LEM Moulds Blackpool.

[legs748]

I read on the MLAGB forum that LEM Moulds are starting back up in business. It looks like they are selling on evilbay. They look well made and have a Pritchett mould up at the moment. A quick search will find them. Anyone have any experience of these first time around? How does the base plug fit?

[dromia]

The LEMs were good enough moulds if a little Heath Robinson looking they dropped a good bullet.

I was in discussion with the chap that has taken over the family business about making a useful sized Pritchett as the LEM mould was a tad too large, he seemed keen to make up a smaller sized Pritchett for me but unfortunately it went no where.

Fortunately NOE went ahead and produced Pritchett multi cavity moulds in two diameters which are excellent.

[1066]

I remember LEM made a mould for air gun "Bullets" back in the 1970's. I was never impressed with the accuracy compared to a diablo style pellet.

[dromia]

NOE are doing some fine airgun bullet moulds buys as we speak.


http://noebulletmolds.com/smf/index.php/board,26.0.html

[andrew375]

I remember LEM made a mould for air gun "Bullets" back in the 1970's. I was never impressed with the accuracy compared to a diablo style pellet.

I've got LEM moulds in both .177 and .22. A real pain in the arse to cast with. Either the lead wouldn't go in to the mould or the pellet wouldn't release, meaning it had to be melted out. I don't think I managed to cast more than a hundred from either mould. It may have been down to my being left handed though as I loaned the mould to several friends and they reported no problems and cast up quite a batch.

I found accuracy quite good; getting quarter inch groups at 25 yards from my Crossman 766. The hitting power and penetration though was substantially more than normal pellets. With the current selection of heavy weight pellets I wouldn't bother casting them

[FredB]

Brass is a superb material to solder to if it is clean. Your moulds should be blacked internally using a candle flame before use. Then, if they don't fill, they are not hot enough.
Fred

[dromia]

I never soot the cavities of my moulds, in fact the only thing I will put in the cavities is molten alloy.

What I do do is heat the mould up to casting temperature say 450 degrees and let it cool and do this cycle at least half a dozen times, I just sit the mould on top of the cast iron stove in the living room for a few days and the job is done. I also add sprue plate lube sparingly to the mould alignment pins, bottom of the sprue plate/top of the mould apply and the wipe off, sprue plate screw, handle screws and thermometer screws before heating and touch up a couple of times during the heating cycle, this saves me doing it whilst casting and get the bearing metal parts well treated with lube to stop galling.

With the heating and cooling the metal "seasons", I have been told it oxidises but do not know that for a fact, you get the same effect just using the mould to cast with but bullet drop can be sticking 'till the cavities get there but once the cavities have been broken in by heating and cooling then they run just fine.

Sooting the cavities is a short cut to this in the beginning but becomes redundant as the mould breaks in, Lee recommend it in their mould instructions which is a very good reason for not doing it to my mind.

If it works for you then good luck to you but I see and have, no need for it to get my moulds, brass, aluminium or iron to work perfectly.

[FredB]

Adam: You know what you are doing and would not have a problem with the LEM moulds which started the discussion. I was simply suggesting a route which would get an inexperienced caster producing acceptable bullets,
Fred

[dromia]

Little bullets are a real bugger to cast if you don't run the mould and melt very hot, I also suspect that the main problem people have with the little LEM is keeping the mould hot enough, with so little alloy going into the mould the temperature drops off quickly and you will need to work to keep it up there as there isn't enough alloy going in to heat up the mass of the mould.

If the alloy won't go in then the mould is waaaaaaay too cold, you also need to be very aware of the sprue plate as being relatively long and thin it will loose heat even quicker than the mould, I use a blowtorch to zap the sprue plate in these situations to help keep its temp up.

Hot and fast is the order of the day with these little moulds.

[Chaspuss]

For my two pennorth.........
I have three LEM moulds, two for the Martini Henry and one for the Snider. Two were made to my request by Glenn. the Martini version throws a VERY accurate bullet when I take the care to select only the very best. I then paper patch. Used dry with the paper patch I have them hovering well inside the black, this is standing 50 metres........but if I dip the patched bullet in lube, wait till they are hot enough to drain excess off, then make up the cartridge I have them arriving in the 8 ring with ease and have had tens also!! Unfortunately my idea for the Snider didn't work so well so I shall try and machine the snider mould to give me a little more parallel shank, which will resuly in a sort of semi wadcutter.....we'll see!