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New mold problems?

Posted: 01 Oct 2019 20:13
by kmw1954
Having just recently started with casting the very first mold I bought was a 356-102-1R to be used for casting bullets to use in the 380. Was given some samples of these to try and really liked the results.

So now have 3 sessions on this mold using COWW alloy and during the last session and with the previous one I started seeing bullets with mismatched halves and also the bottom of the bullet I am seeing a bit of flashing coming off the base.

From what I see at times the mold is not closing properly and I have had to closely watch. for the flashing I tried to tighten the sprue plate screw which didn't help.

Suggestions or advice?

Re: New mold problems?

Posted: 02 Oct 2019 09:48
by orerancher
Is It a New Mold? Send It back.... It's not closing correctly

Re: New mold problems?

Posted: 02 Oct 2019 13:20
by mikld
Some molds have a distinct personality. Often it take practice, practice, practice to learn what works best...

First make sure the mold has been thoroughly cleaned. Close the mold and hold it up to the light. See any light/gaps? Check the mold faces to make sure there are no tiny specks of lead stuck there. Make sure the pins and hinges are clean and lubed. Recheck your temperatures, mold and melt (I have always had better results with a mold preheated on my hot plate.). Before I condemn a mold I make sure the problem is the mold's fault and not mine...

Re: New mold problems?

Posted: 02 Oct 2019 16:03
by kmw1954
Not sure but I think it's me because it doesn't do it all the time. When I was casting the other day it appears that 1/4 of them were misaligned and the rest were perfect. After I was finished I was playing around with the mold and noticed that even though it is closed completely the two sides did not always meet evenly and it was always the same side that was higher than the other. If I open it and wiggle it it closes right.

This small mold does not have the round alignment pins but there are two rods at the bottom one in each mold.

Re: New mold problems?

Posted: 02 Oct 2019 20:48
by Macd
The mold is designed to be a bit sloppy so that the horizontal alignment edge and groove as well as the vertical alignment pins/rods and grooves can slide into mating. I have one 356-124 mold that needed some adjustment of the pins as well as cleaning of a slight burr on one of the grooves as it occasionally would hang up.on closing. The problem was made worse when the weight of the open sprue cutter twisted the block it pivots on. If I closed the cutter before closing the blocks or if I turned the mold upside down with the cutter open or closed the blocks slipped into alignment every time.

Re: New mold problems?

Posted: 03 Oct 2019 05:02
by RBHarter
Sounds like one of the old style moulds . Some of those like to be set flat one their base to close even .
You may have a lead spot also . Those will clean up with a bamboo kabob sticker , popsicle stick or ingot rubbed over the specs on a hot mould . I get them quite often on on the old style Lee's . Trim the sticks to a flat scrapper kind of point for best results .

Re: New mold problems?

Posted: 03 Oct 2019 11:49
by mikld
I've had many fewer problems I could attribute to the alignment "bars" than "pins". My molds have play (slop) between the handles and mold and on occasion I'll see one that doesn't close straight. As mentioned above, sometimes setting the mold on a flat surface (bench top) when closing helps the alignment...

Re: New mold problems?

Posted: 05 Oct 2019 03:23
by GasGuzzler
I'm surely not keeping a mold that must be set down on the table each time I close it.

Study the mold and you should be able to see what modification or adjustment is needed to make it function 100%.

Re: New mold problems?

Posted: 11 Oct 2019 10:36
by mikld
GasGuzzler wrote:I'm surely not keeping a mold that must be set down on the table each time I close it.

Study the mold and you should be able to see what modification or adjustment is needed to make it function 100%.
I'll PM you with my address so you can send all those "defective" molds to me. I'll gladly pay shipping too... :lol:

Re: New mold problems?

Posted: 12 Oct 2019 04:54
by GasGuzzler
Obviously I'd simply send any that require being sat down each time back to the company that made it and get one that works properly.