JonB
Halcyon member
A couple months ago, after the big suppliers started getting Lee molds in stock, I bought this new 6 cav 356 125 2r. I had been casting lots of NOE 128gr SWC for 9mm (my friends have hungry guns). One of them asked for some RN bullets. I've never had a RN mold for 9, so I figured, what the heck...and honestly, since this current shortage I had rarely cast for the 9.
I've been casting lots from this mold and from the get-go, it was dropping nice looking 129gr 0.3575" bullets easily. A typical session yields about 400 to 500 bullets. I think in the couple months I've owned this mold, I've cast a total of about 4000. Yesterday, the last session, The mold sat a little longer on the hotplate than the usual 20 minute startup...I got side tracked, it was on there for 90 minutes. I don't think is was overheated per say, because when I started casting, the pours froze in the usual 4 or 5 seconds, but the bullets seemed to cling to the cavities a bit more than usual. As I continued casting, the cavities seemed to get more clingy...until I was about halfway through the pot (250 bullets), and it got so clingy, to where I had to "pick" them out of the cavities with a small screwdriver. So I stopped and let everything cool down.
I inspected the mold. I did not see anything unusual with naked eye. I fire up the pot again, and preheated the mold. I had sticky cavities on the first pour, I continued to make about 20 pours...mostly to have some for Leementing (spinning a bullet in the cavities), thinking Leementing was a high probability to make this thing cast well again. I had run all the other casts through the Star while things were cooling off, so I didn't have any unsized left.
So here I am, taking some photos, as sometimes problems are easier seen via digital photos. I don't see anything on the photos, so I figure I'd post them and see if anyone here can see something I missed? Also, let me know your thoughts...maybe I am overlooking something? I plan on Leementing this mold sooner, than later, as I'd like to get some more cast...otherwise, I'd just let it sit until wintertime.
The Bullets always stick on the Right side.
Left side
Right side
Right side in less light
Right side zoomed in 3 cavities closest to hinge.
Right side zoomed in farthest 3 cavities
I've been casting lots from this mold and from the get-go, it was dropping nice looking 129gr 0.3575" bullets easily. A typical session yields about 400 to 500 bullets. I think in the couple months I've owned this mold, I've cast a total of about 4000. Yesterday, the last session, The mold sat a little longer on the hotplate than the usual 20 minute startup...I got side tracked, it was on there for 90 minutes. I don't think is was overheated per say, because when I started casting, the pours froze in the usual 4 or 5 seconds, but the bullets seemed to cling to the cavities a bit more than usual. As I continued casting, the cavities seemed to get more clingy...until I was about halfway through the pot (250 bullets), and it got so clingy, to where I had to "pick" them out of the cavities with a small screwdriver. So I stopped and let everything cool down.
I inspected the mold. I did not see anything unusual with naked eye. I fire up the pot again, and preheated the mold. I had sticky cavities on the first pour, I continued to make about 20 pours...mostly to have some for Leementing (spinning a bullet in the cavities), thinking Leementing was a high probability to make this thing cast well again. I had run all the other casts through the Star while things were cooling off, so I didn't have any unsized left.
So here I am, taking some photos, as sometimes problems are easier seen via digital photos. I don't see anything on the photos, so I figure I'd post them and see if anyone here can see something I missed? Also, let me know your thoughts...maybe I am overlooking something? I plan on Leementing this mold sooner, than later, as I'd like to get some more cast...otherwise, I'd just let it sit until wintertime.
The Bullets always stick on the Right side.
Left side
Right side
Right side in less light
Right side zoomed in 3 cavities closest to hinge.
Right side zoomed in farthest 3 cavities