My mould is driving me nuts

[Rex]

I have an old Ideal one hole 358477 that drops a nice looking bullet until you measure it. OUT OF ROUND!
I drove the top pin out a ways...still egg shaped. drove the bottom pin out a bit then it wouldn't close. It runs around 360 or so 90 deg. from the parting line but can drop to around .355 right at the parting line. I know I should be able to adjust it by moving the alignment pins but I'm not getting there. Is there hope for this or is a fishing line weight?

 

[Gary]

Ian will check in a little later.

 

[Bret4207]

Are the halves lined up perfectly or is there a "jog" in the line where they meet? Nothing on the mould faces or in the pin holes? Does it close absolutely tight with the handles on? I've seen some that needed work on the handles to close right.

 

[Rex]

There is a jog between the two halves so it isn't lined up correctly. I see nothing else looking at the mould.

 

[fiver]

whichever pin you drive out pulls the mold half on the pin side that direction.
get the two halves back to being lined up before you do anything else.

 

[Ian]

Just buy an Accurate mould. I'm weary of helping people fight problems with POS Lyman moulds.

Wanna buy the 268414 I just got? The blocks line up but both cavities are machined with the blocks twisted. It casts 263x.266". I FINALLY may have learned to stop buying their garbage, even second-hand.

 

[Rex]

Like you I got tired of fooling with this damn thing. Didn't make any difference where either pin was, nothing changed so it is now part of the Keith County landfill! I ran out of patience and whisky all at the same time.

 

[Ian]

I was gonna offer to buy it so I could re-bore it into something else, but I don't really need anything that big anymore.

 

[fiver]

I got a 4 cav 477 I picked up that would work in the specials little S&W brother straight from the mold.
I'm about 1200% positive they were the cause of Emmett pulling his press off the bench trying to size them.
pick your direction,, too much diameter or not quite enough.

 

[Ian]

I guess that's the two choices with some brands.

 

[RBHarter]

Rex would you like to try a Lyman round groove version ?
I have a spare .

 

[Bret4207]

I got a 4 cav 477 I picked up that would work in the specials little S&W brother straight from the mold.
I'm about 1200% positive they were the cause of Emmett pulling his press off the bench trying to size them.
pick your direction,, too much diameter or not quite enough.

How big does it cast?

 

[Rex]

RBHarter,
Name your price and send me an address to send your money. I'll give it another go.

 

[RBHarter]

See PM/conversation for details .

 

[fiver]

I'd have to actually measure some,, but my mk-1 eyeball and oomph test in the sizer says about 360-61.
I was kind of thinking I'd be powder coating them.... chuckle,,, no.

 

[Bret4207]

I'd have to actually measure some,, but my mk-1 eyeball and oomph test in the sizer says about 360-61.
I was kind of thinking I'd be powder coating them.... chuckle,,, no.

Might be something I'm interested in for my Smith Perfected Model 38S+W if you ever want to get rid of it.

 

[Rex]

I have an old one hole Lyman 358156 that has been greatly abused in its past and looks like the running gear of hard times. It drops a very round .361 bullet every time with my "mystery lead".

 

[fiver]

give me a couple days to pull a measurement.
I can just send you a couple hundred, if they look like they'll work for you.
I sent Emmett a bunch not too long back so I will have to see what I have on hand.
I only done a short test run of the mold and I don't remember if it needs the new sprue plate or if I robbed one off one of my other molds, or if I put it's on the other? [been a while]
I vaguely recall one of them had oversize holes in the sprue plate.

 

[CZ93X62]

Oh, my--those "fat 30s" and "fat 38s" do have their uses--esp. if your tastes run to the roads/calibers less-traveled.

I have been very lucky on my Lyman moulds--as best I can tell, they cast fairly round bullets without much fuss & bother. (Maybe I am less discerning than other members here, or easier to please--dunno). Most are older variants, pre-1990--which might make the difference. I LOVE the old Lyman moulds--they run VERY WELL for me. I think my newest Lyman is a vintage 2012-13 Loverin for the 6.5 x 55--the #266469. In 92/6/2, it casts a fat .266, and as best I can tell with my mic they are at most a few tenths off-round. They shoot well in a rifle of good accuracy and good dimensions--.2645" throat and .264" x .256" groove x bore. My mould buys since that time have been SAECO, Accurate, Mountain, and NOE.

I try to avoid scenarios of fat bullet/skinny size die interfaces. Over the years I have accumulated a number of H&I dies in varying sizes, so I can skinny-up a casting in .001"-.002" steps as needed. Emmett's plight of breaking off a mount surface is best avoided. Knock on wood......

 

[fiver]

no complaints from me either, until you get into the newer models.
back in the 80's-90's they were a good bargain.
cut well, blocks were square, cast easy enough, maybe a little soft in their metal but good molds none the less, and at 35-40$ hard to beat.

lyman is going too corporate and they have been outsourcing too much stuff to have any real good control the last 15 or so years.