I have had my fill with Lee molds!

W

Wreck-n-Crew

New member
I hate to complain. I believe in giving everything a shot but I am Just so frustrated with how delicate, finicky and how much time I have to spend keeping these things going. Never had so much trouble out of a Lee product in my life. 3 of the 4 molds I have have been a living nightmare.

Sprue plates just warp for no reason. Have to cool the mold down and take it apart and straighten it.

Alignment pins gouge the soft aluminum when it's hot and cause the pins to stick. The aluminum gets pushed into the holes. and won't allow the mold to fully close.

The wood on the handles never stay on and come loose every time I am casting.

Sprue handle just broke where the bolt goes through the hole! Had to take one from another mold.

Bolts strip the threads when removing them. For no reason...the next day after use, molds cold.

The alignment and tensioner for the sprue plate fails after a thousand or less bullets causing flash and sticky bullets.

I am one that believes sometimes you can spend less for something and it will serve you well but sometimes it's not worth it and cost more in the long run. I still use Lee dies, Lee Loadmaster and the bullet sizing dies are just fine. But I am just not wasting time on a Lee mold ever again because they failed me way more than they needed to when I needed them to just finish the job.

I Think I will send these back for repair and give them to someone who doesn't mind working as much on the molds as time spent casting. I spent four hours on a mold today...:mad:
 
Sounds to me like you have not cast much. Lee Molds are not as good as RBCS but If you have skill they will turn out bullets just fine if you pay attention to the details of keeping allignment pins in place and the hinge pin lubed and the sprue plate tensioned right and of course not casting at to high a heat.

Threads stripping out of aluminum is a given if you do not pay attention to the heat cycle simply because of two dissimilar metals being the fastners are steel and the blocks aluminum so you have to allow for heat expansion.

I warped one Lee mold and stripped the sprue plate threads so I drawfiled the mold flat straightened the sprue plate and then drilled through the mold and bolted the sprue plate back on. This mold still cats great bullets eventhough I overheated it.
 
It gets quite frustrating.

I am not only not a fan of most Lee tools, but a vocal opponent of using Lee reloading dies.
I swore to never let anyone buy one, ever again.


Then, a few weeks ago, I found myself in a situation where I just needed a .458" expander to take up the slack of a .458 SOCOM die that wasn't quite working out. The easiest way to get that expander turned out to be ordering a Lee .458 SOCOM 3-die set.

So, the die set arrived with a .22 caliber expander/decapper with a small primer sized decapping pin, a .451" expander in the .50/500-marked PTE die, the neck diameter in the seating die is so tight it will squeeze the neck down to nearly .44 caliber, and the seating die adjuster is already stripped out.

Obviously, this die set is getting returned. But, I'm seriously never buying a Lee die, again...

And since I've already nearly worn out most of my Lee bullet molds (with maybe 3,500 bullets through the most-used 2-banger), that's not likely to ever happen again, either...
 
I use quite a few LEE molds.Plus Lyman, Accurate and many other custom molds.
LEE molds are fine but you cant use them like you use a Lyman mold or even a custom aluminum mold.

The LEE molds have a narrower window of optimum heat range.
Esp the two cavities they over heat real easy.
By the time my Lyman would just be hitting its groove. The LEE is done and needs to sit.

It is what it is. A $19 mold compared to a $100 mold.
The $100 mold better be better.
You can improve the LEE mold by updating to a thicker spru plate.

You can also get more out of the LEE's by rotating them. Pre heat three on the hot plate. And do three drops with one. Sit it back on the hot plate and drop three from the next.
Repeat until your sick of casting.
It takes some practice to have the hot plate at just the right begging temp.
A cold mold will heat a hot mold will cool.

I have found that unless the mold is defective. 90% of casting problems are a heat problem. Learn to manage the heat.
But I completely understand the frustration. There is a reason I had to learn how to manage the LEE's. Bald spots from pulling hair out.
 
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Mebbe my being a lifelong machinist/mechanic I just know how to work with hand tools and aluminum parts. I got my first mold, a Lee .44 cal mold in '88 and have not encountered any of the problems you expressed (but I know that repeated heating/cooling of dissimilar metals can by problematic. I think that's why someone invented penetrating oil). I haven't bent any sprue plate, not even on a six hole mold and I question how during normal operation one would get bent. Plus trying to straighten one would lead to a weak point in the hardened metal, and is easier to bend at that point. OOPS! I just remembered a Lee mold that the new style alignment pins fell out of...:( One out of 13 ain't bad...

