Lee mold sprue plate screw keeps loosening

[Rp-]

That pretty much sums it up. It's a 40 cal dual cavity mold and after every 3-5 drops it comes loose. The sprue plate is a little rusty but not horrible. It still casts just fine, it's just an inconvenience.

Should I out some lock tite on it or something? Order a new screw?

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[Walks]

Drill & tap for a set screw.
Or for a guick fix while casting; a bit of 0000 steel in the threads until you can get to the above fix.

[Winger Ed.]

Other mold companies use a set screw to prevent that.
I'm not sure what they use, but a 8-32 should work well.

I think lock-tite would burn off.

[45DUDE]

Take the screw out and drill from the side -a self tap screw will hold the original screw. or tap it.

[centershot]

Here's the fix:

http://www.castpics.net/subsite2/Mol...umentation.pdf

[Froogal]

I have several Lee molds. Just one had those same issues. Fixed it with the set screw trick.

[Bazoo]

I’ve found if I cut the sprue when it’s still very soft, so I don’t have to whack the cutter, but rather push the cutter or the mildest of whacks, it dont loosen the screw as much.

The set screw is the ultimate fix however.

[gwpercle]

That pretty much sums it up. It's a 40 cal dual cavity mold and after every 3-5 drops it comes loose. The sprue plate is a little rusty but not horrible. It still casts just fine, it's just an inconvenience.

Should I out some lock tite on it or something? Order a new screw?

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I had the exact same problem , I don't have any drills or taps or a set screws to do that fix ...or drill and tap for a larger screw ... but I read a thread that said to :
1.) Remove the sprue plate and bolt & washer .
2.) Pull 2 strands of #0000 steel wool from a pad of unused(new) steel wool .
3.) Equally space the strands across the hole in an X pattern and carefully push the strands straight down into the hole with a chop stick (or anything that fits into the hole ) .
4.) Start the bolt back into the hole while holding the steel wool X in place ...snip off the excess steel wool legs close to bolt .
5.) Remove bolt ... install washer and sprue plate and carefully thread bolt back into hole .
The steel wool strands should stop the loosening ... If it doesnt , leave the X inplace and wrap 1 or 2 steel wool strands around the bolt threads and re-install the bolt .

This should keep the bolt tight . I did it but thought "Too danged easy to work" ...it's held tight for seven years now ... I wanted to clean the underside of the plate once and the bolt didn't want to unscrew ... when something is good-n-tight ... I've learned to just leave it alone .
I thought this idea was crazy ... but if you have a pad of steel wool around ...you ain't got nothing to loose
Gary

[Rp-]

I don't know why I didn't think of a set screw. I'm sure I have some taps and corresponding screws laying around. I'll try that. I never thought about modifying the mould itself.

Thanks guys.

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[MT Gianni]

Lee's newer style 2 cavity molds with pins instead of grooves have a left hand sprue plate screw thread.

[Rp-]

Lee's newer style 2 cavity molds with pins instead of grooves have a left hand sprue plate screw thread.

Yes, it's a lefty screw. Only about a year old.

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[gwpercle]

Yes, it's a lefty screw. Only about a year old.

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What ever you do ... don't shove any strands of #0000 stell wool down into the screw hole ...
I did that and now I can't get the danged screw loose ... it doesn't want to break free and I don't want to put too much pressure on it .
My old high school shop teacher used to say... if it doesn't want to break free ... don't force it !
Gary