MidSouth Shooters SupplyReloading EverythingWidenersTitan Reloading
Load DataRepackboxLee PrecisionInline Fabrication
RotoMetals2
Page 4 of 5 FirstFirst 12345 LastLast
Results 61 to 80 of 83

Thread: Lee mold simply will not work

  1. #61
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Communist New Jersey
    Posts
    882
    Ok, I am back. Been busy and been sore after breaking a rib so I have been taking it easy. Yes, I asked for solutions, actually I asked for suggestions, same thing. I got a lot of them and I fully expected the usual deluge of "Lee sucks" posts. I generally ignore them. Lee has not been in business for 60-70 whatever years for selling total junk. Most of their stuff works just fine, including the molds. The internet is great for one thing, that is everyone pointing out their bad experiences but nobody that has good experiences saying much of anything. So you will hear 10 bad for every one good. The people without issue simply do not talk about it. Ok, That said, Larry has given some good info on a solution that has worked for him over the years. I can tell you I have used this method in other uses in the automotive industry to do exactly the same thing so I know it works as stated. I have not tried it with molds yet. In this case I do not think it is going to work due mainly to the condition of the mold. See the picture. I have several pics of the different cavities but this is one of the ones that will not release and the other one looks just like it. The ones that will release look better but not much.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_0387.JPG 
Views:	70 
Size:	39.1 KB 
ID:	309542

  2. #62
    Boolit Master 243winxb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    2,837

    Shrinkage allows bullet release from moulds.

    Lee has the fix for everything. https://support.leeprecision.net/en/knowledgebase

    I think, Higher alloy temperatures
    will result in greater shrinkage as the bullet
    cools, thereby producing a slightly smaller and lighter
    bullet than one cast of the same alloy at a lower temperature.

    The shrinkage will allow the bullets to drop free of the mould.
    Last edited by 243winxb; 01-21-2023 at 06:19 PM.

  3. #63
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Posts
    612
    Sure looks like a lot of lead stuck in it from what I can see in the picture.

  4. #64
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Posts
    914
    Sure looks like bits of lead. And I'm guessing that would be solved with more heat.

    Quote Originally Posted by gifbohane View Post
    I will start by saying that I will not buy or use Lee products AND that I know that there are tons of guys that would stake their lives on them.

    But it seems to me that the original poster asked for solutions (of which I have none) and the Lee fanatics essentially are telling him that it is his processes that are bad, not the Lee products.

    There has to be a reason for the poor results and Lee might have a solution.
    Process is everything with the Lee molds. They don't automatically pour perfect bullets from step 1. If that's what you want, you can't use cheap aluminum molds with minimal finishing. A cheap Lee mold works good enough when you hit the sweet spot, and aluminum molds need to be kept hot by constant pouring. So you can't worry about a bullet not dropping each and every time you managed to put some molten lead into it. When you get them dropping, you'll empty your pot in no time.

    Sure, there could be something more wrong with the mold than usual. But man... all the advice of what I had to do with my first Lee mold? That was hours of wasted time for me. I was just using it wrong.

    And no, don't turn up the temp on the pot. Unless you want dull undersized bullets. Get and keep the mold hot by pouring lead fast, and lots of it (on top the sprue plate). If you stop to worry about getting every single stuck bullet out, you can't get the mold working in the first place.

    In addition to turning up the temp, OP also was trying to fill only 4 of the 6 cavities for testing. Nope. Fill the entire sprue plate/mold all the way, all the time, and take w/e drops out. If two cavities are "permanently" plugged, fill them over, anyway. Once hot, they might start to drop. I bet his first two Lee molds were better than average, and he just never used the typical one.

    If it's your first time casting, or if it's your first Lee mold, even, then it's 90% chance your expectations that are off, not the mold. Other molds might drop the bullet out like magic every single time. Lee makes molds just good enough to work when you know what you're doing, and they make lots of good bullets really fast... because that's the only way they work. All the time setting up and waiting for the lead to melt, that works fine for me. If you want to make 4 of this bullet and 2 of another while sitting at your bullet making bench that's clean enough to eat at, then Lee molds will suck.
    Last edited by gloob; 01-21-2023 at 11:04 PM.

  5. #65
    Boolit Buddy FrankJD's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2022
    Location
    NJ via TX
    Posts
    309
    Lee ball molds for trad muzzleloaders - Excellent!

    Lee bullet molds for cartridges - no thank you.
    The .45-70 is the only government I trust.

  6. #66
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Eureka MT
    Posts
    2,513
    If your mold is still that rough you need to leement it until it smooths up. If those spots in the mold grooves are lead a light lement should fix it. If not lead, you need a fine valve grinding compound or some other compound that cuts better than what you used. If heating with a propane torch, you need to move the flame all over the mold not keeping it at anyone spot for long. I open the mold handles so I can apply the heat inside as well as outside.

    There is the possibility that the cavities were cut off center or the mold got loose in its holder as those two cavities were cut. If so, there is probably no fix for it.

  7. #67
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Communist New Jersey
    Posts
    882
    If you click on that pic it will enlarge and you will see that those are not bits of lead but what they are is pits in the mold. And I had the lead temp as high as 850 in my experimenting, that was mentioned in the beginning of the thread. For those that have not done so please read from the beginning to see what I did in this testing process. And that cavity was leemented with valve grinding compound.

  8. #68
    Boolit Master

    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    UPSTATE new york
    Posts
    1,722
    After seeing those pics, I would send it back for replacement.

