What is the hardest lead can get?

[Andrew Quigley]

Here's the deal. Last night I broke out my BRAND new Lee 6 cavaity mold and handles for my 45 acp. Melted up a pot of recently acquired lead and filled up the mold. Went to cut off the sprue and it wouldn't budge. Worked fine with out lead but now with a just cooled sprue it wouldn't move. So I gave a mighty heave and broke off the sprue plate handle. Not the wooded handle, the metal part right at the end of the wood handle!
Had to disassemble the mold and sprue plate to get at the bullets. They broke off easy enough. Noticed then that the sprue wasn't right in the middle but off to the cutting side edge. Seems like it should have been easier to cut since it was already to the side but it wouldn't budge.
Anyhow, I switched to so know lead I had, switched sprue plates off another mold and went to casting.
Not sure if the problem was the sprue plate not being perfectly over center or if this lead is really, really hard. It's some that I got that had to melted off of a steel frame. Can't scratch it with your finger nail but can with something sharp. Reckon I need to get a hardness tester and see.

[SciFiJim]

Was the steel frame that you melted the lead off of galvanized? If so, it's possible that you may have zinc from the galvanized coating in your lead.

[Springfield]

Sounds like you didn't pre heat the mold, and/or you let the sprue cool too much.

[BABore]

Yep, preheat the mold until the sprues will take at least 3 seconds to set up. Then go! My first cast will usually have a liquid sprue for 5- 10 seconds. Better to start off too hot than too cold. I about tore the handle off my 30 cal GB mold the first time out.

[Andrew Quigley]

Had it sittin on top of the pot while the lead melted. My usual way of doing it. It did sit a couple of minutes before I went to open it so that could have done it I guess.
Metal was mild steel not galavinized.

Bout got a new handle made. Sumthin else might break but it sure won't be THIS handle!

[SciFiJim]

What is the hardest lead can get?

I looked up the answer to your original question. Monotype (Lead 72%, Tin 9%, Antimony 19%) has a BHN of 28. That should not be hard enough to break your mold.

Lee has had some QC problems lately. I am glad that you can fix your mold. Contact Lee and see if they will send you a fix for the problem so that you will have a spare.

[yondering]

It did sit a couple of minutes before I went to open it so that could have done it I guess.


That was your problem right there. Any lead alloy is very soft when it is hot, when we normally cut the sprue. You let it cool, so it got harder. Even wheel weight metal might do this if you let it cool down.

If it happens again, don't force it, use a propane torch to heat up the sprue again, or even melt it off if need be.

[Wayne Smith]

Two things. When the sprue plate is off center you loose the advantage of the cam. This makes it harder to cut the sprues, something I learned because I wear welding gloves when I cast and they interfere between the handles and the handle of the sprue cutter. Second, when the mold is cool the sprue cools quickly and is hard to cut. The two combined is how I did the same thing. Lee replaced it.

[theperfessor]

If you don't get the sprue plate fully closed on a Lee 6-cavity mold you can't apply full leverage to cut sprue. Lee's instructions say something about putting the tip of a thin screwdriver (although any shim stock will work) between the camming finger and the mold. This puts handle in better position to apply full mechanical advantage/force multiplication to cut sprues.

When the handle is in the proper position you don't need to put as much force on it and you get a lot higher cutting force out of it.

That and having to cut fully frozen sprues, which take more force, did your handle in.

Whe I use 6 cavity Lee's I pay a lot of attention to two things: (1) Fully close sprue plate, and (2) use Bullplate so I can cut sprues at higher temp without smearing.

I normally don't leave boolits in a cold mold for long term storage, but if I think I will use the mold again in a few days I often do. I always cut the sprue off when its hot but leave mold closed. I hate cutting cold sprues, its like starting a cold car - most of the wear occurs in the first few minutes of the process and not during normal use.

Just my $0.02 worth.

[Andrew Quigley]

Well I believe ya'll are right. Operator error! LOL!! Been casting for near 10yrs and this is the first thing I've broke. Not bad I guess. Thanks for the help.

[GabbyM]

The lee design is frustrating sometimes. I cracked the wood on my MiHec mold yesterday. Trying to cut cold lead. You need to cut spur even before it's done changing colors. Silly me didn't pre heat the mold long enough. I know better from cracking the handles of every lee 6 cavity I have. I'll never learn.
Lees' work well once up and going. Just don't let the spur harden before cutting and pre heat to above casting temperature then reject bullets until the mold cools off as opposed to heating the mold up with casting. Now to practice what I preach.

I've found the harder alloys cut spur easier than softer. More brittle the better they snap off.
50/50 seams to be the most troublesome at leaving nubs. More so than pure lead even. With 2/6 alloy I can push a two cavity spur plate by hand.