chamfer cavity base and bottom sprue plate holes
- Thread starter castmiester
- Start date
If you’re having venting problem, take a fine stone and swipe the top of the mould where the halves meet. Not a big bevel, just a few strokes to show a “shine”. Both sides. This will be enough.
Want to sharped the sprue cutter. Chuck a #10 screw in a drill from the bottom of the plate. Pull down and give it a spin or so. Follow up by polishing with a flat stone, lightly lube and cast./beagle
Want to sharped the sprue cutter. Chuck a #10 screw in a drill from the bottom of the plate. Pull down and give it a spin or so. Follow up by polishing with a flat stone, lightly lube and cast./beagle
castmiester
Active Member
On one of my moulds, the Ideal single cavity vent lines on the bands came short. Interestingly, the bullets filled out rather well, but not quite enough, probably doable but was wondering if it can be worked. If not I’ll buy buy another mould. This time check it out more thourghly before buyin one.
Borrowed a laser thermometer from a friend to check 400 degree mould temp. Running ~13 BHN
Borrowed a laser thermometer from a friend to check 400 degree mould temp. Running ~13 BHN
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Vent lines can be extended into a cavity with a small, fine file or scribe and straight-edge (better, a small machinists square), a steady hand, LIGHT touch and patience. A decent vice is necessary too. The iron is soft. I've done a few and even have one where the straight-edge slipped and have to see an errant scrawl when I use the mould. It doesn't actually hurt anything other than my pride.
castmiester
Active Member
I have a small file set , but it's too big. I'll check out Harbor Freight today in the hobby section for fine files and a small square too.
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Ian
Notorious member
What Jeff wrote. I think hobo freight sells carbide-tipped scribes (or used to). That is the tool you need. I have yet to see a file of any sort that has an edge fine enough and of a sharp enough edge termination to clean up a proper vent line. Magnification, on the order of 10x or more, is also very handy for ensuring a neat job.
I have a set of needle files I INVESTED in (they were not cheap) about 45 years ago and one of the triangular files was just right for the vent lines on a couple Lyman moulds from the eighties. I haven;t seen another set like that since and don't even remember where I got them. The tangs are so small that there was no room to stamp a manufacturer's name.
I wouldn't touch an aluminum mould with them - the scribe is the berries for finishing older 2C LEE moulds on which the vent lines stopped short of the cavities. Often, it was just the burr from cutting the cavity smashed into the vent lines.
Ian
Notorious member
Yep, you see that burr on the front edge of the left block and rear edge of the right block only due to the rotational direction of the single-point boring bar. Flick that burr out of the groove, slice it off where it now protrudes into the cavity, close the blocks and spin a ball of 2-O steel wool in there backwards, mould officially "Lee-Mented"!