Author Topic: why does one bullet stick in mold cavity... (Read 828 times)

myronman3 · « **on:** March 12, 2005, 02:14:22 AM »

when the other one drops so nice? it seems every stinking mold i have seems to do this. one cavity, the always falls out so nice when you open it, the other sticks like glue. what gives?

Dusty Miller · « **Reply #1 on:** March 12, 2005, 09:07:08 AM »

Try cleaning that cavity with denatured alcohol.

TennesseeNuc · « **Reply #2 on:** March 12, 2005, 07:15:28 PM »

myronman,
You may have a burr on the edge of the one side that is sticking. It doesn't take much for one to stick. When this happens to me, I use a small knife blade and very lightly scrape around the bullet profile of the edge that is sticking. I hold the blade at about a 45 deg. angle to the edge. What I mean by lightly is just barely enough pressure to keep the blade on the mold block. This has always worked for me.
This has worked on iron blocks and aluminum. Only with aluminum you have to use even less pressure and be very careful.
Hope this will help.
Best,
TnNuc

myronman3 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 13, 2005, 03:44:56 AM »

:agree: i did some reading in the lyman manuel and they said that it is a burr also. i will have to look into this. i will check back if it works. thanks.

Rustyinfla · « **Reply #4 on:** March 13, 2005, 06:19:15 AM »

You might also try smoking the molds. I always do weather it needs it or not.

Rusty <><

cabezaverde · « **Reply #5 on:** March 13, 2005, 08:36:46 AM »

This is a fix I found. Let the mold cool with a bullet in the cavity. Cut the sprue and very carefully drill a 1/8 hole in the bullet in the cavity, shallow.

Put a drywall screw in the hole, and take the bullet out of the mold. Smear it with JB Compound, replace it in the mold cavity, and use a screw driver to turn the screw.

Polishes the cavity nicely.

Awf Hand · « **Reply #6 on:** March 13, 2005, 11:42:12 AM »

That sounds like a really good fix from Cabeza V.!!

My understanding (from David Mos) was that the bullet will stick in one side of the cavity because the cavity cut was not as well-centered as it should be. :cry:

Try the polishing and let us know how well it works.

Duffy · « **Reply #7 on:** March 13, 2005, 08:07:31 PM »

I also use a ink pen eraser on the edges to smooth them up if needed. If you can get a good magnifyer or eye loupe it will help you do a more precise job on more things than just the moulds. General Tool makes a pretty good one for little $$

flintman · « **Reply #8 on:** March 14, 2005, 04:30:03 AM »

This is a good method that works really good!

R J Talley · « **Reply #9 on:** March 25, 2005, 12:24:07 PM »

I had a Lyman 45 cal Postell that did that to the point of me wanting to launch it into oblivion. I fixed it this way. First, I cast a good bullet from it in WW material. Then I drilled a 1/8" hole dead center in the bullet and tapped it for a screw. I drove in the screw and ground the head off. Then I chucked the whole thing in my cordless drill. Using "fine" grade auto rubbing compound, I ran the bullet in the mould for a couple of hundred revs. Then I recoated it and ran it in the opposite direction for the same number. I cleaned the mould very carefully in hot water and detergent, scrubbing it with a fingernail brush. After it dried, I took a single edged razor blade and a jewler's lupe and using the lupe for a close up look, scraped the vent lines clean with the blade. I was careful to pull away from the cavity so as not to create a burr of any kind. Then I carefull scraped the edges of the cavity with my fingernail. If I felt sosmething catch, I used the blade to gently scrape it away. Finally, I coated the interior of the mould with Rapine mould release. Now bullets drop from the mould as soon as I open it. According to my before and after bullet measurements, the dia. as cast did not change by any measurable amount.