WD40 for oiling molds - good or bad?

[shotstring]

I have heard it both ways. One fellow that has been casting most of his life swears by spraying WD40 on his molds when they cool after use and burning it off over light/medium heat prior to a new casting session. I have also heard WD40 will turn to varnish after a time. Either could be true. WD40 is somewhat unique - even works well as a fish-catching scent when sprayed on fishing lures.

Has anyone had any hands-on experience with the results - (another one of those "what have you experienced rather than what have you heard")?

Life would be so simple if you could simply believe what you heard, but people so often just repeat what someone told them rather than what they knew to be true themselves. I had several knowledgeable people recommend expensive Japanese magnolia oil for keeping fine blades from rusting - that is what they used on the finest Samurai swords after all. Guess what - it forms droplets over time that put stains on the blade that are almost impossible to remove.

I've had experts recommend a combination of neatsfoot oil and liquid paraffin for use on arkansas oilstones to sharpen fine blades. Yep - sharpens like the dickens, but I am still trying to get this sticky mess sweated out of some of my large and costly translucent arkansas stones - almost ruined them.

[FISH4BUGS]

That is all I use to protect my moulds. I let them cool, give them a good spray with WD40, then wrap the entire mould in a plastic shopping bag. I then put them into a plastic container and on the shelf they go.
I use all my moulds pretty much all the time. I have a few that I may not have touched in a few years that I looked at the other day and they looked fine. There was still a light film of oil on them. I see no reason why WD40 won't work, although I am not sure about long term (like 10 years or so) storage.
If I had to REALLY put them away for a long time, I would dip them in ATF (automatic transmission fluid) and bundle them up.

[MT Gianni]

Some of my molds, specifically RCBS appear to have been blued. Since blueing is a rust, and WD40 is a rust remover, it stays off my guns and my molds. Living in a dry climate helps a lot too. Gianni.

[eka]

I use WD-40 on my moulds and haven't had any problems.

[38-55]

Shotstring,
Hey I live in humid Maryland and I use wd40 to preserve my moulds.. I let them cool and then hose them down... I can't get them to cast again til I clean the stuff off. I use 'quick scubb 3' by shooter's choice to clean them off before casting again. Takes a little while to burn the old stuff out but it's the best way I've found to keep the moulds in good shape over time. I've never found them to varnish or have any other build up using this method. I do sometimes find some gunk in the vent lines and I clean them with a straight pin but I think it's just dust...
That's been my experience. YMMV
Calvin

[robertbank]

I use gun oil to do the same job. Seems to work ok. I remove with dishwashing liquid soap and an old toothbrush. If I don't get all the oil off the molds won't cast properly.

Take Care

Bob

[Ranch Dog]

I use WD-40 as the others do on my Lee molds once they cool. I wash the molds in Coleman fuel before I cast.

[hunter64]

I just had a thought about preserving steel molds. What about one those vacuum seal things that you use in your kitchen for left overs? It vacuums out all the air and it can't rust if there is no air. You wouldn't have to clean anything after and could be used right away.

[jonk]

I only oil molds if they're going to be away for a long time. If I plan on using within days or even weeks I don't bother.

So when I do oil, I usually use RemOil as that's what I wipe down most of my guns with. Before next use I then do have to scrub- I use an old toothbrush and denatured alcohol or acetone or mineral spirits, then squirt some dish soap on it and scrub more and rinse. Then I leave the mold sitting over the top of the pot as I turn it on- by the time the metal is molten, the mold is dry.

[jonk]

Oh and PS- WD 40 can cause varnish, yes- but most oils will leave some residue if you just try to cook them off and any varnish caused by WD could be removed with solvent easily.

