Cleaning moulds

[Dale53]

One thing that has become near indispensable for me is an electric hotplate. I pre-heat my molds at the same time I am heating the RCBS lead pot full of bullet metal. When the bullet metal is ready to use so is the mold. I can set it for the temperature that works best and shazam! I am ready to go...

The second item I have at my casting bench is a manicurists fan. It is positioned to my left and above and is aimed down towards where I sit the mold while the sprue sets. When everything is running well, it only takes two seconds for the sprue to set (due to the gentle breeze from the little $7.00 fan) and further, the fan maintains mold temperature by never letting it get too hot. Another benefit is the breeze cools my pile of bullets and they are ready to move as soon as I run out the pot. 20 lbs. of match grade bullets in an hour to an hour and a half...

FWIW
Dale53

 

[John]

I have recently become a fan of cigar lighters or mini torches. After de-oiling I can put some heat where I need it quickly and easily without over heating.

 

[williamwaco]

I really like a small fan. In the summer it is indispensable. When the temp is 90 or so, with a large mold it is some times necessary to wait as long as a full minute between pours to keep from overheating.

 

[Jeff Garrett]

I usually start, particularly with brand new Lee molds, by taking an Arkansas oil stone with plenty of cutting oil and lightly go over the faces of the molds in the event there are any small burrs at edges of the cavities then do the same with the top of the mold and sprue cutter, dressing the edge where the sprue cutter starts to make contact with mold as you close it. After that, flush with brake cleaner then clean good with hot water, Comet and a tooth brush. Finally I do 3-4 heat cycles on the hot plate and it is ready to go once lubed..

 

[KHornet]

Like Brad, am a fan of Comet and warm water, about three times before I heat the mold. I heat it on the kitchen stove (elect) burner, on high for about 2 minutes, shut the burner off and let the mold cool until it is cold. I do this 3-4 times over a couple of days before I cast with it.
Have also grown fond for using a hot plate, when casting, and in particular when casting 2 ea 1 or 2 cav molds and going back and forth between.

 

[Brad]

I got a couple new NOE moulds yesterday. Washed one today with hot water and dish soap. Scrubbed it well with a toothbrush, rinsed, then dried on the stove.
Put some handles on, fired up the pot, and started casting. Mould wasn't quite to temp at first but with in 10 pours they were dropping out looking good.

I understand that clean is important but I'm starting to think more and more that hot is more important than clean.

 

[KHornet]

Have done that with Lee molds, but not with NOE's. Different alloys I am sure. Maybe the next NOE will try as you say.

 

[GaryN]

I do the Dawn dish soap thing too. I would think that any oil put on the mold for storage should be cleaned off somehow before casting. Mainly because of the residue it would leave. I haven't tried it myself so I can't definitively say.

 

[sundog]

Bar Tender's Friend (nonabrasive powder) or Bon Ami, hot water, and a stiff tooth brush. An alternate is brake cleaner.

Then, lube per personal choice, and then only on those moulds that need it, a dash of smoke from a wood stick match (preferred) or butane lighter (second choice). Bull plate on the under side of the sprue plate, too, especially on Lee 6-cavity moulds.

On steel moulds, I might lightly swab the cavities with a 'q-tip' with a touch of graphite spray on it. What ever it takes to get a good fill out.