LEE Molds

[Chief_10Beers]

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

TL358-158-SWC

Another View


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

Another View

[Frozone]

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

[jmsj]

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

[Chief_10Beers]

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

[hoosierlogger]

that has to be the worst one I have ever seen from Lee. Must have been made on a Friday or a Monday

[MT Gianni]

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.

[shaune509]

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

[RobS]

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.

[Frozone]

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.

[jmsj]

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.

[cheese1566]

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.

[462]

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.

[Chief_10Beers]

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.............................

[white eagle]

looks like chatter
junk
I would send them back

[Chief_10Beers]

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! .................................................. .......

[sqlbullet]

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

[RobS]

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.

[Rangefinder]

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!

[docone31]

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.

[Good Cheer]

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?