AARRRGG dang pins in my molds keep moving

[hickfu]

I Love my molds from Accurate but they are the only molds I have that the pins move EVERY time I use them. I guess I will have to get them all back into place and then drill a small hole through the side of the mold and pin to put a steel pin in to keep them from moving on me.

Why doesnt the manufactures of molds do this to keep the pins from moving when the mold gets hot?
So far all my NOE's and cheapy Lee's are still perfect


Doc

[tazman]

I had that trouble with only one mold which happened to be a Lee 6 hole. The pins fit each other so tightly they pulled out a little. I put them back in place and used a center punch to stake them in place.
I then took some sandpaper to the male pin and wore it down slightly. Works like a champ now.

[44man]

You might need to have the adjustment sometime so I would not pin them in. I take the pins out if loose and scrunch the back end in a vise a little, seems to hold them.

[mdi]

A centerpunch "dimple" in a few locations on the pin will increase the diameter a few thousandths making the pin tighter in the hole...

[bangerjim]

Do not drill & pin..Follow the above suggestions and distort the diameter just a tiny bid then push them back in. You should need an arbor press to put them in correctly. You could use a big bench vise as long as you put hardwood in the jaws to protect the pins and mold. And carefully watch the alignment as you crunch the vise closed.

Those pins are pressed in under great pressure and are a tolerance fit so they go in hard and stay. At lease they are supposed to!

Your problem is easily fixed!

banger

[bosterr]

I would ask Tom at Accurate Molds before trying anything.

[Lights]

Pull the pins and bushings and grind a flat on the side of them. Then drill and tap a hole 90 degrees to the pin and bushing holes for a set screw. Problem solved and they are removable.

[shooter93]

Email Tom...I have a number of his molds and haven't had a pin move in any of them.

[TomAM]

I've never heard this complaint before. How many molds? Is there peening around the face of the female pins?

[George Mabry]

I recently had the same problem with a double cavity Lee. The pins would recess on each cast. I sent the mould back to MidwayUSA and they refunded me cost of the mould and the postage of returning it. This happened on the first casting session with the mould and started on about the 30-40th round cast that day.

George

[hickfu]

Tom,
Its been all the molds I have purchased (5 I think ) I first thought it was lead getting into the female pin so I took a razor knife and scraped there (the male pin seems to be fine, I think its the female pin coming in) my son thought he would help on 2 or 3 of them and dremmled the male pin when I wasnt around and it didnt work out so well.

I guess I will heat up the molds and use my arbor press to squeeze them back into place.

It must happen while cooling because they seem to close perfectly when done casting (I always look through the mold afterward to make sure I cant see the light shining through) The next time I go to cast I always check over the mold first to make sure there is no lead on them and then look through them while holding up to a light. one side seems to be fine but the other always seems to be not all the way down so I can see light on that side and it rocks on that pin.

I just didnt want to bother you with this as I know you have so much work to do.

P.S. sorry for the late responce... I have Fibromyalgia and Im always in pain, sometimes it takes me a week or so to get back to where I can get on here and type a reply

Tim

[Terrence Clarke]

I have had this problem with Accurate molds as well,but only in cast iron ones,it appears that the mold is not closing properly and you can see light through the closed mold halves. My solution was to press the pins back to get the mold to close and they dont seem to need playing with again . Hope this helps.