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Thread: LEE Molds

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold Chief_10Beers's Avatar
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    LEE Molds

    These are new from Midway. Are these Normal? They look unfinished to me.

    TL358-158-SWC

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    430-240-SWC, Not as bad but not good either

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  2. #2
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    The 358 is junk send it back.
    the 430 is not perfect but LEEMENTING will make it a go (see the sticky here)

  3. #3
    Boolit Master jmsj's Avatar
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    Chief 10beers,
    Welcome to the site,
    The TL430-240-SWC looks about normal to me but I have never seen one as rough as the TL358-158-SWC. I would e-mail those pictures to Midway, I'll bet they'll replace it.

    I have the TL358-158-SWC in a 6 cavity mold and it is a great shooter. I use Recluse's 45/45/10 tumble lube method. It works really well and his method does away w/ the stickines associated with alox and is really fast.

    Hope it all works out for you, jmsj

  4. #4
    Boolit Mold Chief_10Beers's Avatar
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    That 358 looks horrible. As for Leementing, Ricky P showed me that little trick. Tell me more about recluse's 45/45/10 tumble....................................

  5. #5
    Boolit Master hoosierlogger's Avatar
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    that has to be the worst one I have ever seen from Lee. Must have been made on a Friday or a Monday
    If grasshoppers carried .45's the birds wouldnt mess with them.

  6. #6
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    If you keep the 240 gr go over it with a #2 pencil on all cut and milled parts. Then rub it with the wood on an unsharpened pencil. It will remove most of the fine burrs and the graphite will lube the top surface until you get some of Bullshops mold lube.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  7. #7
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    how do you get lines tangent to the radial spin of the chery? are they now using edm sinker instead of a mill?

  8. #8
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    I would be sending both back to where they come from or back to Lee. Unexceptable and obviously they cut the cavities dry or nearly to it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by shaune509 View Post
    how do you get lines tangent to the radial spin of the chery? are they now using edm sinker instead of a mill?
    I think it's tool chatter.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master jmsj's Avatar
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    Chief,
    The tumble lube method I was telling you about is in the Bulet Lube section, look in the section "stickies" for Tumble Lubing Made Easy & Mess Free by Recluse.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master cheese1566's Avatar
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    I have a six banger in the 358-158-RF design and have had it for over a year.
    The mold looks good and smooth, but I get those vertical lines on my bullets just like your first mold. Odd though since my cavities look good. Mine is only cosmetic and works & shoots great.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    I bought two 2-cavity Lee moulds, from Midway, that were burred, had chatter marks, and dropped bollits that were overly small in diameter. Midway issued full credit, including shipping in both directions.

    I've Lee-mented and applied TLC to many moulds, but have quit being any company's quality control inspector.

    There is another Lee mould that is nearing the top of the priority list, but if it's not right, it goes back.

  13. #13
    Boolit Mold Chief_10Beers's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jmsj View Post
    Chief,
    The tumble lube method I was telling you about is in the Bulet Lube section, look in the section "stickies" for Tumble Lubing Made Easy & Mess Free by Recluse.
    Duh me, if it was a snake, it would have bit me.............................

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master
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    looks like chatter
    junk
    I would send them back

  15. #15
    Boolit Mold Chief_10Beers's Avatar
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    Midway Comes Thru!

    Just got off the phone with Midway and they are shipping out two more Molds and they told me to keep the buggered up ones! How's that for Customer Service! .................................................. .......

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    I would be really curious to see a bullet cast with that 358 mold. Getting it to drop may be a real pain though....

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chief_10Beers View Post
    Just got off the phone with Midway and they are shipping out two more Molds and they told me to keep the buggered up ones! How's that for Customer Service! .................................................. .......


    Midway is good, I've never had any issue with them. Glad to hear you may have yourself some hopefully good molds on their way to you. Let us know how it goes the 2nd time around.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master Rangefinder's Avatar
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    Definitely tool chatter in the .358---but it looks really interesting I'd be curious to see a bullet dropped from it. Never know--micro-grooving parallel to travel may be a hot new fashion!
    Guns have only two real enemies; Rust and Politicians...

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  19. #19
    Boolit Master

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    That does look like chatter.
    I find, aluminum does chatter where iron will not.
    However, if it fires well, no biggee. If it does not, cast several through some 3/8" nuts. Let them freeze with the casting.
    Coat with valve lapping compound, and turn the nut with a wrench, gently closing the mold.
    I do not think you will need it though.

  20. #20
    Boolit Grand Master Good Cheer's Avatar
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    Yep, that be chatter.
    Can you make hard alloy slugs, drill a hole in the base and then drill spin the castings with lapping compound?
    Have no idea if it would clean up worth a flip before being too big.
    Anybody need an oversized Lee mold?

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