Mold Storage Cabinet - Photos

[Ben]

For a long time, I've stored my bullet molds in a 50 cal. ammo can ( stacked one on top of the other....Not Good ! ! ) with a night light bulb burning inside.

I live in Alabama, hot and humid here in the summer. I have to have something that controls humidity.

I found, a few days ago, a large " 20 mm size " military ammo can with a rubber seal in the lid.

When I saw it, I thought " Gee ....that would make me a real nice bullet mold storage cabinet."

It came home with me and I got started to work.

I decided to make me 2 trays inside with individual compartments to hold my molds. Each tray holds 28 molds X 2 shelves = 56 molds in total.

Each compartment will hold a single or double cav. mold. I built it such that I can even put a HP mold and its pin in the compartment without a problem.

This one is air tight and I use a 7 1/2 watt bulb inside for humidity control.

I will label each compartment soon with the Mold Brand, Mold number, Caliber , etc. This is an added piece of organization that will be welcomed.

Pics below of the can and the " Finished Product " . Tell me what you think ......

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Mold%20storage/PICT0001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Mold%20storage/PICT0013.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Mold%20storage/PICT0010.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Mold%20storage/PICT0007.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Mold%20storage/PICT0005.jpg

I put a " Peep Hole " made with Plexiglass so I can walk by and glance at it and be certain that my 7 1/2 watt bulb is burning.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Mold%20storage/PICT0010.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Mold%20storage/PICT0007.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Mold%20storage/PICT0005.jpg

[No_1]

I like it as it appears to be a good looking idea. Do you think the same think could be made with in just wood with the same results as the sealed can?

[PatMarlin]

That is a nice case Ben. Beautful job.

You need more molds though. I'll trade you 2 molds for your 3589, and then that would be better... :Fire:

[Ben]

Pat:

Now that's a real generous offer you've made there.

No_1 :

I suppose the cabinet could be made totally from wood. However, I only paid $15 for the can, I doubt I could make a cabinet from wood that would be as resistant to moisture migration as this mil. can is.

Thanks,

Ben

[csharp]

Now I know what i'll be doing tomorrow while its snowing. Thanks for the idea.

[Pepe Ray]

Why did you leave so much space under the bottom tray?
Pepe Ray

[Ben]

Pepe Ray:

I had to have room for my light bulb, look at the photos again.

It holds 56 molds, more than enough for my needs right now.

cSharp:

If you decide to make yourself one, share some photos with
us and let us your cabinet design also.



Ben

[Pepe Ray]

Isn't that the light we see in the center rear wall?

Sorry, don't get it. Oh well, it's a great idea non the less.
Pepe Ray

[Ben]

Pepe Ray:

Yes that's the light in the center in the rear. The light needs to be far enough away from the wood tray not to overheat it. That's the reason for the spacing . Does that help ?

Ben

[Murphy]

Looks like a heck of a deal, nice work.

Murphy

[BigSlick]

That looks about as handy as a third arm.

Nice piece of ingenuity there Ben. I've got a spare 20 can around here somewhere. Too big to fill with bullets, too small to store brass.

I'm going to take a serious look at using it for mold storage. I don't have anywhere near the woodworking skills you have, but maybe I can cobble something out.

Thanks for the pics ;)

'Slick
________
Harmed by depakote (http://www.classactionsettlements.org/lawsuit/depakote/)

[Pepe Ray]

The space I'm referring to is the area under the bottom tray. Was this an attempt at increased air circulation?
Pepe Ray

[Phil]

I think the space under the bottom tray is where his light bulb is. Nice looking job I must say.

Cheers,

Phil

[Ben]

Pepe Ray:

The space under the bottom tray is exactly 3/4" which is the thickness of the " side rails " that the trays slide in and out of the cabinet on.
I cut the trays 13 " deep, but the can is 14.5 inches deep. I willfully cut the shelves 1.5 inches short . The can is 17" wide as you see it bolted down and ready to use in my photos above. If my figures are right, that is 25.5 sq. inches of open space at the front edge of both trays, this allows convectionals to move air throughout the cabinet from my heat source.
Thanks to all of you for taking the time to look and make comments on my project.


