When to give up on a mold

[Wolfdog91]

When do you finally just say it's time for a new mold ? Say you bought a cheap lee or a old used one , when do you just stop trying to make it cast and decide it's time for either just a new one or a better quality one ?

[M-Tecs]

Providing the mold isn't beat up most castability problems come from venting issues. They can be corrected. Some of the very small aluminum single cavity blocks can be an extreme pain to cast with. I haven't used that type of mold since I started using a hotplate. The hotplate may or may not help but it would be a starting point.

What issues are you having?

[Dave W.]

When a person gets frustrated enough trying to make it cast good boolits.

In my case, I have several 6 gang Lee molds, after some polishing they cast boolits good enough for punching holes in paper. Then I ran across a Master Caster at a decent price, it casts better boolits. Now I use it for the majority of my casting. But the Lee molds still get some use for small quantity runs.

[GhostHawk]

I have given up on a couple. Both cases they were Lee 2 cavity molds that I beat up before I knew better. In both cases I replaced with 6 cavity molds from Lee.

Gave them the Liquid Wrench Dry Lube treatment with a q-tip. Burrs found got polished off.

One I was able to salvage somewhat, it was the .312 185 gr GC, I reamed it out to .315 and only use it for the Mosin's.

[Bazoo]

I generally fix them if they won’t drop bullets. I generally don’t bother if they are out of round or undersized and need lapping. But I got one I am going to go to the effort on I think.

Watcha got? Maybe you can swap it.

[Winger Ed.]

Whatever it's doing or not doing is probably fixable unless it is really seriously damaged.
A better description and picture would help a lot.

To answer your question:
If you find a design you like better in that caliber--- it's always time to buy a new mold for it.
And bear no illusions--- sometimes the best and most expensive molds can have 'issues'.

[BLAHUT]

I am don't quiet on one, I finger out why ???

[Dusty Bannister]

I would say it depends upon whether the mold is worn out or just being "reluctant". It would also depend upon if the mold was "prepared" to fit a specific firearm. My first Lee 6 cav mold was the Lee 356-120-TC. I lapped it a little larger for use in the 38/357 as well as the 9MM. I drilled and tapped for the hinge plate bolt set screw. The threads stripped so the mold block attachment screws would not work. Helicoil thread repair kit, still running just fine, as does the replacement I finally bought, just in case.

If you have a mold that is fighting you, set it aside for a few months, and do the basics and see if it works better. You might learn how to fix the problem by just waiting and not tossing the mold. I have learned a whole lot since i first started casting.

[Bigslug]

Your time is the most valuable component. If your cheap "deal" mold isn't behaving after sinking in significant time, just how much of a "deal" was it?

Looked at another way, if your time is worth $25 an hour, and you've spent eight hours trying to get a usable .30 caliber rifle bullet, that's $200 you could have put toward about 400 Sierra Matchkings - - OR a shiny new 4-cavity brass mold from Accurate.

The objective is to go shooting, which requires bullets. If ya ain't making bullets, ya ain't shooting. You may get lucky with a yard sale mold purchase and should not necessarily avoid them, but if the investment turns out to have been a false promise, cut your losses and kick the crap to the curb.

[dogdoc]

In the price range of bullet moulds I have more money than time at this point in my life so I will mess with a few times to get it right . If not, I move on to a new one pretty quick. Oddly bad moulds have been rare for me. Bad cast are usually from mystery metal or not enough tin,antimoney in my alloy

[Dusty Bannister]

If a person feels that their time is worth $25.00 an hour, why cast at all, just buy commercial cast and take what is offered. For many of us this is not a job so the salary issue is moot. For those that are retired, it is a pleasant way to pass the day because the pay is the same whether we roll out of bed at 6AM or lounge until 7 or 8AM. When I go out to the shed, I am "off the clock" and the passing of time is not a factor. We all have different priorities, hence some tinker, some toss, and some just never take the time to try casting at all....

[owejia]

My perspective on questionable molds and most things in life, if it is a easy fix no problem, just fix the problem and continue to use it. On the other hand when the problem stresses you out and the fixes don't work, just move on to a better quality mould. Life is hard so why make it harder on yourself!!!! An example of recent stress was when my Bridgeport mill motor started to lose power and smoke while drilling and power tapping holes. Old mill step pulley motor using a 3 phase converter, been set up and running for over 20 years in my barn/garage, first thought old motor brushes wore out, proceed to remove motor and take into rebuild shop. After three weeks called and was told motor was fine couldn't find anything wrong with it. Started looking for a replacement phase converter on line. Decided to test incoming voltage and out going voltage all checked with in range of 240 + volts. So started to disconnect the wires in the junction box on the phase converter and found a wire was loose on one of the outgoing three phase legs, tightened screw and everything works as should. Have no idea how the screw got loose after 20 years of using the mill. Moral of the story start with the simplest solutions first and maybe your stress level will go down. Have many gun related jobs to do using my mill, so back to work. Age also has a lot to do with stress, older I get the easier it is to just buy something that works instead of working on things that doesn't.

