Alignment bearing fell out of buckshot mold

[cheese1566]

One of the ball bearing alignment "pins" fell out of my sharpshooter buckshot molds...:sad:

Making some #00 buckshot and everything was going great. I was getting some good fill out and the lead and mold was running hot. Afterwards I was cutting the balls from the sprues and found one of the steel ball bearings loose in the mix.

I cannot imagine a "glue" holding it in since lead temp runs high, unless a high temp loctite will hold it.

Should I set it back in the hole and lightly swage the sides of the alum mold to hold it? (essentially lightly peening it into place?) I just don't think the ball sits deep enough to do this.

Another option would be to have a skilled individual here make a set of alignment pins/bushings like those used Lee six cavity molds. Then it would last forever.


What to do...

[Beekeeper]

Cheese,
Is it a Lee style mold?
If so I would replace the pin and stake or pin the opening a very small amount

Jim

[hiram]

Permatex makes a 600* or so silicon -- its called copper silicon or silicon copper. I use it to stick wood handles onto the handle tines of molds.

[cheese1566]

No, it's a sharpshooter style that is hinged. Same style as a Do-It fishing jig mold.

I started thinking that the Lee pin/bushing configuration may not work very well since one pin (the one that fell out) is next to the hinge. I may have to get a pin made with a round tip like the ball bearing, drill the hole out, then press that pin into place and use the old hole on the other side for the seat.

I lightly tapped the ball into place, but don't think it will hold. The hinge is still tight and the mold is solid when closed, but looking into the future.

Wonder of the permatex will hold to 800+, the sharpshooters take a lot of heat. My brother in law should have some of the copper permatex, I'll do some checking.

hmmmm......

[jsizemore]

Cheese, I'd contact skiesunlimited and tell him your problem. He's a good guy.

or

I would lighly stake the area around the offending alignment ball hole and then insert the ball to the proper depth to align mold halves. A 16d nail would work nicely with it's wedge shaped point.

[geargnasher]

Ultra Copper will char and crumble at 800*. The voice of experience.

Gear

[beagle]

Post his reply please. I've lost a couple of the ball bearings too. My thought was to make a setscrew with the end rounded and use that in place of the bearing. Doesn't appear to affect indexing of the mould on mine but I now have armor piercing buckshot./beagle

[skiesunlimited]

How old is the mold? The bearings have for some time now been set deeper and tighter. If this is a current problem I would like to know about it. I will replace the defective molds no matter how old they are. Drop me an e-mail at skiesunlimited@att.net

[Buckshot]

..............You can buy hardened high carbon steel ball bearings, which is what you'll need for the 'fix', and not a chrome steel ball bearing. Perhaps the originals are simple high carbon steel? Heat the ball bearing to a high red heat, hold for a couple seconds then cover it with sand, or dry dirt until cool.

Drill and tap a hole in the ball as centered as you are capable of (grind/file a flat for the bit to start on). Even having the D&T'd hole go all the way through the BB won't be an issue. Cut the rod off, or grind it off flush with the BB. If you form a flat, no big as it's the perimeter of the BB that does the locating in the mating block half. Being off a bit won't hurt. Thread in a piece of all-thread (or threads of a cut off bolt) long enough to reach through the mould block. Drill a clearance hole also as centered as possible in the ball bearing's seat in the mould block, and stick the threaded rod through.

If the ball doesn't fully seat merely enlarge the hole for the threaded rod for clearance until it does. Thread a nut onto the shaft on the outside of the block to retain the BB in it's socket.

................Buckshot

[cheese1566]

Kudos to skiesunlimited!!!

He is taking customer service above and beyond!

He is graciously replacing my mold.

Thanks!

[cheese1566]

Brand new mold showed up in my mailbox today!

WOW!

That is customer service!

Thanks a bunch!:drinks:

[BAGTIC]

Cheese

When casting buckshot, slingshot pellets, fishing lures, etc. in molds without a spruecutter I have found it easier to twist the sprue off instead of cutting it. It also makes a cleaner separation especially when using a hard alloy like WW.