Mould vents lesson re-learned

[Tonto]

I finally dragged out my moulds after a move and started to cast with wheel weights some handgun bullets. I was using the LEE 45-155-SWC and noticed the driving bands were consistantly not filling out even though the alloy and mold were plenty hot. I finally saw that I had a buildup of mould release at the vent lines around the cavities, took a dremel with a bristle brush and cleaned them up and WHAM, instant perfect bullets. Sometimes you just need to look and think about stuff you really already know. Mould release is great but it can be overdone.

[mold maker]

I haven't found but one use for mold release. I had a cast ingot mold that someone allowed to fill with standing water. It was severely pitted. After doing all I could to smooth the sides it still wouldn't drop the ingots. I sprayed and brushed a heavy coat of DROP OUT in the mold, and it's worked ever since.

[Doby45]

I have never put mold release of any type in my molds. Iron, aluminum or brass.

[mpmarty]

Me neither. tool kits don't come in cans.

[Tonto]

I've found a light coat on LEE moulds makes bullets drop more freely but would also agree that nothing replaces a clean, hot and burr-less mould cavity too. Mould release is great for casting jigs and sinkers in Do-It Molds, something the lure making crowd seems to have just discovered. That crowd still ponders soft vs hard lead and insist that pure lead fills a mold out better than alloyed. ;)

[jsizemore]

What's mold release? Don't you use that in the shower? How does that help cast boolits? Scrubbing bubbles on my boolits? Your kidding, right?

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I am amazed at how much my mould release spray will decrease the diameter of a boolit. On a Lee mold that was beageled , I had boolits dropping at .361 (which was more than I wanted) I went and sprayed the mold and now they are dropping at .358 (which is less than I want) so I have to find a happy medium in there someplace.