[26Charlie]

I use five or six drops of 3-in-1 household oil on the moulds while they are still quite warm. The oil spreads itself over the metal and gets into the pores. I store the moulds in a selection of different sized plastic shoeboxes which you can buy in the discount stores, and when I start to cast again I heat the moulds on top of the pot to smoke off the oil. 3-in-1 oil doesn't seem to leave any residue that way. Once the moulds are hot they cast good bullets from the first. This procedure has worked for me best, having lived in hot, cold, wet, and dry climates. The toughest climate is one that is moderately wet with day-night temperature swings of over 30 degrees - dew settles on everything almost every night. Shop is not heated. Exposed metal has to be oiled.

[BruceB]

I prefer to store my moulds absolutely dry, in plastic boxes with lids.

A dessicant pack (or two) is placed in the box on top of the moulds. This routine gives me moulds that are ready to go the next time I need them, and no need for worry about what particular slickum might do the best job of preservation. I have no rust problems.

The dessicant packs can be bought from many places, but I suspect if one asked politely at an electronics store, they might save the ones that come as part of the packing material in their merchandise. Mine come from the electrical department at the mine, and are mostly about 4"x4", or 4"x6". Use LARGE packs such as these, and they work well. My boxes are WalMart shoe-boxes, maybe 12"x6"x6" or thereabouts, with hinged lids.

Even though I live in the Nevada desert, I have had rust on moulds that were NOT stored in the boxes with drypacks, but NEVER on a mould stored properly in the box. I take this as a sure indicator that my storage technique is effective.

Works great, and NO FUSS.

[sundog]

+1 for Bruce's dessicant process.

About bluing - I have a SC iron mould that would not fill out properly. I thoroughly cleaned it, and then cold blued it. Problem solved.

[felix]

I remember reading about a fella buying the iron molds, de-oiling them throughly, and using some metallic salt, forgot which, something like sodium or calcium chloride, makes no difference, really, to force a very fine rust to appear uniformily throughout the cavities. He then would brush all of the rust using power equipment such as a drill bit for the purpose. He claimed absolutely perfect boolit drop and boolits to boot. I can surely see this advantage with some mold designs which hate to let go their boolits. ... felix

[montana_charlie]

I just had a thought about preserving steel molds. What about one those vacuum seal things that you use in your kitchen for left overs?
I did that once.

I had the use of one of the Victory PGT loaner moulds. and it came to me well oiled. A session in the ultrasonic cleaner got it to making good ones, and I eventually had it 'lubed' and 'graphited' just perfectly.

I maintained it in that condition for the entire time I used it, then sealed it in a vacuum bag (with an explanatory note) when I shipped it to the next guy.

I doubt the shipping time was long enough to cause rust problems, but didn't want to take a chance with 'somebody else's' mould. The recipient did email me to say it cast like a champ, right out of the bag.

(The venting on that mould was amazing...!)
CM

[gray wolf]

We all have moulds, that is obvious and we all seem to have our own way of keeping them fit to cast. naturally I have my way.
I think the point is not having rust and having a mould that will cast for us the next time it is called into service. Someone new can gain much from our experience and then will establish his own way of doing things.
All this info is most valuable.

As for the W D 40 there are many opinions on this product, from all out praise to disgust. As for me I have used it for over 40 years on my rifles and pistols.
inside and out. bores included. I HAVE NEVER HAD A GUN SHOW ANY RUST.
however i HAVE NEVER USED IT FOR LONG TERM-- that is to say over a year without looking at the guns and re- oiling them if needed. For long term I would use a product known to be for long term storage.
As for my moulds: In the H&G instructions it Say's do not oil a hot mould.
So I hold off till they are warm. I have used W D 40, gun oil, machine oil,
And lately I have been using Hoppes #9. I find a light coat scrubbed in with an old tooth brush works well. Then the next time I use the mould any LITTLE spots of lead brush off in the DE-oiling and cleaning for the next session.
I like the idea of no oil and using a desiccant of some type to keep the dampness out. I may try that.
What the hell got me typing such a long thing about oiling a mould??
Anyway a light coat of a none gumming oil should work well for a person.
I think the cleaning proses is very important prior to next use.

