Release Compound On Lee Molds...Yes or No?

[Foto Joe]

With any luck the Brown truck will arrive sometime this week with two Lee molds (.452 & .358) for my casting adventure. I've read that aluminum molds don't require a release agent, true or false?

I have a can of Frankford Arsenal release spray that I used on my ingot molds and I'm just curious as to whether I need to use it with Lee molds or if I risk getting wings on my bullets if I do.

More ignorant questions to follow soon I'm sure.

[gefiltephish]

(Can't post with less than 5 chars.) NO!

[DxieLandMan]

I sprayed mine with releasing compound as well as used the match smoke way. I've had no problems.

[prs]

I do not smoke or put a release agent on any molds. I did back when I was beginning because that was how I was told. Now, I just clean the molds with strong detergent and water with an old tooth brush. pre-heat them, lube the pins and pivots very sparingly and cast away. Some molds seem to need to be used a time or three before they drop pretty boolits with ease; others are right from the get-go. When a mold does give me troubles with release or wrinkles that washing and checking for clear vents does not help, then I use a hardwood splint to lightly smoke the cavities. Not sure it really helps, using the mold more helps.

prs

[mdi]

Nothing goes in my molds' cavities except lead. New molds need to be really clean. Hot water, Dawn dish soap, (that's what wife uses) and soft brush will remove most of the machining oils, etc. Occasionally I'll use a bit of brake clean, spray, to make sure all oil is gone. Inspect the mold for any burrs, and make sure mold is well heated. Use a lube sparingly on the pins (Bull Plate is best) and make sure none gets in the cavities. Then start pouring. Some molds hang up a little bit (just a light tap on the hinge bolt or a quick shake) and often the hang ups will go away with practice and mold "break in". If you have to hammer on the handles to get a bullet out check the Molds section and read the stickies on lapping, and "Leementing"...

[fredj338]

IMO, NEVER use a release agent, just not needed. A mold, alum, brass or iron, may take a few 100 bullets to season & drop well, but release agents just add another variable you don't need.

[FLHTC]

I use a release agent and wouldn't cast without it. I wear a leather glove to open the spruce and gently touch the bullet base and they fall out. You'd be amazed at what you can use for a release agent too.

[runfiverun]

sigh.
if you use it just put it on the top.
the cavity's need nothing except a little oxidization.
if they 'need something' it surely isn't something to make them smaller, unless it's something to make them smaller.

[Frozone]

..... I use a hardwood splint to lightly smoke the cavities. Not sure it really helps, using the mold more helps.

prs

You would likely be better off using that hardwood splint to burnish the edges in the cavity and knock any burrs down.

[mpmarty]

Smoking and release agent just makes for smaller boolits. If the boolits don't jump right out of the mold when opened look for burrs inside the cavities. Release agent is just a way for sellers to release you from your money.

[462]

Release Compound On Lee Molds...Yes or No?

NO!

[FLHTC]

Smoking and release agent just makes for smaller boolits. If the boolits don't jump right out of the mold when opened look for burrs inside the cavities. Release agent is just a way for sellers to release you from your money.

You can't be speaking from experience however, the ones who use release agents are. Why would a clear liquid change the diameter of the bullet? Its not a coating with a measurable thickness so why would it change the bullet diameter? I use release agents for snow removal equipment. There aren't any burrs on snow blower or plows but the snow will stick like glue and pack into discharge chutes and it works wonders under the decks of commercial lawn equipment. Another good product i found as a release agent is RainX. Its alcohol based so it must dry and not be around your casting pot but it works extremely well. For $3.99 and available at Walmart, its the best deal around. I apply it with an artist brush and considering how much I've used this year, a bottle will last me 10 years and i can even put it on my windshield.

[MT Chambers]

I wouldn't put anything in the cavities, bullplate on the sprue plate, but that serves a diff. purpose.

[dverna]

You can listen to the guys that have post counts that look like zip codes or those who have little experience.

Don Verna

[Foto Joe]

I'm definitely getting the answers I was looking for. I'll go for no release agent it sounds like. It's easier to add it if you need it than get the stuff off if you don't.

Now if I could only find large pistol primers so could actually load what I cast.

[Marlin Junky]

Nothing should go into your clean, pre-heated cavities other than molten alloy.

Mold release agent is the solution to a problem no one should have, assuming they are capable of learning proper casting techniques.

MJ

[FLHTC]

You can listen to the guys that have post counts that look like zip codes or those who have little experience.

Don Verna

Been casting since 1973 but unfortunately, i haven't found the desire to join until this year. I guess if i posted routinely on an aviation forum, id have wings huh?

[williamwaco]

Never, never, never use a bullet mold release agent in your cavities.

Despite claims to the contrary, it will reduce the diameter of the bullets and can reduce the diameter significantly if multiple coatings are used. I have personally measured reductions as much as 0.003.

It also makes really ugly bullets. If you spray enough to really coat the cavity, the bullets look like sand castings.

And it is very hard to remove.

It does make a passable sprue plate lube. If you try it for this, be sure the cavities contain bullets during the spraying operation and spray the top of the mold VERY lightly.

That said:

It works really well in your ingot molds.


.

[dragonrider]

A properly prepared mold does not need a release agent.

