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Oh yeah. I meant to come back and post a pic of mine and my southern engineering work-around:



It works.

I just smack that bent steel strap bolted on where the sprue plate cam used to be with a plastic tent stake hammer. I actually think it's an improvement over changing my grip and grabbing a third handle to pry the sprue loose. This way, I just grab the hammer and smack it. Then I swing the sprue plate back into position with the hammer head and I'm ready for the next pour.

I'm not sure Lee's design team had their heads on straight when they decided to make that sprue plate cam piece out of cast metal. It probably would have been much better to use forged steel for that little part.

Very nice! Relaxing and gratifying, isn't it?

Welding gloves. $20 at Home Depot.

I'm doing the Lee liquid alox tumble lube (have a TL mold, of course) and haven't had any issues. I was initially concerned about build-up in my dies and the complaints others have posted about excessive smoke when firing, but have experienced neither of those issues myself.

I get them well coated, but not excessively, and let them dry for a couple of days instead of the recommended 24 hour minimum.

And using the wife's good cake pans, I see. Much more dangerous than casting without gloves...

Here's hoping she doesn't catch ya!

AndyC wrote:
So - why exactly was I sleeping on the couch last night?

I'd guess for the same reason I spend so many nights sleeping in my recliner....

(1) "YOU MAKIN' CANDLES OUT HERE?"
--"no, dear. Just bullets. Wanna play?"
(2) "DO YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH SOOT YOU'VE DEPOSITED ON THE CELING IN MY GARAGE"
---"none, dear. I've sooted the celing in *MY* garage..." (wrong answer)
(3) "DO YOU REALIZE WHAT TIME IT IS? I'M READY TO GO TO BED. COME IN NOW"
--- "No." (again, wrong answer)

The list goes on and on

I should probably not antagonize the situation...but it's kinda fun sometimes!

tfrazier wrote:Welding gloves. $20 at Home Depot.

I'm doing the Lee liquid alox tumble lube (have a TL mold, of course) and haven't had any issues. I was initially concerned about build-up in my dies and the complaints others have posted about excessive smoke when firing, but have experienced neither of those issues myself.

I get them well coated, but not excessively, and let them dry for a couple of days instead of the recommended 24 hour minimum.

I've been working the alox thing myself, with the basic moulds, and haven't had any issues either. I'm casting 9MM, quenching from the mold into water, and pushing them around 1150 (by the book--haven't run them on a chrono) without leading issues...

I do, however, coat them pretty heavily on the second-pass, using LLA thinned somewhat with mineral spirits. Anxious to see how it works out long term though.

I'll scrub lead from my barrels all night if that's what it takes though...I kinda like not being dependent on the shops having the bullet I want today, or worse yet, only having a box of 100....

For my next trick, I'm gonna try some 30 & 379 stuff...see if I can't get my buddy's 303 savage and my old 38-55 slinging homegrown....

cbunt1 wrote:...but it's kinda fun sometimes!

Yeah, it's always fun...until some guy gets hurt. One day you'll wake up with a case of super-glue-itis.

tfrazier wrote:

cbunt1 wrote:...but it's kinda fun sometimes!

Yeah, it's always fun...until some guy gets hurt. One day you'll wake up with a case of super-glue-itis.

Nah. My wife is quite adept with epoxies and J.B. Weld....I only *wish* that superglue was in the picture!!!!!

Good-on-ya!

I had to overhaul my TL six cavity mould and put it back in factory specs after my replacement sprue plate and cam arrived the other day. So far I've managed not to break it again and I've turned out a couple thousand more 230 RN [pre-paid legal], with about 500 alox coated and drying on the kitchen table.

I've been eye-balling the Lyman Lubrisizer 4500. Seems to be a good deal for $145 bucks. Of course, I'd need to spend another $50 on the non-TL mould blocks. The Alox works fine for me, but it's a pain having to arrange all the bullets on butcher paper and leave them to dry for a few days.

Didn't make it to the Elm Fork again this past Saturday...went crazy and rented a Harley Davidson Fat Boy instead, then rode it for about 20 hours with a 3.5 hour nap somewhere in the middle.