setting up a Lee 6 cavity mold

[Certaindeaf]

Sounds like a good idea. I've got a couple old dinky Lee singles that I can cast like a maniac with. They never overheat and I just go fullbore.. I'm always surprised how fast I can go/how many I cast with those using a dipper and glove.

 

[dragon813gt]

Bullshop is not dead as alluded to in an earlier post. They moved out of Alaska and are back up and running.

Smoking a mold is not the answer. Search CastBolits for "Leementing" on how to make a Lee mold work. Lee molds are notoriously rough. Get rid of all the burrs, possibly clear the vent lines, preheat your molds on a hot plate and you should be good to go. I will also suggest picking up a quality mold from one of the custom makers if you have the money. I have plenty of Lee molds. But they are all being replaced w/ higher quality molds from the custom makers.

I will also suggest that you don't run your pot at 800 degrees if it has any tin in it. There is no need to run it that high for non hollow points. Even w/ my Cramer molds, which require a lot of heat to keep the pins hot, I don't run much over 750.


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[RugerBob]

When I cast its usually for more then 1 caliber at a time. So, while my 20lb bottom pour is warming up I de grease my 4 cav lyman steel mold, let air dry and use Frankford easy drop on it. Set it closed on a elec hot plate to warm up. Then get the 6 cav out and check it out and smoke or spray it. I also use a Q-tip and oil guide pins and round line up pins. Set that on hot plate. Add more lead to pot to top off. While thats melting I set up whats needed, gloves, safety glasses, drop pan with several layers of denim as I remove each layer when I get a few hundred on it. By the time I grab the 6 cav, I have no return to pot as well heated evenly and cast till pot low, redo, and then get to 4 cav steel and no heating needed and all 4 good.
Set pot temp at 7.5 by dial and turn to 7 by time I pour, when add more put back to 7.5 and pour at 7. I guess I need a temp gauge, maybe one day.

 

[budman46]

mentioning bull shot's sprue lube is 2-cycle motor oil wasn't to cut the guy from any business, i thought he was done. a pal remarked that bull plate's stuff looked like 2-cycle oil. i experimented; it worked.

i'm glad bull shop is up and running...they have lot of good stuff.

 

[GLOOB]

When I cast its usually for more then 1 caliber at a time.

I thought you were gonna go on to say you alternate between two molds every other pour. I've been thinking of trying that method. After I've dropped several dozen bullets, and the mold is really hot, I have to wait just a little bit between pours to get the best-looking base/shank/sprue cut. And I cast at what I think is a pretty low temp. Just hot enough to get out the wrinkles. I've never gone above 6 on my Lee pot, and I don't get much of any skin forming on the top of the alloy. I usually only flux before completely draining it, to clean it or switch alloys.

 

[dragon813gt]

The numbers on the Lee pot really
mean nothing. More power to the people that cast w/ just them. But the temp variation on a single number from when the pot is full to empty can be up to a couple hundred degrees. Mine will easily shoot to over 800 on a medium setting when full to not even above the melt point when it's at the point where the flow is reduced. Temp matters when you have a percentage of tin in the pot.

As for bullplate being two cycle oil. It sure is close if the oil is a fully synthetic one. I still have a lot of the sample bottles of both bullplate and the oil you get when purchasing an MP Mold. They both work equally well.


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[RugerBob]

The numbers are just set points, if I go around 6 1/2 on my 20lb its slows and won't pour well. 7 - just seems to work well on mine.
I was gonna try swapping molds between pours, but the hassel ( to me ) just wasn't something that fit comfortably.
I just set out the molds I plan to cast with that day. Usually about 800-1000 rounds w/6cav for 45LC and 600 or so of the 4 cav steel mold for 45 acp. May also do about 200 45/70s. If I do this a few times during winter I'm usually set for the other 3 seasons.
I usually have the wife run the lube sizer as I find it extremely time consuming and the only part I slightly dis like. I'll load or prep brass as she will help there to if I ask.