In my search for 22 cf accuracy I've recently bought 2 Lyman molds. The 225415 bullets are sorta small but OK, but the 225646 bullets in lino are .217"/.218” on the nose and have to be seated way out to touch anything. My guess is that this bullet won't shoot well because of the small non-bore-riding nose. People who buy such molds that make bullets that shoot inaccurately are not going to be happy. Or buy a lot more molds or sizer dies or 4500s or nose punches or handles or lube. Making molds that cause inaccuracy is not in the free market capitalism model. So I thought about this. We know way more than Lyman or other mfrs about casting and shooting bullets. Way more. They know how to make molds, we know how to use them. So, instead of complaining, why don't we offer suggestions to Lyman and others? Here's a suggestion. Why not make molds that cast accurate bullets? Other suggestions follow.
SUGGESTIONS FOR LYMAN
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- Last Post 21 November 2013
As regards suggestions for Lyman Corp. I think they have the same mindset as most of the older U.S. companies such as Colt, Winchester, Marlin, etc. are guilty of..sitting on their laurals of yesteryear. The gal who answers the phone at Lyman really perked up when I mentioned some of the early Ideal/Lyman moulds I have..asked if I was interested in selling..it seems they have quite a following at their plant. Seems to me if they put that kind of quality back in their current moulds..they wouldn't be lusting after the golden oldies! But alas..the bean counters have probably gone too far already for that to happen.
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Joe,
Thanks for the info on the washers, need to replace several. As far as hoppers for the #55 measure I recently ordered a replacement and found it un- threaded but too large to slip fit. By carefully screwing it in a little and backing like you would with a die I was able to thread the hopper using the threads in the measure. After examining my other #55 it appears that is how Lyman may have threaded the hoppers in the first place.
Matt
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Joe, If you want to cast one cavity only, it's not too difficult if you use the cavity furthest from you. So - if you need to cast the close cavity, you can just reverse the mold on the handles. Works fine if you ladle cast sloping the mold away from you slightly to run the overflow over the far edge and open the mold with a gloved hand instead of clubbing it. The special sprue plate would be convenient, but you'd need two of them. Grouch
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Here is the high hat lock washer for Lyman molds. I'll mail some of them to you if you send me a self-addressed stamped envelope.
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The older Lyman 55 powder hoppers were threaded and screwed into the measure. Now they are a slip fit, no screws, and the threaded hoppers aren't available. There are about a zillion threaded-hopper 55s out there, several live at my house. We need threaded hoppers.
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"One Holer” sprue plates. Many LYMAN molds are not available as single cavity, only as two cavity. Sometimes the cavities differ and we want to cast in just one cavity, Casting in one cavity of a two cavity mold would be much easier if there were “One Holer” sprue plates available, call them “LEFT” and “RIGHT".
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The Lyman mold alignment holes are not beveled and as bullets are cast, material is bumped up around the edges of the holes, keeping the mold halves from closing completely. I have to file this metal off if I don't bevel the holes. RCBS bevels the corresponding holes in their molds, I do too, using a case-mouth-chamfering “Cricket".. Beveled holes eliminate this problem and the need for filing.
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The Lyman mold sprue plate screw is a shoulder screw, and could be replaced with a common 10-32 machine screw, a brass lock screw, a sprue plate with a smaller hole and a standard #10 split lock washer.
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The Lyman mold sprue plate screw washers come/came in three flavors. The left hand LYMAN split lock washer works just fine-this is NOT a standard #10 split lock washer. The right hand split belleville washer sorta works, if it's twisted now and then to put the spring back in it. The center belleville washer doesn't work.It gets hot and tired and all the spring disappears. The (center type) washer on a new 225646 mold has given up after 2 casting sessions, and the sprue plate screw shoulder now bottoms out on the mold top so that the sprue plate can't be tightened. The center belleville washer that doesn't work is the only one available from Lyman today, November 2013.
A standard 1/4” split lock washer goes on the sprue plate screw shoulder, and works, but it's a little too big with an ~ .487” O.D.
A 1/4” Hi Collar split lock washer with an ~ .363” O.D. might be better. See Fastenal part # 0129168
I'll order a box tomorrow.
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The Lyman mold sprue plate 10-32 screws get buggered up by the lock screw. I've tried to keep the damage at bay by putting lead shot, (melts), or steel wool in the hole.
Here are a few samples from my collection of of buggered up sprue plate screws, and the offending 10-32 lock screw-that is sometimes slotted rather than Allen.
Here's a mold with a 10-32 X 3/8” brass lock screw that solves the problem.
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