New mold

[CWLONGSHOT]

I have been Updating/Grading LEE Molds lately. One a month.

First was the LEE 452-230 TC. It was bought cause I could not find a RCBS 45-225 cav mold. I was really taken with it. I found a few but they where either sold before I could buy or sold for far more then a realistic value. So I bought the LEE.
WOW WOW WOW!! I was impressed with the much improved quality of the mold as well as the larger meplat of this bullet.

Next was a 452-200RF a 45 Colt bullet. I bought this cause I bought a NOE 453-200 hp mold and wanted to use it in 45 Colt. But that bullet has no crimp groove. The LEE does.
Again, SUPER impressed with the quality of this mold too. Flat spure no burrs and cast like a dream right out of the box!!

Next was impulse buy when I saw a BrokeLoader video where he received some bullets from PCKIDD.
A 452-160 rf. A bullet I never knew LEE made! It us such a cute lil booger too!!! Able to be shot in the acp as well as the 45 COLT!! I received this mold and for a third time I was suprised and very pleased! The spure plate was dead flat and zero burrs where found. The mold cast beautifully.

Now today, I received a 312-1552R mold. Again it is a beautiful mold!! I cleaned and checked it then removed 4 of 6 gas checks from the cavities. Locking the tops after reaming only removed what I had upset. The spure plate was also and again PERFECT! I have cycled it twice while I was making the shelving unit. So. Ext good weather Ill cast with it.

HUGE SHOUT OUT TO LEE!! GREAT JOB!!
Ooh also NO SHIRLEY STICKERS ON ANY!! Also some didnt have wrap stickers and ones that did had new adheasive that cane off EASY!!!
CW

 

[462]

Oh, man, I hope Shirley didn't lose her job.

 

[Walks]

CW,
Ya need to look at a catalog occasionally.

 

[Ian]

I like mine. Bought a new 4-20 furnace last week and it is excellent with some nice improvements over my 15 year old model.

Was running low on 452-230TCs...



So I cast about 90 pounds of them and got about 40 pounds coated and sized...



Still about 7" to the bottom of the box...

 

[Jeff H]

@Ian , those look darned good for "factory seconds!"

That's a great, no fuss, all ;round 45 ACP bullet too. A favorite, even though I don't do 45 anymore.

 

[STIHL]

last one I got in was inspected by number 2, it has some pretty bad burrs inside the cavities, should clean up, but anyway. Its a 429-240 TL 6 cav.

 

[Michael]

I had a couple of MP molds arrive yesterday, no Shirley sticker, simply wrapped in the usual fashion and packaged/padded with newspaper, I don't think the woman in the add on the padding is Shirley, more like the Slovanian audition for the Sports Illustrates Swim Suit Edition. Just have to love European advertising

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I cast up some today... had a "crash" comin outta the oven.

ASTING; A MODIFIED, LEE 312-155 2R

Remove the gas chip shake of this mold on four of the six cavities and this will be the first casting with that mold

rumble.com

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

This came out perfectly and should make for a dandy PB bullet for me.

CW

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I received a ew LEE 6 cav last evening and the trend has broken.

I got a stinker!!

Disassembling I noticed the plate was major loose. Looking closer I assumed it wasnt tight. Nope it was needing a spacer. Weather missing or a miss cut shouldered bolt its sloppy by allot.

This one had a sticker and was checked by ol' number two. And it was a s$&ty check for sure!!

Bad burrs where the holes was punched and burrs on the threading for both plate hinge and stop.

Doing a video later today.

It is a 358-200. The RCBS copy. I wanted to have it even tho I have a RCBS, Saeco and NOE version.

CW

 

[Wasalmonslayer]

Dang I hate when that happens!
I would just box it and ship it right back as unusable…
That is why I usually go the Amazon route for items like these their return policy is bullet proof!!
Not a huge Amazon guy would rather buy from a brick and mortar any day to support them. Because if we don’t we are going to loose them all to “Amazon”

 

[Glaciers]

Dang I hate when that happens!
I would just box it and ship it right back as unusable…
That is why I usually go the Amazon route for items like these their return policy is bullet proof!!
Not a huge Amazon guy would rather buy from a brick and mortar any day to support them. Because if we don’t we are going to loose them all to “Amazon”

Good logic there on the return policy and preferring to buy from brick and mortar. It’s a catch 22 on buying from Amazon as it’s a simple Corporate board room decision to boycott anything firearms related. That usually happens after the brick and mortar, LGS, mom & pop outfits are history.
It would not be a stretch or a surprise if Amazon became Woke on the subject of all things firearms related. At least Bazos likes money, but he could pull the rug out anytime.

 

[Spindrift]

Ah, sorry to hear you lost the "Lee lottery". I've been reasonably lucky myself, with my Lee moulds. The c358-200 is a good design.

 

[seagiant1]

Hi,
Sorry for the Lemon, but LEE should make it good, and to be fair...

LEE's 6 Cav. Moulds, are usually pretty good!

 

[Walks]

Sorry,
The 6cav tend to be better then the 2cav. If it can be fixed, You can fix it My Friend.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I finished seasoning... Pot is warming.

I think I got it and I removed gas checks too. So worst Ill buy new plate.

Massaging a Lee 358-200RF Mold

I started with just a regular mold clean up/conditioning. BUT NOOO!! Ol no.2 didnt have there eyeballs adjusted when they OK'd this mold!!!! Grab a drink and have a sit this is a longer video...

rumble.com

Warning to real machinists here. Redneck engineering ahead.

PT II massaging a Lee 358-200RF

Im removing the gas checks on my Drill press with a bit.

rumble.com

Casting video up later.

CW

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Casting Video

CASTING a Lee 358-200RF

Problem mold! Bad spure plate. Bottom line I need to replace this plate OR spend allot more time flattening it.

rumble.com

 

[seagiant1]

Hi,
Wow!

Thanks, for the Vid and the info!

I have never seen the face of the mould halves flattened, but makes sense.

With CNC Machining, which I assume LEE is using to make their Moulds now...

The Blocks or the Cavitys, should not be to far off off "Flat or Square"?

You did make me really appreciate my 65 BP Mill, but I was in love with her already, anyway!

I'm not a Machinist, but just play around, the edges!

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I'm just guessing, but those spear plates are probably just flat stock let's chopped drilled and chamfered. So if the stock coming in has that sheep from the mill it's going to have that shape on the mold. QC should've caught it without a doubt. But apparently this #2, aint our Shirley.

Titan reloading had a new plate bolts washers pins I got a few of each I didn't spend $30 shipped and I'll have them all up and running as it should have been from the factory. Yes I could've dealt with customer service at Lee, but it's been very spotty and more frustrating than it's worth for a nine dollar part. CW

 

[seagiant1]

Hi,
What might be interesting, is showing the difference or looking at the difference of the new plate to the old...

Hopefully the new plate is flatter/better!

I do not know what the Lee 6-Cav. plates are made from, I don't believe steel but seem to work from what I have seen.

New plates, from normalized steel ,could be used, but would they work any better, at the end of the day and worth the work and money???