Lee molds

[Bazoo]

Slugster

Try playing the flame from a propane torch over the surface of the mould, in the cavities too. You will see what appears to be "moisture" of some sort come to the surface and then evaporate. When it evaporates move the flame on until the entire mould is done including the top and bottom of the sprue plate. No the blocks will not get "too hot", they won't melt, nor will they warp. Let the blocks cool a bit and swab the cavities out with a clean Q-tip. Apply mould prep to the hinge pin, the alignment pins, top/bottom of sprue plate and the top of the mould blocks keeping the prep out of the cavities.

You will find doing the above the moulds will cast perfect bullets within in one or two castings.

Thank you for sharing this tip. Did you figure this out yourself or is it an old time trick? Is this technique called something?

What do you reckon the liquid is? Oil?

[Seeker]

I have never had a problem wit Lee molds either. After reading through all these replies,....the verdict ...imho is.....user error. Just saying.

[Larry Gibson]

Thank you for sharing this tip. Did you figure this out yourself or is it an old time trick? Is this technique called something?

What do you reckon the liquid is? Oil?

It's an old time trick I learned many years ago. Works equally well on iron and brass moulds. I'd always assumed it was oil from the machining of the mould blocks or from oiling them after use. All I know for sure is the method works.

[mehavey]

If it's residual oil (as reasonably suspected), why doesn't the flame carburize it onto the mold surface ?

[BadDaditood]

Like a tall glass of sweet iced tea on a hot day it’s condescension

[hawkeye1]

I have always used brake cleaner before I start casting. And the hot plate has been the best accessory I have. Keeps molds hot, ingots warm and dry, and wheel weights condensation free. Starting with everything hot, I get great bullets from the start, whether Lee, RCBS, Lyman or Saeco.

[BadDaditood]

Actually I learned from Mark Novak while prepping shotgun barrels for soldering that a propane torch on cool metal will condense water vapor until the metal is over 212 degrees or so… then you clean it again so the solder sticks.
As for molds, like many others I made a little oven out of a deep 4gang electrical box and put it on a hot plate. I cast between 700 and 800 depending if pure lead or alloy. No wrinkles but I work fast until they come out frosty, then it’s time for a mini break- I set the mold on top of the little oven that has 2 more molds heating up.

[Bazoo]

It's an old time trick I learned many years ago. Works equally well on iron and brass moulds. I'd always assumed it was oil from the machining of the mould blocks or from oiling them after use. All I know for sure is the method works.

Thanks.

[Texas by God]

I just used a brand new Lee mould yesterday.
I sprayed it with B12 carb cleaner, let it air dry then smoked the cavities with kitchen matches.
I run the pot hot and the bullets look fine.
I only have Lee moulds and I feel no shame.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ukrifleman]

+1 on using a electric hotplate as a mold oven to preheat any brand of boolit mold.

Wrinkled bullets in aluminium moulds are nearly always due to the steel sprue plate being cooler than the mould itself, this cools the alloy as it is poured into the mould.
As John B states, the answer is to pre-heat the mould on a hot plate.

[Slugster]

I really appreciate all of the replies. Have a hot plate and will use it next time I cast. The problem with wrinkled bullets is that they resist all of the attempts to cast good bullets. Have dipped mold in lead pot, placed mold on edge of pot to help keep the temperature up, tried different temps from 680 to 800 degrees, used the correct brake cleaner (never use carb cleaner as it has a small amount of lubricant in it), cast as fast as possible = frosted wrinkles.

[Shiloh]

What size do the boolits drop at!!

Shiloh

[243winxb]

Alloy/pot at maxinum temperature to start. Frosted bullets drop the temperature, cool mold a little.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I really appreciate all of the replies. Have a hot plate and will use it next time I cast. The problem with wrinkled bullets is that they resist all of the attempts to cast good bullets. Have dipped mold in lead pot, placed mold on edge of pot to help keep the temperature up, tried different temps from 680 to 800 degrees, used the correct brake cleaner (never use carb cleaner as it has a small amount of lubricant in it), cast as fast as possible = frosted wrinkles.

