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Old November 1, 2020, 08:59 AM   #1
Geezerbiker
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Lee molds

I have mostly stayed with Lyman and Lee molds since Lee molds come with handles and I don't want to deal with 2 brands of mold handles.

However getting good bullets out of a Lee mold seems to be hit or miss. Some work great and others are like pulling teeth to get to work right. It seems that Lee round nose molds tend to be the easiest to use but I could just be lucky with them.

A while back I had a .44 mag rifle with a slightly oversize bore. My solution at the time was to buy a Lee mold since they were cheap and try lapping it out a couple thousandths. I have both 320 and 600 grit lapping compound and I worked on this mold quite a bit and I don't think I ever got it more than .0002 larger. I also made a mistake when I ordered this mold and I got a round nose mold rather than a round-flat that I wanted. I figured there was a 50/50 chance I'd ruin it so I went on with the project. I was disappointed in the process and quit but it left me with a mold with a near mirror polish. This mold drops .430" bullet pretty as you please...

I've since tried this with my other Lee molds with mixed results. This brings me back to my Lee 9mm mold. It's one of the tumble lube designs and even polished up, I can't reliably get good bullets out of it. Should I just consider it a loss and get another mold or do ya'll have any other tips or tricks to get Lee molds working?

Tony
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Old November 1, 2020, 12:13 PM   #2
BJung
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I've started seriously casting in March because the Pandemic lockdown gave a chance to do it. The wife said, "stay home but get out of the house.. go into the garage!".

I bought the Lee 9mm truncated cone that has good reviews. The bullets drop very easy. If you like I'll mail you a few that's been pc'd and sized to try. I haven't tested them yet.

From what I've read, 9mm bullets are hard to cast right. There is - I think - a learning curve. I haven't got there yet and am using range scrap less whole bullets so it's a mix between jacketed bullets and hardcast lead. Then, I water drop them after I pc them. I might make test loads with pure jacketed bullet lead to compare later. They should be softer. I can't help any more than that.
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Old November 1, 2020, 02:05 PM   #3
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The Lee 9mm mold I have is a truncated cone but I was thinking maybe I should try their round nose mold.

I have Lee RN molds in both .451 and the .430 I mentioned before and they're both a joy to use. It takes me a while to get my Lyman molds up to temp but that's a snap with the Lee molds but the other profile Lee molds all seem to be trouble.

I haven't cast bullets in awhile and now that I have time, I'm going to get back to it. I don't remember how many molds I have but it's quite a few. I have a very old Lyman .357 RN mold that I've never used. I'm thinking of casting some up with it to see what weight they drop at. I'll have to size them more than I like but it's an option I had almost forgotten I have...

Tony
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Old November 1, 2020, 04:33 PM   #4
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I am guessing that the lead is not flowing well in the Lee mould. Maybe try tin to allow the lead to flow better and fill the gas grooves.
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Old November 2, 2020, 09:04 PM   #5
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What specific problems are you having?

Usually more heat or a better alloy will be the answer but it’s hard to even guess with such a vague question.
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Old November 2, 2020, 09:22 PM   #6
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Yes what problems do you have? I use the lee 125RN, and it casts pretty boolits if you get your lead hot enough so they frost a little. Only issue I have is occasionally I nick the base when I drop them, and that’s easy enough to cull out as I load them.

