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whitetailsniper
10-22-2010, 04:13 PM
hello fellas, i hope im putting this in the correct location. i like some of you,have dedicated an area in my basement to cast,and reload. i specially made a shelf like unit for my many molds,then labeled them under there spaces. witch makes it very easy to read ,and know at a glance what im reaching for. this to also help me to keep track of the many molds,so ill know if theres one missing,or misplaced right away. to save time ,i also bought handles for every mold i have.,, but after awhile,,with temp. changes,some of the cast iron molds are getting litely rusted. i have read up on what i like to do is to store the mold with the cavities filled from the last casting sestion.were as some say it doesnt help,or preserve the cavity,i still think its a good practice for me to help preventing any kind of damage to the molds cavities. but with the flexing temp ranges,,i was just thinking,,since mold molds run 600 to 850 degree range,, my question is CAN A CAST IRON MOLD BE PAINTED WITH A HEAT RESISTANT PAINT TO PREVENT RUSTING?? I WAS THINKING OF THE WAY OF ENGINE PAINT 1200 DEGREE LIMIT. YOUR THOUGHTS ,AND ADVICE. THIS WILL HELP PRESERVE THE MOLDS ,AND MAINTAIN THERE LOOKS,AS WELL AS FUNCTION.

RayinNH
10-22-2010, 05:40 PM
If it were me, I'd just give them a light oiling. A quick squirt with a solvent and a few warmup casts, then the mold is ready to go...Ray

zuke
10-22-2010, 10:17 PM
http://www.corrosionvci.com/vci148_paper.htm

Molly
10-23-2010, 01:18 AM
Use VPI. Stands for Vapor Phase Inhibitor. Used by military for mothballing everythng from pistols to tanks. It can be applied as alcohol solution, or just sprinkle a little powder in a sealed container with the molds. Leaves no residues. Available from Brownell's, among many others.

EMC45
10-23-2010, 05:03 AM
I oil my iron blocks (outside/inside) with my Marsh ink brush full of oil. Then when it is casting time I swipe the cavities with a Qtip soaked with Acetone......Good to go!

RANGER RICK
10-23-2010, 11:44 AM
I keep all my iron molds in a heated box ,no rust .Done this for years .
All my brass and aluminum molds sit on the shelf

RR

longbow
10-23-2010, 11:54 AM
I'm with the guys that oil iron blocks.

I have always left the last cast in the mould then oiled with any light oil like gun oil, 3-In-One, 2 stroke oil, automatic transmission oil, etc. I open the mould to make sure oil gets all around the boolits.

I have never had a mould rust even when I lived on the coast.

Before use I usually just wipe the oil off. If I have solvent handy I might wipe the mould down with it.

I pre-heat the mould on hot plate and do not seem to have the problems some have with poor fill out due to contaminated moulds. I think a good pre-heating is the main reason.

This has worked for me for over 40 years. Others do it differently so whatever works is good.

Longbow

deltaenterprizes
10-23-2010, 12:06 PM
I bought a mold from a guy that stored his molds in mason jars with desiccant and heated the jars slightly to remove any moisture before putting the lid on.

gnoahhh
10-24-2010, 01:38 PM
I've never been bothered by a light coating of rust. In fact I've found that mould cavities that had a dusting of rust, then cleaned off with 0000 steel wool took less time to start filling out properly during a casting session. Kind of a seasoning effect. That said, I try not to let an iron mould get rusty in the first place. Air tight dry storage with a little dessicant is my method. Long term storage for me calls for heavy grease coating and wrapping in waxxed paper.