If you are able to get frosted wrinkles, there is something in your procedure that is corrupting your mold cavity surfaces. First thing I'd do is quit using brake cleaner. I use Dawn dish soap, hot tap water, and a tooth brush. I store all my iron molds coated with kroil, so I clean them before every session with dish soap. Works every time...hundreds of times.
Are you using a sprue plate lube? If so, what is your procedure? maybe you are getting sprue plate lube in the cavities...God forbid if you are using Lee's recommended Beeswax for lubing sprue plate, that'll dirty/dingy up a mold in one session.

[Mk42gunner]

You might need to add a bit of tin to your alloy since it sounds like nothing else is working.

You will be surprised at how much difference a piece of 1/8" solder 18-24" long will make in castability of a pot of lead.

Robert

[deces]

What size do the boolits drop at!!

Shiloh

This is probably the best question to troubleshoot here now. OP should answer this one.

[jdgabbard]

If your molds are just not up to temp, and you don't want to bother with a hotplate, you can just rest your mold on top of the pot while it's heating up. Doing this most of my molds start throwing keepers after one or two pours.

If you're up to temp but you're getting wrinkles still, you've got an issue with lube or something in your mold. Cleaning with acetone may help. Generally when I get a new mold I'll clean it with dawn and a tooth brush under hot water. I'll then hose it down with contact cleaner, and scrub the bores really well. Then I'll hit it with an acetone cleaning. After this you can do whatever setup your mold requires - such as a patina for brass molds. You have to remember, metals are porous to a degree, and anywhere cutting fluid can hide it will hide.

[Slugster]

I really appreciate the replies folks!

I tried to cast boolits again this morning with the Lee 8mm maximum mold. Took suggestions from some that replied, boiled mold blocks in water and Palmolive Industrial dish soap, brushed with toothbrush and more soap, sprayed with electrical contact cleaner, set PID on lead pot to 800 degrees.
After about 10 casts the mold started throwing good boolits! Diameter is .329 and mold fillout is great. Variation in weight is less than 1.5 grains. Happy Happy.
Decided that things were going so well that I would empty the pot with this mold. Did so and made some really nice boolits.

I noticed that a few replies implied that I looked down on Lee moulds or considered them inferior. Nope. I started with a Lee .44 cal 215 SWC mold back in 80 or 81, still have it and it still casts good boolits after at least 10,000 cast. Have several other Lee molds and they are all good'ens and there are no complaints. The only Lee mold that I have had that was less than spectacular was IIRC a .30 cal. 170 gr. RN. that the boolits just would not fall from. I ended up having to cpmpletely disassemble the mold and carefully stoning the faces to remove burrs. After that the mold worked fine. Have also had to work on steel molds to get the to cast.

I bought three Lee molds around the same time and the problems that I had with them I had thought that maybe Lee had started using a different lubricant during their machine work on the mold blocks. Blinded me to the real problem.

As one person replied "user error", guilty as charged.

The tips that were provided were a great assist. Propane torch to the mold blocks and very high lead temp did the trick.

Thanks to everyone who helped me solve this dilemma.

Gonna work on the other molds tomorrow and see how they cast with the new approach. Confidence is high.

[WRideout]

If it's residual oil (as reasonably suspected), why doesn't the flame carburize it onto the mold surface ?

My cousin Herb spent his working career after the War at the Bethlehem Steel Plant in South San Francisco (long gone I suspect.) He once told me that every piece of metal has moisture absorbed into the pores, and he had to be extra careful about scrap that was dumped into the furnace because it could cause a steam explosion.

BTW: Brake cleaner that I have used is pure hexane a very light highly volatile short-chain hydrocarbon. I use it for starting fluid in my recalcitrant lawn mower.

Wayne

[John Guedry]

I got a hot plate from a friend, and since I started using it get started casting quicker and have fewer rejects.