Who can identify this Mold

[redgum]

I dragged out an old mold and cast some .38 SWC's today.
I acquired it years ago, but have never known what it is exactly
It has no markings anywhere other than a pair of 2's on one end.
Its brass, 4 cavity and it casts 162.1g - 162.5g with a 50/50 mix of wheel weights (clip on) and recovered range lead.

Also it has lead smears on top of the brass (under the sprue plate). What is the best way to remove them and clean it up? I don't want to damage it in any way.

I used to shoot them unsized and lubed with LLA from a pair of S&W 586's and they were extremely accurate, but I remember there was usually a little bit of leading after a hundred or so.
Those particular guns are long gone and now i'm using a 4" m65.
I've dropped this lot into water straight from the mold and I intend to pan lube some instead this time and see what difference it makes, (if any).

Anyway any history or info on the mold would be appreciated,
... Thanks for reading

[Nardoo]

By your user name Redgum, and the lookof the mould my guess would be CBE. Contact Jim at :
http://www.castbulletengineering.big...om/default.htm
and ask him personally.

Nardoo

[Bret4207]

Bronze or 4/0 steel wool will remove the leading without damage. Nice mould.

[Glen]

That's a copy of the Ideal 357443, an early SWC design for the .357 Magnum. Being made of brass, and having no markings to speak of, I would suspect that it might be a Yankee mould (they did make copies of the Ideal designs), but I have never seen a 4-cavity Yankee mould. Maybe somebody who knows more about Yankee moulds can comment?

[redgum]

Thanks for the interest people,
I have been in contact with Jim from CBE and he assures me it's definitely not one of theirs.
I have seen the Ideal #357443 Glen, and that was the closest one I could find to what I have.
I haven't seen many with the crimp groove in the top driving band like this,.I] ( I have crimped in the groove as well as the top lube groove with no real difference in performance.)[/I]
Thanks for the tips too Bret, I'll try and get it cleaned up and start making the most of it.

[Dale53]

An easy way to remove lead from an aluminum, brass or steel mould is to rest the closed mould in molten alloy for five minutes. Then use a coarse cloth and just wipe it off. Burlap is fine as well as is other coarse material.

Dale53

[georgewxxx]

I think they're Moder bonds. The key is the number at the end of the blocks. My guess is that they are #H-358 the Resser bullrt....geo

[montana_charlie]

An easy way to remove lead

Whenever I read answers such as Dale's, something tugs at the back of my memory, but I just ignore it and agree with the answerer. Today, I allowed the thought to materialize.

As an AF electronic technician, and a damn fine hand (if I may say so) with a soldering iron, I learned that precision soldering requires a clean tip.
Burnt flux and oxidation would build up (sound familiar?) and interfere with proper heat transfer, and could also leave 'dirt' in the joint.
Wiping the hot tip on a damp sponge (or cloth) was a regular motion as I moved across a circuit board.

The same kind of 'shock' should pull smeared lead off of a mould block.
CM

[floodgate]

redgum, George:

I have several Modern-Bond moulds, but they are all 2-holers; I'm not sure M-B ever made 4-cavity moulds (Geo: if you DO have one, I'd like to see photos), and all I have seen are made of iron/steel, and are clearly marked with the company name and a "code" number like the one George suggested.

floodgate

[georgewxxx]

Doug,

If you check the last page of 45 cal moulds in their 1935-36 catalog, they mention making 6 to 8 cavity armory moulds. To answer your question on if I have any 4 bangers,the answer is no! You're right about Bonds being mostly two hollers. Stock #A-358687 has that same curious crimp groove in the front driving band, but it's only 145grain. Also the big end on the sprue plate looks like Bond/ or H&G type. Lachmiller used those end code numbers also. The screws holding the blocks to the handles might also give a clue to who made them.

I've got two unidentified single cavity brass moulds. One a 8mm and the other a .50 cal. Always wondered who, when, where they were made....Geo

[floodgate]

Geo:

Thanks; I've got the 1935-36 reprint coming from Abby. Nice family photos, but none of the brass moulds. Could they be Yankees? Send me some shots via e-mail.

Doug

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Removing "Tinned" on boolit alloy from a Brass mold:
With the mold at casting temp (about 375ºF), I use a bamboo skewer and Beeswax.
Apply a little beeswax to tinned area, then rub with dull end of skewer.
repeat until all removed.
Clean beeswax off thoroughly, then I heat cycle the mold a couple times, to start a patina for future tinning protection.