Burrs on Bullets after sizing...how to remove them ?

[Wreck-n-Crew]

I had a problem with one of my molds. Recast several bullets after cleaning the mold etc yet they were still casting out a round a little and when they came out of the sizer most have burrs and some are pretty evident. I am hoping to deburr them as swiftly and easily as possible. Dremel? Anyone have any experience with this?

I figured maybe a utility knife and clean them up but that is a big task. Remelting them and casting them would do nothing because of the mold and I need to get these done. and help would be appreciated.

Here is worst of them...most are not that bad:
125884 125885

[Certaindeaf]

That's a hell of a burr.

[ShooterAZ]

Those would go back in the melt pot. Can't tell for sure by the pics, but you may be getting some flashing due to opening the mold a bit too soon.

[Certaindeaf]

I'd use a bastard file.. no slight intended. And perhaps some more heat and tin and read some "stickies"/how to cast bullets.

[skeeter2]

just use your fingernail. They tear right off. I have gotten them on my hollowpoint mold. I've also got them after sizing. No tools required. Rip them off.

[Wayne Smith]

I'd need to know what is causing the flash. Something is not right with that mold or the way it is being used, and my guess is that it is the mold. You are getting some significant leaking of lead on one side of the base of the bullet. This should be cut by the sprue cutter. You need to figure out the cause and then re-cast them. You will never get them perfectly flat with a file, and the base of the boolit steers it.

[Cherokee]

I think you are getting some lead flow under the sprue plate giving you a ring that ends up as that burr. Look carefully at the boolit bases before you dump them. Run your finger around the base after you dump them (and they cool), yoiu should be able to feel the ring. The sprue plate may not be lying flat on the top of the mold or it might be warped.

[blaser.306]

x2 for the lead under the sprue plate theory, Check to see how tight the plate screw is . Also what kind of mould is it? If it is aluminum and you are running it hot enough for a "lake of lead" to form under the sprue plate before it solidifies, chances are the life expectancy is going to be short? And if brass I would bet on soldering??? And last but not least, what kind of sizer are you using? If it a Lee push thru, it looks as though you are doing it dry, and with an undersized punch, the same could be said if it were a star sizer ( I hope not ) Keep at it and it will all come to you. That is the beauty of casting your own! Nobody has to see your mistakes , unless you decide to share. Forgott to ask, what diameter are you casting ? And to what diameter are you sizing to? If it is a large step down the tail that you are seeing could be getting "dragged" off the outer diameter of the boolit. Just thinking out loud and YMMV.

[dragonrider]

"and when they came out of the sizer most have burrs and some are pretty evident."

Seems to me they are not coming out of the mold like that. What are you using to size??

[Springfield]

Try some Bullshop sprue lube, it keeps the lead from flowing under the sprue plate.

[prs]

To me, going by your story, it seems to be more than one problem. Out of round boolits could be damaged mold faces making the produce too wide diagonal to the seam lines. If the out of round is across the seam line, then maybe you could use Beagle's trick to widen in the other dimension. The flash you show seems to hint of a Lee Push Through Sizer being used with a push stem that is a caliber or two too small. The push stem needs to fit the boolit base almost perfectly, especially with soft alloy.

prs

[John Boy]

Those bullets look to be an indicative example that the sprue plate is too loose and the melt is flowing over the top of the mold and under the plate ... so, tighten the plate down so that when you swing the mold handles, the plate opens and there is no wiggle between the plate and the top of the mold

[varmint243]

What brand/type sizer are you using ?
I use a LAM II, the bullet goes in base first, there is no way I could get that to happen at the base of the bullet.
How about posting some pics of your entire mould/casting/sizing setup ?

[petroid]

From your pic, it looks like you are sizing with a Lee push thru and unlubed. If the Lee sizer is not perfectly smooth, it will pull the lead as the bullet is pushed through, making a "skirt" as you have experienced. Lubing the bullets before sizing may help this. I powder coat or Hi-tek coat my bullets, and a light wetting with mineral spirits gives enough lube to prevent this from happening.

