six cavity lee mold questions

[yammerschooner]

I have a lee 6 cavity .38 mold that I just cast about a gallon jug full of bullets. The aluminum on the face of the mold closest to the handles has begun to wear off. I have lubed the joint VERY regularly, to the point where more than half of the time my mold is smoking at the pins. However, now the faces will let a little lead in between the bullets every now and again, almost as if I have something on the face of the mold. It doesn't happen all of the time.

Upon further inspection I found that the pin closest to the handle seems to be recessed more than the one on the end where the sprue plate is attached. I am wondering if this is my problem. The pin on the sprue plate is pushed all of the way out so that the pins "shoulders" (for lack of a better descriptive term) are even with the face of the mold block. However, the pin on the handle end is recessed so that the shoulders sit a little more than 1/16 inch below the face of the mold.

Someone who has a lee 6 cavity mold that consistently works, IS THE PIN SUPPOSED TO BE RECESSED MORE THAN THE ONE ON THE SPRUE PLATE END? Do yours stick out the same amount.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[yammerschooner]

I figured out my problem. My bulky welding gloves were making it easier to hold onto the mold by a combination of both the mold handles and the sprue plate handle. When the sprue plate handle is gripped along with the two mold handles it will push against the block opposite the sprue plate handle. This will hold the mold slightly open, allowing a tiny amount of lead to seep between the two blocks. I must have been holding onto it differently when I began casting, and changed my grip as the session progressed. I had the same problem today when I went out to see if limp grip was the problem, and found that holding onto the sprue plate handle can mess things up.

[Bret4207]

Glad you figured it out. I have to admit being a poster child for the "Don't do this!" saftey placards. No glasses, no gloves, cast in shorts, etc. The glasses I'm gonna rectify by getting some so I can SEE STUFF. The gloves I just don't use and probably never will. I'm about immune to small burns from years in a body shop back in the days of brazing and farm welding. But that means I can feel what I'm doing. Since I'm a dipper man I can't be fumbling around too much anyway. Just my style. Signed- Burned and Blistered Bret

[yammerschooner]

I almost have to wear welding gloves. Once I get into a rhythm I will sometimes find myself inadvertantly grabbing onto the metal part of the mold. I am really bad with the two cavity molds in that half of the time I am just pushing aside the sprue plate with my gloves.

Luckily, I haven't burned myself yet. I am afraid that if I take off the gloves I will have a moment where I am not paying attention and brand myself. I imagine I would only do it once, but one brand is one brand too many.

[imashooter2]

I wear the lighter leather palm, canvas gauntlet work gloves. Cut the sprues on single and dual cavity molds with a twist of the plate, just like you. No problem with burns. If you pick up hot sprues or hold the metal of the mold the heat will eventually get through the gloves and remind you to put it down, but there will be no brand or blister (unless you choose to hold the hot stuff till it does).

[Blackwater]

Well, I gotta' admit, I wore a triangular brown spot for quite a while because I reached over to get something and let my left forearm rest on a hot mould I'd just finished using. Didn't take long to realize my mistake, and that triangular reminder on that forearm sure helps a fella' remember .... MOST of the time at least! I can't read any more without glasses, so the only problem there is keeping sweat off them. Haven't found a solution to that yet, and here in GA, it's HOT when you cast in the summertime! REAL hot! Looked down at my feet last session, and there was a puddle of water - literally a puddle. I looked around to see where it was coming from, concerned that it might get in the pot and make me dance without even having any music, and suddenly realized it was SWEAT!

A man's GOT to love his cast bullets to cast in SE Georgia in the summer!

[Buckshot]

.............Blackwater, I wear glasses and sweating on the lenses is somehitng I just can't stand. About the only thing I can think to do is wear a sweatband. For a long time I'd use rags out of the shop ragbag However i discovered that cutting the sleeves off old T shirts worked real well. I jst cut them off and kind of roll'em up and jam'em down on my head

They're a might tight at first but get better. After they get kinda stiff I just rinse'm off in the sink and hang them to dry. Mowing the lawn (yeah I still do that myself) and after awhile it'd be like looking through an aquarium and you can't see squat, so I keep the headbands handy.

...............Buckshot

[carpetman]

Buckshot uses the sleeves off his tee shirts for a sweat band most of the time. During the rare week that he wins the burrito shoot,he has to use the waist portion to fit his head.

[MARCORVET]

I have had the same problem with my lee six cavity 38 mold. I finally figured out the same thing that you did. I pressed the guide pin back in until the shoulder was just below flush. No more finning.

[Bret4207]

I'm sorry, but when I picture Buckshot in a headband I immediately get this picture in my mind of Olivia Newton-John doing that "Physical" video clip in the early 80's. Spandex, leg warmers, sports bra, gorgeous. Then my sick,twisted mind flips back to Buckshot and the spandex, leg warmers, sports bra and headband stay, but Olivia disappears. I may never listen to to oldies station again-

[wills]

But can she run a lathe?

http://home.flash.net/~jingram/images/78fanclub.jpg

[waksupi]

Geez, Al, did you have to put THAT picture in my mind, the first thing in the morning?

[9.3X62AL]

Olivia Newton-John.......Buckshot.......NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

[Bret4207]

Waksupi- I take full credit for your mental image. It's the same one I have.

Wills- WHO CARES if she can run a lathe?

[Bret4207]

http://www.onlyolivia.com/pix/80s/81_physical_88.jpg

This is what I had in mind. You'll see Buckshot off the godess's left shoulder on the bike.

[yammerschooner]

You guys are freaking me out. You do realize that I only registered a couple of days ago, don't you?

I thought you were supposed to take a little bit more "get to know you time" before invoking images of sweaty men with nasty old tee shirts wrapped around their head, into the new guy's casting question thread.

Coupling it with ONJ in spandex just makes it more like a train wreck. You don't really want to see, but you just can't look away...

Take care.

[grumble]

Bret- "Wills- WHO CARES if she can run a lathe?"

Is that 'lathe' or 'lather?"

[Bret4207]

Yammerschooner- It's only STARTING, it'll get worse. Welcome BTW.

Grumble- If I think of her I flash back to 1980 in a nano second and I'm in a lather!

I could go back further into the deep recesses of my adolescent mind and durge up vision of Linda Rondstat in the cub scout uniform. Hubba-hubba!

[waksupi]

Brett, almost as bad as the image of a certain unnamed individual rolling around nekkid in piles of brass!

[Bret4207]

AAARRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DO NOT START WITH THE "A naked Bret rolling around in a sea of brass..." THING AGAIN!!!!!!! Poor yammerschooners freaked out enough as is.

FWIW- I tried to find a pics of Linda (pre-cellulite) in the cub scout uniform to no avail. I did find a bunch of sites I'd rather not ever see again which required me clearing my history file and off line content file so no one in my family ever knows I accidentaly went there. Apparently theres a lot of sickos out there with fixations on celebrities. Thank goodness I didn't stumble onto anything involing these sickos and actual cub scouts. Sheeze! I ain't a looking any more.