[223tenx]

I use an ammo can with a good gasket on it and 4-5 dessicant paks. Also use an ammo can lined with spainish Cedar for a humidor. Once you get it humidified, you very rarely have to add any water to it unless you add some very dry cigars.

[Ricochet]

Have you tried using WD-40 on those cigars yet?

[dmftoy1]

Well I'm just a noobie, but I've been oiling it with whatever penetrating oil I've got in an aerosol can. (WD-40, PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench, etc.) When I plug in my pot I pull the mould out of the case, out of the plastic bag, hit it with a couple of good blasts of the cheapest brake cleaner I have and all the oil seems to just disappear. I then hit it with a very light coat of frankford arsenal drop free and I'm off and casting.

FWIW.

[44man]

I have to add my opinion of WD-40. I have had too many bolt guns here that the firing pin was frozen in from WD-40 being sprayed in the bolt. Nothing will desolve the crap. I have to scrape it out. It gets rock hard.
I had a habit of spraying the stuff on all of my woodworking tools to clean it and protect it. I would spray and then wipe it so there was a thin film left. The base for my radial saw, band saw, jointer, my whole arc welder and many other things in the shop are rusted bad. I might have been better off spraying salt water on everything. These things were painted to start with and now they are all ruined.
The only thing the crap is good for is to shoot the cans.
Thank God I use wax on the cast iron.
In my opinion the crap is canned rust. Buy Birchwood-Casey Sheath, it works. I would NEVER put WD-40 on a gun!

[Jim]

The makers of this marvelous product told me it has a lot of side uses, but it was originally intended as a WATER DISPLACEING compound. The 40 comes from the 40th try at getting it right, thus the name WD-40.
It does gum up somethin' fierce. I kept putting it on a window fan 'cause the fan was slowing down. After being off for a few days, it wouldn't turn on at all, just hum. I hit it w/ penetrating oil and it fired right up.

[shotstring]

Wow - thanks for all the quick replies. Like lead, one cannot have too much information! One of the main things I was concerned about with WD40 was not just the storage (long and short term) properties of the lubricant, but the advise I recieved to "burn it off" prior to a new casting session. Not remove it with solvents, etc, but to really heat your mold up to the point it burns the WD40 off. To me, that seems to be inviting trouble, but the fellow that gave me the advise has about 40 years experience on me, so what do I know.

[montana_charlie]

I was concerned about.....the advise I recieved to "burn it off" prior to a new casting session.
Burning most anything leaves some form of residue. Residue on a mould means it isn't 'clean'. I only get good results from clean moulds, so I wouldn't burn anything off of one.

the fellow that gave me the advise has about 40 years experience on me, so what do I know.
There are a lot of old wives tales, and some of them are very persistant.
On top of that, some guys with 40 years of experience are married to old wives.

And, some of them still think beeswax is a good lubricant...for bullet moulds!
CM

[Ricochet]

The "burn it off" part is no problem with the seegars, of course.

[floodgate]

One possible reason for the widely-varying results reported with WD-40 could be that the formulation (or maybe it was the "carrier" in the spray cans) was changed around ten years or so ago to make it less flammable. There had been some pretty nasty fires with casual use of the older mix.

floodgate

[fatelvis]

Buy Birchwood-Casey Sheath, it works.
I agree with you, 44Man. Sheath is amazing at holding off rust.

[Rick N Bama]

For long term storage I'm using RIG grease applying it while the mold is still warm. I clean it off with mineral sprits & carb cleaner, works for me. If the mold will be used again within a month or so, I just wrap it up in VPI paper.

Rick

[scb]

For long term storage I use lps #3. Once the carrier evaporates your left with a cosmoline like coating. Never had a problem when I wanted to use it again. I clean them with denatured alcohol. I too use GI ammo can and desiccant bag.

[waksupi]

If you guys have any Ed's Red around, with the lanolin added to the formula, I will bet it would work as well as anything you could find. It's so dry around here, I don't believe I have ever seen any signs of rust on a mold, and I never oil mine.

