me know. Best regards, the toolman.

[Artful]

I have a Lyman 4 cavity 452460 that was abused before I got it in an estate sale.

How badly abused was it? Can you post a pick or description of what's wrong with it?

[birddog]

Recut on a set of blocks would be cost prohibitive. Better off with money well spent on having custom mold made by LBT or Mt Mold.
Charlie

[WILDEBILL308]

How badly abused was it? Can you post a pick or description of what's wrong with it?

What it looks like to me is some idiot used a hammer and screwdriver to get some bullets out that were left in the mold. The damage is on the edge of the mating surface. I will try to take a couple of pictures and post them.

[WILDEBILL308]

Wildbill, in most cases a mold really cannot be recut to a slightly larger size because of the limitations of the original shape of the bullet. The lube groves are not in the right place, crimping grove is not in the right place, ect. It is generally not satisfactory to try to recut an existing cavity unless the new cut will completely remove all of the cavity. Having said that, I would be interested in your mold, to enlarge it and use it and try to make it into a 45 colt mold for me. I would have to make a cherry that would open the cavity to .454 and recut the nose slightly. Then it would have to be placed in a lathe and each cavity recut. Lots of time in the machine shop, which right now is about 0 degrees. But being retired what the heck! So if you are interested in a trade, another mold maybe, or may be we can work something out. Let me know. Best regards, the toolman.
Thank you for your offer I will keep you in mind. I haven’t decided yet on what path I will take. I do recommend the Lyman 452460 for the Long Colt I have shot a bunch of them and work well in all modern revolvers with the standard .452 bore. I was thinking of .458-.459 at about 300 –325 for the 45-70 or .458.
Bill

[WILDEBILL308]

Hear is a picture of the damage. The damage is to the first 3 cavitys from the right.
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s300/WILDEBILL308/th_IMAG1415.jpg (http://s155.photobucket.com/user/WILDEBILL308/media/IMAG1415.jpg.html)

Bill

[Artful]

Hear is a picture of the damage. The damage is to the first 3 cavitys from the right.
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s300/WILDEBILL308/th_IMAG1415.jpg (http://s155.photobucket.com/user/WILDEBILL308/media/IMAG1415.jpg.html)

Bill

That is very sad, did they actually remove metal? I don't think you could dress the edges as it looks like they are divot-ed!

- I can't tell total extent of the damage from your photo but wonder if the other side is as damaged?

Wonder if you sent that picture to someone who machines molds if they could guesstimate if it could be repaired.

[MtGun44]

Send the photo to Erik, see what he says.

Bill

[Echo]

My suggestion - use it as a 2-cavity mold. It looks like the left 2 cavities are Ok, or am I missing something?

[WILDEBILL308]

Echo, if you click on thepicture you can see a larger one and the third from the right has a ding at the base of the bullet. The outher side of the block is in ok shape. The alinment pin holes are a little messed up. Who slames their moldes together???
Bill

[Echo]

Right - I see it now. Dang anyone who would treat a mold that way. But I bet that third cavity might still mould pretty good boolits, that would clean up in sizing. At least be OK for plinkers...
(I have a 4-banger Lyman that looks like someone used a 2-lb single jack to open the sprue. Casts OK, though...)