Arggh. One of my bullet molds is sticking bad... What to do?

[Dalton Masterson]

I have a Lee 6 bullet mold, DD's 200 gr. Big Lube, that is annoying the heck out of me.
I read somewhere on this forum that somebody polished thier molds???
What did you do exactly to polish them?
Also, it seems to be catching when I try to open it, and close it. There is no mold seam on the bullets or misalignment in the cavity, so I dont think it is an alignment issue. What gives here??

DD, if your out there, I need some expert opinions!

I love my 150EPPUG mold, as it drops rounds out left and right with no problems. Just not sure why this one is so finicky. None of my other molds are this way.

Thanks, DM

[Wills Point Pete]

 You have smoked the mold, right? If not, there is your problem.  You can also buy some Frankford Arsenal Drop Out mold release spray, works pretty much the same as smoking the mold. My six cavity mold in the 250 PRS likes a light pray of Drop Out. Other molds like being smoked with a couple of wooden matches better. Each mold is a law to itself. Some work well without anything but degreasing, others like smoke, still others like light or heavy graphite spray.

This has noting to do with black powder but I was reading one of Phil Sharpe's books on handloading, written in the 1930s, where he was lubing bullets with collidal graphite, the main ingredient of Drop Out. So I sprayed te stuff on some of my .30 caliber gas check bullets and pushed them at over 2200 fps with no leading.

[Bad Ramon]

             You might try using a butane cigarrete lighter to "smoke" your mold. I used to use kitchen matches years ago until I discovered it was leaving a nasty film on the mold along with the carbon. On top of the mold try some moly rubbed into the surface. About the most important thing is to be sure the sprue has solidified before you knock open the plate..............

[Dalton Masterson]

Yep, I have smoked it, and I also ended up trying the FA DropOut spray. Its good stuff, I agree. Its just 3 bullets out of the 6 wont come out unless I hit the handle nut about 10 times.
Whats the best way to clean out the DropOut spray? Maybe I need to go away from that and start over.

DM

[Noz]

If it is not in the bullet cavities but mechanical in some other location then "Bull Plate" is the best mold lube I have used.

[Fairshake]

Dalton, Lee has a problem with the quality control, the last two molds that I bought from DD had to be sent back with one still there. No fault of DD's as he tries to help out all he can. He's a honest seller and a victim as we are. Now with that being said let me see if I can help with your problem. It's not the cavities but the alignment pins that's causing the problem. Every six banger I buy has to have this done. Take a Dremel tool with the polishing rubber metal impregnated tips. The gray is around 240 grit. Polish the metal tips them selves and then put the tip in the hole that they go in and polish the heck out of them. The mold will work as slick as butter. You will need to have the mold blocks separate to perform this correctly. If you have never used or heard of Bullshop lube buy some. It's a must for the Lee blocks. He lives in Alaska and is on the Cast Boolits site. Go to the bottom of page and click on The Bullshop. While there go to the sticky section on Lee molds. The process called Leementing is about the two cavities but some of the process can be applied to the 6 banger. If you need more help please send me a e-mail at dandlinla@charter.net  Later David

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy, got my coffee now. .

Try this and report back please.  Take the handles off the mold.  Take a tooth brush and HOT soapy water and thoroughly scrub that mold.  It may be easier if you remove the sprue plate.  Simply take a 7/16 wrench and back the shoulder bolt out.  Hang on to that wave washer.

Now, after the mold is as clean as you can get it, take a carpenters pencil and a good magnifying glass and go carefully around all the parting lines paying particular attention to any detail areas.  Don't use a metal tool for this.  A pencil will usually remove any burrs left from the lathe boring process that LEE uses.  After carefully doing this, clean the mold again.

Reassemble the mold.  DON'T over tighten the sprue plate shoulder bolt.  That wave washer is there for a good reason.  Pards that over tighten this bolt end up stripping out the fine 1/4-28 threads.  Put the handles back on.

Now, with a clean hardwood splint, smoke the mold cavities.  Don't use a waxy or oily flame source.  The carbon is way to greasy from them.

Heat the mold again, but before you pour, very carefully put a tiny dab of your favorite bullet lube on the location pins and hinges.  Don't get ANY in the cavities.

Bull Plate is great, but it's not for mold release.  Also, most spray on mold releases only exacerbate the sticking problem.  Also, many of the "out of spec" molds I've seen have spray on mold release in the cavities.  It's ok to use that stuff on the under side of the sprue plate and on the TOP of the mold blocks, but don't get any in the cavities.

Now, your mold ought to be able to drop nice completely filled bullets more easily.  I still have to tap my molds on the handle joint bolt.  NEVER HIT THE MOLD BLOCKS OR THE SPRUE PLATE LEVER!!!!

After a thorough cleaning, most molds will need to be smoked once and then again after the first hundred or so bullets.  Most times, after that I never have to smoke a mold again.  Aluminum doesn't rust and doesn't need oil to preserve it.  So, when you take out your molds to cast next time, they ought to be good to go.

Put a tiny dab of lube on the location pins and the hinges if the blocks seem to stick together at all.  Bull Plate is the best there is for doing this.  Don't get ANY in the CAVITIES.  If you do, you will have to start all over again with the tooth brush and HOT water, only this time you will have to work harder to get them clean.