FWIW the best group I have from a handgun off hand at 50 yards... ever... is from a cast .454 ball from my lee mold out of a Pietta fake confederate 1851 navy repro. All 6 in under 4”. And I find that the round balls tend to not cast as pretty, but they can wrinkle a little for all I care as good as they shoot.
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Old November 4, 2020, 07:12 PM   #7
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What steps do you use to prepare your moulds? I will warm mine up with a propane torch focusing on the steel handle and warming the outside of the blocks. Then, I will pour lead in my moulds, expecting to reject them but use the molten lead to heat the inside of the mould. If I leave the mold dipped in molten lead, I usually get frosty bullets a few times. If by chance I'm swapping 2 cavity moulds, I put on under my lee pot while working with the other. With a 6 cavity, I continue casting and dropping good bullets. The bad bullets and sprus are dropped onto an aluminum sheet in which I use to pour those pieces back into the pot.
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Old November 4, 2020, 09:55 PM   #8
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Quote:
What steps do you use to prepare your moulds?
I have a hot plate that is dedicated to pre-warming Lee Aluminum molds, et. al. I turn on the hot plate and position the mold(s) on it at the same time I turn my lee pot on. When the lead alloy is melted and ready to cast, the molds are also ready. The first casts generally are good...no rejects.
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Old November 5, 2020, 12:57 PM   #9
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Where do you put your mould if you set it down? If it's a short time, I'll put it on the aluminum plate under my lead pot or on a piece of wood to insulate it. If it's for a bit longer and would cool off, I'll leave it over the pot or dip the edge into the molten lead if necessary.
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Old November 5, 2020, 12:59 PM   #10
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When you make your ingots, have you found it faster to melt it on a gas burner or do you just use your electric lead pot?
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Old November 5, 2020, 07:00 PM   #11
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I've been casting my alloy into 1/2 pound ingots. The mix is mostly wheel weights with little Linotype mixed in. I also have a bunch of tin bars and I've added in a little. I also save little dabs of solder from my motorcycle electrical parts business and that always ends up in the casting pot as well. I don't think the problem is too little tin. My bullets often come out a little undersized and under weight depending on the mold so the plan is to get into powder coating them.

The Lee truncated cone tumble lube design mold I have is hard to get a fully filled out bullet. I've tried upping the temp but I can get frosty looking bullets with the same problem. None of my Lee round nose molds give me this problem and I don't have that problem with my Lyman molds.

I heat the molds by sitting them on top of the furnace. I have an older Lee bottom pour pot I'm guessing it's around a 10# capacity.

I'm thinking about ordering a Lee 9mm round nose mold since they're still in stock at Midway but with as tight as money has been, I'm not sure if I want to spend any right now...

Tony
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Old November 6, 2020, 01:49 AM   #12
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My two cents

Tony, I'm envious that you can get wheel weights. It's banned down here in CA.

What is your 9mm's bore? I took old fishing weights and poured them into one of my bullet molds, then cut it in half and drove the lubed piece through my barrel with a wooden dowel. If you know an archer, you might get a broken arrow from him. I use an inexpensive Harbor Freight digital micrometer to measure the slug.

I've read threads of casters using the Lee 125grain. .357 and sizing it down for a 9mm. That might be another option for you. You can sell you TC on Ebay for top dollar.

You know what saved me money was first, drive around where renters have moved out, ask the garbage man, or go to the thrift store for your toaster oven. I got mines free driving through a neighborhood on garbage day. The owner was throwing a toaster oven out and just gave it to me. Second, look in the phone book for businesses that do powder painting. I went to my local businesses, told them I was working on a hobby and asked them if they had extra powder. I expected to pay for them. Instead, the people gave me odd color paint from old jobs. Just get some old tubs with #5 markings and shake up the bullets in it for 3 minutes with the paint. Each coat adds about .001" diameter. Buy the non-stick aluminum. It's worth the extra cost.

I can mail you some 9mm PC TC Lee cast bullets to try. I only have blue and pink ones. The white paint didn't flow well and used for my 148gr WCs. It's not the tumble lube design but the other design. Here is a photo what they look like along with some other bullets. btw. I bought the pink paint but the rest was free.

Last edited by BJung; September 12, 2021 at 12:13 AM.
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Old November 7, 2020, 04:59 AM   #13
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I collected those wheel weights a long time ago. I also have one ballast plate of soft lead from a fork lift. I'm not sure how I'm going to cut it up. I tried hitting it with my oxy-acetylene torch but it wicks the heat away faster than I can apply it. I'd need something bigger than what I have to melt it. I'm thinking hammer and chisel but I haven't gotten there yet.