[wv109323]

Loose sprue plate or the bullets are being sized down too much. Are the molds halves closing all the way?

[GLL]

How about pics of the bullet bases BEFORE sizing?
What is the base diameter before sizing? How much are you sizing down?

Jerry

[hithard]

You said it, boolits out of round, then yes, you are going to have this problem as the sizer has to move the excess lead some where. This is not a sprue plate problem, it's a mold problem.

Check your mating surfaces again, as well as the alignment pins and corresponding holes. I would then check the hinge/pins, not only for debri but for overall straightness.

If this is a lee mold, throw it away, minus the handles and buy a new one.

[scottfire1957]

I had a problem with one of my molds. Recast several bullets after cleaning the mold etc yet they were still casting out a round a little and when they came out of the sizer most have burrs and some are pretty evident. I am hoping to deburr them as swiftly and easily as possible. Dremel? Anyone have any experience with this?

I figured maybe a utility knife and clean them up but that is a big task. Remelting them and casting them would do nothing because of the mold and I need to get these done. and help would be appreciated.

Here is worst of them...most are not that bad:
125884 125885


That is after sizing? A smaller mould might help. Or a different sizing die.

[Wreck-n-Crew]

The mold is bad and needs replaced. 125976 I need the bullets done, a little impatient I recon. Maybe I should have pointed out the defunct mold first!:oops: It won't align.

It has been failing to align from first use. My other molds (3) were fine right out of the gate.

[prs]

In all honesty, with powder and primers scarce and expensive, I would not waste them on those boolits. You can make-up some rounds that will go BANG, not much good for anything requiring accuracy and reliable function of firearm. If the damage to the mold face is pretty much limited to what you show with the bore that receives the pin, you can probably correct that with a hand held reamer or drill press mounted counter sink bit. A sharp mortising chisel might be effective for shaving off those lead beards, but have some Band-Aids handy.

prs

[Silverboolit]

Junk the mold. Life is too short to use bad bollits. Order a LEE if money is a little tight and start making good ones.

That mold has been abused and will never throw good bullets without spending some serious money on it.

[Wreck-n-Crew]

Junk the mold. Life is too short to use bad bollits. Order a LEE if money is a little tight and start making good ones.

That mold has been abused and will never throw good bullets without spending some serious money on it.
That is a Lee 6 cavity..it was Brand new. It is the only one of the four new Lee molds that did it. Aluminum does not melt easy and I never got these hotter than 700-750 degrees max. The last time I saw aluminum do that was at Hollander Industries. There is something wrong with aluminum that does that at those temps IMO. Sending it back to LEE.

Thanks for all the responses. think i may have to wait on good bullets.

[Echo]

My guess is that, as a previous poster said, you are using a Lee sizer with un-lubricated boolits. Try TL'ing them, then run them through base first.
I have had similar problems with my Star when sizing nose-first. I know Star recommends that, but it doesn't work for me. I loob/size them base first, without problems. I suggest you try the same...
And if that picture is of a new Lee mould, I suggest that you send a picture to whoever you bought it from and request your money back.

[GLL]

That photo can't possibly be a new LEE 6-cavity ??? Where are the vent lines?
It has been seriously damaged by someone !

Can you post a photo that shows all six cavities?

Jerry

[taco650]

I lube every boolit I put through my Lee push through sizers before running them through. I tried doing it without lubing and almost got one stuck.

[Boolit_Head]

It also does not help that you are using push through sizing. That is always going to move the "extra" lead toward the base. With the Lyman/RCBS type it tend to move the excess into the lube grove and leave the base clear.

[Silverboolit]

If that is new, return it for a new one. My guess is that someone returned it and it was resold to you in poor condition, maybe? Looks as though someone tried to set the sockets in with a punch by staking the outside hole.