Every mold I have seems to have it's own personality (Lee, Lyman/Ideal, and Lachmiller, and an unmarked one) and have their own preferences of mold and melt heat, cadence, and method and I just figger that out and have no problems (I have one mold that will drop near perfect bullets 95% of the time when I use a ladle, bu I'm lucky to get 50% good bullets if I use my bottom pour. No big deal I just use a ladle with mold!) :D
 
Funny stuff Franken!
My heartache with Lee began in the 70s when I got their priming tool, the early one, that took screw in shellholders.
Broke several handles, but fixed the tools by making my own
steel handle that bolted onto the broken stub.

Next came the automatic priming tool later in the 70s.
I saw that as the future of volume reloading short of buying a Star.
After breaking several, I wrote to Lee and begged them to make a tool out of steel, not pot metal.
Told them I would pay whatever they wanted to charge for a quality tool that would last.
Never heard back.

Fast forward to the ammo crunch era.
With everything in short supply, even re-loading dies, I found a new set of Lee 50AE dies.
Size die scratched the cases.
Bell die actually worked.
Seating die had no provision for any sort of a crimp, roll or taper, at all.
The die set got used as break-away salmon fishing weights.

COZ is right.
Their molds can be used if kept in a rotation to save over-use.
I have three of the standard 140 SWC .38 caliber that I really like to shoot and it is an accurate bullet.
They are especially handy for making limited use custom bullets/slugs as well.

Their charge weight chart that comes with the dipper kit?
Guess we know they don't drug test their employees.

Don't consider myself a snob, just a fool who is willing to pay for quality,
JT
 
Sounds to me like you have not cast much.
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True I have little experience. 10,000 to date. Many of my 9mm were recast. All 3000 45 (the good Mold) are perfect. The first 800-900 38/.357 158gr SWC went okay but still had some sticking and issues with sprue plate warping, but since has been a nightmare. The 9mm seemed to go fine through the first 1600. No flash, no sticking, however they were casting oval and would not size. Usually one would expect signs like flashing along the length where the two die halves were not fully meeting. Not in that case. My error though I should have checked. By the time I realized they were not sizable I had already started the 200gr SWC 45's. They (45's) went well. Went back and cleaned the alignment pins in the 9mm Mold and ran some. They came out fine and sized easy after the second Pin cleaning. Only ran a few hundred. Moved on to my .40's and Sprue plate warped 3 times and only got 250 rounds out. Moved to .38/.357 and worst of the three. In addition to the OP, where the sprue cut early, the molds scored. They also scored under the sprue plate. permanent scar.



Lee Molds are not as good as RBCS but If you have skill they will turn out bullets just fine if you pay attention to the details of keeping allignment pins in place and the hinge pin lubed and the sprue plate tensioned right and of course not casting at to high a heat.
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So if I don't have the skill and I am new, and they are finicky, then I will have more problems with LEE Molds and Will another Mold be better suited for beginners? I also read all the time that Lee Molds work better hot but I run My temps around 625-650 degrees. That makes for another confusion in that I got them too hot and one mold runs near perfect. The lead is 100% Wheel weights. The Thermometer appears to be working properly? The lead on the sprue turns quickly and is ready to cut in a few seconds without Smudging. Maybe I waited too long before re-lubing the molds? Seems like something in the alloy allows the lead to blend in if I cut early and causes the scoring? As far as the Tension, IS there a tweak to make them work again? From what I se by design they are set a certain way and no way to adjust...I mean I could do some research or find a way without replacing parts but that is more time that I am running out of. I have a few weeks to finish before I return to work where I won't have time anymore. In total I have spent more than 25 hours working on cleaning and keeping these things running. More time than casting.

Cutting too early will cause problems and I have done it a few times and learned to clean them quickly and notice them quickly to keep everything working smooth from that aspect (after I got the timing down I had to early sprues). There is no doubt I have to work on the technique when casting, but it seems that the Lee's are to easy to mess up and not good for a beginner. Even if that is true I still have a whole new learning curve with the Lee's if I started with steel and moved on to a Lee later. Just too many reasons for me not to fool with them. Too many reasons to invest in Steel or Brass for me.

