PDA

View Full Version : Spare plate opening force



metricmonkeywrench
12-13-2021, 08:24 PM
Doing a bit of casting the other night as I was musing all the deep thoughts of all of the worlds problems as I was casting merrily away and I glanced up and noted my fishing type pull scale hanging on the wall and the gears on the brain pan began turning.

Has anyone put a pull gauge (trigger, fishing, luggage etc) on a sprue plate tab to get a reading on what the force to open, not cutting of course, should be? Or in other words what does right feel like? I know there are the various factors such as pivot screw and spring washer type, sprue plate finish and so on. Most of my moulds are second hand and I figure about all of them have been tinkered with, some by me as well.

I'm mostly interested in hearing about Lyman 1,2 and 4 cavity and Lee 2 and 4 cavity moulds, but the question stands for about any manufacturers mould.

Winger Ed.
12-13-2021, 08:50 PM
I adjust mine to a slight drag, but I never measured it with a scale.
I don't want to scratch the top of the blocks, but if there is some Lead flashing on top of the block
at the boolit's base when I cut the sprue, I'll tighten it a tiny bit.

Ya just have to get a feel for what's right with your application.