HEating up the alloy as I type..

Mike / Tx · August 28, 2013, 06:02 PM

Well I'll let you know what I end up with tonight. I got in a new Lee mold, and figured while I had the pot up to temp.....well look what happened last time.

I do have one 2 cavity out there though the Lee 411-195 for my 41. I don't know how many I will pour with it but I guarantee it won't be as many as I get done with the three 6 cavity ones I have warming up.

I'll be back.....

Beagle333 · August 28, 2013, 06:38 PM

Three 6-cavs!

Send for the wheelbarrow..... somebody's gonna do some casting!
Take some pitchers!!!!!

dahermit · August 28, 2013, 06:50 PM

Quote:

I don't know how many I will pour with it but I guarantee it won't be as many as I get done with the three 6 cavity ones I have warming up

I cast 125 grain .356 round nose using two Lee six cavity molds. It is all I can handle. Fill one set it down, pour the other set it down, pick-up the first, dump the bullets...so on. I think that you are going to find that three is redundant, you will not be able to go any faster than with two-6 cavity molds. Nevertheless, let us know how it works out...maybe I will buy another if you can more with three.

Mike / Tx · August 28, 2013, 08:22 PM

Well thing is they were all different calibers....so I wasn't pouring one then the other, or planning it that way anyhow. I usually just pour with one until I empty the pot then switch to another while some new alloy is heating up. I'll take that pan full and set them aside and grab up another pan to fill up.

I use some little 4"x8"x maybe 3" deep bread pans to put them in after I get them poured up. When I fill one up thats plenty of whatever those are for a while.

One of the 6c's was a brand new Lee 452-235RF that I just got yesterday. Came home scrub a dubbed it all up nice and clean, then lubed it up, then set it on the hot plate to warm up while the alloy was melting.

While that one was warming and the alloy was melting I lubed up a 410-215 that I have also in a 6, and then a RD 432-240 6C as well.

The plan was, to break in the 235grRF with a pan full then move on to the others. Well I spent enough time screwing with the new one I finally gave up after getting exactly 14 keepers out of about 5 pounds worth, actually the second 5 pounds worth, the first all went back in. Then after looking at the little pile I DID have, I pulled out one and dumped the rest of those back in.

Then I went for the 410-215 and got a pan full of them and moved over to a 2 cavity 410-195. It took SO darned long to get a pan full of them, I decided to call it quits about 10 minutes ago. At least the last two poured good boolits through out the whole ordeal.

I'll get back on the RD 432-240 tomorrow and after I get a pan of those, THEN I will go back on the new one again. I figured it is like every other Lee mold I have, just needs a couple of breaking pours and then it will be good to go.

Sure does make me appreciate how well those brass molds I have pour. Not that the Lee's don't pour up good bullets, they are just a bit more temperamental. I also wished that 410-195 was a 6C as well, I REALLY like that little bullet.

Old 454 · August 29, 2013, 06:12 PM

I just bought a lee six cavity mold for .357 a 358158, I cleaned it all off with brake cleaner then took it inside and cleaned it with a tooth brush and dish soap.

when I casted with it the bullets it made were very nice with one exception, they were casting at about a 361-362 diameter and I had a tuff time running them through my Lee .358 sizer.

My question is will this mold calm down on the size? will smoking it help ? Is there a break in on a six cavity mold that diffrent then a two cavity ?

My Lee two cavity in the same size works great.

Last question. I have some staining on the inside of blocks of my .452 mold caused by beeswax when I lubed the alignment pins, what the best way to remove that brown stain ?

armoredman · August 29, 2013, 06:41 PM

I must be the lowest of low volume casters - I rarely do more than 200 per sitting. Everything is in the garage, and I just dump alloy in the Lee and plug it in.

Then again, I rarely use more than one mold at a time - sounds like you had fun!

Mike / Tx · August 30, 2013, 04:38 AM

Quote:

when I casted with it the bullets it made were very nice with one exception, they were casting at about a 361-362 diameter and I had a tuff time running them through my Lee .358 sizer.

