Oiling molds ?

[jsteed]

I've been oiling my molds after every session whether it's one day or one month between castings. Is this common? I'm paranoid about rust, and I'm new at casting. Thanks.

[RobS]

I use to oil my metal molds with a light film of Remington oil however now a days I just put them all in a plastic air tight ammo can (has a rubber seal on the lid) after they cool down from casting.

[Kull]

I'm new to casting too, but I don't see anything wrong with dong that. Just takes longer prep time the next time you go to cast. Rather than oil though I'd go with something like RIG (http://www.midwayusa.com/brand/rig). A 12 oz jar will last forever, they also sell a 4 oz jar.

[primersp]

i oil my mold after each casting session ,i use thick military storage oil

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Rust isn't what you want in the world of bullet molds. Oil, light or heavy will prevent it. Grease is overkill. Whatever you use has to be thoroughly..like in absolutely...removed from the blocks in order to cast. A strong solvent such as acetone or lacquer thinner is needed to do that unless you prefer to boil the blocks in detergent added to water. Any preservative that has a hydrocarbon base will have to have the mold blocks undergo the same treatment to remove it or you will get wrinkled bullets. There are several other ways to store clean blocks to prevent rust and there is a lot of info to check out on that. Do some searching in the stickies or other articles. LLS

[Walter Laich]

put mine in a cheap plastic tool box from Huge Cube. Also have a bag of desiccant in it.

The molds I got from my father that are more keepsakes than the used everyday I do store with an oil coating.

[spfd1903]

I fold VCI paper in half and put between mold halves. Wrap another piece around the mold. Roll large zip lock type bag around mold/handles and seal the zip.

[HATCH]

I use bullplate and just coat the entire mold when I put it up.
Keep in mind that the mold in my master cast will see a week of every night use so it doesn't get oiled until I take it off the machine.

[gareth96]

I've heard kroil is good stuff, but haven't tried it. I did try pb blaster last time I casted and it worked great, but it's still in the test phase. Soaked mould in pb blaster overnight and then wiped it off real good. Heated the mold and only had to toss maybe 3 rounds before the wrinkles left, and the bullets fell out real nice like.... till I put too much beeswax on the pins/sprue plate screw and it seeped into the mould and the wrinkles took forever to go away...

[Sonnypie]

Being the rebel I am, I use the butt of a candle and melt a bit of wax on mine when done while it is still hot.
The wax covers the molds inside and out, it seals it as good as a Mason jar full of peaches, and when warming the mold for casting the wax melts completely away.
A few casts and no wrinkels. (Unlike the laugh lines in my face...)

I also use a drap of wax to lube the hinge and tong pins. Slicker than anything else I've tried.

PS: The candle is a regular old candle. Paraffin wax, I'd suppose. Red, if that matters.

[John Allen]

I use kroil on my molds and then clean it with brake cleaner when ready to use.

[gray wolf]

I oil my molsa after every use, if I have any lead specs on the mold I use Kroil. It seems to help the lead brush off the next time I clean with the soapy water.
In any case I use an old small paint brush, I put a dab of oil in one cavity anf use the paint brush to spread it all over the mold. It give a nice even light coat.
When ready to cast I just use some hot tap water and dawn with an old tooth brush, scrub and rinse two times and it's ready to go. I never have an oil in the mold problem and the molds always look great.

[longbow]

Despite those that say they have trouble with oil clean up, I have never found it to be a problem. I oil all my moulds after use ~ even aluminum and brass moulds because they have steel sprue plates and pins. A rusted sprue plate will gall up an aluminum mould very quickly.

I normally just wipe the moulds down with a paper towel or rag then pre-heat until they smoke. It works for me and I have never had a rusty mould.

Sonnypie's wax trick may be just as good. I have not tried that.

Longbow

[Bigslug]

Quaker State 10W30 and baggie to store, brake cleaner to reactivate . . .even if I THINK I'm coming back tomorrow. Stuff happens.

[dale2242]

I ALWAYS oil my molds when I store them.
We have high humidity here in SW Oregon.
61" annual rainfall.....dale

[Kull]

Kroil is great for lots of stuff. It's such a good penetrating oil when I started using it I was amazed at it's ability to lift lead. What it isn't is a rust preventative.

[DLCTEX]

I can't relate to you that still use wax or bullet lube to lubricate your moulds pins and hinges. Bullplate is the only way to go IMHO. No carbon buildup. If you don't have any, use synthetic 2 cycle oil until you can get some. Both have a very high heat tolerance, unlike wax, which burns at casting temps.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I use to coat my iron molds with kroil for storage (1 day or 6 months). Now I store then "unprotected" in air-tight containers. Last fall I ordered some air-tight tupperware type of food storage containers, the type with clamps on the sides. I posted photos in a mold storage thead here somewhere ???
ANYWAY, The humidity arrives here in MN in June, July August. that's when the real test will begin, to see if this will work.
Jon

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

For the last few years it has been a thorough soaking with Rem Oil from WalMart. I use WD-40 to. All my molds get it, regardless of what material they are made out of. I also have VCI paper in every plastic tub of molds. I degrease them with carb cleaner when ready to use. Bull Plate on the pins, hinges, sprue plate, etc.

[pdawg_shooter]

I use Kroil with ATF and mineral spirits for all my cleaning, and it prevents rust just fine.