"Tuning" A Mould???

[seagiant1]

Hi,
I purchased a TC Contender, in 35 Rem., then remembered I had sold the RCBS 35-200 FPGC Mould!

Put out a call and was offered another of the exact make and bought it.

Visual inspection looked good, but when I started casting, ran into a few minor issues...

The first was, noticed very slight fins on the nose.

Seems the blocks would not close at the bottom everytime unless you squeezed the handles together, then was good.

I took a punch and some 400 grit W/D paper and polished the inside of the pin holes just a touch and all was good.

Then, noticed the cavity nearest the handles was giving me a round bottom.

Readjusted the tight sprue plate to where it would just swing on it's own weight.

That was an improvement but not 100%...

Finally decided to take a very fine India Stone and gave each inside top edge 3 strokes only at a 45 degree angle.

You could barely see it, but that brought the mould to 100%

I then made a lap and using hand power only, with the non embedding, JB Bore Compound, burnished the cavities slightly just to remove any micro burrs in the cavities, for an easier release.

I know there is a lot of knowledge here, and we all have our own thoughts on mould care but this worked for me, with no damage to the mould and it is a pleasure to use now!

 

[Ian]

Other than check the vent lines with a 20x loupe and clean burrs at cavity edges as necessary with a scribe prior to lapping, I think you about covered it.

 

[Spindrift]

Excellent work! Good luck with your Contender!

 

[seagiant1]

Excellent work! Good luck with your Contender!

Hi,
Thanks, she's a Cutie!!!

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Yup check air bleed. You can also stone "break" top edge where cavities fill a thousandths or so each side. Will leave a vent line across the top of the entire mold.

Ironic you post as I was gonna add ot a post I made previous. Proclaiming my luck with LEE molds. That streak crashed and burned today with a 358-200 rf. Its a copy of your RCBS mold. Burrs bad! The bolt holding the plate on is shouldered and relies upon tolerances a d a wave washer to keep it in check atop mold. Well there was a honest 1/16" gap!!!! As if it was missing a washer!! But usually only a wave washer is present. I added a washer I stoned to proper thinkness.

But then the plate.... it was warped!!! It was like a canoe!!!!! High on sides and low in center. But top side was pretty flat! At least not nearly as warped as base where it contacts top of mold.

Took me a good 30 min with a big flat file then 10min on a stone to make it useable!!!

Yea I coulda returned it. But my track record with Lee and there customer service is very poor and Im already bald. So I buy Lee knowing full well this will eventually occur. Hopefully its fixed but I may need buy a new spure plate.

Good luck with your RCBS mold. They are FAR better!!

CW

 

[seagiant1]

Hi,
Admittedly, I have a small shop, so am better off say, making a new Spure Plate.

But have and do own a few LEE Six Cavs. and was about to pull the trigger on the LEE, when I fell into the RCBS.

Years ago, on the "other Forum", I was one of the few, showing love for RCBS Moulds, now...

Seems everyone loves them???

 

[JWFilips]

You did a good job! Most of us here have tackled that same job over the years! The hardest part is deciding to do it!

 

[seagiant1]

You did a good job! Most of us here have tackled that same job over the years! The hardest part is deciding to do it!

Hi,
Thanks, I actually thought pretty hard on just swiping of the cavity top edge with the stone, but...

Could think of nothing else to do, but did the very least I could do, and it worked!

I also forgot to mention that I also flattened the Sprue Plate, where it sits on the blocks.

Just happy I could get it to run.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Just off Titan Reloading.
New spure was 8.80 screws bolts washers and shipping was not 30$. (Plus I got extra screws washers too.)

Yes 100% I like RCBS molds too!

CW

 

[seagiant1]

Hi,
Well, unlike most people here, I try to get one bullet to do double duty if possible...

You guys sound like you have WAY more Moulds than I do!

Glad you got your LEE taken care off, I still need to do the regular mods, to one of mine!

 

[fiver]

i just got this mold from LEE, and kind of went through the same process to get it up and going the way i like it.
now it's cast and shake over the bucket.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I cast it today. Got good bullets almost straight away. But cause of the plate they have a funky base.

I found plate on Titan for 8.80$. Its on its way here. Along with new bolts.