BigSlick:

I'm not much on woodworking skills, it doesn't have to be pretty, you can easily make something similar to my cabinet. I'm certain that you have friends that do wood working . Take a couple of my photos of the trays with you , show the photos to your friends and hopefully the 2 of you can get started. If you need any measurements , I'll be glad to provide them.

Ben

[AZ-Stew]

Ben,

I like your storage drawers. Nice work. I'm not that handy with wood.

That having been said, I'm going to rain on your parade a bit, then I'll try to save you a few bucks on electricity.

If the can is air tight, whatever amount of moisture (in the form of humidity) is in the box when you close the lid will remain there, despite the electric lamp, until it combines with the iron in your moulds in the form of rust. The lamp won't make any difference, assuming the can is truly air tight. If there was a way for air to get out of the box, the lamp would drive some of the moisture out with it, but since it's sealed, there's no place for the moisture to go. The good part is that no additional humidity can get in, whether it's warm or cold inside the can. Doesn't matter.

What you need is a way to capture the moisture from the air and hold it someplace away from your moulds. Dessicant will do this for you. I believe you can get some from Midway for about $5. A container of silica dessicant in your air-tight storage can will keep your moulds rust-free forever, if you take care to re-activate it occasionally. Each time you open the can a new batch of moist air will enter the can, but the dessicant will absorb and hold it all once you close the can. As it absorbs moisture over time, an indicator on the container changes from blue (good) to pink (needs reactivation). When it turns pink, put it in the kitchen oven for a while to cook off the moisture and you're back in business. I don't know whether the cook-off uses more electricity than running your night light 24-7, but you'll only have to do it once a year or so, depending on humidity and how often you open the storage can.

Not to gloat, but I don't have to worry about it here in Arizona. Anyway, as I said, I do like your compartmentalized storage drawers.

Regards,

Stew

[454PB]

A very nice looking project.

I use a similar storage for my primers, only I use the dessicant containers AZ-Stew mentioned.

[JudgeBAC]

Great looking cabinet and a wonderful idea. I keep mine in plastic boxes with the moulds in plastic bags liberally coated with Ballistol. So far no rusting. Of course my room is in the house which has heat and air conditioning to control humidity. The downside is cleaning them each time before use but I use cheap brake cleaner which works very well.

[kywoodwrkr]

Bit of advice on wood selection.
DO NOT use any oak products.
Oak is an acidic wood and just a small amout of moisture can create rust.
Red cedar would be my wood of choice.
It's on the opposite end of the acid scale from oak.
Just some trivia.
DaveP kywoodwrkr

[monadnock#5]

[QUOTE=AZ-Stew;152704]Ben,
If the can is air tight, whatever amount of moisture (in the form of humidity) is in the box when you close the lid will remain there, despite the electric lamp, until it combines with the iron in your moulds in the form of rust. The lamp won't make any difference, assuming the can is truly air tight. If there was a way for air to get out of the box, the lamp would drive some of the moisture out with it, but since it's sealed, there's no place for the moisture to go. The good part is that no additional humidity can get in, whether it's warm or cold inside the can. Doesn't matter.


Would it be possible to cut another port in the box and cover it with a membrane like gore-tex or tyvex? Something that would only allow vapor out, but not back in? I dunno? Just trying to think outside the box.

Ken

[cast-n-blast]

Nice job, Ben. The only thing I might add is to use some bicycle inner tube cut into 1/4" strips for your rubber bands to hold the mold halves together. I always had a problem with dry rot using regular rubber bands.

[AZ-Stew]

monadnock#5

I suppose some brave soul could run an experiment to that effect, but it sounds like a whole lot more work than just putting some dessicant ($5!?) in the sealed can. Instead of trying a whole bunch of stuff that MIGHT work, and incurring some rust along the way, why not just stick with a proven method? Cheap. Easy. Works.

Regards,

Stew

[Ben]

Thanks fellows,

I'll pick up some desiccant and put it in my cabinet.

Ben

[TAWILDCATT]

Leave A Bullet In The Mold.cast One But Do Not Cut The Sprue That Closes Of The Cavity.

[Springfield]

TAWILDCAT: that might work for single cavity moulds but it is a good way to add a lot of frustraton to every casting session as you try to cut the sprue off a cold 4 cavity mould. Personally I would rather have the warm air circulating to keep off the moisture then to have some trapped between the bullet and the mould. But then I use mostly aluminum moulds.