My question is will this mold calm down on the size? will smoking it help ? Is there a break in on a six cavity mold that diffrent then a two cavity ?

My Lee two cavity in the same size works great.

Last question. I have some staining on the inside of blocks of my .452 mold caused by beeswax when I lubed the alignment pins, what the best way to remove that brown stain ?

That is a BIG block compared to those little holes. One thing you might try is heating up your alloy, and your mold a bit more before you start casting. Hotter molds pour smaller bullets. If that doesn't work, you might try adding in some pure if you have some. I know that will make them softer, but it will also help to pour a smaller bullet to some extent. Don't get carried away, you only looking to add enough to drop the sizes. Here is a link that speaks somewhat to this effect,
Superhard

I also know darned well I have seen a similar write up which also had a chart which showed something to do with the shrinkage as well. It might have been something about aging the alloy. I have put so much of this through my head over the past couple of years I had to start saving it on Word doc, and even then, I have to remember where I put them. LOL

But if those two don't do it you might just have a mold that has been bored out a bit much. That isn't usually a bad thing as usually they are the other way around. IF you cannot get it to drop in size you might contact Lee and let them know what the issue is. Sometimes they will send you a return label and you can ship the mold back to them with a couple of samples of your over sized bullets and they will replace your mold with a new one. Or you could order a new mold and see if you can find someone who is casting for a rifle that needs that bigger size. A lot of lever actions need the bigger sized bullet to shoot more accurately and avoid leading.

Just some ideas.

As for the staining, if it is simply aesthetics, I wouldn't sweat it too much. If it is actually an issue with the closing or what not you might try cleaning it with some Kroil. That stuff will usually get up under anything. I have a couple like that I have VERY gently used very fine bronze wire cleaning brush on. The type that are similar to a tooth brush not the bore cleaning ones. Sometimes you can find them in a pack of three , bronze, SS, and carbon steel, and the bristles or super fine. I used that and the Kroil with the block as hot as the water from the faucet would get it. I didn't want to get too warm on a hot plate and risk it bowing the block due to some sort of weird quenching effect of the cooler oil. The hot water gets it hot enough I can comfortably hold in my hand so that has to open the pores of the metal up enough to alloy the Kroil to get in and do it's work. I also didn't scrub the area, but simply brushed at it, letting the very tips of the wires do the work. It didn't remove it all, but it did get the majority of it which was fine with me.

dahermit · August 30, 2013, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Then again, I rarely use more than one mold at a time - sounds like you had fun!

Many of us casters have discovered that it is more efficient to use two molds at a time when casting, even as Mike indicated, even if they are for completely different bullets (sort later). It makes little sense, and wastes time to fill one mold and let it cool before cutting the sprues when you could just set it down and fill another. By the time the second one is filled, the first one can be emptied...no idle time.
Now that I am old and richer, I have just bought two (or bought another) multiple cavity molds for each bullet I cast. Faster = more bullets.
Nevertheless, you have to start somewhere...I started with an old Lyman single-cavity 429421 Hollow Point (round grease-groove version).

armoredman · August 30, 2013, 05:13 PM

Oh, I understand that - I will do 9mm and 40SW at the same time some days, but I have to completely empty and refill for 7.62x39mm, as it uses a harder alloy.

Still loads of fun.

Old 454 · August 30, 2013, 05:33 PM

hmm ok, yes I have plenty of pure lead, my crews at work bring me old water services that have been in the ground for 100 years, they melt real nice. just flux all the old crap off the lead when it melts.

I have a bunch of small lead cakes that I poured in those little mini muffin tins, they weight about 7-8 OZ each, I will drop one in my pot and see what happens.

