Lighting Strikes Twice

[Huntducks]

5-6 years ago I bought at a yard sale a box full of molds (52) to be exact a few no name and 14 H&G the rest were Ideal and Lyman, same house is having a moving sale which happens to be in my neighborhood street backs up to my back yard.

Well this time there is only 17 molds 9 H&G and 3 extra handles along with a old Hollywood press and a small box of sizing dies and punches and 3 ammo cans of casts several of the H&G and Ideal are rusted.

What is the best way to clean these I have cleaned up several old guns and several CW sabers by soaking in kerosene most of the rust is on the outside as some of the molds were taped together.

Thanks

[dragonrider]

There is a product called Exorust, I think, I understant from some folks have used it that it works very well

http://www.primezinc.com/exorust.html

[waksupi]

http://www.rowand.net/shop/Tools/Electrolysis.htm

[Huntducks]

Thanks both of you.

Have a pool and have plenty of PH+ also have several battery chargers do you know what amp to set on my one charger is fixed at 8 amps the other is multi 2A 8A and 20A.

[captaint]

ducks - sounds like you already know this - but - just avoid the green pads and wire wheels. I tried Naval Jelly once on a surface rusted mold and it worked great. Cleaned it right up and casts great boolits... enjoy Mike

[gnoahhh]

I'm loathe to recommend it, but I had a rusty old Ideal mold that cleaned up nicely by bead blasting. Not to be recommended , but I got away with it and the mold casts sweet bullets.

[waksupi]

Thanks both of you.

Have a pool and have plenty of PH+ also have several battery chargers do you know what amp to set on my one charger is fixed at 8 amps the other is multi 2A 8A and 20A.

I usually run on 6 amp, as it works faster than 12 amp. Just use your low setting.

[Catshooter]

Congrats Huntducks, two scores from the same house is cool.

One of those Lyman/Ideals wouldn't be a 457196 that you'd like to part with, would it?


Cat

[gray wolf]

Hey that sounds like a nice bunch of molds,
I can't help with the cleaning but I can say very nice.
Get them ready and have some fun casting.


Sam

[blackthorn]

Citric acid.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=83572
Read this, it may be just what you want.

[zuke]

I know CLR work's well.
Yes the same stuff for cleaning hard water and stuff.

[imashooter2]

Electrolytic rust removal is the perfect process for cleaning molds. Only the rust gets removed, you cannot further damage the part as with mechanical or some acid methods.

http://www.smex.net.au/Reference/RustRemoval02.htm

A quick and easy set up I have used several times:

http://home.comcast.net/~imashooter2/pictures/ERR-out.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~imashooter2/pictures/ERR-in.jpg

The trickle charger shown works over 24 - 48 hours on heavily rusted items, faster on light rust. A 10 amp charger does heavily rusted stuff overnight. The higher the amperage on the charger the faster it works, but the wires will need to be larger and the solution boils off so needs to be watched. Use a big enough container.

Washing soda in water is the preferred solution, but baking soda works in a pinch. A couple tablespoons to the gallon is good.

[Jack Stanley]

Thnks for the link , when I get some time I'll have to sit down and read that .

Jack

[Dframe]

Great information on the rust removal. I knew it could be done but had no idea it could be that simple. Huntducks are you planning on selling any of the moulds? I'm interested in H&G moulds in 44 and 45 calibre.

[Huntducks]

Well I did one mold the one that looked the worst I was shocked how the rebar had all the rust stuck to it I used 8 amps and left it over night.[smilie=w:I have only cleaned 1 mold a single cav Ideal now I can even read the numbers on it I can see some pitting in the cavity and on the bottom this mold might work OK for just me, I'm not going to pass on any junk.

I'm not sure what i'm going to do with the molds let me get them cleaned up and see how they cast like I said I sold a lot of molds in the past to finance a hunting trip to Argentina i'll most likely hold onto any pistol molds I don't have 2 of or a ton of boolits.

Thanks everyone for the help.

[Dframe]

OK I'd love to see the results if you would post an "After" picture. I also have a friend who is a wizzard at mould rehab So please keep me in mind if you deceide to sell any of the H&G moulds.

[nanuk]

can the pitting be filled with graphite mould release and lapped smooth with a comet lap, like in the Lee-menting articles?

[Huntducks]

Well I just did a H&G 4 cav I can make out the number on the side it's #43 the pin in the handle was rusted shut even after I took it out I kept moving it back and forth and used PB blaster finely got it open 2 cav look like they had a root canal, it looks like it was the worst of the H&G I won't do another until Sunday.

[Huntducks]

Here are a few pictures

The Ideal 311 Rifle mold has some good pits in it this was my first one and what seemed to be the worst I should have taken a before and after.

I just took this #50 H&G out this morning.

The Ideal 429421HP was in a unsealed zip lock hardly had any rust but surface.

I have a few more to do but the rest seem to be fairly clean.

I'll tell you this deal really works i'm calling it the rust eater or maybe rustyateher.

[Catshooter]

The internet can be great.


Cat

[runfiverun]

no lead?
i think you may have overlooked that.
most of whats left looks like it will clean out easily enough since it is molding into the boolit it will level out with a bit of work

[Pirate69]

Where is the h**l do you find yard sales with molds for sale? I have enough problems finding ones with pewter.

[Huntducks]

Pirate69

It use to be easy here in SoCal pre bho I would see adds on craigslist for reloading stuff if you paid more then 25-30 cents on the dollar you were over paying, now post bho guys are trying to sell s!!! that looks like someone dug it up or drug it out of the pacfic and they want 90 cents on the dollar, there was a add just last week a guy had a 450 Dillon no extras and he wanted $450 :veryconfu the thing looked like it had been sitting outside for 10yrs.

Matter in fact I went to a yard sale today and bought some stuff some what cheap.

[imashooter2]

Well I just did a H&G 4 cav I can make out the number on the side it's #43 the pin in the handle was rusted shut even after I took it out I kept moving it back and forth and used PB blaster finely got it open 2 cav look like they had a root canal, it looks like it was the worst of the H&G I won't do another until Sunday.


Just for future reference, the electrolytic method will remove rust from between a screw and a threaded hole. You just have to cook it longer. Also, the better the "line of sight" exposure between the part and anode, the faster it cleans. I once used an old cookie tin for the anode.