Un-warped a mold

[AlHunt]

Thanks to User 4barrel for suggesting in this post: http://smith-wessonforum.com/140973978-post28.html that I might be able to fix a mold I warped. He thought I could heat it back up, clamp it together and let it cool and maybe that would correct the warp

I warped the mold by dumping alcohol into the cavities, thinking it was sufficiently cool. It was not and it then cast bullets with wings. I could see daylight through the closed mold. Thanks to 2020, Lee molds are sold out everywhere.

So, I heated the lead pot up to 850F and let the mold float in the molten lead for about 3 minutes. I had 2 scraps of wood positioned in my bench vise, ready to receive the hot mold (I did not want to clamp the hot mold directly to the 25 degree vise).

Once I was ready, I stood the mold straight up between the wood and tightened it down. I continued clamping it while the wood compressed and burned away until it cooled enough that I had good pressure on the mold. I left it for about an hour.

Well, it worked. I can no longer see light through the closed mold. It remains to be seen how it casts now but ... you CAN unwarp a mold!

My thanks to 4barrel for saving the day!

ETA: cell phone pics in poor light, but you get the idea...

 

[MyDads38]

Glad this worked out for you! Now you can get back to work

 

[Ruger 13]

Why would you pour alchohol into hot mould cavities? I've been casting for 48 years and I've never heard of this practice.

 

[gwpercle]

Good show !
You may want to place some 600 grit wet-or-dry paper w/ oil on a flat surface (plate glass) and smooth any burrs thrown up by the vice clamping ... aluminum is soft and smoothing the block faces off would get everything back level , flat and smooth .
That should put the mould back in good as new shape .
ATTABOY !
Gary

 

[AlHunt]

Why would you pour alchohol into hot mould cavities? I've been casting for 48 years and I've never heard of this practice.

Just a solvent, like brake parts cleaner or anything else. It was handy.

Plus I thought it had cooled. I was wrong ...

 

[AlHunt]

Good show !
You may want to place some 600 grit wet-or-dry paper w/ oil on a flat surface (plate glass) and smooth any burrs thrown up by the vice clamping ... aluminum is soft and smoothing the block faces off would get everything back level , flat and smooth .
That should put the mould back in good as new shape .
ATTABOY !
Gary

Thanks. I did think of maybe working the mold face if it still casts wings. This weekend will tell the tale.

On the other hand, I found a used mold I'm trading for just in case. Then I stumbled into a new 6 cavity Lee lube groove design and ordered it. It shipped today.

I'm going to be flush with molds in a few days.