Lee .375 .36 cal Mold ,Looks like a Shadow Of A Casting Seam Every Now And Again ??

[Tenring]

Hay fellas I have not been casting very long and I have a question, I just used my .36 cal lee mold to night and even after it gets warmed up every now and again there looks like a casting seam on some not all, you can’t feel it with your finger nail or anything it’s almost like a shadow of one. This does not happen on any of the other molds. Am I not holding it tight enough without knowing it some times or do I have a junk mold.?

 

[yonderin]

It would seem your mold isn't closing exactly every time. Might be you're occasionally not holding the handles tight enough. Speculating but maybe occasionally you get something between the blocks to prevent them closing properly that falls off when you drop the ball. Can't imagine what if you're got a clean space.

Maybe the blocks on your mold aren't lining up properly, from time to time. Play in the hinges or the pins aren't able to enter the holes properly?

If it only happens once in a while I wouldn't think it's a bad mold. If they still shoot well, I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

 

[bang]

Just once in a while, it's either grip on handles or stuff between the blocks.

 

[Dwight Rutherford]

You say the seam can be seen but not felt. Don’t worry about it, should shoot fine.

 

[Tenring]

That’s cool, Thank you guys so much. I will give it another good cleaning and inspection, tighten if need be.

 

[Kansas Kid]

Probably just means you got a good fill. The hotter and better it casts it will pick up every detail of the mold.

 

[Tenring]

I believe your right the mold was hot and the lead was filling fast, thus showing every detail.

 

[mooman76]

Hold the mould up to the light. If not closed all the way, some light will show threw. Did you lube the mould? Use lube sparingly so it doesn't get in the cavitied. I use a Qtip. Also is it the new style or old? The old style sometimes would not line up tight. I got in the habit of tapping the mould lightly, when closed and that would help it close all the way, if not already closed.

 

[Tenring]

It’s the new style with the round pointed barrel pins, I take it that’s the new style. I will look to see if there is any light. In the mean time I will post a pic of the balls and mold. It’s weird I casted them last night around 8:30 and just a little bit ago I looked at them in the bag and most of the shadow casting seams looked to have flashed off WOW like I said I am new to casting..

 

[sawyer04]

Hay fellas I have not been casting very long and I have a question, I just used my .36 cal lee mold to night and even after it gets warmed up every now and again there looks like a casting seam on some not all, you can’t feel it with your finger nail or anything it’s almost like a shadow of one. This does not happen on any of the other molds. Am I not holding it tight enough without knowing it some times or do I have a junk mold.?

I have a .440 lee mold that throws a ball like this description. I never could feel the grove and always looked smooth and shot well Later in a trade I got a well used ,440 lee mold and thought it would not cast well, but it cast smooth and shot well. Several Lee molds and only one had the seam weld, I call it. I just thought it was a fluke. The rounds I had didn't really flash away, but did get less evident.

 

[Tenring]

Sawyer04 the lee .44, 454 conical mold I got from cabels shows no shadow casting seam ,I guess it might be just some round molds that do this.

 

[Tenring]

The lead was from counter weights from a grain scale from 1920 my cousin gave me.

 

[Tenring]

Here is a good pic of the shadow casting seam.

 

[Tenring]

Most of the casting seams are gone ,the ones like the photo are when the mold was not as hot as it should have been I guess . I went through most of them and all look good they should shoot ok I hope LOL.

 

[Tenring]

OH and one other thing, I held the mold up to the light and I seen no light come through the sides the only light was looking down the pouring sprew and out the bottom just a hair very little. I suppose this is normal to release gas build up what the hell do I know, Ha Ha..

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

Shoot 'em. No worries.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[mooman76]

They are likely fine. Do you have anything to measure the RBs with?

 

[Tenring]

I have a pair of calipers I will check them out with.

 

[EC121]

By the time you force the ball into the patching. the line will disappear.

 

[Tenring]

This is true EC121.