Bad day using Lee products...

[Heavy lead]

I absolutely loath the design for the Lee 2 cavity. If the handles are loose (the recent ones are very sloppy) you have to squirrel around setting them on something flat to close them. With that said I've got two I won't part with, a C430-310 and a C452-300 that are great, they cast to the right size without being so oversized the lube and crimp grooves are gone, I attempeted to replace them both with 6 cavity moulds, which were both good quality that cast beautiful but were too big, when I sized the crimp grooves were gone.
So I fight with them as they are good shooter.
The one good thing about the Lee 2 holers though is they are so small you can stick the corner in a melt for 30-60 seconds are start pouring right away as they heat up so quick, I never heat up the pot just to cast with these, just run them 50 at a time or so when I'm doing a run of another boolit.

[johnny356ER]

Well I managed to get 100 keepers out of last nights casting session before the wifey-poo called me in for dinner....I ran the temp up till the boolits were frosting, and then backed it down till the frosting dissappeared; its a shame the wife called me in cause I had just got into a good rhythm of casting and then "steaming" off a few BTU's with the mold.
It still needs a little bit of extra pressure to get the mold to close properly and stay that way....I have to align the halves visually with a little rap with a hickory handle, and then close the sprue plate, but that seems to do the job along with deburring the mold.
As far as the furnace goes... I drained/ladled out all lead possible and when completely empty let it cool off and used a wire brush on a dremel to get any rust off of the pot...(I previously used a fluxing compound that was just "instant rust" for my pot) (I'm now using good old fashioned FREE sawdust.)
I also paper clipped the spout, and now seem to have no problems.

I appreciate everyones input...The day I stop learning, I'll be dead.

Thanks,
johnny

[kbstenberg]

Johnny if i could give you a suggestion! Use some type of magnifying glass an look closely at the recesses that the alignment pins fit in. If there is a scuff mark on one of them that pin has to be recessed just a tad.
Kevin

[johnny356ER]

That makes sense....need something stronger than my reading glasses!!

[DCP]

What a great idea for my old machinists tools.
I got 4 or 5 different types. 1 or more has to fit my Lyman thermometer

Clean no more. That's a old pic. (chuckle)

The stand is a hideously expensive Starrett No. 257D Surface Gage that had been in its original box for years, unused. Finally, it has a purpose in life.

[qajaq59]

Actually Midway may not take it back. I had a problem with a Lyman mold that I got thru Midway and they wouldn't take it back. They said to send it to the factory.

But call them anyway and see. And if they wont, please let us know.

[MaxJon]

I absolutely loath the design for the Lee 2 cavity. If the handles are loose (the recent ones are very sloppy) you have to squirrel around setting them on something flat to close them. With that said I've got two I won't part with, a C430-310 and a C452-300 that are great, they cast to the right size without being so oversized the lube and crimp grooves are gone, I attempeted to replace them both with 6 cavity moulds, which were both good quality that cast beautiful but were too big, when I sized the crimp grooves were gone.
So I fight with them as they are good shooter.
The one good thing about the Lee 2 holers though is they are so small you can stick the corner in a melt for 30-60 seconds are start pouring right away as they heat up so quick, I never heat up the pot just to cast with these, just run them 50 at a time or so when I'm doing a run of another boolit.

Heavy Lead,
I had been using a Lee C309-180 for my 308 Mauser, no matter what i tried it would never drop em on the high side of .309" I got an RCBS .309 180gr. FP (#82014) and it drops .310 plus! Now i have the option to size back to .309 or shoot em as cast .310! I did however put this mould in Lee handles which i had to linish about 10 thou. off the claws of the 6 holer handles so they would fit the RCBS. No Lee moulds for me!!
BB03

[phaessler]

I have to add that even my older Ideals , and Lyman 4 holers throw fits, some are undersized, and somedays my Lee's run trouble free, the lLee pot is another story, the dripmaster. But I have had to clean the Lee's sometimes three times before they cast well.

Only thing I would caution in the pic is , be sure you have good ventilation, cant be overstressed. Otherwise your casting department is a thing of beauty.

Pete

[Gadzooks Mike]

I know Midway wont let me return the mold as it has been used, so my only chance left is the Lee guarantee.

I love Lee dies, but I really believe that when it comes to casting with Lee products "You gets what ya pays for!"

So, to get this all straight, you haven't talked to Midway and you haven't talked to Lee - is this like a preliminary gripe to sort of soften them up or something? Let us know how that works out.

[Hang Fire]

I just got a couple of Lee two bangers in from Midway, one was great, the other on sale for 15 bucks, (?????) not so much, it had alignment problems also. The bottom would close first, but not the top without a death grip on the handles. I thought just a LITTLE bending was in order, but the LITTLE turned into too MUCH.

I fiddled with it for quite a while using the SWAG method and by gosh and pure luck, it came out perfect. The little 90 grain .314" TL boolits almost fly out of it.

[leadman]

If you decide to replace your Lee pot I highly recommend the RCBS. I had a Lee #10 and #20, then bought a used RCBS with a bunch of stuff. What a difference!
Bullet weight is more consistent I think because the pot temp is very consistent. No problems with a drippy spout either.