Broke my spruce handle the other day

[Rockchucker]

on my new Lee TL 356-124 mold and Lee sent me another one today. So, I know that if I break it again the warranty is good for 2 years but I took the old one and brazed it back together and put it back on the mold to see if it will hold up any better. Anyway, I now have a spare and gonna be more careful with it.
Ron

[Shiloh]

Six Banger Sprue Cutter?? I broke 2 last fall. Now I cut shortley after the puddles solidify. If they set to long, they get harder to cut. It'll work for a while but when its time....

I ordered new ones and a spare. I brased one of them with a cleaner not to frosty break. Worked for a short while, but cut soon, no load!! It broke shortly after. I brazed with hard silver solder, 1300 degree.

Shiloh

[Rockchucker]

I have some silver solder somewhere but I found some 1/8 brass rod in my shop and brazed away. If it don't hold I'll put the new one on, an yes it's a six banger. Wonder If I could Mig weild pot iron?

[beanflip]

same thing happened to me. but I had it welded and it broke again. did your brake about the same as mine. heres a pic of mine. I think heat is a factor here from the weld. Here is a pic of my home made lever. Used a drill and grinder to make it.

[Shiloh]

same thing happened to me. but I had it welded and it broke again. did your brake about the same as mine. heres a pic of mine. I think heat is a factor here from the weld. Here is a pic of my home made lever. Used a drill and grinder to make it.

Excellent Job!!

I was just going to suggest that if LEE made them from steel, they wouldn't break. I suppose that is why they are made of cast iron

SHiloh

[Rockchucker]

same thing happened to me. but I had it welded and it broke again. did your brake about the same as mine. heres a pic of mine. I think heat is a factor here from the weld. Here is a pic of my home made lever. Used a drill and grinder to make it.

Great job, Someone mentioned in another thread to only pour 1 or 2 holes on a six cavity mold to start with and it puts less stress on the metal parts till the mold gets up to temp. I did this today knowing the first couple pours were going back in the pot, works great.

[blysmelter]

I think heat is a factor here from the weld. Here is a pic of my home made lever. Used a drill and grinder to make it.

Pre-heat, weld and cool slowly (burried in dry sand). Or just make a new one. Nice job.

[Bret4207]

Broke your spruce handle? I'd try Ash or Hickory, spruce really isn't handle wood.

[jonk]

I broke one too. Weak spot in the design for sure.

It's a fine line between cutting when still soft enough not to hurt the handle and too soon and tearing bullet bases. I often DO tear bullet bases and that's fine for plinkers at 10, 15 yards but nothing more.

Preheat well. Start with 1-2 cavities nearest the cutter handle. Then go to 3-4. Finally after about 30 bullets or so go for all 6 and you should be fine.

[TAWILDCATT]

its not pot metal and its not cast it is compresed powdered iron.so make one out of steel,at the price of lees 6 banger compared to $180 4 bangers what do you want??I have 10 6 bangers and have not broke one.{tomorow it will happen].I have a win mold for the win 73 in 32/20 and used it for yrs till the 73 got stolen,still like new.

[Dale53]

The real answer is the pre-heat your mould "just under the correct casting temperature". Then the first cast the bullets will be soft enough to reduce the stress on your mould.

Dale53

[Rockchucker]

Preheating the mold on top of the pro4 20 doesn't seem to get the mold up to temp by the time the pot is ready to pour. But pouring a little lead sure heats things up fast.

[MT Gianni]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ht=cavity+warm
It happens regularly. Warm the mold up by just pouring one hole at a time until they cut easily.

[Dale53]

I have a "dedicated" hot plate that I pre-heat my moulds on. A Lee two cavity mould is small enough to stick the corners of the closed mould until the mould is up to temperature. However, the six cavity Lee moulds and my iron four cavity moulds are too big to easily heat in the molten lead. That's why I pre-heat on a hot plate.

In fact, today, I was using an H&G #251 Six cavity mould (150 gr dbl ended wadcutter) and if I couldn't pre-heat it on a hot plate I never would get it hot enough to cast good bullets. However, by pre-heating it to a pre-determined temperature, I was able to use the first cast of all six cavities. That is a terribly heavy mould to use (it is VERY large and made of iron - I believe it weighs close to five pounds). By the end of a 20 lb pot of metal, I was worn out! No exaggeration, either! It IS a wonderful mould that allows good production with hardly a "throw back" but it sure is tiring for an old feller to use.

Dale53