Rusty Mould
- Thread starter Ben
- Start date
oscarflytyer
Well-Known Member
OK! Thanx RB. Mine is nowhere near that bad.
Ian
Notorious member
Other than casting with it, an hour in the oven (minus handles of course) at 475F will blue it nicely. I just cast with them. One could also do a nice hot-water blue job on one to get a permanent, chemical blue/black. I've used both Pilkington from Brownells and Mark Lee brown and blue solutions to good effect on lots of things including tools. If you boil the brown before carding it comes out blue.
I used Evaporust on the old cast iron pot I started my own casting set up with. It had sat neglected in a forgotten corner of my garage for 20yrs. Bright orange rust. Overnight in a bucket of the stuff, hot water rinse. Clean and gray.
Some time with a wire brush on a power drill, treated it with lard, hour at 500degrees in the oven. Turn it off and leave to cool overnight.
Next morning it was back to seasoned black, just like the day my Dad gave it to me in 1975
I just put a bit of oil on a couple of old Lyman 1cav small blocks that got pushed off the dehumidifier bar in my safe. Had a touch of surface rust spots on the outside. Too lazy to put them away properly when I couldn't get right back to casting.
Some time with a wire brush on a power drill, treated it with lard, hour at 500degrees in the oven. Turn it off and leave to cool overnight.
Next morning it was back to seasoned black, just like the day my Dad gave it to me in 1975
I just put a bit of oil on a couple of old Lyman 1cav small blocks that got pushed off the dehumidifier bar in my safe. Had a touch of surface rust spots on the outside. Too lazy to put them away properly when I couldn't get right back to casting.
2011redrider
Member
Bought a at a while back at Harbor Freight, looked on their site and it shows 8.99, but 16.99 for gallon.
Ben;
Excellent post!
As an aside, I have to laugh a bit looking at those 8 cavity H&G molds. "Back in the day" I thought nothing of using those molds. However, in recent years, I have discovered that a four cavity iron mold is my comfort limit. I have a great H&G six cavity double ended wadcutter for .38 Special. It weighs nearly five pounds (with handles) and, while I CAN cast with it, it is not much fun even tho' the cast bullets fall from the mold when opened and make terrific full charge wadcutter loads (as well a great target loads). Nowadays, I choose to use my four cavity H&G four cavity #50 mold. It is much more comfortable to cast with. Oh well, considering that I am 84 years of age, still being able to cast, reload, and shoot, I am NOT complaining.
Just sayin',
Dale53
Excellent post!
As an aside, I have to laugh a bit looking at those 8 cavity H&G molds. "Back in the day" I thought nothing of using those molds. However, in recent years, I have discovered that a four cavity iron mold is my comfort limit. I have a great H&G six cavity double ended wadcutter for .38 Special. It weighs nearly five pounds (with handles) and, while I CAN cast with it, it is not much fun even tho' the cast bullets fall from the mold when opened and make terrific full charge wadcutter loads (as well a great target loads). Nowadays, I choose to use my four cavity H&G four cavity #50 mold. It is much more comfortable to cast with. Oh well, considering that I am 84 years of age, still being able to cast, reload, and shoot, I am NOT complaining.
Just sayin',
Dale53
KeithB
Resident Half Fast Machinist
I have a 10 cavity H & G #258 (.41 220 gr SWC) iron mold. It's the only mold I've ever tried to ladle cast with. I supported it on both ends with a couple upright pieces of wood with a cardboard box underneath. It was still a lot of work to fill, cut, and flip but I never really lifted it up much. Bullets from this mold were reverse engineered for a group buy from Miha on the CB site years ago. I bought a four cavity brass version with all the HP pin combos. One of these days I'll break it in, I've still got half a coffee can full from the H & G to use up!
Makes me appreciate my aluminum Lee gang molds.
Makes me appreciate my aluminum Lee gang molds.
When I was a kid, My Dad and Uncle would stand on opposite sides of a 100lb Plumbers Pot. Ladle casting H&G 8-10 cavity molds. Rest the mold on a special "collar" around the pot. Excess lead would pour right back into the Pot. 6-8 molds were used at a time.
My Dad and Uncle were raised on a Cattle Ranch during the 1920's - 30's. Had massive shoulders and arms. Slinging those molds around was easy for them. Not so for My Older Brothers, who had to bust sprues and dump bullets.
