A little work on my Lyman 35863

[Ben]

I have 6 cavity wadcutter molds for 38/357, if I want volume casting, I'll get one of them out and can have a " pile of bullets " real fast if I need volume.

The IDEAL / Lyman 35863 has a good reputation for accuracy and I want to see just how well it can shoot. I plan to cast from a single cavity to minimize weight variation when I test this one.

I am looking for precision right now, not volume. Right now, I plan to cast from only the " front cavity" of my 2 cavity 35863 mold.

I bought this thick sprue plate several years ago here on the forum, from who I cannot remember? The sprue plate holds heat very well and cast well with any Lyman two cavity mold that I've used it on.

The sprue in the "front sprue hole " of the plate wanted to stick a bit and the sprue hole in the plate lacked about 1/16" being cut deep enough and had tool marks. I felt that a combination of all this was what was causing my sprue to stick. This can really slow down your casting. I just hate a sprue that sticks ! !

It seemed that the sprue wanted to be torn rather than be cut smoothly on the base of the bullet. In my opinion, this is something that is undesirable and degrades accuracy . Nothing to do but make the necessary changes to the plate.

Today I decided to tackle the problem and took my 6 flute , 60 degree, HS steel counter sink and recut the front hole in the sprue plate at VERY slow rpm with plenty of oil and cleaning using an old tooth brush of the chips and debris during the cutting process.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/012-5.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/haysb/media/012-5.jpg.html)

WOW ! ! What a difference this modification has made in the way this mold cast now. No sticking of the sprue and clean cut bullet bases.

If you have a sprue plate problem and your sprues are sticking, this will cure the problem ! !

See photos below :

Ben

http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p545/Ben35049/PICT0002_zpsf2b016f4.jpg (http://s1155.photobucket.com/user/Ben35049/media/PICT0002_zpsf2b016f4.jpg.html)

http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p545/Ben35049/PICT0007_zpsb96f3fc7.jpg (http://s1155.photobucket.com/user/Ben35049/media/PICT0007_zpsb96f3fc7.jpg.html)

http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p545/Ben35049/PICT0003_zps262274f4.jpg (http://s1155.photobucket.com/user/Ben35049/media/PICT0003_zps262274f4.jpg.html)

http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p545/Ben35049/PICT0006_zpsd3a551e2.jpg (http://s1155.photobucket.com/user/Ben35049/media/PICT0006_zpsd3a551e2.jpg.html)

http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p545/Ben35049/PICT0008_zpsb0d104fe.jpg (http://s1155.photobucket.com/user/Ben35049/media/PICT0008_zpsb0d104fe.jpg.html)

http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p545/Ben35049/PICT0004_zps02cdd3aa.jpg (http://s1155.photobucket.com/user/Ben35049/media/PICT0004_zps02cdd3aa.jpg.html)

http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p545/Ben35049/PICT0011_zpsf0606413.jpg (http://s1155.photobucket.com/user/Ben35049/media/PICT0011_zpsf0606413.jpg.html)

[35 shooter]

Ben i believe you can make or fix anything!:)

[rintinglen]

There is no possibility of those working well, you should send them to me for disposal.:kidding:
Actually, those look marvelous and should shoot like a house afire.

[Ben]

Ben i believe you can make or fix anything!:)

I believe Clint Eastwood once said....." A man has got to know his limitations."

We've all got our limits.

Ben

[cuzinbruce]

That is an excellent bullet. Sometimes called a double ended wadcutter. Popular for the S&W Model 52. Semi-auto target pistol in 38 Special. Requires flush seated wadcutters for proper length to work through magazine.

[Ben]

cuzinbruce


Yes, you're correct, I've read quite a bit about this bullet and it was popular in the Model 52 Smith.

Ben

[Ben]

http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p545/Ben35049/013_zps2ff3a3f1.jpg (http://s1155.photobucket.com/user/Ben35049/media/013_zps2ff3a3f1.jpg.html)

[tazman]

There a at least 2 different styles of that boolit. One like yours where the ends don't match and one where they do. In the one where both ends match, the shape is the same as the end of yours that has the shorter taper.

[1989toddm]

Thanks Ben! I may end up doing this to a couple of my sprue plates, the Lee ones do tend to stick unless at a certain temperature, which is sometimes different for different molds. Yesterday afternoon I found some time to go break in my new 6 cav lee 358-125-RF. I found out that the sprues just dropped off the plate when everything was hot and I was casting in good rhythm with my pot set on 700(dont have a PID or good thermometer).

[texassako]

Thanks for the tip on how you recut the sprue plate hole. I rediscovered your thread while researching the 35863. I just finished(almost) rebuilding a nasty, rusty, bare block 4 cavity Ideal 35863 that I picked up here in S&S. The new sprue plate out of Lyman rebuild kit sticks the sprue like crazy, rough and not beveled all the way through.

[bhn22]

Wadcutters! I like wadcutters (relapse imminent, see sig line).