The turning ball.

[beleg2]

Hi,
This is my first post in this forum, I forgot to change so was a little concern about the other forum stillness.LOL

I cast some .58" round balls yesterday I found some of the turn as I cut the sprue.
Is it normal?
I have the same experience with an old .50 mold but I thought that was because it was an abused old mold.

Also, what about rolling the ball between to hard surface to "erase" the sprue mark?

Thanks
Martin

[William Worth]

I think what you are saying is that as you cut the sprue, the ball rotates slightly within the mold?

Check the balls produced for roundness, otherwise, I wouldn't think that it would matter.

[Daryl]

I haven't noticed any truning in the mould if the balls and mould at the correct temp and allowed to solidify properly before cutting. A sharp sprue plate is necessary as well. I've had to sharpen almost all of my mould's sprue plates.  This can be done an a flat surface with crocus cloth and cutting oil.  The chamfer of the sprue cutter also needs smoothing on some moulds.

[beleg2]

Thanksfor the answers.
It is a all new Lee mold (both are Lee molds)
I will try to sharpen the sprue plate.
Daryl, what is a "crocus cloth"?
Can I use wet/dry emery paper?
Thanks
Martin

[Daryl]

Crocus is listed on the pachage as being 800 grit. It's on an emery cloth backing, and is red in colour.  To me it acts closer to a 1500 or even 2000 grit.  Use it with a thin cutting oil or even something like WD40 if you don't have "Rapid Tap' cutting oil.

[BrownBear]

I cast some .58" round balls yesterday I found some of the turn as I cut the sprue.
Is it normal?
I have the same experience with an old .50 mold but I thought that was because it was an abused old mold.

From your description, I'm wondering if you're actually "smearing" the sprue rather than turning the balls.  I just can't see how a ball would turn, but that may reflect the fact that I've never seen it happen before.

But if you're smearing the sprue, it could be due to a dull cutter as Daryl suggests, or simply using the cutter too soon after the pour.  If you're running your lead really hot or it only starts to happen after you have been casting a while, I'd bet simply waiting a little longer would solve the problem.  I've got something over a dozen Lee moulds and a whole bunch more from Lyman, RCBS, NEI and SEICO,  and I have never had a problem with any of them.

On the "letting it cool longer" angle, I pour a little bit larger puddle on top of the plate than some folks to allow for draw as the bullet solidifies.  You can watch a dimple form in the puddle at the moment the bullet hardens, and if you don't have a big enough puddle you'll get an actual hole there.  That almost always leads right back down into the bullet or ball to produce an underweight pour.  A smear in the sprue might cover the hole, and you would never spot it without weighing.

I watch the puddle while waiting for the bullet to set up, and I don't operate the sprue cutter till after the dimple forms and the puddle is completely set in the middle.  If I get a dimple rather than a hole, I can be 99.9% sure that I've got a full weight ball or bullet.

[Harnic]

I agree with Daryl & Brown Bear, it sounds to me like Martin is trying to cut the sprue before the lead has sufficiently hardened, try waiting a bit longer Martin.  With dead soft lead, which melts at a much higher temperature than alloyed lead, it does take a few seconds longer to cool.

[beleg2]

Thanks for all the answers!
I recheck the balls and find the they have rotate as you can see on the picture:




In any case I will try again waiting longer before the cutting.
Thanks
Martin

[BrownBear]

That looks more like a smear to me.  Could be due to cutting too soon, but also could be from a loose sprue plate or from not keeping the mold tightly closed while cutting the sprue.  If the ball was rotating there would be drag marks down on the ball.

[SmuvBoGa]

You may use an elect tumbler to smuv out the lead balls. I have a Lyman & put 2 or 3 handfulls of balls( mine are .687's) in it & turn it on & come back 30 to 60 mins later. Hard to tell where the sprue marks were. This is after you cut the sprue(s) off. Wife always asks what are you doing in the basement making all that noise.
   I'm not sure the extra effort, esp if you have to buy a tumbler, is worth your time & elect.

        JohnMc

[Daryl]

Might be my monitor, but it does appear as if the sprue is off horizontal with the ball.  Since there are no other marks on the ball indicating revolving in the mold blocks, I have to concule it is a smear instead of a rotation problem.  Judging by the looks of the ball, the lead or mould isn't hot enough and the blocks weren't exactly even. The mould line is off-centre, or merely raised due to $#@* between the cavities.  It is a scraping type of cut and sharpening the plate might help. Too, a higher temp will better fill out the vavity, so the ball won't want to turn.
; In addition, I cast in a simlarl manner as BrownBear.

[BrownBear]

It just occurred to me to wonder if you followed Lee's instructions for lubing the mould before use?  Not the smoking of the interior for easier release, but the hinges and alignment pins, and especially the pivot for the sprue cutter?

A bud had similar "problems" with his Lee mould until he reread the instructions and lubed those critical points.  As I recall, they recommend a silicone lube.