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Thread: Sprue Plate Material

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
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    Sprue Plate Material

    I have searched to find what is a common material,
    and what is an acceptable material for sprue plates.
    I have some mold blanks made up, and am working on
    sprue plates. I read one company state that they use
    1018 steel. Right now I'm using A-2 that is 5/32" thick.
    There is some preharden 4140. But it's 5/16" thick, and
    would rather not have to mill that down if I don't have to.

    Any help or direction would be appreciated.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master
    Mk42gunner's Avatar
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    Butler, MO
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    To me, a hobbyist, 1018 is a basic mild steel. I think a sprueplate could be made from 1/8th inch mild steel from your local hardware store.

    A piece of 1¼"x3' is probably less than ten dollars and would make a lot of sprueplates. You don't really need it to be hardened, the heat would ruin any fancy heat treating on hardenable steel anyway.

    Robert

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
    Mal Paso's Avatar
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    Lyman and Arsenal appear to be 3/16" ground flat on the bottom side, MP and BC looks like 8mm or 1/4" to start. Arsenal you can see Mill Marks the others, faint finishing arcs. All have been machined on the block side. I think heavy steel sprue plates help base fillout.
    Mal

    Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    ^^^^this^^^^

  5. #5
    Banned








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    best spruce plates are the thick steel ones on a ballistic cast (H&G) mold. Mihec uses good ones on his molds too. Worse ones are the stamped steel lbt molds. HEAVY STEEL IS THE WAY TO GO. the weight allows you to not have to run the plate so tight to the mold and that helps prevent gouging and scratching your mold. Plus its a bigger heat sink and doesnt over heat as fast

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I use flat o-1 gauge stock for sprue plates. I dont normally harden it up but its ground flat and also dosnt warp as bad as some others when machining and thru use. I normally use 1/4" for the thickness better heat retention and bigger sprue.

  7. #7
    Banned
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    Lee uses aluminum on its 6 cavity molds. These occasionally warp a little but are easy to get back to flat with a leather mallet.

  8. #8
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
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    Thanks for the responses. I wasn't sure if hardened steel was used.

    Wow, Conditor22, I wouldn't have thought that aluminum would be used.

    I still need to swing into Lowes or somewhere to see what
    kind of wavy washers they carry.

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
    zarrinvz24's Avatar
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    McMaster carr for the win!

  10. #10
    Boolit Bub
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    Quote Originally Posted by zarrinvz24 View Post
    McMaster carr for the win!
    I found this page.

    https://www.mcmaster.com/standard-wa...ave-washers-7/

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check