Bevel base boolit mould giving me fits

[Joel Chavez]

so, after nearly 15yrs of playing with cast boolits i decided to get my first ever bevel base mould(i have no idea what got into me), the H&G #68 clone from Lee. darn thing casts some awfully nice boolits but my issue isn’t the mould, it’s the bevel base. i’m lubing the boolits on a Lyman 45 using an RCBS .451(it sizes at .452) die and commercial 160 from White Label. my issue is that i can’t keep the lube off the bevel base. is there a secret to keeping the lube off the bevel?

[hermans]

Joel, that combination drove me crazy as well.....if you want to lube a lot of boolits it is just too slow and frustrating.
Took the plunge and got me a Star sizer, never looked back again. I also use the same lube, great stuff!

[remy3424]

I have avoided bb designs for this issue, but I now PC and would have no fear of trying them. You might have to plug/block a lube hole or two in the sizer die. There will be folks here that have solved this issue....guessing it has been covered in the past.

[zarrinvz24]

Most people keep a cheap towel next to the sizer. After it comes out sized, wipe the base on the towel. I wouldn’t recommend leaving ammo like this loaded for too long but if you assemble some and shoot it within a month or so it shouldn’t have an issue. As is the rule with ammo, storage determines how long it will last. Cool dry place and stand them up on their bases to avoid the lube contamination of the powder.

[Petrol & Powder]

That is precisely why I avoid BB molds.
I think the solutions are: Get a Star or remove the bevel base from the mold.

[high standard 40]

I solved my BB issues with a different plunger in the H&I die. I realize this option isn't available to everyone. I had a friend with a lathe make the new plunger. Instead of being flat, the new plunger fits the bevel base of the bullet. We went with a new plunger instead of modifying the existing one. That way I could use the flat plunger on flat base bullets. Just change back and forth as needed.

[AndyC]

That is precisely why I avoid BB molds.
I think the solutions are: Get a Star or remove the bevel base from the mold.
^ This.

A Saeco .45acp 230gr RN mold with BB was giving me fits in that exact way too, so I sent it to Erik and had the bevels removed. Of course, a few years later I lucked into a Star sizer for a reasonable price... but I don't for a second regret having the bevels removed on that mold.

[MT Gianni]

You might try setting a gas check on the bevel. It shouldn't crimp to the bullet and will keep the base and some of the sides clean.

[mozeppa]

i powder coat .....done.

[ShooterAZ]

My method to solve the lube on the beveled base problem is this: Take a 45ACP case and sharpen the case mouth with a chamfering tool. Then take the lid of a styrofoam egg carton and cut some plugs from it using the sharpened case (think cookie cutter). Remove the circular styrofoam plug from the case mouth and place them on the plunger of your lube die. The styrofoam will compress and conform itself to the bevel based boolits, and prevent the lube from getting underneath them. I am able to get 100+ boolits lubed with one sytrofoam plug. Have a handful of ready to go plugs set aside for when the styrofoam plugs finally wear out. Sounds complicated, but it's actually easy to do and it works!

[blackthorn]

zarrinvz24: In post #4 you say in part "As is the rule with ammo, storage determines how long it will last. Cool dry place and stand them up on their bases to avoid the lube contamination of the powder."

If you store ammunition standing up, with the base down (projectile up) would not the lube tend to migrate downward into the powder? Am I missing something? Or do I misunderstand your post?

[zarrinvz24]

zarrinvz24: In post #4 you say in part "As is the rule with ammo, storage determines how long it will last. Cool dry place and stand them up on their bases to avoid the lube contamination of the powder."

If you store ammunition standing up, with the base down (projectile up) would not the lube tend to migrate downward into the powder? Am I missing something? Or do I misunderstand your post?

It will eventually, but that tends to take a decent amount of time. At least that’s been my experience.

[MOA]

I'd just take the mold apart and take to machine shop and shorten so bevel is no longer there.

[Joel Chavez]

Case solved!!!!!!

So being a tinkerer(no, not a tinker bell!) i decided to use my makeshift lathe(hand drill and dremel to create a matching bevel on the sizing die stem. well, after 20min or so i came up with this....https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210303/b5918e8fab8b063ecef12b6bbb37dafc.jpg
and the result is this...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210303/307ecc0150f88f9733f71d779a419bfe.jpg

[high standard 40]

Case solved!!!!!!