I use to be an antiLee snob.
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I"m not a snob! did you read my post? I have a Loadmaster, Lee Dies, and Sizing dies that I love. So how does that make me a snob? I believe that Lee molds are not for me for the reasons I stated, Who wouldn't think that? I mean I could learn to use them better, or they are just a bad batch and the alloy is off ...who knows for sure? But I can tell you that they are finicky as all get out and I have surpassed the reasonable doubt line 10 fold.

It took me a year to go from deciding to cast and studying the art form. I had a lot of time to get a lot of Intel. I read about Lee dies being finicky and even crap and how to treat them to be successful. With my past experience with the Loadmaster I found it to bee much easier to get great function from if I followed some steps and did some tweaks and mods. In my life I have picked things up easier than most and figured out things many can't. Mechanically inclined. I Can build and fix computer, an engine, repair most anything. However it seems that Lee Molds are the biggest challenge I have ever had.

I guess my question is at this point with my experiences with Lee molds,is it not reasonable to assume that they are not the best choice? After all I need something that works. I am not into it for the love of casting alone I am in it for the bullets that I need as well and they are not user friendly from my experience. YMMV
 
I totally understand about the Lee molds. They are hit or miss if you get a good one or not. I have a 2 cavity 9mm that has the tumble lube ridges abd a round nose. It works OK, but is just too slow to work with. I also have a 6 cavity 452 diameter 230 grain round nose that works OK also, but there is something I can't describe of why I don't like it.

The rest of my numerous molds are from NOE and MP. I like them a lot. They are 4 and 5 cavity molds and mostly brass with a few aluminum ones. They cost me more, but I get better results and I enjoy my casting time.
 
I love Lee molds, send 'em my way. I've had issues, too over the years but almost always found solutions. As an example, had a one cavity 170 gr. FN 30 cal. with undersized bore riding section. Easy fix. Wore out the sprue plate screw hole on another. Easy fix. Lee-mented all my one and two cavity molds. Work great for me.

edit: oh...I do like other brands, also
 
Its hard to explain some times. I have one LEE mold that one day it will cast until my arm gets tired.
The next time no matter how much dinking around it wont cast even one good one.
When they dont want too. They dont want too. Just put it away till next time.:rolleyes:
I suspect it has a real narrow heat range.
 
I love Lee molds, send 'em my way.
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I have 2 partials. If the 40 gives me no more trouble than what it has I can make it work! I have been fine with the 45 mold but if it or the .40 mold goes that way, it can go your way too. For now that would be two molds minus sprue handles (broke) and a lost tension washer. Shoot me a PM.

I may be making the mistake of using them for volume. They do not meet my needs in that aspect and I have used two molds at a time to allow other to cool but one always messes up and left with one. Just need a mold that will produce.

Looking for another as I speak. Not sure what I am going with as I am currently researching a few. Need to weed out any that are alloy if I can and thinking steel. Don't want anything finicky at all or hard to get going again. I have to many to do to go tinkering and modding.

Lyman and RCBS seem to have decent prices for the 4 cavity molds. Need to find out more about the pros and cons of each. I think the Lee handles are good with the Lyman and that is a plus. But at this point I would buy new to avoid any issues.
 
Thanks for the offer, I really was just kidding around. Just saying that you don't have to give up on them. I still have my first Lee mold (C-358-158-SWC) (GC) circa 1981 and nearly threw it away several times, but fixed it a coupla times and it still casts good boolits (when I exercise care:)) I'm a packrat I guess, never throw anything away!
 
Hey, I've seen no mention from anyone about candle-blacking your
molds, is this method a lost art ?
I candle-black ALL my molds...Lee included and use the melted
candle wax as a spur plate lube. My bullets generally drop out with no
more than two taps on the hinge pin.
 
Hey, I've seen no mention from anyone about candle-blacking your
molds, is this method a lost art ?
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Ive read not to use candles but I did black mine with a wood match.

I lube them with 2cycle full synthetic oil.
 
As an added note, I just leave the candle burning during my whole
casting session and reblacken often.
In sorts, in kinda lightens the mood...couldn't pass that one up :rolleyes:
 
You can also burn some incense and pass it gently through that smoke too, after blacking it. It'll make it grooooovy man!!!! ;)
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