Casting some 32-120-2R

[dragonrider]

So I got the mold in the mail on Friday from Willbird, many thanks, and prepped it yesterday and fired up the pots today, got the mold warmed up and cast 78 bullets and did not get a good one in the bunch. I think in my eagerness to use a new mold I got started too early and the temp was too low, only 650, I usually cast at 750 or there abouts. So I got the pots lit up again as I speak and will soon try again at the higher temp.
On the bright side the diameters are right about .313"-314" from all 6 cavities. And they drop out readily. I don't expect perfection from a new mold, like anything else it needs to be finessed into giving you what you want.
I am hoping this bullet will work for me in at least three guns, my 03, 03-A3, 30-30, 303, and 7.62x39. More than three I guess.
This is my first group buy mold, although I was not in on it I got one of the extras that Willbird posted about.
I have two or three Lee 6 cavity molds and have had reasonable success with them and am waiting for three more through group buys. Just wish I had them right NOW.

[Newtire]

So I got the mold in the mail on Friday from Willbird, many thanks, and prepped it yesterday and fired up the pots today, got the mold warmed up and cast 78 bullets and did not get a good one in the bunch. I think in my eagerness to use a new mold I got started too early and the temp was too low, only 650, I usually cast at 750 or there abouts. So I got the pots lit up again as I speak and will soon try again at the higher temp.
On the bright side the diameters are right about .313"-314" from all 6 cavities. And they drop out readily. I don't expect perfection from a new mold, like anything else it needs to be finessed into giving you what you want.
I am hoping this bullet will work for me in at least three guns, my 03, 03-A3, 30-30, 303, and 7.62x39. More than three I guess.
This is my first group buy mold, although I was not in on it I got one of the extras that Willbird posted about.
I have two or three Lee 6 cavity molds and have had reasonable success with them and am waiting for three more through group buys. Just wish I had them right NOW.
Hey Dragonrider,
I had real bad bullets from all the 6-cavity moulds I got from group buys & otherwise until I guess I managed to get all the oil out of them. Boiling in detergent does it as well as several treatments of brake cleaner. wrinkly bullets and then...good forever.

[Dale53]

Newtire is exactly correct. You MUST clean the mould carefully of ALL oil or preservative. Lee recommeds that you smoke the cavities (use a WOODEN match).

Once the mould is broken in, it is clear sailing for a long, long time.

Like any mould, you MUST treat them gently. Look at the "sticky" on mechanical mould prep, as it has GOOD suggestions for "living with Lee".

Dale53

[Willbird]

I have also had a few Lee molds that mis-behaved when cleaned with brake kleen, that a thorough scrubbing with a toothbrush, and dawn dish detergeant pulled SOMETHING out of those cavities that made the mold work much better than cleaning with just brake kleen.

I have learned to try smoking a HOT mold first, the layer of soot is thinner and works nicer than smoking a colt mold, smoking the cold mold also makes the final bullet dia smaller than smoking a hot mold. I use one of the long reach grill butane lighters to smoke my molds.

Also this is not a 312-120-2R, not sure where you got that name for it, it is a 312-120-RF.

Bill

[dragonrider]

You are correct about the RF. But the box does show 32-120-RF
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/PaulGauthier/312-120-RF/312-120-RF002.jpg

Just a misprint by the label person at Lee.