[dogdoc]

My perspective on questionable molds and most things in life, if it is a easy fix no problem, just fix the problem and continue to use it. On the other hand when the problem stresses you out and the fixes don't work, just move on to a better quality mould. Life is hard so why make it harder on yourself!!!! An example of recent stress was when my Bridgeport mill motor started to lose power and smoke while drilling and power tapping holes. Old mill step pulley motor using a 3 phase converter, been set up and running for over 20 years in my barn/garage, first thought old motor brushes wore out, proceed to remove motor and take into rebuild shop. After three weeks called and was told motor was fine couldn't find anything wrong with it. Started looking for a replacement phase converter on line. Decided to test incoming voltage and out going voltage all checked with in range of 240 + volts. So started to disconnect the wires in the junction box on the phase converter and found a wire was loose on one of the outgoing three phase legs, tightened screw and everything works as should. Have no idea how the screw got loose after 20 years of using the mill. Moral of the story start with the simplest solutions first and maybe your stress level will go down. Have many gun related jobs to do using my mill, so back to work. Age also has a lot to do with stress, older I get the easier it is to just buy something that works instead of working on things that doesn't.

Occam’s razor ?

[gwpercle]

You don't need to "give up " on a mould ... It's perfectly Okay to own a Lee double cavity and a NOE 4 cavity of the same/similar design . Keep the two cavity as a Loaner ... you know the guy that can break an anvil , when he wants to borrow your mould ... lend him the Lee !
Gary

[stubshaft]

The very first mold that I bought in the late 60's was a Lee 30-150-F single cavity mold. It has cast tens of thousands of bullets and still does to this day. I have collected over 100 molds to date from ALL of the different manufacturers including the custom ones. The cost of the mold does NOT diminish the quality of the bullet.

[Thin Man]

I have had only 2 molds that refused to cast a decent boolit for me. The first is appears to be a Lyman in the 462560 design. It casts a 545 boolit grain that is RF and GC and is sometimes called Thor's Hammer. I said "appears" because the blocks have NO data stamped on them - brand, style, nothing. The second is an RCBS 35-200-RF mold that I bought new. Both have the same challenge - they have to be hot enough to melt the mold into a puddle before they will fill out and make a useable boolit. Having learned that lesson I can now use them with success. All my other molds are more social and will fill out with less heat.

[243winxb]

Lee- most problems.

Lyman, RCBS, Saeco - litte to none. Had to enlarge a sprue plate hole on a Saeco. Lyman handle bolt needed peening.
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?media/albums/casting-bullets.310/

[ascast]

At this stage of my game, I would not waste 2 minutes on a mold that won't work. The fine print is that I have cast zillions of bullets with all kinds of brands. I have a procedure I follow to identify problems. I also have a procedure for curing said problems. So I know pretty quick if I can fix it. Next is the time economy calculation. I have spent a couple hours resurfacing a mold because I know it will work.

[Harter66]

If I gave up on a mould after 10 tries I'd have chucked 1 each of 80 or so that I've had , NOE 287154 5c aluminum and MP 462-420 PB/HP brass . The NOE for whatever reason is a great 3-4 cavity mould in spite of having 5 . 1&5 just don't want to cast at the same time 2,3,4 run great but I think I finally have it figured out. I cast 125 keepers last time on 35 pours . The MP is a delight ......now . I like to never got it to play though . It's a nose pour and I had great noses and both the HB and PB pins made beautiful bases it was just everything between the top band and the middle of the base band that sucked . It'd be pulling metal hot on one block and wrinkle cold on the other ....... Seriously I was never so close ........I was actually picking a cliff into a brine lake to throw it off . About 25 heat cycles and the 15-16th casting session bam! Good bullets the next time beautiful bullets . But that first 3-4 months was just procreative abandonment over board in the river Styx .

[Michael J. Spangler]

If it’s a Lee. As soon as I see that I like the rough bullet design I replace it with a better mould from MP.

[elmacgyver0]

I guess I don't cast that many boolits.
What is there to wear out on a mold?
So far all of my Lee molds are fine.
I did break a sprue cutter lever trying to cut sprues when cold, but that was my fault.

[reddog81]

The mold I have cast most with is probably a Lee 6 cavity 357-140 SWC. I’m sure I have 10,000 bullets out of it and 20,000 wouldn’t surprise me. I bought a replacement mold for the day when it eventually gives out however I have no desire to buy a “better” mold. The Lee mold does what it supposed to do and works well.

[gwpercle]

When do you finally just say it's time for a new mold ? Say you bought a cheap lee or a old used one , when do you just stop trying to make it cast and decide it's time for either just a new one or a better quality one ?

I was thinking some more on your question ... and believe I have a better answer ...

When your casting consistently produces more unusable boolits than useable boolits
And you have tried everything you can think of and everything we could think of to fix that .
Then it's time to throw in the towel and buy a new mould or send the offending mould back to maker .

You will always have some rejects , I like nearly perfect boolits so am picky about what I keep ... but even so 85% to 90% of the ones I drop should be near perfect "Keepers" ...
Usually If I do my part with heating , the moulds will perform . I had one old unvented Ideal that needed a vent line scratched in the flat face before it would cast .
Newer moulds are much better vented.

