How snug should the sprue plate be?

[Blkpwdrbuff]

Hey all you mould gurus.
I just received my 413640PB group buy Lee mould.
I w have never used a 6 cavity mould before and was wondering how tight the sprue plate should be.
It seemed a bit snug when I got it.
I have since LeeMented the mould and polished the sprue plate, but I didn't tighten it down quite as tight as it was. It moves easily by hand now.
I'm just not sure how tight it should be.
Thanks in advance,
Blkpwdrbuff:castmine:

[John Boy]

I w have never used a 6 cavity mould before and was wondering how tight the sprue plate should be.
Same tightness as a single or double. The plate should move if you swing the mold with your arm but not be able to see daylight between the top of the mold and the bottom of the plate

[Le Loup Solitaire]

A sprue cutter or plate should not be tight and certainly not overtight. It should just sit flat on top of the blocks and swing free of/on its own weight if the blocks are tilted/tipped. It should not be sloppy either, that is have no up and down play. If the surfaces are true then it will cut the bullet square and produce a flat base. It is not necessary to have any other arrangement/relationship between the cutter & the top of the blocks. in getting a mold to produce good bullets. LLS

[44man]

I like mine a little tighter. Just enough so it needs pulled back with my stick. No light showing between.
I don't want a floppy plate if a boolit sticks a little and I have to tap the handles.
Lee does make them too tight and once you loosen the stupid metal screw it is a bitch to keep it where you want it. I have to put a setscrew in the side.

[chuebner]

The sprue plates on Lee molds seem to get tighter as the mold heats to temp. I have "set-screwed" at least a dozen Lee's with a 1/4" 10-32 screw. No more loose plates or plates too snug at temp.

charlie

[montana_charlie]

I've never handled one of those multi-cavity moulds, but I get the impression they aren't affixed using a spring washer of any kind.

But, speaking of sprue plates in general...
If the pivot screw is tightened only enough to take up part of the tension in the spring washer, the plate can be lifted away from the block surface. But, with no upward force, the plate stays flat to the mould.

This allows the plate to lift momentarily when super heated air is trying to escape from the cavity. Having the plate firmly anchored down, or pressed down hard by a pour spout, prevents venting and results in rounded base corners.

Yes, there are other ways to create vents, but a well-designed mould...with a properly tensioned sprue plate...shouldn't require the modification.
CM

[9.3X62AL]

I set my sprue plates to have just a slight touch of the block top when at full casting temp and empty. By "slight", I mean that the plate won't move at a 45* angle, but will at 90*. I drop-pour from bottom-pour pots, and on long-for-caliber castings use a Lyman dipper.

[runfiverun]

i don't know a lot about aluminum molds as i only own one but i do know that aluminum molds dont need the plates near as tight as you set them on a steel mold.
unless you wanna gall it the first time you open the plate a bit too early.

[Bullshop]

The one rule that you can count on in this business of casting boolits is that there is no one rule that everyone goes by for anything.
BIC/BS

[PatMarlin]

Ain't that the truth.