Dropped my mold in the molten lead

[donnrcp]

Not a good thing to do. About 1/2 of my Lyman 525 gr 12 gauge slug mold got dipped with the handles slightly ajar. I got it 98-99% clean. Slight fringe noted on casts after clean up so I stopped until I could contact Lyman for their recommendation. Customer service said to use alcohol to clean the mold.

What say ye?

[dudel]

I can see alcohol cleaning a dirty mold; but I don't see it removing any lead.

I'd heat it with a torch (gently), then wipe the lead off with a 100% cotton rag (no synthetic fibers). Repeat as needed.

If you were trying to heat up the mold for casting; a hot plate is a safer (and not very expensive) option.

[osteodoc08]

I'd also heat with torch, but rub with a lead ingot if not fully removed with a heavy cotton cloth. I've found this a touch better at removing lead that is stubborn. A popsicle stick or bamboo skewer is good at removing flakes from the vent lines.

Heat on a flat hot plate.

[country gent]

Warm it on hot plate to 450*-500* and with a coarse cloth wadded or rolled in a ball rubb vigorously on all surfaces. PAy close attention to mating surfaces of blocks and insert. A bamboo skewer can be used to scrap stubborn areas also. The best thing Ive found to do when this happens ( its not if it happens but when as it will happen sooner or later) is leave it in the pot until it comes up to lead temp and lead falls off on its own then the coarse cloth rubbing to remove stobborn spots. I doubt the mould is damaged from this. There are probably a couple small spots still there that are holding it open slightly causing the Fringe. Clean well paying attention to inside of alighnment holes and around alighnment pins. SOmetimes a light coat of kroil left to soak for 4-5 minutes will get under these spots and allow to be removed with the bamboo skewer. When looking use a good magnifying lense to look as it dosnt take much of a spot to cause this.

[Pine Baron]

I don't know if I understand where the 1-2% lead is. Perhaps using a "solder wick" might help. IIRC this is a steel mold? Maybe brass brush?

[mdi]

Country gent nailed it. Heat (I use a propane torch after warming on a hot plate), coarse cotton cloth (I use an old towel), scrub hard and 90% of the lead will come off. Then pick out the rest...

[donnrcp]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160523/210d2d6389c9c0582bf17104fc621500.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160523/29815b10abf6bcfe51e95dbcea93c7d6.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160523/02a74118ea553c66e6f0bdd3ccbeeeea.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160523/a73869fe73cfc9d068720acebd7fb2a5.jpg

Closure appears correct after some torch work, scrubbing and a couple of sore finger tips.

Thank you all for your help, will also be going to Walmart for a hot plate ;)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DerekP Houston]

I was going to recommend the torch and bamboo skewers....not that I did literally the same thing with a different mold ;). The walmart hotplate works great I've melted lead all over the thing and burned off all recognizable brand names but it still keeps heating up just great.

[blackthorn]

Get the mould HOT and rub with a 100% cotton rag or some jute sacking. The jute sacking is quite coarse and it works well.

[country gent]

I always like a piece of burlap bag for this but any coarse natural cloth works heavy cotton, denium, burlap, In a pinch roll some paper in a tight roll cut one end even and use it ti scrub with.

[Mk42gunner]

It is getting so hard to find a burlap bag around here that I am contemplating buying a roll of burlap from the craft section of Walmart.

Robert