Lee 9mm 120gr TC mold

[BIGRED]

Lee molds have been hit or miss with me. my 124 gr TL 6 cavity has been good to me after a few modifications. my 2- 45 acp 200 gr TL 2 cavities have done very well also. i bought a 120 gr TC 9mm 2 cavity and it is a pig...... i scrubbed it with hot soapy water rinsed & dried. i smoked the cavities and it will not throw a good bullet. 700 degrees has been a very good temp for the 2 cavity molds for me. and 725-750 for the 6 cavity at a fast pace. but after 100+ drops it still has wrinkled bullets. and i mean bad wrinkles, tried 700 up to 750 and did not make difference. tried pouring slow and fast no difference. preheated mold = no difference. bullets never frosted so it was not overtemp but i gave up at 750 degrees. any ideas with that mold what it may like. i am using 50/50 alloy with 2% tin. i tried adding a little more tin and the fillout was no different.

what is the main reason the lee molds scratch/gouge on the top of the block? every one i have has done it. once i take it and reface the sprue plate and mold block with 320 grit paper it is smooth and problem goes away forever (thus far). is it because the sprue plate is steel and block is aluminum?

[Dewey606]

I too had bad issues at first with gouging on the Lee mold blocks by the sprue plate. I purchased some Bullplate lube and problem solved. Great product, a little goes a long way.

[MT Gianni]

It is because the plate and the surface are:
A] not true with each other
B] slight burrs on the bottom of the plate
C] dissimilar metals and they need lube

[DLCTEX]

I have had a couple Lee 2 cav. mould that I just couldn't get the oils out of until I dunked the mould in the molten lead until it was sizzling hot, then let cool down. Worked for me. I use Bullplate lube on the sprue plate and lube the pins and hinge. Apply with a Q tip (just damp not wet) then wipe sprue plate with cotton cloth. Some have used two cycle chain saw oil in place of Bullplate.

[Ed_Shot]

I have had good luck with Lee molds. +1 for using Bullplate lube! Do you have the sprue plate loose enough so that it swings freely? A sprue plate loose enough to allow the mold to vent properly should not gouge the top of the mold.

[cs86]

I think the Lee molds are hit and miss. I have a 9mm 120TC 2C that I recently purchased. Looks phenomenal and casts great. I also ordered a 200FN 2C for the 45ACP and it didn't look good at all, but produced good boolits. I own 3 Lee molds and I've found that on two I've had to sand down the leading edge of the sprue plate to knock off any high points. There could also be burs on the sprue holes that need sanded off. I've commonly had to remove burs, and loose aluminum around the base of the bullet that wouldn't allow the edge to cast nice and square.

Just a guess, but I feel like the aluminum used is low grade soft alloy. It seems to be more prone to scratching. bullplate helps. They aren't perfect molds, but for the price I can't complain and I think are great for starters.

As far as wrinkles. Before starting I use 91% alcohol and use several q-tips to clean the cavities, and several dry q-tips after the alcohol. Then preheat the mold and start out casting at 700F. Most times I start out by opening the sprue plate and puddling lots of lead in the cavities and on top of the mold to transfer heat faster. Just don't let it run over or get close to the pivot point of the sprue plate if possible. Once I start seeing wrinkles go away and I bit of frosting I close the sprue and start casting a few. Apply some bullplate (before dropping boolits), smoke the mold lightly and keep going. After I have them casting I turn the temp down usually under 650F. IMO Lee molds don't need as much heat.
Good luck

[tomme boy]

Soft aluminum alloy is another reason why they are cheap. If you work them over before you use them to smooth out all of the burrs, they will last a long time. Certain molds just seem to work better than others. Certain designs are they same way.

[Boolseye]

I will sometimes stone the sprue plate if I'm getting galling, but primarily I keep it lubed with bullplate. I, too, dip a corner in the melt before I cast (with all my molds, not just Lees). It has never caused the least problem and gets them up to temp fast. My experience is that mold temp is all-important, melt temp less so. With a heated mold I can cast good bullets with 650º alloy. It takes a while to get to that point. I can almost promise you that your mold isn't hot enough. It isn't unusual for wrinkles to persist if the mold isn't hot enough, even after many drops.

[MtGun44]

Scrub cavites with Comet and a toothbrush, omit the smoking.

Lube top of mold and bottom of sprue plate with Bull Plate lube.

Bill