castmiester
Active Member
actually I lowered to 700 the last pour. I heard guys with decades of pouring at 800
from LASC website about Sprue plates
Last edited:
case hardened sprue plates
- Thread starter castmiester
- Start date
- Status
from LASC website about Sprue plates
castmiester
Active Member
so with the info I listed of how I pour and break sprues, what can you suggest ?
Have to make plates of 1095 or O1 yourself, but in the testing I did I saw no advantage to it. As 300BLK suggested, they tend to get overheated and annealed over time.
The older Ideal/Lyman 4 cavity plates (and earlier gang moulds andrmory moulds from the same manufacturer) used 1/4" mild steel for sprueplates. If you didn't abuse them (strike at an angle to the blocks, or overheat them) they last forever.
Veral Smith at LBT used a stamped plate with a sorta spring-loaded hold-down. They were thin, but again, if not bused they last forever.
I've set up a couple of RCBS and Lyman moulds with plates as thick as 1/2" (wanted the plate as a heat sink). Within my measurement ability (1/10 gr. weight, .0001" micrometer) I saw no improvements to more than 1/4" thick steel.
And then there are the Lee 6 cavity plates made of aluminum, which seem to work fine.
What does that mean?
462
California's Central Coast Amid The Insanity
I've owned dozens of new and used Lee, Lyman, RCBS, Ideal, and NOE moulds, some were so old the blocks were ventless, some had been owned by people who beat and abused them (even threw one in the garbage it was so badly abused), some appeared new, but never was there a mould that had a warped sprue cutter. Not saying that it's not possible, just can't imagine what would be involved for it to happen, except having been subjected to some degree of abuse.
I, too, use a gloved thumb to cut the sprue. Why hit the mould with anything? (My gosh, a certain gun writer, who often writes about bullet casting, uses a dead blow hammer.
)
I, too, use a gloved thumb to cut the sprue. Why hit the mould with anything? (My gosh, a certain gun writer, who often writes about bullet casting, uses a dead blow hammer.
)castmiester
Active Member
KISS
castmiester
Active Member
I tried to just push by hand..... Maybe a softer alloy but I run 14 BHN. the same alloy is 9 BHN with .357 casts but the 44 is 14 Does a harder alloy effect it ? I can add some pure lead.
(strike at an angle to the blocks, or overheat them) they last forever.
Last edited:
castmiester
Active Member
I watched you tube vids of just pushing by hand yes. I tried it and they are pretty tight, so it went to a light home made wooden dowel mallet I made at the right angle of the block. I get a cadence going with great casts, and cant see at 750 melt would overheat the plate. Unless an Ideal mould just had an original plate and once they are warped from abuse or over heating they're toast.I've owned dozens of new and used Lee, Lyman, RCBS, Ideal, and NOE moulds, some were so old the blocks were ventless, some had been owned by people who beat and abused them (even threw one in the garbage it was so badly abused), some appeared new, but never was there a mould that had a warped sprue cutter. Not saying that it's not possible, just can't imagine what would be involved for it to happen, except having been subjected to some degree of abuse.
I, too, use a gloved thumb to cut the sprue. Why hit the mould with anything? (My gosh, a certain gun writer, who often writes about bullet casting, uses a dead blow hammer.
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
That sounds like a "you" problem and not my problem.
castmiester
Active Member
KISSThat sounds like a "you" problem and not my problem.
Not the alloy, it's the mold/sprue/alloy temp. It' a learning curve to get the Goldi Locks temp, via casting Rythm with a 700 degree pot temp.
castmiester
Active Member
maybe this will throw you guys off from Kal tool in Canada
Hello:
Your problem seems to be the amount of tension you have on the screw that holds the sprue plate down.
Your sprue plate should swing freely. If the hold down screw is too tight, your plate will be binding on the top of the mould block around the area of the screw, causing wear.
Due to the wear the more you tighten the screw, the plate has a tendency to tip slightly causing a gap between the mould blocks and the sprue plate, hence the finning at the base.
I would recommend that you try loosening the sprue plate hold down screw so the sprue plate swing freely without any effort.
A lot of casters seem to think that the sprue plate should be snug to the mould blocks, which is not correct. It should swing freely.
I would try loosening the sprue plate screw and see if that will eliminate your problem. If not, replacing the sprue plates may help.
Regards.
Rick Kalynuik
Hello:
Your problem seems to be the amount of tension you have on the screw that holds the sprue plate down.
Your sprue plate should swing freely. If the hold down screw is too tight, your plate will be binding on the top of the mould block around the area of the screw, causing wear.
Due to the wear the more you tighten the screw, the plate has a tendency to tip slightly causing a gap between the mould blocks and the sprue plate, hence the finning at the base.
I would recommend that you try loosening the sprue plate hold down screw so the sprue plate swing freely without any effort.
A lot of casters seem to think that the sprue plate should be snug to the mould blocks, which is not correct. It should swing freely.
I would try loosening the sprue plate screw and see if that will eliminate your problem. If not, replacing the sprue plates may help.
Regards.
Rick Kalynuik
castmiester
Active Member
I never had much luck with some guys being not easy sometimes to keep up with. Is it asking too much to prevent googling words to find out what they're saying ?
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
You've joined a forum populated by intelligent members, try to keep up.
castmiester
Active Member
Oh... I sure will !! what did you think about what the rep from Kal tool said ?
Last edited:
- Status