Lee 6 cavity 9mm RN stripped bolt hole.

[smkummer]

So the spru plate bolt hole that the spru plate pivots on is striped out. This mold is over 15 years old and has cast thousands of bullets. Has anyone fixed the stripped hole with heli coil? If I could get a longer bolt, I could maybe modify the mold to accept a nut on the other end. Maybe it’s time for another mold and part this one out. Thanks.

[Dusty Bannister]

I have used the helicoil repair kit for the bolts that secure the blocks to the handles. If the threaded piece it too long, you will need to do a little grinding for clearance. For the hinge bolt, the blocks are cut exactly the same so you could consider reversing the blocks and attach the sprue plate so the hold down bolt is now the hinge bolt, etc. A helicoil thread repair is best but perhaps the usual steel wool repair for a bolt that will remain in place might serve for now. It is time to get a replacement mold, but right now that is likely impossible.

[smkummer]

Oh, I never thought of reversing the mold! I’ll try that with using copper wire on the stripped hole.

[smkummer]

It’s fixed for now. 8 strands of copper wire through the stripped hole is holding the rear bolt for now.

It worked long enough to empty the 20lb. Lee pot. At this point, I believe only a heli coil will save it. If not, it led a good life making thousands of bullets as my first 9mm mold.

[stinjie]

You can repair it by using a stud.Drill down into the lower part of the mold,1/4 inch fine thread tap and run a stud all the way into the lower end of the mold and use 2 thin jamb nuts on top of the sprue plate.

[Starsizer]

You can repair it by using a stud.Drill down into the lower part of the mold,1/4 inch fine thread tap and run a stud all the way into the lower end of the mold and use 2 thin jamb nuts on top of the sprue plate.

Great idea!

[Old Caster]

If you have access to a lathe and a drill press, you can drill with a #7 bit to fit a 1/4 x 20 inch tap and then take a 1/4 inch bolt and drill and tap it to the correct thread in the lathe for the existing bolt. Use some red thread locker and install the drilled and tapped bolt making sure it is a bit below flush.

[1hole]

I've "repaired" stripped threads in lots of things by simply tapping the stripped hole to the next larger size bolt.

Tip: When tapping in steel use (SAE) fine threads; when tapping in aluminum use coarse threads.

[mdi]

Standard mechanic's fix is either drill and tap to next larger thread size or install a Helicoil. I "lost" my helicoil kit during my last move and the kit I had was about $35.00 on Amazon. It is easier, cheaper and quicker to drill and tap to the next larger size. Both will work...

[Conditor22]

Great idea!

I'd try this with a hex bolt with a short smooth area for the sprue plate to ride on and threads for the bottom half of the mold, also drill and tap 2 set screws on the side of the mold to hold the bolt in place. it doesn't matter if the threads are too long, you can always thread a nut on the end, cut it to the desired length, smooth the end and unscrew the nut.

[Larry Gibson]

Just a couple days ago I had to repair the sprue plate bolt on my own 9mm Lee 6 cavity mould. While the bolt did not strip the threads in the mould it broke off. I drilled a hole in the broken part still in the mould and tried an "easy out" to remove it. The bolt was so tight in the mould it shattered the easy out. So now I had a real problem with the hardened part of the easy out stuck on the bolt in the mould......

I ended up just drilling the whole thing out from the bottom which necessitated locating the correct spot for the new hole in the bottom. Not really that hard. I then drilled the bolt hole out and tapped it with a 5/16 x 18 NC tap. A short 5/16" bolt (shown laying on the mould) fits the sprue plate bolt hole perfectly. A wave washer is between the bolt head and the sprue plate. Notice i slightly angle the hole so the edge of the bolt was pressing down on the sprue plate. I had cogitated that might give a better "fit" of the sprue plate to the top of the mould. It does indeed do that. An additional hole was drilled in the side for a set screw. Once the bolt was adjusted so the sprue plate was flat against the mould blocks (there is no visible space seen between them!) the spot was marked through the hole and a flat was filed there for the set screw to prevent the bolt from turning in or backing out. I subsequently have cast 700 + bullets with the mould.

279519

[alfloyd]

King-serts work better than Heli coil's do.

Lafaun

[Springfield]

I install a new bolt like Larry does except I put a large flat washer under the bolt head to give more support for the sprue plate. I have never figured out why LEE thinks those tiny little wave washers do anything at all. I shoot a LOT of 44-40 bullets in SASS and have over 40,000 bullets through each of my 3 MAV moulds, and none of them have any of the original pivot or stop bolts, but they now work well. It would be nice if he used the better aluminum like Mihec does, it holds up much better. Now I need to get a Torx head set screw like Larry shows, the allen head ones always seem to fit the wrench too loose.

[Conditor22]

leementing == installing set screw for sprue plate pivot screw, installing a flat head screw under the Lee 6X sprue plate opening lever to protect the mold, and polishing mold cavity pictures/instructions


https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?32584-Leementing-Documentation-w-Photos

[MSUICEMAN]

as mentioned before, keenserts are pretty sweet things. also regular pressed in inserts would probably work also.