Lee Spruce Plate modification?

[Anyracoon]

I just got a Lee Precision 457-340-F Double Cavity Mold that is a bear to get the bullet cavities to fill out. I run my pot at 750 degrees and don't have a problem with casting with a Lyman 45-70 292 grain style mold. I noticed that the spruce plate holes are larger on the Lyman mold and was thinking of opening up the smaller holes that are on this Lee mold. Anyone else run into this kind of problem?

[Grmps]

I read this somewhere on this forum and it worked for me. Take a sharpening stone (I used a diamond hone) and break the top edge of the mold on each side. This will look like a thin line and will help the mold to vent and fill better. OR you could use a carbide scribing tool and enlarge some of the vent lines. If you have smoked the mold heavly you may have plugged up the vent lines

[MT Chambers]

Keep spruce or any other softwood away from molds.

[OBCoal]

If you drill the hole larger make sure you stone the burr off the bottom of the sprue cutter .

[Pawpaw757]

MT, being as how I'm new to casting I'm curious about keeping softwood away from molds. What affect does it have on molds?

[blackthorn]

MT, being as how I'm new to casting I'm curious about keeping softwood away from molds. What affect does it have on molds?

Not MT but----"Spruce" anything is wood! "Sprue" plates are made of metal! LOL. Have a great day.

[psweigle]

As stated, make sure the vent lines aren't clogged with soot or lead, for that matter. And the holes in a lee sprue plate should be just fine, you may want to pour a little slower. This has seemed to work for me in the bigger cavity molds.

[farmerjim]

I think Spell correct programs like softwoods.

[popper]

Lightly rub a dry qtip along the sides of the cavities to check for burrs in the vent lines. Preheat the mould. Pour through the sprue hole, not on the hole - a lot of air escapes through the hole.

[HeavyMetal]

My newest Lee mold is for a 38-55 sprue plate holes are to small but work well when using a Ladle, since it's a two cavity mold I'll suggest you try it you'll still make as many boolits and with the Ladle they'll be more keepers.

HM

[country gent]

I break the top edges all around the blocks with a very light 45* bevel. I do this with ahome made polish stick and 600-800 grit sand paper attached with double faced tape. This provides a vent line under the sprue plate and the outside edges smooths the plate movement. It doesn't take a lot just enough line to be visable to the eye on each side. If you decide tyto open up the sprue hole its not a straight hole but a cutting edge use a 82* counter sink and cut until new edge is the dia you want. I do this by clamping the mould in a solid vise and locking it to drill press table then turning the counter sink in the chuck by hand with light down pressure on the spindle. this slow rpm and feed save chattering of the cutter in a lighter machine. If turning is a problem use a pin in the chuck hole to give more leverage.

[jcren]

Just wanted to add, the aluminum molds tend to suck heat from the sprue plate. I had fits getting square bases until I figured out that the sprue plate was too cool and was freezing the lead before it filled to the corners. Btw, when you start getting "flash" at the bullet base, don't just keep tightening the sprue plate, cool it off on a damp rag. Too hot allow lead to run into the slight gap between block and sprue.

[Traffer]

I had an experience recently where there was a contaminant on the top of the mold between the sprue plate and the mold. It was causing the same phenomenon. I was doing everything the way I always do it but the lead was not going into the mold. I can't remember what it turned out to be but I cleaned the entire mold with alcohol and all worked well again. So, maybe just a cleaning will help you out.

[gwpercle]

I find pressure casting with a ladle that has a little side spout , like the Lyman or RCBS dippers , help me with fill out and as long as I have enough alloy in the dipper I will get good boolits.
I like mine as perfectly filled out as possible and pressure casting helps a lot.
Gary

[gunwonk]

MT, being as how I'm new to casting I'm curious about keeping softwood away from molds. What affect does it have on molds?

If you smoke your mold with burning softwood, the smoke may be thick enough to plug up your vent lines, and then the bullets will not fill out until you clean everything and start over.

[Grmps]

I smoke my molds with the same butane lighter I burn my flux with

[Elkins45]

I have found that scratching a line from the hole to the edge of the sprue plate with a nail or even the edge of a screwdriver does wonders for base fillout. The air needs somewhere to go and if the hole is full of pouring lead this gives a route for it to escape. Just a tiny scratch is all it takes.

[indian joe]

(this is a little stale now but......)
I drilled my Lee molds to 11/64th sprue plate hole - does not sound a lot but made a big difference ---particularly for heavy bullets -- and yeah be sure to smooth the surface of the plate after .