Original Winchester Mold

[Wayne Smith]

I just got an original 32WCF Winchester mold. The cavity looks good, but I cast w/o cleaning and it clearly needs a good cleaning! My real question is: When the mold is hot it becomes extremely difficult to open, requiring two hands. These handles appear to be connected with a very large rivet, not a bolt. Before I start to try to apply mold prep (graphite) to the hinge, is there something not obvious about these molds that I may need to know?

Is there a better solution than mold prep?

[madcaster]

Is the bolt holding the handles together too tight?

[manleyjt]

madcaster,

There is not a bolt it has a set rivet for the handle pin. Here is a link to a picture from the ARTCA that shows a 5th model winchester mould

http://www.antiquereloadingtools.com/winchesterframes_5mold.html

Wayne,

You might try to clean that pin up using some thin/light machine oil on the hinge pin and some elbow grease. It may have some crud/gease/rust that causes it to get tight after the metal heats and expands due to casting.

[45 2.1]

Apply beeswax to the handle pivot while it is hot. The beeswax will lubricate the pivot better than anything else. This is an old fix from the Scheutzen era, via Harry M. Pope.

[Wayne Smith]

Manley, Mine fits that description but just has 32WCF stamped on it, no - with a weight.

45 2.1 thanks, I'll try it.

[Wayne Smith]

Pope's solution works good, thanks. Just cast a bunch - they mostly drop right out, it's a beautiful mold.

I cleaned it up with an old toothbrush and some break cleaner fluid.