[mike in co]

The makers of this marvelous product told me it has a lot of side uses, but it was originally intended as a WATER DISPLACEING compound. The 40 comes from the 40th try at getting it right, thus the name WD-40.
It does gum up somethin' fierce. I kept putting it on a window fan 'cause the fan was slowing down. After being off for a few days, it wouldn't turn on at all, just hum. I hit it w/ penetrating oil and it fired right up.


i'll add a little history.
the atlas rockets built in san diego are basically stainless steel gas tanks( up till about 1990). the salt air is not friendly to the stainless steel and yes there is some aluminium too. the company( convair, then general dynamics) was looking for a way to protect the vessels from the salt air. so yes a company employee on his 40th try produced a successful WATER DISPLACMENT FORMULA. this was prior to company rights to employee discoveries. needless to say the wd-40 family company is quite successful. it is one of the few companies who's data sheet is protected data...lots of blank /non info.

SO IT IS A WATER DISPLACEMENT FORMULA..........NO garuntees on any thing else....well if you wash a rifle with hot soapy water after firing corrosive ammo....finish the job with a nice wash of wd-40 to remove the h2o.........

mike in co
ex general dynamics employee ( bought by martin marrietta)
ex martin marrietta employee (bought by lockheed),
ex lockheed martin employee...had enough..currently working for myself!)

[44man]

SCB mentioned LPS-3. I used to get it from work long ago. I can't find it now unless I go way up in MD. This is also great stuff and was the only rust preventer I used in my muzzle loaders. I would soak the bore after cleaning and put it away. All it took was one dry patch before loading because the residue in the bore never hurt the powder charge. Just had to make sure the nipple was open. It would dry to a waxy state that worked like a lube for the first shot and never changed the point of impact.

[jonk]

Well one further thought- as I'm sure we all know, WD stands for Water Displacement. It is mean to do just that- displace water. I don't use it for oiling my guns, but if I"ve been out hunting and it was raining- you betcha, first thing I do is slather it down with WD. Let that drip off, run a paper towel over it, then lightly oil with your gun oil of choice.

[44man]

Any good product will displace water. Sheath and their new name--Barricade will take the water away, prevent rust AND lube the gun. Why use WD-40 and have to oil to protect the metal and lube? When I look at my tools in the garage with all of the rust on them after coating with WD-40, they should be made to replace all of it.

[ejjuls]

A friend of mine used to use this stuff to clean cases by hand. After he had cleaned a group of cases several times he noticed an inclease quote unquote of pressure signs and a pronounced increase in "duds". The theory was that the WD-40 was penetrating the cases and spoiling the powder/primer. Was this the actual cause? Dunno....but doubt it

At any rate WD-40 is a moisture displacer primarily - for something as dear as molds I stick with "oil" - i.e. ATF. Works great and it's cheap.

If you want to use WD-40 I imagine it would work fine as long as you aren't storing the molds in an area that is subject to moisture, etc. Dry place, a little WD-40 and you'll probably be fine.

FWIW - my 2-cents
Eric

[fourarmed]

I have been vacuum-sealing my molds for about a year now. I wrap the warm-to-hot mold in 2 layers of paper towel before sealing. Otherwise, the corners of the mold will eventually puncture the bag. So far, no rust.

[ace1001]

WD 40 will displace water without shorting electrical circuits. That is its unique quality. It is NOT a lubricant. It will often reduce thick, dried out lube and make it work again. It can kill primers and remove cold blue. I have used it to unstick rings in a Chevy 350 without disassembly. Ace

[ace1001]

A spot of Bees wax DOES lube mold joints.

[MT Gianni]

While many say that WD40 will kill primers, BruceB did a test and I confirmed that it will not reliably do so and over 1/2 will fire IMHE if allowed to dry. Shooting is the best way to deactivate primers. Gianni

[scb]

44man, I can't find lps #3 locally either. I have to order mine in from McMaster-Carr. The item # is 1370K34. You can order it off the web.

