My first attempt with new lee mold

[opentop]

This is my first attempt with a new lee mould. Up until now, all my casting experience has pretty much been round ball for front stuffers. Plus, it has been about 7 years since I last cast anything.

I bought a lee .358 125 gr. RF two hole mold from midway. Once I got it, I cleaned it with hot soapy water and smoked the cavities. I heated my alloy up and placed the mold on top of the furnace to warm it up. When I thought the time was right, I started casting. It threw good bullets pretty much from the start. But on the other hand, the front hole would release the bullet most of the time while the second hole stuck most of the time. Also the halves stopped lining up about half way through the casting session. This caused some of the bullets to have fins. Luckily I noticed this right away and threw them back in the pot when this happened. Out of this session, I ended up with 313 keepers and 14 rejects.

The next step will be to correct the alignment problem, then lap the mold with Ajax.

Now, the frustrating part was my Lee bottom dribble. That dang thing dripped and dribbled from the start. I read on this board where one fellow tapped the plunger to make it stop. This worked until the next pour. At one point in time, I tapped it so hard that I didn’t care if I broke it. I had lead splatters all over me, and the garage. I was having a fit because I couldn’t keep my precious alloy in the pot and not on the floor.[smilie=b:

Attached is a picture of my results.:-Dhttp://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee271/Chikin_03/38-125rf.jpg

[725]

I've had similar problems in the past with a botom pour. Pretty much corrected the problem by emptying the pot and giving it a good cleaning. Debris managed to find its way in and prevented a good seal. This was a frequent problem when I was reducing wheel weights, etc. in the bottom pour. Now I do that in a separate cast iron pot and make my ingots from there. Use clean lead and it may help you out.

[xr650]

Nice looking boolits.
I am astounded at the mess a dripper will make in short order. I didn't realize that lead could splash so well.

[454PB]

Good looking boolits!

I keep a dental pick handy and run it up into the nozzle every few hundred boolits to clear out the junk. That eliminates a lot of the drip problems and also assures a full flow from the spout. I don't bang on the plunger, just give it a couple of turns via the screw slot after clearing the nozzle.

[WyrTwister]

This is my first attempt with a new lee mould. Up until now, all my casting experience has pretty much been round ball for front stuffers. Plus, it has been about 7 years since I last cast anything.

I bought a lee .358 125 gr. RF two hole mold from midway. Once I got it, I cleaned it with hot soapy water and smoked the cavities. I heated my alloy up and placed the mold on top of the furnace to warm it up. When I thought the time was right, I started casting. It threw good bullets pretty much from the start. But on the other hand, the front hole would release the bullet most of the time while the second hole stuck most of the time. Also the halves stopped lining up about half way through the casting session. This caused some of the bullets to have fins. Luckily I noticed this right away and threw them back in the pot when this happened. Out of this session, I ended up with 313 keepers and 14 rejects.

The next step will be to correct the alignment problem, then lap the mold with Ajax.

Now, the frustrating part was my Lee bottom dribble. That dang thing dripped and dribbled from the start. I read on this board where one fellow tapped the plunger to make it stop. This worked until the next pour. At one point in time, I tapped it so hard that I didn’t care if I broke it. I had lead splatters all over me, and the garage. I was having a fit because I couldn’t keep my precious alloy in the pot and not on the floor.[smilie=b:



I have several Lee molds .

When I first started , I would smole them or use the Midway mold release .

Now , I just clean them with an ols tooth brush , tooth paste ( mild abrasive & cleaner ) and warm water .

I do not know if they are just broken in , but they work fine .

Also , too much mold release produces under sized bullets .

I too use a screw driver and rotate the " rod " when the dribbles start . If it stopps uo , I strip the plastic back from the end od a bread wrapper twist tie & use the small thin steel wire , thus exposed , to open up the clogged hole , to let the lead flow again .

God bless
Wyr

[44man]

Great boolits but as far as the drip-o-matic, I only have one thing to say, [smilie=w:

[yodar]

Dripping lee pots means alloy is not clean.