I have a few .358" molds and I was digging though my molds yesterday and I have one old Ideal round nose mold that looks like it's for a .35 caliber rifle. It's one of a bunch I bought at an estate sale and have never used. I think it's past time I gave it a try.

I'll get back to this and hopefully have something to report soon...

Tony
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Old November 7, 2020, 02:51 PM   #14
BJung
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Hi Tony. If you're trying to cut the lead with the oxy-acetylene torch, it won't work. Try a circular saw with a carbide blade or very fine toothed blade. Another option I'd try is a rose-bud and just melt into an ingot mound or just melt it straight into your pot with a make-shift funnel of aluminum sheet from a used frozen food plate. Are you sure it's lead?
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Old November 7, 2020, 06:26 PM   #15
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I'm sure it's lead but getting it cut up has been low on my priority list. I do have a skill saw with a carbide blade. I'll give that a try one of these days. I seem to hurt myself every time I move it so I'm going to wait until I have help.

Tony
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Old November 7, 2020, 06:36 PM   #16
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I've cut up (2) 4"x4"x 24" pieces of Doe Run pure lead bars with a Craftsman chop saw...worked good, go slow and lift the blade often and start again.

You didn't say what the dimensions are of your counter-weights.
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Old November 7, 2020, 07:36 PM   #17
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I only have one and if I were to guess (I'm feeling too lazy at the moment to go check) is it's around 14x16" and around 1/2" thick.

I have around 80 to 100 pounds of smelted wheel weights and one bucket of weights that I still need to smelt. I also have around 10 pounds of pure tin bars.

Somewhere I have a 1 1/2 pound bar of bearing metal that is mostly lead and tin but also has some copper in it so I'm not sure if it's usable for bullets.

I always have an eye open for lead but I haven't run across any in a long time.

Tony
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Old November 7, 2020, 08:13 PM   #18
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Lead Source

I get my lead at the shooting range. I take a few shovel fulls, pour it out at home onto a used shower curtain, and run water through it to remove the dirt and debri. Rags are on the bottom as a filter. I pick out the big pieces. Then, I shovel the lead into my oil pan and use the hose to wash the debri to the top. I let the lead dry on the shower curtain and use an old towel too. The whole bullets seem softer than the scraps. I think it's because there are hard cast bullets with the other lead that separated from the copper jackets.

Last edited by BJung; September 12, 2021 at 12:13 AM.
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Old November 7, 2020, 10:03 PM   #19
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The last time I was a member of a gun range, they had a strict no lead mining policy. So unless one found bullets laying on the ground, collecting them was a no, no...

Years ago I lived in Astoria, OR and back then, there was a place were all the locals shot into the back side of a sand dune. The last few times I was there I couldn't find the place. I suspect it's now closed off for good but that would have been a great place to reclaim bullet lead.


Tony
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Old November 7, 2020, 11:25 PM   #20
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I should have ordered that 9mm RN mold a couple days ago, they're all sold out now...

Tony
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Old November 8, 2020, 01:06 AM   #21
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Midsouth has 6 cavity .356 - 125gr RN mold in stock.
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Old November 8, 2020, 02:50 PM   #22
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Not anymore. It's now listed as Back Order OK. They have a tumble lube round-flat design available in 9mm but considering the issues I'm having with the tumble lube TC bullet, I'm hesitant to bite... I might just order a round nose mold on back order and just wait for it to show up. Winter is when I do most of my casting and we're just getting to that time of year...

Tony
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Old November 9, 2020, 01:01 PM   #23
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Tony, do you have access to an old used toaster oven? If so, I can mail you a mail you a small bag of powder paint and a sheet of non-stick aluminum foil to try your 9mm bullets with. I've read that what causes the most irratic flight of a bullet is a deformed base. The head is okay. I don't know about the sides but the paint will cover it.
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