Putting the screws to my mold

[brewer12345]

I did my second casting session today. The new Lyman 2 cavity 338 RNFP 158 grain mold was better behaved than last time, but the screws keep wanting to back out. The sprue plate screw is the worst and I have tightened it so many times I am starting to strip the darned screw. Is there an obvious solution? Now that it is getting broken in the mold produces very nice boolits, but having to constantly retighten screws is a nuisance and ruins my casting rhythm.

[Jack Stanley]

Couple of ways to get it done . You can find the spot where the plate lies flat and mark the head of the screw that is on the side of the set screw . Then file a flat on the shaft of the screw for the set screw to contact . Or if it bears against threads , cut a small piece of cartridge brass and drop down the hole onto the threads the snug the set screw . You might try a few extra set screws and see if one fits your threads a little more tightly as well .

Jack

[country gent]

On most lyman moulds a longer set screw can be installed and tightened then a jam nut installed to lock it.

[gwpercle]

I stop the set screw/sprue plate loosening by snipping off a short piece of soft aluminum wire , dropping it into the set screw hole . When tightened the soft aluminum is pressed into the threads and resists loosening.
Remember as the mould heats up you may have to loosen set screw and tighten the sprue plate screw a little but the aluminum section wedged into the screw threads keeps it from continuously loosening as you cast.
Gary

[Grmps]

If your not lubricating the sprue plate screw this could be a problem, too much friction. Fill the mold, cut the sprue leaving the boolits in the mold and then lubricate the sprue screw. I use a piece of lube stick from my lube sizer. A little goes a long way, touch the side of the screw head on the plate and work the plate back and forth for a while wiping any excess lubricant of as it appears (this will mess up your fill out if it gets in the cavity, give you wrinkled boolits) You also want to very lightly lube the allignment pins.

[gwpercle]

A little synthetic two stroke oil on a Q-Tip works well also. The secrete is leaving boolits in mould, lightly rubbing on a thin layer on top of block , underside of sprue plate and wiping surfaces with an old rag. Just a molecule thickness on the surfaces is enough...any more will contaminate the cavities and wrinkle the boolits. I had a hard time learning this and was always putting on too much.
Just touch the Q-Tip to the side of the sprue plate screw, enough will lube the hole. The screw/plate hole needs a touch so the plate doesn't unscrew itself when opening....again just a touch here.
Gary

[beagle]

Or a ball off one of the old beaded key chains (they're plated brass) works well too./beagle


Couple of ways to get it done . You can find the spot where the plate lies flat and mark the head of the screw that is on the side of the set screw . Then file a flat on the shaft of the screw for the set screw to contact . Or if it bears against threads , cut a small piece of cartridge brass and drop down the hole onto the threads the snug the set screw . You might try a few extra set screws and see if one fits your threads a little more tightly as well .

Jack

[mazo kid]

A single ball of shot in the set screw hole also works well.