First casting results

Swampman1 · January 4, 2014, 01:48 PM

OK today I had my first casting experience. Started out a little shaky, but after the mold got hot enough, it started filling the cavities pretty well. I used a 1-1 ratio of soft lead and WWs, with a little 95/5 solder in the mix. The ones I let air cool had a BHN of 10.4. The ones I water quenched was BHN 15.4. Took a little time getting used to the Lee 20X microscope, but final steadied it enough to get a good reading. The Lee mold 429-200 was actually dropping them at 210 grs. Some of them appear to have both halves not matching up very well. Didn't notice it until after I was done. Upon inspection of my Lee 2 cavity mold, it looks like each side doesn't always align properly when closed. Yet I can take my fingers a force them to align perfectly. Is there some sort of adjustment required? I also noticed that even the ones that appear to be seamless, are not actually round. My calipers measure one at .430-434 size, and some seem to be 429-434. Any thoughts and/or criticisms are appreciated.

Daffy · January 4, 2014, 02:17 PM

Try giving it a light rap on the hinge bolt when closed and a little squeeze on the handles.

Beagle333 · January 4, 2014, 02:53 PM

I'm pretty new to Lee molds, but my three work pretty good if I keep something very flat (piece of steel, aluminum, or even smooth plywood) handy to the casting area and just set the mold blocks on it when closing it after dumping. Just a little practice will let you work this into your cadence and you can do this quickly so you don't lose any heat or time, and it'll automatically align the mold halves as you close the mold and you're ready for the next pour.

Good luck! Those look good for first pours!

David Bachelder · January 4, 2014, 04:46 PM

I use a short piece of 1 1/4" dowel rod and tap the mold lightly three or four times to make sure everything is in lined up just right. Just a slight tap will work wonders, I also may add just a small amount of wax to the pins, very slight.

Very slight taps ... no more.

My LEE molds work great, once you get everything up to temp.

Mike / Tx · January 4, 2014, 06:14 PM

Not a lot I can add to what has been put up on the mold other than I use a pice of aluminum plate to close them on top of similar to Beagle. This lets the halves align quick and with less fuss or jarring around. From what I have read this helps to keep all of the pins nice and tight.

As for the out of round bullets, this could be due to a couple of things. First off I would look the mold haves over really good to make sure there aren't any small pieces of lead which might have splashed out between them. It only takes one little drop to cause exactly what your referring to. If you DO find something just warm it back up to temp and use a lead ingot to rub it off like you were erasing it. If it is away from any of the critical areas you can also use the side of a razor blade to drag across it and remove it that way. Just make sure you keep it flat and aren't trying to cut it off.

If you don't find anything which looks like it could hold the halves apart then you might give a bit more thought to how your holding the handles when you pour. It is real easy to let them flex out just a touch and get things out of whack. I usually end up with sore hands after a good session simply from holding the handles together so tight. I have a good grip and even so I don't notice it until after it is all over with. I do the same thing when driving in traffic where I grip the steering wheel so tight I get sore hands after we're home. I never even notice it while I am driving or when pouring bullets.

salvadore · January 5, 2014, 09:20 AM

I had to drive my alignment pins in deeper to get one of my newer Lee's to line up correctly

hdbiker · January 5, 2014, 11:56 AM

I've had the same issues with my Lee molds. A light tap on the mold blocks after closing and a hint of candle wax on the locating pins once in a while does it for me. My bullets run heavy also. The 230 grain TL RN drops bullets about 240 grains, and the 158 grain mold drops them at around 165 grains. I been using a 50/50 mixture of wheel weights and range lead. hdbiker

FrankenMauser · January 5, 2014, 04:25 PM

My Lee 429-200-RF is also a pain in the butt to use. Even trying to close it on a flat surface doesn't work. I have to align it by hand, every time the mold is closed. Otherwise, you end up with terribly misaligned mold halves and worthless bullets. Even if they don't look too bad, they're badly out-of-round.

It's primarily a byproduct of the crappy alignment method Lee uses, and made worse by the super-soft aluminum they use for their mold blocks.

Check the mold out, and see if you can find any burrs, peening, or other reasons for poor alignment. But... don't be surprised if it's just a bad mold. Lee might replace it, if you want to send it back; but you have to pay for shipping, and there's no guarantee that the replacement will be any better.

I have more Lee molds than any other brand, but I freely admit that they're trash. They get the job done... usually; but not smoothly, not easily, not predictably, and not as well as higher quality molds.

Swampman1 · January 5, 2014, 04:45 PM

Quote:

I had to drive my alignment pins in deeper to get one of my newer Lee's to line up correctly

I'm thinking that may be the answer. This morning I cast about 2 dozen more 44s. I took the advice given previously, setting the mold blocks on a level surface to align them. Really hold the handles tight. Well for the most part it worked. Except not only does it misalign horizonally, but also are loose and misalign on the up and down movement. So basically I have to physically realign 2 sides of the block with each lead pour. Not practical on a hot mold...and gloves just don't work. Not good. Just wondering, what did you use to drive the pins farther out? I'm not real comfortable with banging on new molds. Wonder what Lee would have to say about this.

Swampman1 · January 5, 2014, 04:51 PM

-

Quote:

Check the mold out, and see if you can find any burrs, peening, or other reasons for poor alignment. But... don't be surprised if it's just a bad mold. Lee might replace it, if you want to send it back; but you have to pay for shipping, and there's no guarantee that the replacement will be any better

Franken I did just that. Looked through a magnifying glass, and saw nothing that would be an obstacle. I'm beginning to think there could be a problem with the 429-200 RF mold. I briefly tried my 356-120 TC mold last week, and didn't notice this problem.