[Cherokee]

Nice job - been using two 20mm cans to store my molds for 20 years but in vertical compartments with handles. Very efficient design you have.

[floodgate]

TAWILDCAT:

We had a thorough discussion on this idea a month or so ago, and came to the conclusion that leaving a cast bullet (with or without the sprue cut off) in the mould for storage is probably not a good idea, at least for iron moulds. It might work if you were careful not to "crack" the mould the least bit - as I used to do - but enough of us reported rusting problems that I, at least, no longer do so. And, as Springfield says above, cutting cold sprues on a multi-cavity mould (ESPECIALLY a Lee 6-holer!) could pose real problems. But use your own judgment.

floodgate

[Lead Head]

Hello Ben (and the rest of you guys):

This is my first post on Cast Boolits, so here goes.......................

I too keep most of my bullet molds in a 20mm ammo can, but inside my home (and I live in "humid" Mississippi). However, I do not use a light bulb to control humidity. I do wrap my steel molds in a cotton rag before placing them in the ammo can. My aluminum molds are not wrapped.

FYI: With the steel molds, I keep the last bullets cast in the cavities. The aluminum mold cavities are empty.

Information Note: I have 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 100 cavity molds. They consist of Lee, Lyman, Saeco, H&G, and Weaver molds. I have 3 - RCBS Promelt pots and 2 - Star Sizer/Lubers.

I look forward to talking to you guys about bullet casting.

Lead Head

[AZ-Stew]

Ben,

After some additional thought, it occurred to me that the light bulb warmer in your can isn't entirely worthless. Its value is that it keeps the moulds warm.

Consider this scenario...

You keep your 20mm can in the garage that is uninsulated and unheated (you didn't say where, but this is just one of those "f'rinstance"s). It's late spring and the weather is changing. You have Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (while you're at work) as below normal temperatures (about 45F), then late Friday night a blast of warm, moist air comes up from the Gulf. Saturday morning dawns bright, sunny and 70 degrees. It's also 50 percent more humid. You've been waiting for Saturday so you can get some casting done. 0800 in the morning you hoist the garage door, plug in the ol' casting pot and open your 20mm can to retrieve your favorite mould. You leave the can open, anxious to get started with your casting.

Here's where it gets sad. Your moulds cooled down to about 50 degrees in your unheated garage over the last several days. As soon as you opened the can the warm, humid Gulf air rushed in and the humidity began to condense on your moulds, just as it does on the outside of a nice, cool glass of iced tea in the summer time. Since you left the lid off the can, this process continues until you end your casting session, at which time it's too late.

If you keep the bulb running in the can you'll keep the moulds warm, regardless of the weather. Then, when you open the can, they won't cause condensation. You've never seen condensation on the outside of a mug of hot coffee, have you?

Keep the night light, but get the dessicant to keep the air inside the sealed can dry. It will also suck the moisture out of the wood you used for your shelving.

Sorry I didn't think of this sooner.

Regards,

Stew

[Ben]

Stew:

Good suggestions,.......I KNOW this system will work as I've had all my Lyman molds in a .50 cal can with a " night light " burning for over 30 years. Never a spec of rust during the 30 yrs.

I'm confident that with the 7.5 Watt light bulb burning and some desiccant, this system will take me right on into eternity, rust free.

Ben

[Junior1942]

I'd worry about the tannic acid in the wood your shelf is made from.

[jim4065]

For what it's worth - I keep Iron, steel, brass and aluminum molds in a metal cabinet in the unheated barn. After casting, with the mold still warm, I spray it liberally with WD40. When I go to use it again I give it a quick wash with acetone. Never had a speck of rust.

Acetone is very flammable - don't use it while smoking, next to an open flame, etc.
Also it's a carcinogen - so don't drink it or bathe your kids in it. Etc.

[Ben]

I didn't know that soft pine had tannic acid in it ?

Ben

[32 20 Mike]

I started casting in the early 1960s with my scoutmaster, he always finished by leaving the last blt. in the mold and running a candle over it to seal out any moisture.I've used the same procedure all these years and have never had a rust problem. I rest the mold on top of the Lee pot to melt out the wax. The first few castings are discarted, however long term storage is never a problem. MS

[85gl1200@gmail.com]

I keep mine in tupperware containers inside an icechest with a one pound bag of dissicant. Been doing it that way for about thirty years. I don't oil them after use. Just let them cool and brush them with a tooth brush.

