Sprue plate replacement

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  • Last Post 23 December 2015
Longone posted this 17 December 2015

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358156hp posted this 18 December 2015

Red River Rick might consider making you what you seek: http://kal.castpics.net/Molds3.html

I have some of his small single cavity plates, and am really impressed with them.

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onondaga posted this 18 December 2015

http://castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=6699>Longone

Is re-flatting your own out of the question? I'm pretty sure some members here have posted their methods.

I have done it successfully for a Lyman 2 cavity with 400 wet emery cloth on glass. It takes a little time but can work well with a lot of patience! I started by banging the worst of it out with a leather mallet and checking with ink on a flat.

A few times over the years just the leather mallet was all that was needed too.

Gary

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joeb33050 posted this 18 December 2015

I whack the sprue plate open with a yellow mallet, whack the hinge to get rid of the sprue, close the plate half way so no bases can be seen through the sprue plate holes, then whack the sprue plate again to flatten the bases. I've so far this year made just under 2000  225646Ms in a DC mold, probably 5000 so far with this mold. I've never had a sprue plate warp since 1960. All kinds of bumps and lumps of steel grow on the bottom of my sprue plates, I file these off-molds need adjustment every ?1000? bullets or when problems occur. If you have one, I'd like to see a warped sprue plate. If you'll mail one to me, I'll send it back with postage. Thanks; joe b.

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Longone posted this 18 December 2015

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Longone posted this 18 December 2015

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Longone posted this 18 December 2015

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Longone posted this 18 December 2015

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4060may posted this 18 December 2015

Long I bought two of the KAL sprue plates fro a couple 4 cavity molds

buy what you need and an extra....These are the best sprue plate I have ever had on a mold...period

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4060may posted this 18 December 2015

picture 2....

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Longone posted this 18 December 2015

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onondaga posted this 18 December 2015

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=6699>Longone

The older plate you show top and bottom pictures of does not have what I interpret as warpage:

 I see discoloration from excessive heat beyond any heat level needed to warm a mold. You have colors like case hardening from high heat.

The “warpage"  you claim looks like the results of pounding, not heat. You would have to heat the plate to the point that gravity would bend it that far to get it to warp that excessively far. You easily have a .060” visible bend at a stress point from pounding. Metal just doesn't warp at a pivot point that far. You bent the plate

I could only see that kind of severe damage on one of my molds as the result of extremely excessive heat and heavy pounding.

The wear on the top from closing readily shows a groove from the guide screw bevel or washer cut into the top of the plate. This mold has been pounded open thousands of times when the casting metal was too cool. It looks as if it has been pounded shut thousands of times too.

If you are open enough to accept my interpretations, here are some suggestions:

1) Stop whatever warming method you are using and put your mold on top of your pot rim to preheat it with patience and time. My multi-cavity molds take 30-45 minutes on the pot rim to warm and never get overheated.

2) Stop using the tool you tap or pound with to open your molds. You are hitting way too hard because your casting metal is way too cool and hard when you cut sprue. Learn to time your cutting so you can open the plate with a gloved hand. Stop being so hard on your mold. Change your opening timing matched to cooling of the casting metal much earlier than you habitually do. Open at first sign of slush state instead of the last sign of completely hard alloy state and you will require no pounding.

I believe you have habitual major casting method flaws that have damaged your sprue cutter plate.

As the mold maker looked at the damage you have done to the mold plate and sees what I have noted, they are not going to make you unhappy by telling you that you have massacred your cutter plate with excessive force abuse and way over the top heat. They are just going to replace it politely and avoid confronting a customer.

You can totally prevent your mold damage from ever happening again by changing your heating and handling methods.

Saying the damage you get only happens with one mold brand does not clear you of fault. Different molds react differently to excessive force and heat. You exceeded the abuse limit of the cutter plate you damaged. I hope you can correct yourself. New cutter plates or bending and fitting damaged ones is only a band-aid for the damage you do until you change your methods.

Gary

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4060may posted this 18 December 2015

Long No it does not get in the way, I modified a set of LEE 6 cavity handles for the mold nutcrackers are just that, not my favorite I forgot Lyman used the nutcracker handles H&G didn't so I figured Lyman didn't have to, neither does LEE 6 cavity

Requires a milling machine or a good grinder to modify the handles

I just got tired of wacking the sprue ,as if the mold isn't heavy enough, also  hard on my old hands 

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4060may posted this 18 December 2015

didn't read the question fully yes the screw is still used to hold the plate to the top of the mold the sprue plate assembly supplied by KAL comes with the hardware to mount on the Lyman mold...Email him and he will make anything you want within reason..Super to deal with

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Longone posted this 18 December 2015

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beltfed posted this 20 December 2015

ALSO,

On those sprue plates, Check that the sprue holes have a very thin (cutting) edge so that they will cut better. 

I have seen some of the mold sprueplates with up to a  1/16"flat edge at the bottom of the conical sprue holes. If this is the case, one must use an appropriate drill or a centerdrill on a drill press, and run it in toeach sprue hole to slightly “sharpen” the cutting edges. BUT, not “razor sharp” edge- which will become a hot spot if too sharp

beltfed/arnie

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Longone posted this 21 December 2015

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Longone posted this 22 December 2015

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4060may posted this 22 December 2015

bummer

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beltfed posted this 22 December 2015

Longone,

I can tell you that the 4 cav Lyman molds work on the new style large “pliers”

style Lyman handles. And so, I expect the KAL plate with “helper handle” should work.

Don't know what the history of your mold was, but I have several of the Lyman 4 cav molds with which I cast thousands of bullets per year for something like 10 years of handgun silhouette and bullseye pistol. Never a problem with the sprue plate.  In those days I used the older style 'nutcracker” 4 cav handles.

Just adjusted the sprue plate appropriately.Just checked my 429421 4cav- the cutting edges of the sprue holes are (still) sharp enough such that I only needed a slight whack with a  length of 1x1 Oak stick to cut the sprue. NO warpage, and no beat up corners, etc.

beltfed/arnie

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358156hp posted this 23 December 2015

If you're smacking the sprueplate with a stick, watch your angles, and try to hit it as squarely as possible, so that it goes in a straight line. If your stick is angled even slightly upward, you can bend your plate upwards over a few cycles. I just make sure my sprue hole edges are reasonably sharp, and I break the sprues with a gloved hand. Yes, even with a 4 cavity. It works well, once you have a system.

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beltfed posted this 23 December 2015

358156hp

INdeed, one must avoid hitting sprue plate “upward” .

As said, I have several molds- 77 at last count, including several 4 cav lymans.  None have warped or bent sprue plates. Am very careful when lightly striking the plate, to, if anything have a very slight downward swing.

beltfed/arnie

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