FLUX raw alloy several times till no stripes appear on the ingot tops. Stripes are dirt

That dirt makes the lee dribble.

yodar

[Sherlok]

Nice looking bullets.

I have one Lee mould that just will not cast. The other two were fine from the first.

Sherlok

[JIMinPHX]

With the Lee molds, its important to lube the locator pins. If you’re having alignment problems, that’s a good first place to start.

[Newtire]

I threw out the first 10 lb pot I bought at a yard sale because of the dripping but that was in the days before the internet.

I ended up using a frying pan and a spoon until about 4 yrs ago when I bought another "bottom dripper" but this time a 20 lb. version.

It dripped & dripped but a bit of the turning of the screwdriver on the needle valve and it stopped after two or three sessions.

Only drips once every blue moon now & after a couple of twists on the needle, it seems to stop. I think it is just poor finish on the needle & seat that has to be broken in.

[hawkeye1]

I have been using Lee moulds exclusively for years now, and have great results. I do take care to make sure the moulds are perfectly aligned after each set of bullets are dropped. They do float on the handles, so I just seat them back together and then verify that they are together correctly and go to town. Just takes a second and they make great bullets. I use them for 9mm 38, 357, 40 45acp, 45 colt and 454 casull. and 30-30.
As for the Lee bottom pour, mine will drip occasionally, but just a turn back and forth on the stem will usually take care of the drip.

Nice bullets by the way.

good shooting

[calsite]

I always keep a small cast iron drip pan under my pour spout, that way your not losing any of your alloy.

[opentop]

I always keep a small cast iron drip pan under my pour spout, that way your not losing any of your alloy.

I had an ingot mold under mine, but still wound up with glitter all over my clothes.


I'm thinking about stepping up and obtain a new 20 pound bottom dribble, (that way I can loose more lead), lol.

Until then, I think I’m going to take the plunger out of my 10 pounder and clean it out really well and try to dress the seats on the plunger.

[WyrTwister]

I had an ingot mold under mine, but still wound up with glitter all over my clothes.


I'm thinking about stepping up and obtain a new 20 pound bottom dribble, (that way I can loose more lead), lol.

Until then, I think I’m going to take the plunger out of my 10 pounder and clean it out really well and try to dress the seats on the plunger.


I suspect the high heat causes corrosion at the rod and seat ?

I too keep a screwdriver handy to rotate the rod , when the thing starts dripping .

No big deal , just a minor inconvenience .


God bless
Wyr

[Dale53]

Those are VERY good lucking bullets, OPENTOP.

If you get some Bullshot Sprue Plate lube and apply it sparingly to the alignment grooves and pins, you will eliminate the failure to align the mould halves properly. Aluminum is sticky. Bull Plate is the only lube that works for me and it works WELL (just scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on Bullshop).

Dale53

[bfox]

Can you just order one Bull plate lube ?

Does anyone have trouble with the pins on Lee molds coming out
after a while ? I staked all mine so they wouldn't cme out again .

Get something to glue the handles on or they will come off at a bad time .

Bill

[Newtire]

Can you just order one Bull plate lube ?

Does anyone have trouble with the pins on Lee molds coming out
after a while ? I staked all mine so they wouldn't cme out again .

Get something to glue the handles on or they will come off at a bad time .

Bill

There is a good sticky that Buckshot put in on "Leementing" but couldn't find it. Here's another good one by crabo at this link.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=26953&highlight=leement

The Bullshop lube is available at The Bullshop link towards the bottom of this page.

[Dale53]

You can order just one bottle of Bullshop Sprue Plate Lube but you'll pay the same shipping as if you ordered several more. I ordered several bottles and shared them with a couple of friends spreading the shipping between bottles.

Bullshop's shipping costs are minimal (unlike some vendors I could mention:roll:) but the Post Office charges a minimum (just something that we ALL have to live with).

Just a thought or two about acquiring the ONLY mould lube that I have found to work and work REALLY well.

Dale53