First time BC?

[troy7769]

I have just finished my 2nd casting, and all went pretty good, 655 boolits most will be good enough to load. my question is should i leave the last casting in the mold till the next casting or should i leave it empty? I heard some were that leaving the last one in it will help to keep it clean and in good shape. This is my first post, but i have been reading on here for a long time and i have learned soooo much from you guys. thanks for all the info.
Troy

[geargnasher]

Opinions will differ on that, but I think generally it is advised to leave the mould empty, clean it, and leave a good protective oil film on it. Iron moulds have a nasty habit of attracting moisture and rusting, especially in the cavities. Clean thoroughly before next use. There is little evidence that leaving a casting in the mould protects it at all, you need an oxygen-proof coating on the blocks to keep rust away.

As for aluminum moulds, I spray them with pure silicone lubricant and throw them in a drawer. Not that they won't corrode if I don't, just that that's all it takes to store them. I have a friend who lives on the coast who stores his mould blocks, and many other rust-prone items, in buckets of clean transmission fluid or light engine oil.

Gear

[montana_charlie]

I heard some were [somewhere] that leaving the last one in it will help to keep it clean and in good shape.
You don't say where you live, Troy. Your location can have a big effect on how you treat your moulds while they are stored.

I leave a bullet in the cavity when finished with a session. I live in a dry climate, and this has never caused a problem, even if I don't use the mould for a couple of months.
But, I leave the bullet in for a very specific reason.

I coat my moulds (and the handle jaws) with spray-on graphite to keep run-off alloy from sticking. When refreshing the graphite coating (at the beginning of a new casting session) I can swing the plate open and just shoot the whole mould. The bullet in the cavity keeps graphite from entering that critical space.
Otherwise, I know of no intrinsically good reason to do it.

In a humid climate, I definitely would not store an iron mould with a bullet still in it.

CM

[troy7769]

Sorry i failed to let ya'll in on a few info bits. i live in north Alabama, the mold is a lee TL401-175-wc. The mold has done good so far, had some issues at first but this is my first time casting. Do i need to get some spray-on graphite also? I could not wait to cast a few boolits so I lubed the moving parts with 2-cycle oil. I didn't want to get any of that stuff on the mold face. I do need to put something on them though, i think that was my problem t he first night. If not graphite, any wisdom as to what will be the best would be wolderful. thanks again
Troy

[runfiverun]

look up leementing here i bet it splains most of your problems.
the only thing i'd put in a mold is kroil unless you want outta round undersized boolits.

[troy7769]

picks- i think

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

Also search for Bullplate spue lube . . . great stuff! link at the bottom of the page "Bull Shop" but don't put it in the cavity . . .

[troy7769]

picks- one more try.

[mrbill2]

I use RCBS case resizing lubricant in the mold cavities. Non-toxic, water soluble. Clean up the mold with plain water and toothbrush.

[fredj338]

I live in a low humidity area so I just leave a casting in the mold at the end of my session & spray the outside w/ a film of mold release to prevent any surface rust.