Let me know if this helps.

DD-DLoS

[Dick Dastardly]

Good info on cleaning and polishing the location pins Fairshake.  Try not to remove metal, simply polish.

LEE does a good job for the money, but they don't spend any time cleaning up their burrs, machining dross or tooling oil.  When they ship a mold the customer has to fine tune it.  Fairshake could write a paper on this.

In fact, Fairshake if yer out there, please post your entire tune up process.  You've learned it the hard way and many will benefit from it.  With your permission, I'll print it out and ship your process with my new molds.

Thanks much,

DD-DLoS

[Dalton Masterson]

Thank you gents. I will give the pencil tuneup a try. I suspect there are some burrs, as its always the same cavity each time. I will also polish the pins, as there seems to be quite a bit of "snap" when I close the mold, and try to open it.

Thanks again!!
DM

[Noz]

If anyone didn't make the connection, Bull Plate is a product of The Bull Shop.

[Springfield Slim]

If it snaps open or closed, it's the pins. I personally always take the mould halves apart and stake the pins in place. To do this I have to slightly set the pins further into the mold. This has always eliminated the pins sticking. I just take a small flat punch and peen over a bit of aluminum to hold the pin in place. With the volume I do, the pins usually work themselves loose and pull out if I don't stake them. And Bullplate sprue lube is the best thing going. Lubes without building up and even if you get a bit into the cavity it doesn't ruin that many bullets compared to other lubes. Also keeps the bullets from forming those little fins on the base on moulds where the sprue plate is a little loose. A bottle lasts me for months, and I llike it so well I bought 18 bottles just so I will never run out, I like it so much. Can be had from www.bullshop.gunloads.com

[Noz]

Been there done that and the problem is the alignment pins.

[Dalton Masterson]

Thanks for bringing this back to the top Slim. I was gonna post on it tonite.
Well, I did as DD suggested, and took a pencil and went over the edges, as well as using it to remove all of the Dropput gook I used. I used a toothbrush, an eversharp for the tight places, and a #2 for the edges.
I never did find my little dremel buff, so I just went over the pins with a pencil as well. Will polish them in the future.

Well, I tried it yesterday, and it worked great for about 50 rounds, so I smoked it again, and after that, no problems at all. Once in awhile I would have to give a extra whack for stubborness, but not near as bad as before. I think I got 500 cast or so, and that is a far improvement from the 50 and pi$$ed I would get before.
Thanks DD, and thanks all for your suggestions!

DM

[Paladin UK]

Yessireee..............

`nother satisfied cowboy!!!

Well, I tried it yesterday, and it worked great for about 50 rounds, so I smoked it again, and after that, no problems at all. Once in awhile I would have to give a extra whack for stubborness, but not near as bad as before. I think I got 500 cast or so, and that is a far improvement from the 50 and pi$$ed I would get before.
Thanks DD, and thanks all for your suggestions!

Aint it jest Great here!!

Paladin (Whut Lurvs the Holy Black ) UK

[Dick Dastardly]

One day soon I'll be including a pamphlet with each mold I sell on how to fine tune the mold.  Yes, there are manufacturing artifacts that remain in a new mold.  When I get a new mold for my mold library (yes, I do have one each of everything I've sold) I do a scrub and tune up.  Fairshake has helped me learn a few wrinkles.  Thanks Pard!  I've learned a LOT from the likes of Springfield Slim, Mason Stillwell and others that have shared they're hard earned experience with me.

Since we're all in this together, I see no downside to sharing this information with new casters.

What say you?

DD-DLoS

P.S.  Expect to see many of these "Tips" in the Big Lube™ newsletter.  Yes, it's still alive, just waiting for a couple of new developments to clarify themselves for publication.

[john boy]

Five years ago, I found this product and gave it a try.  Since then I have never smoked or used a mold release of any type.  Just clean the mold and lube the required areas.  I cast hundreds of bullets each year: little ones and big ones.  Only time bullets don't drop is when the mold is too hot ... ya, I get some stubborn ones sometimes too

The product is free and comes as a concentrate which is diluted to 2% as a cleaning solution.  Enough in the bottle to last a long - long time.

MICRO-90 and be sure to make up a corporate name when ordering the free sample ...
http://www.ipcol.com/shopcontent.asp?type=requestsample

[Dalton Masterson]

That could be part of my problem too, if being too hot makes them stick. I run about 700-750 with mixed wheel weights. They dont come out frosty, but could be frosty with just a little more heat.
DM

[will52100]

I've got several Lee 6 bangers, there my favorite moulds.  I have had a couple that wouldn't cast rite, bulllets sticking and such.  So far it's been cavities that were a little on the rough side.  Most times I get the mould up to temp and cast a handfull of bullets, the last batch leave in the mould.  I drill a self tapping screw in the base of the bullet and use a battery drill and commet, or if several tries of that doesn't work some fine lapping compound and lap the cavities.  Wind up doing that to just about all of them, though some only get a little comment and water past while others get a good work out.  Just got to be carefull, metal is easy to take off, real hard to put on.