Bazoo
01-02-2021, 03:18 AM
To say thanks for a couple boxes of cartridges, a friend bought me a new 2 cavity Lee TL452-230-2R.
When I got it, there seemed to be a burr on the cavity edge. I took my fine DMT stone, and gave each face 1 or 2 short strokes diagonally both directions, very very lightly. I use a rag and wiped all oil I could from the mould everywhere.
Then I removed the sprue plate and colored it's underneath, and the block's top with my carpenters pencil. I gave the alignment pins and sprue pivot screw a layer of graphite as well.
I heated the mould in the pot while I read a paragraph or two in Tom Sawyer. Then I opened the sprue cutter and filled the cavities with lighter fluid. It boiled and I let it boil almost out then dumped it. I filled the cavities with lead and it was too hot and took another couple paragraphs to harden so I could cut the sprue. After a few slowish casts the bullets stopped frosting. Right from the start there was no wrinkles, no oil contamination. The bullets dropped with a very light tap, just enough to wiggle the mould the slightest amount. Some dropping upon opening the blocks.
I segregated two, one from each cavity. I set them on an ingot to cool. After a few minutes they were cool enough to measure. They are slightly out of round, .003, but the smallest measurement is just over .452.
Sized the ones I cast and I got 5 rejects out of 5 pounds of bullets. A good casting mould. Not all lee moulds are like this, I got lucky on the size. However my new mould treatment has always given me good results. They weigh 234 grains from ww+sn alloy.
Just thought I'd share.
When I got it, there seemed to be a burr on the cavity edge. I took my fine DMT stone, and gave each face 1 or 2 short strokes diagonally both directions, very very lightly. I use a rag and wiped all oil I could from the mould everywhere.
Then I removed the sprue plate and colored it's underneath, and the block's top with my carpenters pencil. I gave the alignment pins and sprue pivot screw a layer of graphite as well.
I heated the mould in the pot while I read a paragraph or two in Tom Sawyer. Then I opened the sprue cutter and filled the cavities with lighter fluid. It boiled and I let it boil almost out then dumped it. I filled the cavities with lead and it was too hot and took another couple paragraphs to harden so I could cut the sprue. After a few slowish casts the bullets stopped frosting. Right from the start there was no wrinkles, no oil contamination. The bullets dropped with a very light tap, just enough to wiggle the mould the slightest amount. Some dropping upon opening the blocks.
I segregated two, one from each cavity. I set them on an ingot to cool. After a few minutes they were cool enough to measure. They are slightly out of round, .003, but the smallest measurement is just over .452.
Sized the ones I cast and I got 5 rejects out of 5 pounds of bullets. A good casting mould. Not all lee moulds are like this, I got lucky on the size. However my new mould treatment has always given me good results. They weigh 234 grains from ww+sn alloy.
Just thought I'd share.