  9. #69
    Boolit Grand Master


    Larry Gibson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Lake Havasu City, Arizona
    Posts
    21,304
    Quote Originally Posted by ascast View Post
    After seeing those pics, I would send it back for replacement.
    That's my opinion also and what I would do.
    Larry Gibson

    “Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
    ― Nikola Tesla

  10. #70
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Communist New Jersey
    Posts
    882
    I am going to call them. I don't even remember where I bought it. It could have been from the S&S on here for all I know but I do know it was new, it was still sealed when I got it. So without a receipt they may not do anything with it. A few years ago that would not have been an issue but new people and new times.

  11. #71
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    brisbane ,qld,australia
    Posts
    2,125
    looks more like a tapped thread than mold cavity....whats all the grooves for?

  12. #72
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Communist New Jersey
    Posts
    882
    Last edited by Rickf1985; 01-23-2023 at 12:11 PM.

  13. #73
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Eureka MT
    Posts
    2,513
    It looks like there was poroisity in the mold blank when the mold was cut. Small air pockets in the cavities can fill with lead and make the boolit stick. Send Lee an email with the photo and they should send you a new mold. That is clearly a defect in the mold production and not fixable.

  14. #74
    Boolit Grand Master

    gwpercle's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Baton Rouge, Louisiana
    Posts
    9,251
    Quote Originally Posted by rbuck351 View Post
    It looks like there was poroisity in the mold blank when the mold was cut. Small air pockets in the cavities can fill with lead and make the boolit stick. Send Lee an email with the photo and they should send you a new mold. That is clearly a defect in the mold production and not fixable.

    Like !
    Gary
    Certified Cajun
    Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  15. #75
    Boolit Grand Master
    rintinglen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Orange, VA NOW
    Posts
    6,492
    That exact mold was one of two Lee molds that I have had that gave me grief. Like you, I had a devil of a time getting them to drop from two cavities, and the problem was that I was letting the mold cool while I struggled with those two recalcitrant cavities, so I was getting wrinkles from the good ones. I eventually broke the sprue handle on it and threw it away. The other Lee mold that gave me grief was a single cavity 30 cal, 160 grain, RN mold that just didn't have enough volume to keep the mold hot enough to prevent wrinkles. Unless I was casting at warp speed, it would cool enough between casts to cause problems. I got some good boolits from it, but the reject rate was too high for my needs at the time. I gave it to a friend of my daughter's who was getting into the silhouette game.
    _________________________________________________It's not that I can't spell: it is that I can't type.

  16. #76
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Posts
    914
    My 6 cavity Bator mold is my most-used. The sprue is bigger than the bullets. When I used the 2 cavity 175 grain pistol mold the other day, I was surprised when after clonking on it to break the cold sprue on the first pour, the bullets jumped out. Totally cold, didn't even set it over the pot. Course they were wrinkly though, for the first maybe 20 drops. Those just get dumped with the sprues.

    The problem is if you stop to closely inspect when your bullets are good, that might take so long that your mold cools off, lol. I probably dump a lot of good bullets back into the pot just to be sure.

  17. #77
    Boolit Buddy GRid.1569's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Scotland
    Posts
    324
    I’m reminded of the old adage “You only get what you pay for”… Lee molds are cheap, can’t reasonably expect top quality can you ?… but in my experience they work well enough….
    May we achieve our aims....

  18. #78
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Posts
    3,570
    if the mold cavities are pitted I would defiantly send it back or put it on a shelf and chalk it up to a bad experience. I dont use many tumble lube designed bullets. my recommendation, since your after a semi wad cutter in 38 cal. get yourself one of these mp molds and never look back.
    https://www.mp-molds.com/product/358...4-cavity-mold/

  19. #79
    Boolit Grand Master

    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Castlegar, B.C., Canada
    Posts
    7,933
    I have lapped several moulds and while you say you Leemented that one with valve grinding compound it does not look lapped to me. When I finish the surface has a smooth and slightly frosted look to it. What grit valve grinding compound did you use?

    The cavity looks poor but not terrible but if you can get a refund that is obviouslty the best way to go. If not, I'd do a little more serious lapping then try again. What have you got to lose?

    It is possibly though that the cavity is not dead center in the mould blocks If that is the case, bullets will likely never release easily. Does the bullet always stick in the same side? Looking back at your post #27 you said the boolits mic at 0.005" out of round. That is a lot and implies that the cavity is likely off center. A serious lapping using one of the good boolits may enlarge the small diameter enough to remove some of the out of round and may help release but if you lap that cavity or two cavities and enlarge by a thou or two then you will be getting larger and likely different weight boolits to the other cavities. What diameter are the other cavites casting to? If larger than the small diameter of the bad cavity/cavities then a serious lapping of the bad cavity/cavities might work.

    At some point though, unless you like to tinker and fix things just because, it is worth deciding how much work you want to put into that mould.

    Longbow

  20. #80
    Boolit Grand Master
    rockrat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    5,311
    I clean my moulds with Berrymans B-12 carb cleaner. It has acetone, alcohol, ether and MEK. I spray well and let sit for a minute and spay again. I lube the sprue plate hinge bolt and alignment pins, I then put it on a hot plate for at least 1/2 hour, on high. I take the mould off the hot plate and put the end/corner in a pot of 715-725 degree lead alloy, for 1 minute. Wipe the lead off the end and start casting. If the lead won't wipe off the end real well, maybe another 30 seconds in the pot, but don't have to do that too often.
    Usually get decent bullets on the second or third cast. Each mould is different. Sometimes I have to get to the 5th cast on some moulds.

    Looks like the chips didn't get flushed out well during machining of the mould. I would send it back for a replacement.

Page 4 of 5 FirstFirst 12345 LastLast

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