[RP]

I wish I have that many molds and the guns to shoot the boolits they make in. Nice job and as far as trapped vapor in the box I think a vent hole would work heat goes up and it would carry the water vapor with it same as it dose in a welding rod storage box with a light. But thats my two cents worth.

[copdills]

one more good idea, Thanks

[joatmon]

Thanks for the idea Ben!
Leadhead, please tell us about that 100 cav mold!

[mtgrs737]

I found out not too long ago that leaving a new Lyman 4 cavity mould with the last boolits in it does nothing to stop rust from forming. Really upset met to see the rust all over the outside and inside of the new mould. I left it that way because I was planning to get back to it real soon and cast some more. As it worked out, it was several days before I got back and the rust was there. I learned how to polish a cavity with toothpaste to remove light surface rust real fast. I was lucky and the cavities cleaned up real nice and the boolits now drop out better than before. I have been selling Goldenrod Dehumidifiers with the gunsafes I sell for years and I can say they they work well for that application. The way Goldenrods work is they warm the air in a cabinet and the air warms the steel of the gun enough that moisture does not collect on it and rust. I have personal experiance with them and would not be without one in my safe. The light bulb will do the same thing in this application even if the small amount of moisture cannot escape. I would be all for an experiment with two cans one vented and one not vented with some cast iron to simulate a mould. The idea to use Tyvec over the vent would be my choice for the vented can.

Great project there! I think I will be looking for one of those cans at the next gun show!

[kingstrider]

This site is a great assembly of minds!

[Just Duke]

Freakin Awesome!

[mold maker]

The principal of using the light bulb or other heat source does lower the humidity of the enclosed air. Warmed air will hold more moisture than cool air. Thus on closing the container the air warms and absorbs any moisture from the surface of the cool molds.
True the moisture is still in the container, but it stays in suspension in the air instead of condensing on the warmed molds to create rust.
The advice about the desiccants is valid also, until you forget to recharge it. At that point the saturated desiccant becomes a source of moisture waiting to condense on the molds and CAUSE RUST.
Best of both worlds is to use both. A fresh charged desiccant and a warming source like the 7.5 watt bulb. Plus, a rust preventative on the mold surfaces wont hurt.
Here in NC the weather is most often very humid. I have always used sealed ammo cans to store anything that moisture will hurt. They are in a non heated or cooled area that is often wet. At best the temp changes more slowly than outdoors and never reaches extremes. I've never had a problem with rust on anything stored in them.

[MtGun44]

A coat of varnish on the wood should seal out any 'wood acids' or other
chemicals that may cause some corrosion. I wouldn't worry until I noted
the first trace of corrosion where the molds contact the wood.

The 'leave a boolit in the mold' works fine in our moderately dry climate
in east KS. Believe me, it did NOT work when I lived in north central FL (noAC)
Also, living in a house that is almost always either airconditiond (lowers the
humidity) or heated (lowers the humidity - I even use a humidifier to get up
to 40% RH) also helps keep stuff from rusting. When I lived in nonAC houses
in FLA, you absolutely could not touch a gun with bare hands without wiping
it down with an oily rag after. Molds rusted unless oiled heavily, and were
a PITA to clean up prior to use.

Bill

[Just Duke]

Can someone box up some humidity and send it to me? I would really like to watch rusting in progress.

[Gellot Wilde]

For what it's worth - I keep Iron, steel, brass and aluminum molds in a metal cabinet in the unheated barn. After casting, with the mold still warm, I spray it liberally with WD40. When I go to use it again I give it a quick wash with acetone. Never had a speck of rust.

Acetone is very flammable - don't use it while smoking, next to an open flame, etc.
Also it's a carcinogen - so don't drink it or bathe your kids in it. Etc.


I've been using a system similar to yours for years and have never had a problem with rust.

I have read elsewhere that there is a chain of thought which says 'putting oil on your moulds is not a good idea as it penetrates the metal!' I can't really say that I go along with this idea, after all some of the big manufacturers actually recommend using oil for mould storage. :confused:

I've never left the last bullet in the mould after reading that moisture can get down behind it and start rusting away....however sounds like a few of you guys have never had a problem...maybe I should give it a go.