So being a tinkerer(no, not a tinker bell!) i decided to use my makeshift lathe(hand drill and dremel to create a matching bevel on the sizing die stem. well, after 20min or so i came up with this....https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210303/b5918e8fab8b063ecef12b6bbb37dafc.jpg
and the result is this...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210303/307ecc0150f88f9733f71d779a419bfe.jpg



Similar to what I did, but I used a lathe.

[AndyC]

Well, hell - many ways to skin a cat, it seems. Well done :)

[El Greco]

so, after nearly 15yrs of playing with cast boolits i decided to get my first ever bevel base mould(i have no idea what got into me), the H&G #68 clone from Lee. darn thing casts some awfully nice boolits but my issue isn’t the mould, it’s the bevel base. i’m lubing the boolits on a Lyman 45 using an RCBS .451(it sizes at .452) die and commercial 160 from White Label. my issue is that i can’t keep the lube off the bevel base. is there a secret to keeping the lube off the bevel?
Many years ago I had the same problem. A machinist friend of mine, machined the piston going into the sizing die to fit perfectly with the base of the bullet. No mess no cleaning. I have sold all my dies but I still have the piston. Pay for the postage and you can have it.

[bruce381]

yeah I did both cut off the Bevel then got a star

[Old School Big Bore]

Wow, bunch of ingenious ideas. I've been just using a bottom-wiping rag with a bit of nap to it - a cloth diaper works great but it's a long time since there were any diaper babies in my household...I don't even know if they are still made! I like the beveled seat in the 'I' plug. I'm the guy who buys a set of handles for every mold, so I'd probably buy a duplicate H&I to make it simpler to change 'em out. The egg-carton foam spacer and dummy gas check ideas appeal to me as well. I was looking for an easy way to take the bevel out of a couple of 6-cavity Lees, thought about shaving the deck or hunting up some chucking reamers, but started playing with PC and that appears to be my solution.
Ed <><

[Joel Chavez]

Wow, bunch of ingenious ideas. I was looking for an easy way to take the bevel out of a couple of 6-cavity Lees, thought about shaving the deck or hunting up some chucking reamers, but started playing with PC and that appears to be my solution.
Ed <><

PCing ain’t Ole school son.........lol

[John Boy]

Roll the bullets in Lee Liquid Alox = Zero complaints about lube on the base. OK, next question ...

[gwpercle]

Yes there is a secret .
1) Adjusting the boolit depth so it's just right ... the lube groove at the holes and make sure NO holes are at the base .
2.) Pressure ... you have to learn to put just enough pressure on the lube supply handle to barely fill the lube groove (95% full is OK) and NO MORE pressure ...because you know where that extra lube is going to go right !
3.) keep a towel on your leg , stretched tight and wipe any excess off if you don't get it right .

Takes a while to get the depth right and learn how to lightly put pressure on the lube supply ...
but you can do it !
Gary

[DonHowe]

Buying a Star sizer won't solve your problem unless you bought it from someone who already plugged holes. Star sizer dies came with small lead shot to be used to plug holes in the die.
I have lived happily with a H&G #68 bevel base mold for 35 years, tho mostly with a Star sizer.

[Mitch]

I use the moded push rod.It can be done in a mill or lathe.you can either match the bevel on the bullet or use a simple cup design.

I like simple.for the cup i used a 3/8 carbide end mill. a simple plunge cut .005 to .010 deeper than the bevel on the bullet.ater that i Stoned a angle on the inside of the cup to bring it out to the Od to allmost sharp this will seal the lube from the bevel.lube size as any flat Based bullet.i have never done any other caliber but it should work just as well.One other thing i have done with some of my push rods is replace them with a bit bigger this prevents the warm lubes from seaping up btween the sizer die and rod.A new rod can be made from a gage pin I have noticed that some H&I die have more clerance than others so the less the better.

Yes i know this takes a mill or lathe to do.Maybe some one at you local club works in a shop where they can do it.Maybe you can find a shop where th owner is a shooter and caster.But it is a cure for the problem and would cost less to mod a few rods than buying a Star