Today at 65yrs old with Rheumatoid Arthritis, I'm like Dale53. Lucky I can handle a 4cav iron mold. And only because of a mold shelf.
My Dad and Uncle were raised on a Cattle Ranch during the 1920's - 30's. Had massive shoulders and arms. Slinging those molds around was easy for them. Not so for My Older Brothers, who had to bust sprues and dump bullets.
Today at 65yrs old with Rheumatoid Arthritis, I'm like Dale53. Lucky I can handle a 4cav iron mold. And only because of a mold shelf.
RBHarter
West Central AR
Yes I agree and have no shame for using aids to use the mould . As an up side to it pouring nearly 1600 gr of bullets and that much more sprue you don't get to cast very long on a 20# pot and the 30 pours get me 200-220 keepers . Do it twice and I'm close to done filling the brass on hand I've done it 4 sets but that's a work out .
Glad I found this thread, perfect timing! Just acquired 9 used molds from an estate sale (I guess this is how it starts....lol), some with light rust and built up stickiness. Being a new guy, and being the first and only mold I have so far is a Lee, I had no real idea on how to clean and preserve an iron mold. These are all Lyman mold blocks, with two sets of handles, and one RCBS with handles. There are 4 for rifle that I will likely try to rehome to recoup some of my investment. What a great and informative site and great easy going folks here.
Snakeoil
Well-Known Member
The products discussed in this thread are not acids or hazardous to use. The process of removing the rust is called chelation and basically, the chemical reaction can attack the weaker iron oxide, but not the strong iron base material. I suspect bluing is also an oxidation process so that would explain it removing any blue from the molds.
I've used Evaporust to de-rust motorcycle gas tanks over the years. It will not harm paint. You really cannot leave the item in the solution too long. It only reacts with the weaker iron oxide. When I do tanks, they often are filled and left for days to assure I've gotten it all. It is reusable as well but does have a finite life. When it is jet black, it's pretty much finished.
I've used Evaporust to de-rust motorcycle gas tanks over the years. It will not harm paint. You really cannot leave the item in the solution too long. It only reacts with the weaker iron oxide. When I do tanks, they often are filled and left for days to assure I've gotten it all. It is reusable as well but does have a finite life. When it is jet black, it's pretty much finished.
JonB
Halcyon member
Before I'd do any chemical rust removing, I'd soak them in mineral spirits. I'm guessing the "stickiness" is a oil of some sorts, put on by the previous user to protect them from rusting. After soaking, I'd rub them with denim soaked in Ed's Red (or similar penetrating oil) to remove any stubborn oil deposits and any loose rust. Then wash with hot water and dish soap. Then I'd inspect the cavities. If the cavities look rust free, then I'd use them as is...or sell them as is. Definitely don't try to wire brush them, even the outsides. If a old mold has some lite rust on the outside of the blocks, it'll still function fine.
CWLONGSHOT
Well-Known Member
I have used Evapo-Rust as well worked very very well but as we all should know bluing is "rust" and it is all removed with Evapo Rust. 
I warmed the mold and cold blued it. One I didnt and let the heat if casting color it. It changed colors first couple times I used it then seems to settle to a drab blue brown color.
CW
I warmed the mold and cold blued it. One I didnt and let the heat if casting color it. It changed colors first couple times I used it then seems to settle to a drab blue brown color.
CW
358156 hp
At large, whereabouts unknown.
I oil blue my moulds. I float a small tin pan, actually a lube pan from an ancient LEE Lube & Sizing Kit, on top of melted alloy (no preference) at normal casting temp in my LEE 20 lb ladle pot and let it get nice and hot. Then I give the mould parts a light coating of oil and set them in the pan until they turn blue from the heat, which takes several minutes. When I like the color I remove them with pliers and set them aside to cool. The blue is a bit fragile at first, but becomes more durable with use. Once you find a procedure you like, this goes really quickly, different oils "blue" at different rates, and you might want to experiment a bit. The metal parts must be completely coated with a light coating of oil or it won't look right.
L Ross
Well-Known Member
Tom, Tom, Tom, obviously while you are getting some good advice from the members of this Forum you have yet to be inculcated into the true casting, shooting, life style. Most of us here if faced with acquiring 4 moulds for rifles, would never consider rehoming them for filthy lucre. Rather we would be scrounging up the cash to buy rifles that could use the bullets cast from said moulds. You can thank me later.