RepackboxLoad DataReloading EverythingMidSouth Shooters Supply
Titan ReloadingRotoMetals2Lee PrecisionWideners
Inline Fabrication
Page 5 of 5 FirstFirst 12345
Results 81 to 83 of 83

Thread: Lee mold simply will not work

  1. #81
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Posts
    3,702
    Quote Originally Posted by Rickf1985 View Post
    CW, With all due respect, did you read my little article? I described in full detail the cleaning, the hot plate up to 450, the lead temps in stages up to 850. I fully appreciate what you are saying but this is far from my first rodeo with these things. I also cleaned that mold many times throughout this casting session. After seeing the defects in the mold the release was never going to happen but the wrinkles, certainly not heat or oil related. I suspect it has to do with the extremely rough condition of the interior of the mold not allowing free flow of the lead. I will see if my fancy overpriced Apple phone will get some closeups of it tomorrow.
    wrinkles ???always a heat issue - heat of the lead in the mold - cant always be cured by making the pot hotter - the wrinkles are caused by the pour solidifying as it it poured - so if you're working in cold weather its worse etc - I take those LEE molds and drill out the hole in the sprue plate - you wouldnt believe how much easier life gets -its developed into a habit soon as I get a new LEE mold I yank the sprue plate and drill it out. (i go up three or four drill sizes) HA! did the same with a new brass mold I got from CBE - big fail !!had to fit a new sprue plate.

  2. #82
    Boolit Grand Master

    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Castlegar, B.C., Canada
    Posts
    7,933
    I don't drill them out, I use a countersink to enlarge the sprue hole in pretty much all old Lyman moulds I have and some others. A larger sprue hole does help with casting... at least with ladle casting large slugs or boolits.

    I also loosen sprue plates up a bit so they almost swing free and often bevel the top edges of the mating mould block corners to provide a vent right uner the sprue plate. A very small bevel! Think vent line.

    These things do help with pouring and fill out... for me anyway.

    Longbow

  3. #83
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Communist New Jersey
    Posts
    882
    Quote Originally Posted by longbow View Post
    I don't drill them out, I use a countersink to enlarge the sprue hole in pretty much all old Lyman moulds I have and some others. A larger sprue hole does help with casting... at least with ladle casting large slugs or boolits.

    I also loosen sprue plates up a bit so they almost swing free and often bevel the top edges of the mating mould block corners to provide a vent right uner the sprue plate. A very small bevel! Think vent line.

    These things do help with pouring and fill out... for me anyway.

    Longbow
    I finally called Lee about this mold. Well, as I thought they are only offering a 50% replacement which after shipping, "special handling" and tax comes to $54.45.
    Just $9.55 shy of full price. I could have gotten the same mold from Midway for less but I told Lee I would take it from them since this way they cannot say again I have no receipt or they do not know how long I owned it. I opted for a different mold also and got the 148 grain full wadcutter. Regular lube type.
    They basically told me that since I did not have the receipt and they had no record of my buying it, (from them) then they would not give me full warrantee on it. I told her I bought it from one of their suppliers but don't remember who and if I kept every receipt for stuff like molds and dies and little stuff I would need a filing cabinet just for receipts. And a lot of places do not send a receipt with the products. My printer died a couple years ago and I swore I would not replace it again. So I do not print the receipt online. They did say it was defective but tough luck on the warrantee. This was from Brenda who I have had issues with in the past denying me warrantee on new items, specifically a new turret press a couple years ago. So I told her that I will take this mold and from now on I will no longer push for the Lee products online like I have done for years. I will make sure that if anyone asks about Lee's warrantee process I will tell then Caveat Emptor. And also since I have already had issues with the new 6 pak press and the tech support on it is flat out ridiculous I WILL be returning that for a full refund before you can tell me it has been too long or I don't have a receipt. And I will be going to RCBS or Redding or Lyman for one of their progressives due to their no questions asked guarantees.

    Brenda's reply says it all about how much Lee cares about their customers anymore.

    Brenda at Lee Precision, Inc.
    Staff - 03/23/2023 10:16 am

    Richard,

    Sorry to hear that you have that view.

    I do show that your order is processing.

    Thank you for your order.

    Sincerely,
    Brenda
    Customer Service

    Lee Precision, Inc.
    4275 County Road U
    Hartford, WI 53027

    phone (262) 673-3075

    And with that I will be closing out the story on this mold for now. They originally wanted me to send it back on my dime and I told them to keep their freakin' replacement. It would cost me as much to send it back as they were offering a new one for. So they told me I could keep it. I have no idea what I am going to do with it but I will experiment with it over the summer and reopen this thread at that time.

Page 5 of 5 FirstFirst 12345

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
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