Wolfdog ... what exactly is the nature of the problem ?
Don't let lack of a good excuse stop you from buying a new mould ... any excuse to buy a new / improved / better mould , is a good excuse .

And don't forget , when casting boolits , you have to hold your mouth right !

Gary

[justindad]

If a boolit mold annoys you - get rid of it.
*
I have given up on aluminum molds entirely - no more aluminum for me (just give me a year to justify the cost.)

[Wolfdog91]

I was thinking some more on your question ... and believe I have a better answer ...

When your casting consistently produces more unusable boolits than useable boolits
And you have tried everything you can think of and everything we could think of to fix that .
Then it's time to throw in the towel and buy a new mould or send the offending mould back to maker .

You will always have some rejects , I like nearly perfect boolits so am picky about what I keep ... but even so 85% to 90% of the ones I drop should be near perfect "Keepers" ...
Usually If I do my part with heating , the moulds will perform . I had one old unvented Ideal that needed a vent line scratched in the flat face before it would cast .
Newer moulds are much better vented.

Wolfdog ... what exactly is the nature of the problem ?
Don't let lack of a good excuse stop you from buying a new mould ... any excuse to buy a new / improved / better mould , is a good excuse .

And don't forget , when casting boolits , you have to hold your mouth right !

Gary

Mold just plain not casting good, wrinkles fins ect. I've read and re read watched and re watched did allll kinda of heat cycling and mold prep and I just can't get anything going good. Honestly just tired off messing with them. Looking at biting the bullet buying some nice alloy from roto and MP/ NOE molds and just run them

With what I want to do good enough and ok just plain don't cut it.

[Chena]

I have a Lee .309-160-R that is very close to being thrown on the junk pile. I’ve tried everything to get it to drop bullets easily and it plain old refuses. It’s the only piece of Lee equipment I have ever had outright fail to work as advertised.

[slim1836]

I have a new one from a well known maker that would not cast a decent boolit until I smoked the mold as a last resort. I tried everything prior to that, and I hate to smoke my molds.

Slim

[gwpercle]

Mold just plain not casting good, wrinkles fins ect. I've read and re read watched and re watched did allll kinda of heat cycling and mold prep and I just can't get anything going good. Honestly just tired off messing with them. Looking at biting the bullet buying some nice alloy from roto and MP/ NOE molds and just run them

With what I want to do good enough and ok just plain don't cut it.

Life's too short ... Order a nice new mould and start fresh .

I started casting with Lyman steel moulds and then Lee came out with $9.95 moulds and being a tight wad penny pinching Cajun I started buying them .
I learned how to make Lee's work because I'm stubborn .
After hearing all the talk about "custom" moulds I decided I just had to buy one and make sure they wern't as all fired nice as everyone claimed ...couldn't be was my thought ...
In 2015 I get my first 4 Cavity NOE , set me back $92.00 ... a 2 cavity Lee was $19.95 ...
Well I was dead wrong ... that NOE is just a joy to use , it must be broke in correctly and cleaned and lubed correctly but after that it's a Joy To Use .
I started buying NOE Moulds whenever I could scrape to gether a $100 bill .
I think I have 6 or 7 now ... even a "Elmer Keith Signature " mould ...
When Lyman stopped making 41 magnum moulds I started buying the designs I wanted from NOE ... some I cast with , the Signature Moulds ( 38 cal & 41 cal. ) are just works of art .

Life's too danged short ... get a few good moulds and really enjoy the hobby ...
Are they worth the cost ? Heck Yeah ... they are worth every penny !
Gary

[charlie b]

Over the years I've owned a LOT of Lee molds. All but 2 of them worked fine. The only Lee molds I have now are the 6 cavity ones for my .357 and .45acp. They work fine and produce acceptable bullets.

Lee molds are great for experimenting. Father-in-law and I did some HP testing back in the 80's with them. Took some and milled the top down to compare different weight of bullet. Turned all the bevel base molds into plain base. One we turned into a slick side paper patch mold. Another was milled out to make lead cylinders for a shop project. That led to a variable size mold for the .357. Nose shape milled into the adjustable plug. Also made a nose pour out of one and my FIL designed and made a cherry he tested with a Lee mold that we had no other use for. I had one that was a GC model and I needed a plain base, so I milled the top down.

When do I 'give up' on a mold? If I don't use it anymore, for any reason, I either scrap it or give it away.

[BamaNapper]

If a person feels that their time is worth $25.00 an hour, why cast at all, just buy commercial cast and take what is offered. For many of us this is not a job so the salary issue is moot. For those that are retired, it is a pleasant way to pass the day because the pay is the same whether we roll out of bed at 6AM or lounge until 7 or 8AM. When I go out to the shed, I am "off the clock" and the passing of time is not a factor. We all have different priorities, hence some tinker, some toss, and some just never take the time to try casting at all....

Exactly. And this whole forum is evidence of it. It was pointed out by a coworker last week when I told him about my success reloading large pistol primers using toy gun caps. I spent probably 20 mins and ended up with 3 primers. He did the math. Just about $0.90 an hour for the effort, and I was feeling pretty good about it. This ain't a job, it's therapy.