[jcw1970]

ok noobie question here. why do you strap them together? all i own is lyman and i keep them in the box. bought some extra boxes from midway in case i pick one up that doesn't have one. I put a silca pack in the box to keep the rust away.

[mold maker]

Your druggist throws away small plastic and paper desiccant packs by the dozen.
Just ask them to save them in a CLOSED zip lock bag for you. Most all drug containers have one in them.
They are the same thing we pay big bucks for, and in convent sizes for mold storage. You can (bake) regenerate them same as the expensive kind.
In the last month, my (small) digest has saved me, three sandwich bags full.

[mikenbarb]

Just my 2 cents worth, Im a welder by trade and I have been doing it a long time. What we use for keeping our electrodes dry is the same idea that Ben has here and it does work. I have in my garage a small refrigerator with the lightbulb on 24/7 and I store all my low moisture content welding rods in it and some have been there for a year or two and never a spec of rust. I just drilled a 1/2" hole in the top to allow the stale air and moisture out and the door is magnetic so its an air tight seal. I think I may make a mold storage cabinet out of a small apartment fridge with a small light bulb stuck on. It has shelves built in so that step is already done for you.:D
Thanks for sharing Ben, It looks great and gave me a couple good ideas.

[Ben]

Keep em' warm & dry fellows ! !

Good shooting,

Ben

[hammerhead357]

When I lived in the Panhandle of Texas and Oklahoma all I ever did was leave the last boolits in the moulds and then when cold place them in an old refridgerator. No light bulb or anything to contol the temp. Now, I did use the moulds nearly monthly so that may have had some bearing on my results but I never had any rust in my moulds.
Now I live in humid south Texas and store all of my moulds in sealed ammo cans and wax them before storing and hope that there will be no rust the next time I get them out to use them....Wes

[mtgrs737]

Someone here nickel plates his iron moulds to prevent rust, it sounds good to me. It can be done at home for a modest set up cost and does not add to the mould enough to make it cast undersize. Acording to him it was less than .0001" (one ten thousandths of an inch) reduction in diameter. They also look like stainless steel. Maybe I should get set up for this and check it out and report back? Would anyone here be interested in having their mould(s) plated?

[jim4065]

I would be interested in the effects on the boolits and the how well it holds up to temp. Would also be interested in having it done - but not in doing it, if you catch my drift. :-)

[Catshooter]

mtgrs,

I have nickeled a few of my moulds. I have a Lyman two hole 452424 that I nickeled. Casts just fine.

When you electroless nickel it is very easy to control the thickness of the nickel deposited.


Cat

[KuunLB]

this is a wonderful idea. did you use silicone or epoxy for the window sealant?

[10mmShooter]

very nice wood work :)

I use a slightly smaller in physical size Mk-19, 40mm can, I just use disecant pouches and gently place my molds with handles in the can and seal the lid. I'm careful to place them gently inside so as to not bang them up. When I go to cast I open the can pull out the mold and shes ready to go. After casting and cooling back into the can until the next time, so far in 15 years of casting no rust issues any of molds stored this way. I have only 22 molds not nearly as many as some guys here.

Also this avoids having to "de-grease' or "de-oil" the molds prior to use. They are always clean and oil free.

[GP100man]

As mikeandbarb stated , I was raised on a small farm here on the coastal plains of the TarHeel state . Welding & fixing stuff when broke was a part of life . The welder always had an old refridgirator next to it with "dry goods" in it with a small lite bulb & a 1/2" hole in the bottom & a 3/8" hole in the top , & never a spec of rust on anything !!

I feel in humid climates dessicant bags are a viable source for absorbing moisture in sealed containers & I use em on containers not opened much ,but for material used often I opt for the vented cabinet(old fridge) to keep temps stable for condensation reasons .

We just had a 40f temp swing & I noticed all the farm equipment sweating & checked my fridge & while condensation outside was minimal inside was dry !

I store molds, powder & less used dies in the fridge . Boolits are stored in air tite containers & fair OK.

For the stand up fridge sized container I use a 15 watt bulb.

GP