Flashing at base of lee 6 cavity mold

[silverado]

Sorry if this has been covered but is there anything I can Do about flashing at my boolit base. I don't see anything causing a bump on top of the mold or bottom of the sprue plate. I even took a piece of scotchbrite to it. My 2 cavity 44 mold has no problems. I also noticed I can cast at around 650f with the 44 but I have to crank it up to about 750 to 800 to get decent boolits from my 358 swc mold, both lee.

[Ben]

With the mold closed, can you see light when you hold the mold up to a bright light between the mold blocks and the sprue plate ?

[williamwaco]

I have had that problem with the last two Lee 6 cavity molds.
In both cases, the sprue plate was warped and didn't fit tight against the top of the mold.

[silverado]

Thanks guys, hit the nail on the head, warped sprue plare, I could read a newspaper through the gap. Losing my confidence in lee slowly but surely

[Larry Gibson]

Don't hold onto the sprue handle. Just hold the blocks closed with the mould handles. When you hold the sprue handle too it pivots the bottom of the blocks open which gives flashing at the bottom of the bullets.

Larry Gibson

[tomme boy]

I had a couple of them doing the same thing. Take the top plate off and check for high spots under were it pivots. I sand it down till the high spots are gone and add a very very light dab of anti seize to that spot. Aluminum galls really easy and Lee uses about the softest aluminum they can find to make their molds from. Try that and see what happens. Just make sure to not put too much anti seize on. You should be able to see a little bit of light below the plate. If it is too tight, it can cause the exact thing that is happening also. By tightening it up, it lifts the other end and flashing will be the result.

[williamwaco]

Don't hold onto the sprue handle. Just hold the blocks closed with the mould handles. When you hold the sprue handle too it pivots the bottom of the blocks open which gives flashing at the bottom of the bullets.

Larry Gibson


This is a VERY important tip for the Lee 6 cavity molds.

[Grmps]

KAL Tool & Die http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?138-KAL-Tool-amp-Die
makes quality steel sprueplate and cam levers for the lee 6 x mold

[Mitch]

I agree it could be gall under the sprue plate at the pivot point.The temp for each mold will be a bit different.Your 44 mold has less mass left in the blocks then the 38 mold so if will act a bit different.And the detail in the booit will make abit of differeance Ie more lube grooves.

[John Boy]

The proper tension on any mold is ... flip the mold with the handles and the sprue plate should swing open. Then you'll have no galling and the bases will be sharp and flat with no flashing.
And with the melt and mold at the same temperature and a 5 second pour in each cavity ... when the sprue puddle frosts - cut the sprue