Bullet drop from Lee Mold

[Cohagen]

I'm fairly new to this addiction and I have several lee 6 cavity molds for cowboy shooting. I have trouble getting the bullets to drop from the molds and I am sure I am doing something wrong. Beating the mold with a block of wood is tiresome and time consuming. I do smoke the molds with wood before each use.

Can I do anything to the mold to improve bullet drop or improve my technique. I cast at about 800F with WW's.

Thanks in advance for your comments.


Cohagen

[HORNET]

Go up to the stickies and classics section and study the posts on "Leementing". Basicly a very light lapping & deburring job to help keep the fresh castings from sticking. With those 6 cavity jobs, you might want to contact Bullshop (see link at bottom of page) and see if he's snowed in or if he can get you out some BullPlate Lube for the moving parts (like the sprue plate and alignment pins). Lots of guys on here swear that its the best thing since the electric melting pot.

[mooman76]

I use a hard plastic hammer rather than a wooden block. It isn't hard enough to do damage and it raps with a little more shock so they drop easier. The lementing should help too.

[Willbird]

I have an old Mac screwdriver, a large one that has damage to the screwdriver end, I hold it by that end and rap the handle pivot with it.

Bill

[freedom475]

Clean your mould cavities out reall well with ascetone and then do it one more time.

Start casting with it...I bet you will have better luck with a clean mould and not one that is all smokey. I have a lee that is pretty beat up from me trying to get boolits to drop. Kept smoking, tried "Frank..Drop out... still no luck until I just tried it clean with the ascetone:Fire:

I usually cut the spur then tap the hinge bolt (nowhere else) and then open the mould and the boolit falls right out.

+1 for Bullplate...it sure makes a lee work smoother.

[ddeaton]

I use Rapine mold release on all mine and they drop like flies. Just a light tap on the rag I drop them into does it. Sometimes I get a few that dont want to escape.

[Bret4207]

Leementing is what you need. A tiny burr invisible to the naked eye can cause all of this.

[dromia]

As has been said thoroughtly clean, I boil my moulds. If that doesn't work then some gentle Leementing.

[Cohagen]

Thanks for all the helpful hints. I go to work and try your suggestions.

Cohagen

[supv26]

Mines a two holer and I smoke mine and use an old gavel from my auctioneering days. Just a light tap on the sprue to break it free and then a light tap on the hinge bolt and they fall right out.

[Maximilian225]

As has been said thoroughtly clean, I boil my moulds. If that doesn't work then some gentle Leementing.

+1

Boiling for 5 min with few drops of Ivory Dish soap works best for me. All though it is a no no I have boiled with a little liquid laundry detergent.

:castmine:

[Springfield]

Try getting the mould a litle hotter, works for me. I cast with the lead at 625 but I cast fast to keep the mould temp up. If your bullets are really shiny then they are probably too cold, uless maybe you have lots of tin in the mix.

[Dick Dastardly]

There's iron in Springfield's words. He's probably cast more bullets than most of us will ever do in a lifetime, and he's good at it.

Since I sold that mold Cohagen, I second the hot water routine. I use an old toothbrush and some dish soap along with the hot water. Also, when I smoke a mold, I use clean hardwood, not a candle or anything oily. After I smoke a mold you can barely see the soot, if at all.

LEE molds can have burrs. Inspect yours with a good powerful magnifying glass. Pay very close attention to the parting line. If you do find some burrs, be careful removing them. I've found that a medium lead carpenters pencil will do my work quite well when needed.

The Bull Plate is a great product. Just DO NOT get any in the cavities. Put a LITTLE on a Q-Tip and wipe it on the back side of the sprue plate, alignment pins, sprue wear point at the hold down and in the hinges. KEEP IT OUT of the cavities. Used right, the stuff is the neatest thing since sliced bread or canned beer.

DD-DLoS

__________________________________________
http://www.biglube.com

[Bret4207]

Try getting the mould a litle hotter, works for me. I cast with the lead at 625 but I cast fast to keep the mould temp up. If your bullets are really shiny then they are probably too cold, uless maybe you have lots of tin in the mix.

Agreed. We have to remember there's a big difference between mould temp and melt temp. Your melt can be running 825*, but if you aren't pouring fast enough to keep 825* degree lead in the mould then it will run too cool. You get you mould hotter by increasing your casting cycle rhythm. Some mould just plain need to be hotter to work best. If cast real slow turning the pot up to max. still won;t get you good boolits in many moulds.