Lee Mold Modification

[greg1]

I have a Lee tumble lube mold. The area that forms the bevel base has some rough spots. They were like this new. Has anyone ever removed this portion of the mold making it a true flat base? I talked to a guy at a machine shop that said he could do it.

[Wally]

Get a wooden dowel and build it up a bit w/masking tape---attach some fine sandpaper to it and chuck in a drill..insert it enough so it just enters the base of the bullet cavity. Spin for a short time and check it--when it is polished enough you are in business.

[RobS]

As mentioned with the sandpaper and wooden dowl. More specifically, try 320 grit wet/dry sand paper followed by 600 grit. Once you are really close switch to the 600 to have a smooth/glasslike finish. Go slow with the process and you should be good to go.

[deltaenterprizes]

PM sent, before you ruin the mold.

[theperfessor]

Pay attention to deltaE and check out this thread:

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=68993&highlight=idiot

More molds have been ruined by the "dowel rod and sandpaper" method than have ever been improved by it.

[deltaenterprizes]

Pay attention to deltaE and check out this thread:

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=68993&highlight=idiot

More molds have been ruined by the "dowel rod and sandpaper" method than have ever been improved by it.

Thanks Prof

[Catshooter]

I would never use the dowel/sandpaper method. There is no way to center, and then keep centered the dowel. In addition, the dowel itself will flex horribly, running off center.

On the other hand, it's your mould, do what you like. You may get lucky, who know's?


Cat

[JSnover]

Read the Lee-Menting threads. Then decide whether you want to try it yourself or have a machinist fix it. You only get one chance.

[MT Gianni]

I have drilled out the gas check in several molds. Lee's are replaceable if you blow it but make sure that your hole is centered, drill runs true and the mold is clamped in a good vice.

[RobS]

The bevel part of the Lee mold is a very, very small lip at the outer edge of the cavity and by all means it is not like trying to take off the gas check from a mold (much more metal involved taking off a GC).............. most stories I have heard of regarding people messing up a mold involves a person trying to lap out the entire gas check part of a mold, which I would not advise someone to do.

If it is a two cavity lee mold...........$20............ then having a machinist, unless you know them, will cost you more than the mold is worth. Or you can go buy a reamer.......again as much as or more than what the mold is worth, or you could even try to find a drill bit that would match your diameter which can also be difficult as I tried this locally and ended up having to look online. Finding what I needed online plus the shipping............again.............. it would cost me about the same for the mold.

So now what?????

I chose to do it myself. I have taken a split rod and used the method of the wet/dry sand paper wrapped tightly around the split rod and have had no problems what so ever taking off the bevel design from Lee Molds. It is very painless to do and will take a very small amount of work to lap out the bevel design of the cavity; a person just has to go slow. You can ruin a mold and it has been done as we have seen it from time to time, but it is would be very difficult ruining a mold by taking out the small lip of the bevel design from an aluminum mold.

Take if for what it is worth, but I've done this to several Lee molds and their bases now look better than some of my RCBS molds that I can see machine marks in.

[deltaenterprizes]

I bet it can be done with a pocket knife too!

[RobS]

"I bet it can be done with a pocket knife too!"


You are probably right..................[smilie=l: and one would have to take it really, really slow not to take too much metal at once.

[deltaenterprizes]

Believe it or not I saw a guy throat a Colt 1911 Government model with a pocket knife.

[RobS]

"Believe it or not I saw a guy throat a Colt 1911 Government model with a pocket knife."

Now for the price of a new 1911 this is just wrong............... or this individual is a very, very, very talented man. I would like to have seen the outcome just for grins.

[JIMinPHX]

Believe it or not I saw a guy throat a Colt 1911 Government model with a pocket knife.

Did he say "hold my beer & watch this" before he did it?

[greg1]

Thanks for all the replies. Why doesn't Lee just make a flat base mold for a tumble lube bullet?