What do you do to your molds after the casting session?

A

awbrock

New member
Sorry if this is a repost. I tried searching but didn't seem to find anything.

I just started casting. I have a Lyman 358665 2 cavity mold. I casted my first boolets tonight. I was wondering what you guys do to preserve your molds after your casting session. The mold is hot and as it cools I would think a small amount of moisture would develop in the cavities which could lead to rust and other undiserable situations.

I've read here before lots of guys saying they don't put anything in their mold cavities.

Don't want to ruin my molds with oil or anything that may damage them, but surely do not want them to rust!!

Thanks in advance!
AWBrock
 
I only have a couple of the iron type molds. When I am done pouring, and while they are still pretty warm I take a q-tip and a touch of Kroil and apply just enough that I can tell there is some on the mold. If it is still warm enough, it will smoke a bit but it will still protect them for a good while. You only need enough of the Kroil on the q-tip to actually see it is damp, not dripping wet.

I haven't noticed it making much of a difference when I break them out later on. Once I set them on the hot plate to bring them up to temp they smoke a touch sometimes but when I start casting they usually throw good boolits from the get go.

Just don't get overly crazy with the application and make sure you mold is still pretty warm but not overly hot. If the Kroil smokes a touch, but you can see a bit of residual oil, it is just about right, if it flashes, and you see nothing your still way too hot. Just touch the outside edge with the q-tip and you can quickly see the difference.

That's what I do, give it a try on one and see how it works for you.
 
I will second the Kroil, I use nothing but Lyman and RCBS molds. The only thing I do different if storing the molds over the winter I put a little heavier coat of Kroil on them. Then in the spring when I start casting I clean them with paint thinner. The first few may drop a bad bullet, but the oil will burn off fast. And you start getting good bullets in no time.
 
Cast iron moulds are very suseptible to rust. I spray mine, after cooling, with an anti-rust protectant. Failed to do this several times over the years and lost some good, and very expensive, moulds as a result.
 
I keep my iron/steel molds (and aluminum), in a large ammo can in the garage with some desiccant powder. They have been out there many Michigan Winters without any visible rust whatsoever. The ammo cans have a rubber seal that keeps them air-tight.

I do not have to remove any oil or other preservative from them when I start to cast. I just remove the two (I always cast with two molds), I am going to use, and put them on the lip of the furnace to pre-heat as the lead melts.

When I am finished casting, I let the molds cool down until just warm and put them into the ammo can until I am going to do some more casting.
 
Hello, awbrock. Since there is a chance I might not use that particular mould again for awhile..after casting, while mould is still hot, I clean off all lead deposits, etc. Then while still warm..being able to hand hold metal parts.. I spray with an industrial product called Mold Saver..has lanolin in it..I like to keep halves open to allow product to dry overnight..I know they will be just as I last used them. Clean up for re-use is simple using brake cleaner & a hot soapy water bath..lately I have been just using the hot soapy water.
 
Ed Harris told me to just coat the iron molds in USP Mineral Oil it prevents rust and burns off cleanly when you heat the mold on your hot plate with no cleaning before or after necessary. I've been doing this for several years now with my two old Ideal/Lyman molds.

After the mold cools I brush a coat of USP Mineral Oil over the entire mold block and sprue plate,rubber band the two halves together and put them in a zip lock bag and store them in an old coffee can.
 
Probably doing it wrong but I douse the warm moulds w/ WD-40, then clean w/ brake cleaner while the pot heats up. When they need cleaning I use dish soap, hot water and a stiff toothbrush.
 
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