Who can recut a mold??

[Steve E]

I have a Lyman 452490 mold (which cast a 255 gr SWCGC) and was wondering if anyone can recut the mold to drop .454/.455 bullets with wheel weight instead of #2 alloy? Right now they drop out at .451/.452 with wheel weight, I don't want to have to have to add tin, antimony or what ever it takes to make #2 alloy. Thanks for any info.

Steve E.............

[Wayne S]

Do a search for "Lapping", or Leemanating,

[leadeye]

You might look at the RCBS 300SWCGC. I don't know if they all drop large with WW (.456-.457) but mine sure does. A little Beageling and I am up to 45-70 size.:-D

[Bullshop]

I think the new management at NEI has said that they will recut mold blocks from other manufacturers but I dont think 454 is enough to clean up your 452 mold. You will likely have to jump up in caliber , say 475 or 50.
BIC/BS

[Steve E]

I'm thinking (sometimes that's not good) that if it is a .454 mold and cast .452 with wheel weight then I need it cut .002-.003 larger to cast .454 with wheel weight. But most of the time it's not that simple.

Steve E.........

[Bullshop]

Nope not that simple.
You might gain a .001" by casting at the lowest possible temp that will give good fill.

[Springfield]

If you just want it to seal a little better to cut down on leading then any machine shop could open up the bottom band to .454 pretty easy. Can't see having a mold recut as being anything but expensive.

[HORNET]

Why not "Beagle" it and save the recutting money for another (and different) mold? Try a search on Beagling. That should let you pick up .003" without too much trouble. OR, as mentioned above, you could lap it but .003" that way gets tricky.

[JSnover]

I've never lapped a mold but I'd worry about the bands being rounded by the time I lapped .003 out of it. Might not end up with clean edge on the base.

[runfiverun]

you could lap it some and then beagle it.
when you size it it should help to round it out better.
if you can get to 453 and to 455 with beagling a 454 should help it round out at least close enough to be much better then you have now.

[pdawg_shooter]

Beagle It! I wouldnt worry to much about it being a few thousands out of round. By the time you shove it down a round barrel with 20 or 30 thousand pounds of pressure I bet it will exit round!

[44 WCF]

I contacted Lyman about enlarging a 375449 Gas Check MOuild. They referred me to Mike Lewis in Walden Colorado. I sent mould to him asking that it drop .318-.382 with ww2%. It does casts just a smidge over .381, it's super. I have worked several moulds using rubber bullet cast in the mould with lapping compound but have no way to work on mould with gas check. Seems, Mike's info is also posted on Lyman's website under Q&A list.

Good LUck
44 WCF

[Steve E]

44wcf
I looked at Lymans site and couldn't find a Q&A section, I did find a FAQ section but couldn't find any contact info for Mike Lewis. Can you send me his contact info? Thanks.

Steve E........