Well I was told it would be different than the Lee moulds I have learned on and that advice was correct. I enjoy the fact that the bullets most times fall out of the mould when it is opened! How does that happen? I am used to pounding the X@#$% out of my lee's for 4 out of 5 bullets. But here is the question that has me repeating the aforementioned expletive. The two cavities are like from two different molds. The outer cavity (from the hinge pin) fills like a dream. The inner cavity rarely fills well and most times there is a small void at the bottom edge that looks like the bullet was dropped on its edge and has a slight flat at the 6:00 position (again to the hinge). I tried filling it fast and slow, down the pipe and off the edge of the spew hole. I tried filling it at 12:00 and 3;00 and around the dial and still most times a small void that you could see as soon as you pried the spew plate away. The kicker is that the spew hole is at that exact edge and I always leave a generous spew. I did have a few that did not even fill completely and were rounded at the base even though I had a good spew spud (?) to shear off. I thought it may be trapped air. The mould has sufficient vents as I have to pull the whiskers off these catfish. Some of them stick like a catfish as well. Just what I need, lead splinters! Info on mould, 311-365 198gr. spire point, gas check Ideal. cast frosted and using straight WW. One last point. On close inspection the spew cut is not the same. The outer cavity bullet shows a shinny smooth spew cut off like cutting solder with a razor. The inner flawed bullets look as if the spew was snapped clean off. It is mostly dark and crystaline looking with some shinny cut parts. This is so...... strange. I seem to remember reading about dressing a spew plate with some kind of lapping compound on a steel plate or sheet of glass or something.... HELP> JB

The most likely problem is that the air is not escaping at the correct moment in time. This can be fixed. But first, open up the sprue holes incrementally by 0.010, not to exceed 0.190 total, as measured internally by a quality VC. Use 400 grit paper over a very thick piece of glass, thicker the better. Use circular motion and make the plate absolutely flat. Use that paper to cut off all sharp edges of the mold. Do this by holding the mold at 45 degree angle on the paper which is on the glass. Now jerk the paper completely free of the mold. Never move the mold, because you won't ever get the edges square if you do. Do this on all 90 degree edges of the mold, including the center parting lines where the top of the cavities are. Move the paper out and away from the cavities, not into them. Do the same to flatten the top of each mold half, while holding both halves together, never seperately. Again, move the paper fast by a strong jerk without moving the mold. Never take more metal off than necessary. When you are done, you should have left a shallow groove across the top of the mold for the air to escape in line with the handles. Guaranteed to make the mold work. Also, when completely working, get a boolit from each cavity and spin that boolit in the cavity with some polishing compound. Do this by inserting a screw into the boolit, and twisting both ways with the mold shut simi-tight around the boolit. About 10 cycles. This is the last thing you do after the mold is working fine. This takes off the little burrs that might be left behind because of the the other operations. ... felix

Felix, I re-read your post a few times to get it right. What you are saying is that If I hold the blocks at a 45 degree angle I am in fact making a slight bevel where the blocks meet which opens up an air vent at the very top which will allow the last bit of air to escape. Is that correct? It makes sense since I could not figure out how some bullets were not fully formed and yet I had a good sprue to shear off. Thanks, JB

JB, yep, that's it. Also, ever mould I have 'beagled' has produced better boolits. If all else fails, try beagling even though the boolit will be maybe a thousandths bigger. Beagling produces more than adequate venting. One other thing, since you are using straight ww, you might want to try just a little tin added in. Oh, yea, one other thing. I usually work over my sprue plates by enlarging the hole very slightly and polishing it (the hole that is) and the underside. Reistall so that is will just barely open on its own, adjust from there. sundog

Sundog's suggestion to "Beagle" the mold is the last resort with that mold, because that mold is already producing fins along the body of the boolit, right? If not, then you can Beagle the mold first, and that will fix the problem. Boolits that are out-of-round have no effect on accuracy, provided they are sized absolutely straight. Make sure your sizing die is on the large side. ... felix

Sure you've got every trace of oil removed from that cavity? Oil will produce vapors and leave bubbles in the lead, and it takes a long time to cook out by casting.

I like the tune up procedure. I end up messing around with my moulds, tweaking this and that until they work really well.

Have you tried smoking the blocks? I usualy smoke them well with acetelene smoke. Use your carbide sight blacker lamp, map gas, or acetelene from the torch. It makes a huge difference.

I have also struggled with bullets from one cavity not filling while the other casts fine. In each case - the problem indeed turned out to be inadequate venting.

For me - I have found that using a carbide scribe to trace/deepen the existing vent lines has proved effective. On a couple of really good Applegate moulds I noted he had added vent lines under the sprue plate. Copying the idea - I have also scribed vent lines on a couple of particularly stubborn moulds that were producing rounded bases and that solved the problem. I think Felix's suggestion to slightly bevel the blocks at the parting line does the same. If you choose to use a scribe - be sure to lightly polish/deburr the scribed lines so the sprue plate will lay flat and not be scored. Felix's other suggestion to lightly lap the mould cavities works wonders and results in the bullets virtually dropping out of the cavities by just opening them. Works on moulds of all materials. Your needing to beat the dickens out of your LEE mould will be a thng of the past if you'll give it this treatment.

Best regards-

Sky C.

Threads like this make me smile. If you spend half this amount of time on Lee molds, they'll work just as well as the steel molds. 'Course, it seems like a waste to spend 15 minutes on a $20 mold when you could be spending 30 minutes on a $50 mold. <GGG>

Thanks for all the info. I will clean first and try again and I will losen the sprew plate as it is tight per the info given and that may let some air out as well. I am not getting any fins on the bullets just the hairs of the vent lines. The bullets are in good shape round wise... Thanks for the help. I will not be able to cast again until next week. Have a good holiday and thanks again. JB

I've been making my own molds. When I put the blocks in the vice, the first thing I do is to mill the tops with a 3/4" mill. Then I cherry them. I leave the milling marks on top and get perfect bases.