Cleaning molds

RBHarter

RBHarter

West Central AR
I only wash the new ones "fresh out of the shrink wrap" or if I have a problem that is obviously oil etc . Otherwise the residue seems to flash off or be of no influence.

Yes I go straight to heat cycle . This is because the one time I didn't wash and heat cycle I fought the mould for almost as long as the brass MP before I successfully got a full load out of it . Today it is still the second least satisfying mould to use I own right behind the Lee 00B and .690 RB moulds .

None of this matters with the moulds wrapped in VCI so far .
 
Winelover

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
VCI doesn't last forever..............it loses its effect, over time. The main reason I don't use it for my pocket knife collection. Have too many to keep changing it, even annually.
 
CWLONGSHOT

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
Good point...

I only was NEW and NEW TO ME molds needing a cleaning because of corrosion or neglect.

I regularly re oil (mineral) my molds.

CW
 
JonB

JonB

Halcyon member
I coat iron molds with Kroil after a casting session.
Then I use a couple drops of Dawn, hot water and a tooth brush to remove the kroil.
 
fiver

fiver

Well-Known Member
i got those... LOL
i just throw them all in a drawer.
we got no major humidity to deal with here.

i've been eyeballing that grease police spray for new molds.
only problem is i probably won't be buying any.
 
CWLONGSHOT

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
A good friend who also makes uTube videos got a strike against his channel last week.
It was for making a video showing how he preps and cleans a new bullet mold.

NO CASTING AT ALL!!

In case ya dont know it is verboten to show lead flowing into a mold or seeing a nee bullet drop out if a mold.

The strike doesn't allow him to make or comment on a video for a week.

CW
 
CWLONGSHOT

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
Its frustrating. I have made some life long friends because if my channels. This guy is one if them. We txt every day and talk weekly. He lost a channel because if casting videos. This new channel he has been doing everything by the numbers. This video is part if a series he has been doing called "Moldy Monday" he highlights one mold shows and talks all about the mold but shows NO ACTUAL CASTING. He films complete video WITH casting for other platforums so folks CAN actually see how that mold preforms. But the series was taylor built for the rules set forth by uTube.

Quite frustrating he knows he didnt violate anything but someone with a little power was struck offended and he suffers.

I agree and dont like or contribute to most social media. Good firearm forums, like this one, Utube and Rumble are my extent. I had a serious situation on FB and actually had to involve my Lawyer! Some one was struck offended and made it there vendetta to try and jamb me us! I have police and Federal Conservation at my house twice! For PICTURES I posted of mule deer and AR 15 rifles. They where not pics of me or anyone I knew. CRAZY those feds told me you can not imagion the lengths they have to go theu and the amount of BS these woke folk create but because of the few percent if actual bad and violators that ARE doing bad they have to follow up on all!! CRAZY!

CW
 
Mitty38

Mitty38

Well-Known Member
I am kinda new and ignorant about mould care. I use Kroil since we spray our iron moulds down with it, for storage at work. Also since I have a couple gallon of the stuff I got at sales.
I just keep my steel moulds in small pickle jars full of kroil.
When I am ready to cast I just wipe them off real well, with a dry cotten rag and cast.
The bullets wrinkle the first couple rounds. But they straighten right up. It leaves a very thin coating on them, that seams to come out of the pores first cast, but has never seemed to give me any issues. It also soaks back off during storage.

So if I am doing this wrong, I don't know.
But at least my steel molds don't rust. They don't hold dirt either.

I cleaned one steel mould, because It had some kind of unknown oil on it when it came. Just used dawn and Alcohol let it soak and used distilled water to rinse it then took a tooth brush to it and a cotton rag. Followed by a spritz of brake cleaner and another good wipe.

My aluminum go in gallon freezer bags, with desiccant packs
 
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Bret4207

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
CW- Not that I think you can do anything about it, but I find Rumble difficult to use compared to YT. The sad part is I WANT to use Rumble and NOT the Google owned YT! Maybe I'm just not flexible enough in my thinking, but try as I might I just can't get the hang of Rumbles style. I'll keep working at it though!
 
CWLONGSHOT

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
Bret4207 said:
CW- Not that I think you can do anything about it, but I find Rumble difficult to use compared to YT. The sad part is I WANT to use Rumble and NOT the Google owned YT! Maybe I'm just not flexible enough in my thinking, but try as I might I just can't get the hang of Rumbles style. I'll keep working at it though!
Click to expand...
Yes, its not the same and many say the same.

Emmitt, My casting mentor keeps his long term storage molds in tuperware containers filled with hypoid gear oil! Soaked/submerged.
No they dont rust!!

But it takes a bit of work washing drying X3 then sprayingnout and heat sysling ta get them to drop a useable bullet. Sometimes its multi casting sessions before ya really get good products dropping. It works but to me not ideal and would use but only if I was ta have ta step away from my molds for extended time. Kroil is great stuff and will always be on my shelves and benches but probably not my first choice because of clean up required before use.

I dont at all feel its anything wrong with the method. Just that for me there is easier that accomplish same results.

CW
 
Mitty38

Mitty38

Well-Known Member
I live in a National Forest by a creek. In a flood zone. So everything either rusts, gets corroded or rots quickly.
of care is not taken.
But I have found with my steel moulds and Kroil, the clean up prior to casting is not that extensive. Just wipe dry. And put it in the heat a bit. It's usually ready with a warm up over the pot and 2 casts.
Plus the residuals, pretty much burn off, leaving a non stick coating. Making the bullets just fall free with no Tapping.
Which if the coating is not desired, it can be cleaned off easy, with a tooth brush and a little acetone.
Now aluminum that's a different story.
Definitely going to have to try CW'S mineral spirits, cleaning. With the aluminums. I have seen a slight oxidation on some of my older aluminum moulds after storage for a year or so.
 
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