August 28, 2013, 06:02 PM	#1
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	HEating up the alloy as I type.. Well I'll let you know what I end up with tonight. I got in a new Lee mold, and figured while I had the pot up to temp.....well look what happened last time. I do have one 2 cavity out there though the Lee 411-195 for my 41. I don't know how many I will pour with it but I guarantee it won't be as many as I get done with the three 6 cavity ones I have warming up. I'll be back..... __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

August 28, 2013, 06:38 PM	#2
Beagle333 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: Auburn, AL. Posts: 2,332	Three 6-cavs! Send for the wheelbarrow..... somebody's gonna do some casting! Take some pitchers!!!!! __________________ . . . Have a Colt and a smile.

August 28, 2013, 08:22 PM	#4
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	Well thing is they were all different calibers....so I wasn't pouring one then the other, or planning it that way anyhow. I usually just pour with one until I empty the pot then switch to another while some new alloy is heating up. I'll take that pan full and set them aside and grab up another pan to fill up. I use some little 4"x8"x maybe 3" deep bread pans to put them in after I get them poured up. When I fill one up thats plenty of whatever those are for a while. One of the 6c's was a brand new Lee 452-235RF that I just got yesterday. Came home scrub a dubbed it all up nice and clean, then lubed it up, then set it on the hot plate to warm up while the alloy was melting. While that one was warming and the alloy was melting I lubed up a 410-215 that I have also in a 6, and then a RD 432-240 6C as well. The plan was, to break in the 235grRF with a pan full then move on to the others. Well I spent enough time screwing with the new one I finally gave up after getting exactly 14 keepers out of about 5 pounds worth, actually the second 5 pounds worth, the first all went back in. Then after looking at the little pile I DID have, I pulled out one and dumped the rest of those back in. Then I went for the 410-215 and got a pan full of them and moved over to a 2 cavity 410-195. It took SO darned long to get a pan full of them, I decided to call it quits about 10 minutes ago. At least the last two poured good boolits through out the whole ordeal. I'll get back on the RD 432-240 tomorrow and after I get a pan of those, THEN I will go back on the new one again. I figured it is like every other Lee mold I have, just needs a couple of breaking pours and then it will be good to go. Sure does make me appreciate how well those brass molds I have pour. Not that the Lee's don't pour up good bullets, they are just a bit more temperamental. I also wished that 410-195 was a 6C as well, I REALLY like that little bullet. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX Last edited by Mike / Tx; August 28, 2013 at 08:30 PM.

August 29, 2013, 06:12 PM	#5
Old 454 Senior Member Join Date: August 15, 2011 Location: Chesterton Ind. Posts: 822	Lee 6 cavity 358-158 I just bought a lee six cavity mold for .357 a 358158, I cleaned it all off with brake cleaner then took it inside and cleaned it with a tooth brush and dish soap. when I casted with it the bullets it made were very nice with one exception, they were casting at about a 361-362 diameter and I had a tuff time running them through my Lee .358 sizer. My question is will this mold calm down on the size? will smoking it help ? Is there a break in on a six cavity mold that diffrent then a two cavity ? My Lee two cavity in the same size works great. Last question. I have some staining on the inside of blocks of my .452 mold caused by beeswax when I lubed the alignment pins, what the best way to remove that brown stain ?

August 29, 2013, 06:41 PM	#6
armoredman Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,299	I must be the lowest of low volume casters - I rarely do more than 200 per sitting. Everything is in the garage, and I just dump alloy in the Lee and plug it in. Then again, I rarely use more than one mold at a time - sounds like you had fun!

August 30, 2013, 05:13 PM	#9
armoredman Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,299	Oh, I understand that - I will do 9mm and 40SW at the same time some days, but I have to completely empty and refill for 7.62x39mm, as it uses a harder alloy. Still loads of fun.

August 30, 2013, 05:33 PM	#10
Old 454 Senior Member Join Date: August 15, 2011 Location: Chesterton Ind. Posts: 822	hmm ok, yes I have plenty of pure lead, my crews at work bring me old water services that have been in the ground for 100 years, they melt real nice. just flux all the old crap off the lead when it melts. I have a bunch of small lead cakes that I poured in those little mini muffin tins, they weight about 7-8 OZ each, I will drop one in my pot and see what happens.