Finicky Lee Mould

[bedwards]

Ok, so how do you guys keep a Lee in the sweet spot? I have used Lyman for years without problems and am having a hard time with this new to me Lee 452-300-rf. Seems as though its always either too cold or too hot. I'm thinking of getting a hot plate to set it on when I have to stop casting for any reason. Its been Leemented and has had all the usual cleaning and venting checked. I am getting more rejects than normal from incomplete fill, wrinkling or frosting.

[sheepdog]

Yeah the Lees cool down quick. I tend to keep my pot filled high and every 10 rounds or so put a corner of the mould in the lead to toast it up. Also found keeping a generous covering on the sprue plate helps keep it warm. Remember the plate, the mould, and the lead all have to be right. If you're having to really beat your plate to cut the sprue the mould is too cold. If the boolit isn't crisp, leads too cold. If the mould doesn't fillout before the hole gets hard the plate is too cold. The narrower the boolit the more of an issue these seem to be so be glad its a fat 45 and not a 6.5 mould. ;)

[Springfield]

Do you have a thermometer in your lead? I do lots of bullets every day with LEE 6 cav's, and this is what I do. 45's are the easiest to keep hot as there is more mass. Once you get it up to temp(I dip the mould in the lead to preheat), then you fill, count to 10, then cut the sprue. If it gets too hot, maybe count to fifteen. If you are waiting like 30 seconds then it is too long. All the time spent trying to get the stuck bullets out is letting the mould cool, it doesn't take too long. And if you aren't using Bullshop Sprue lube you are working too hard.

[ph4570]

I have a few Lee molds, some 6 holers and one 2 holer (Ranch Dog). The 44 and 10mm 6 holers are the most forgiving as the boolit mass seems to keep the temp up ok. However, I have a 9mm (120 grain) 6 holer that cools quickly. I find that dumping some additional melt on the sprue plate does the trick. The sprue pile goes right back into the pot after each pour. I also run the alloy temp higher with the 9mm mold. Prior to doing those two changes I could not get fillout on the 9mm.

[bedwards]

good ideas, thanks guys