[swheeler]

maybe one place it actually helps and does no harm is on the core pin of a Lee druve key slug mold, otherwise NO on any mold

[mroliver77]

Been casting since 1973 but unfortunately, i haven't found the desire to join until this year. I guess if i posted routinely on an aviation forum, id have wings huh?
We do not need attitudes here.

Many many experiments have been done on release agents and the consensus is that most if not all leave a buildup and reduce cavity size.

I have found a sticky mold has some type of problem, usually minute burrs. I have a "Leementing" kit with magnifying glass, picks, knives etc to clean these burrs and imperfections. Molds are usually trouble free for their lifetime after a tweek.
Jay

[otter5555]

Been casting since 1973 but unfortunately, i haven't found the desire to join until this year. I guess if i posted routinely on an aviation forum, id have wings huh?

been casting over 40 years. didnt realize that the number of posts in a forum imparted wisdom or experience.

[runfiverun]

it don't.

[smokey496]

I have never smoked a MOLD, and I CAST some PRETTY boolets

[theperfessor]

I've never had to use smoke or release agents on any of my molds. A little cleaning, burnish the edges of the cavity with a hardwood stick, and then two or three heating and cooling cycles and they are all good to go.

That said, if that's what makes your mold work and you want to mess with that kind of stuff go right ahead, I won't give anybody a hard time. But most folks find out after a while that they really don't need it, usually when their can runs out in the middle of a casting session and they still keep getting good bullets from a (finally) well broken-in mold.

It isn't the release agent, it's the oxidation/passivation of the metal surface in the cavities and the removal of burrs from use that lets a mold cast good bullets. Anything else is a pretty much a crutch to get past this initial break-in and preparation phase.

(This assumes the cavities are cut on center.)

[dverna]

been casting over 40 years. didnt realize that the number of posts in a forum imparted wisdom or experience.

otter,

It doesn't but it surely helps. We get to evaluate the guys with high post counts. They have "paid their dues" and we get a feel for them and their talent.

With a join date of April 2013 and 60 posts, you have not. Not saying you know squat, - only that you are an unknown. You could have 1 years experience 40 times over; or 40 years of constant learning and development - I do not know.

Share you knowledge and be part of this great community. I am an old man who has not cast bullets for over 30 years but getting back into it. I did not put junk in my molds 30 years ago but if some miracle goop has been discoverd I am not too old to change.

Look at what some here are doing with baked on finishes instead of lubing bullets! Too much of a PITA for a lazy guy like me but they sure make pretty bullets. Who would have thought about that 30 years ago?

Peace,

Don Verna

[dromia]

A release agent is supposed to help the boolits release- drop from the mould. So you need to find out if that is a problem from your mould and only casting will tell you that. As has been said the mould cavities need to be "seasoned" oxidised or what ever, heat does this so you can get there by casting, putting the mould in the oven for a few cycles, heating it up and down on a hot plate. I just leave mine on the top of a cast iron stove for a few days and the heating up and cooling of that does the job for me.

If the bullet won't release and is sticking then there is reason for that, a mechanical reason. Mostly it is just small burrs from the cutting process, I check for this by running a cotton bud round the edge of the cavities where any burrs will catch the fluff and show the location for you to deal with as has been explained previously, I use the epidermis of a piece of old bamboo. Some types of mould with deep square cut lube grooves or Loverins for instance can hold the boolits in the mould just through their design. A couple of sharp raps on the handle will make them drop so long as there is no other reason for their hangup.

So you see that mould release will actually do nothing to help you other than give you pseudo "seasoning".

I put nothing in my mould cavities but molten alloys and have nary a problem, mould relase is an anathema to most of us here. There is the Kroil in the cavity brigade on here but I have never had that work for me. I like to keep it simple.

[FLHTC]

We do not need attitudes here.

Many many experiments have been done on release agents and the consensus is that most if not all leave a buildup and reduce cavity size.

I have found a sticky mold has some type of problem, usually minute burrs. I have a "Leementing" kit with magnifying glass, picks, knives etc to clean these burrs and imperfections. Molds are usually trouble free for their lifetime after a tweek.
Jay
And labeling someone's experience by their post count isn't?
You cast em your way and ill cast em mine. I believe the issue here is that everyone but the members with post counts that look like zip codes are wrong. If that's not an attitude, i don't know what is. I've been using release agents specifically sold for commercial lawn and snow removal equipment for over 20 years and my bullets are beautiful, they're on target and they harvest game. I don't know what else bullets are suppose to do so if Im missing something, other than a seven digit post count, please let me know.

[Ben]

NO, nothing in the cavities.

Ben

[mroliver77]

And labeling someone's experience by their post count isn't?
You cast em your way and ill cast em mine. I believe the issue here is that everyone but the members with post counts that look like zip codes are wrong. If that's not an attitude, i don't know what is. I've been using release agents specifically sold for commercial lawn and snow removal equipment for over 20 years and my bullets are beautiful, they're on target and they harvest game. I don't know what else bullets are suppose to do so if Im missing something, other than a seven digit post count, please let me know.

Actually when I hit reply with quote I assumed yours and the post you were replying to would be there. My bad for not double checking.

This forum is a great place to learn and or share the hobby of casting. Being "huffy" does not help. Sometimes we read more into a post than is there.
Jay