FrankenMauser · January 5, 2014, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Not practical on a hot mold...and gloves just don't work.

I cast with a pair of welders' gloves that was bought new, specifically for casting (so they weren't half worn out and covered in crud).

I can hold a 400 degree mold for at least 20-30 seconds, if I have to. But, for the quick touches required for aligning the Lee mold, I never feel the heat.
I'm even a caster that cuts sprues by hand. Good gloves will do wonders.
I hold the mold handles in one hand, grab the mold in the other hand, and cut the sprue with a twist of the wrist. The sprue gets tossed in the re-melt pile, the bullets get dumped in their appropriate pile, and the mold is closed back up with a gloved hand.

Swampman1 · January 5, 2014, 06:11 PM

Yeah my problem isn't with poor gloves. I also use welders gloves. It's the inability to "feel" the aligning blocks through heavy gloves that's the issue. I'm thinking of using a combination square to do a quick 90 degree check on each side. Again, shouldn't have to be doing this.

January 4, 2014, 02:53 PM	#3
Beagle333 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: Auburn, AL. Posts: 2,332	I'm pretty new to Lee molds, but my three work pretty good if I keep something very flat (piece of steel, aluminum, or even smooth plywood) handy to the casting area and just set the mold blocks on it when closing it after dumping. Just a little practice will let you work this into your cadence and you can do this quickly so you don't lose any heat or time, and it'll automatically align the mold halves as you close the mold and you're ready for the next pour. Good luck! Those look good for first pours! __________________ . . . Have a Colt and a smile.

January 4, 2014, 04:46 PM	#4
David Bachelder Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2011 Location: Trinity, Texas Posts: 636	I use a short piece of 1 1/4" dowel rod and tap the mold lightly three or four times to make sure everything is in lined up just right. Just a slight tap will work wonders, I also may add just a small amount of wax to the pins, very slight. Very slight taps ... no more. My LEE molds work great, once you get everything up to temp. __________________ David Bachelder Trinity, Texas I load, 9mm Luger, 38 and 40 S&W, 38 Special, 357Magnum, 45ACP, 45 Colt, 223, 300 AAC, 243 and 30-06

January 4, 2014, 06:14 PM	#5
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	Not a lot I can add to what has been put up on the mold other than I use a pice of aluminum plate to close them on top of similar to Beagle. This lets the halves align quick and with less fuss or jarring around. From what I have read this helps to keep all of the pins nice and tight. As for the out of round bullets, this could be due to a couple of things. First off I would look the mold haves over really good to make sure there aren't any small pieces of lead which might have splashed out between them. It only takes one little drop to cause exactly what your referring to. If you DO find something just warm it back up to temp and use a lead ingot to rub it off like you were erasing it. If it is away from any of the critical areas you can also use the side of a razor blade to drag across it and remove it that way. Just make sure you keep it flat and aren't trying to cut it off. If you don't find anything which looks like it could hold the halves apart then you might give a bit more thought to how your holding the handles when you pour. It is real easy to let them flex out just a touch and get things out of whack. I usually end up with sore hands after a good session simply from holding the handles together so tight. I have a good grip and even so I don't notice it until after it is all over with. I do the same thing when driving in traffic where I grip the steering wheel so tight I get sore hands after we're home. I never even notice it while I am driving or when pouring bullets. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

January 5, 2014, 11:56 AM	#7
hdbiker Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 2012 Posts: 297	Lee Molds I've had the same issues with my Lee molds. A light tap on the mold blocks after closing and a hint of candle wax on the locating pins once in a while does it for me. My bullets run heavy also. The 230 grain TL RN drops bullets about 240 grains, and the 158 grain mold drops them at around 165 grains. I been using a 50/50 mixture of wheel weights and range lead. hdbiker

January 5, 2014, 04:25 PM	#8
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	My Lee 429-200-RF is also a pain in the butt to use. Even trying to close it on a flat surface doesn't work. I have to align it by hand, every time the mold is closed. Otherwise, you end up with terribly misaligned mold halves and worthless bullets. Even if they don't look too bad, they're badly out-of-round. It's primarily a byproduct of the crappy alignment method Lee uses, and made worse by the super-soft aluminum they use for their mold blocks. Check the mold out, and see if you can find any burrs, peening, or other reasons for poor alignment. But... don't be surprised if it's just a bad mold. Lee might replace it, if you want to send it back; but you have to pay for shipping, and there's no guarantee that the replacement will be any better. I have more Lee molds than any other brand, but I freely admit that they're trash. They get the job done... usually; but not smoothly, not easily, not predictably, and not as well as higher quality molds. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

January 4, 2014, 02:17 PM	#2
Daffy Member Join Date: December 24, 2012 Posts: 63	Try giving it a light rap on the hinge bolt when closed and a little squeeze on the handles.

January 5, 2014, 09:20 AM	#6
salvadore Junior member Join Date: January 1, 2007 Location: Idaho Posts: 2,282	I had to drive my alignment pins in deeper to get one of my newer Lee's to line up correctly

January 5, 2014, 06:11 PM	#12
Swampman1 Senior Member Join Date: February 17, 2013 Location: South Louisiana Posts: 432	Yeah my problem isn't with poor gloves. I also use welders gloves. It's the inability to "feel" the aligning blocks through heavy gloves that's the issue. I'm thinking of using a combination square to do a quick 90 degree check on each side. Again, shouldn't have to be doing this.