[44man]

Thank you. :drinks:

[SharpsShooter]

Another vote for WD40. I have used it for over 30years to lubricate and preserve any an all firearms, including longterm storage of Black Powder firearms. It has never turned to varnish or failed to do what I intended.

I use it on iron moulds after they have cooled and clean the mould with boiling water and dawn while the pot is heating up.

SS

[725]

Everybody seems to have a preference and to be sure 99.99% of any of them will work just fine. I use a product named "Corrosion-X". Originally I believe it to have been a marine rust preventative. Squirt the moulds and put 'em away. When it's time to use them, I fire up the lead pot, Q-tip the mould with alcohol, and dab on a little Rapine mould prep. I have farm equipment which is exposed to a very humid environment all the time. Each year I use a syckle bar cutter, wash it with water, and prep it with this "Corrosion-X". It then sits outside through all the seasons. Each year the bare, but coated metal, is bright and devoid of even a tiny speck of rust. Comes regular (thin oil consistency) and heavy duty (viscous). First read about the product in "Varminter" magazine. Those varmint guys are some serious shooters.

[EMC45]

Alright, if I may offer my 2 cents- I use a Marsh ink brush filled with CLP to lube all my guns. It would work dandy on molds I do believe. I use Lee aluminum molds and keep them in a plastic storage bin in my carport with dessicant packets with them. I also lube the pivoting joints of my molds with beeswax. As per the instructions. As far as WD-40 is concerned, I will never put it on a gun! NEVER!! I have tore guns apart that were lubed with it and they looked like they were coated in polyurethane. I cleaned 3 guns for a co-worker once years back that were stored in her dad's basement in Mich. All lubed with WD-40, all gummed up and had a varnish look to them. Took forever to get it off. Scrubbing, scraping and fussing.

[John F.]

725, good information -- thanks! Where does one find Corrosion X?

Thanks,
John

[44man]

EMC, my feelings exactly! :drinks: Have you ever tried to remove it from inside a bolt? Some people spray it in locks! :confused:

[Powderpacker]

WD-40 is the best thing I've found for cleaning up surplus ammo cans when I bring them home from the gun shows. Spray on and wipe off with a paper towel . Usually one application restores the 'mil-spec' appearance, occasionally a can will require a second application. If WD-40 does leave a varnish residue it apparently bonds well with the original mil-spec paint because the cans look new for many years . I avoid getting WD-40 on the gaskets in the lids as I suspect it may attack the gasket material over time - no evidence of this - just superstition .

[Ricochet]

I've never seen WD-40 turn to varnish. Looked up an MSDS for it a few years back, and IIRC it said it contained napthenic light mineral oil in hydroformed kerosene.

I do think it's a better solvent than lubricant.

[montana_charlie]

A spot of Bees wax DOES lube mold joints.
I'll agree with you that beeswax will lubricate a 'warm' pivot point, if you will agree that the same can be said for anti-sieze compound.

The difference between the two substances is...

When the anti-sieze compound gets up to 1600 degrees, it is still a lubricant.
When beeswax gets above 250 degrees, it is crusty carbon.

If your moulds never get hotter than a cup of coffee, beeswax will probably do a good job of lubricating them.
CM

[Topper]

Ballistol is all I'm using, then storing in the plastic box the mold shipped in.
It's a good cleaner, will not harm the metal, and is water soluble.
This makes for easy degreasing.

[26Charlie]

- And it does; The Rifleman magazine had an article when the stuff first came on the market. Police were spraying their revolvers with the stuff, and not changing the ammo they kept in the gun. After awhile the ammo wouldn't fire. After enough contact the WD-40 penetrated the primer.

[Ricochet]

So it may kill 'em when you don't want it to, and won't reliably kill 'em when you do want it to.

[mike in co]

more likely contaminated the powder......
tests have shown that soaking a live primer with wd-40, and then letting them air dry( not likely in the cop version), the dry primer will fire.