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Thread: Cleaning a fleabay mold find.

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy minmax's Avatar
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    Cleaning a fleabay mold find.

    I have gotten a few nice molds and a few not so. I read a thread on restoring a Lyman mold. The one thing I have done differently is to cold blue the sprue plate and the outside of the mold itself. My question is if I blue the inside surfaces of the blocks should I do the cavities or not? I know the bluing will not adhere/have a reaction with any residual lead. Should I not worry about it. Or should I just spray them with Kroil and be done with it.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    JSnover's Avatar
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    The kroil can cause problems. The bluing should not.
    Warning: I know Judo. If you force me to prove it I'll shoot you.

  3. #3
    Boolit Man
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    The iron molds are usually blued. So don't think bluing could cause any problem.
    Last edited by just_shooter; 10-22-2014 at 03:42 PM.

  4. #4
    Boolit Bub
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    Kroil can indeed be your friend on molds.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master


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    Bluing will not matter with or without. I don't use it.

    koil in the cavities might help clean them but you will be casting raisins until you get it degreased.

    There is a thread around here touting how kroil will help cast better bullets and cause them to release easier.

    It was so convincing they convinced me to try it.

    It was a disaster.

    Took over an hour with 409, hot water and toothbrush, and break cleaner to get that mold casting good bullets again.
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  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    Many used molds I have bought get the treatment. Remove plate and touch/confirm sharp hole with countersink, radius all bottom edges and flat plate with 600 wet and then cold blue. Some blocks go swimming in OSPHO and bronze brushing to in the white and then cold blued inside and out. I am a fan of Ed's Red and that is what they get before they are put to bed.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master Maven's Avatar
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    Kroil wasn't exactly the magic bullet for me either, ww.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master

    pworley1's Avatar
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    When I get a used mold that need a little TLC it starts by soaking in a jar of Ed's red until I think of it again, followed by bronze brush, then a good scrubbing. This is usually all they need.
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  9. #9
    Boolit Master



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    Evap-O-Rust from HF can be your friend, too - I keep a Mason jar 3/4 full to soak 2-bangers w/handles in, when surface rust is present. A couple of hours usually does it. Also handles pits, and mox nix as long as the cavities are OK.
    Echo
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  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master

    Wayne Smith's Avatar
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    No need to cold blue a steel (iron) mold. Just cast with it a couple of times and it will be blue from the heat.
    Wayne the Shrink

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  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master

    MtGun44's Avatar
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    What Wayne said. . . . Bluing a mold would be silly.

    Bill
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master

    gwpercle's Avatar
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    I wouldn't cold blue the cavities, just sit down and start casting when it's seasoned it will start dropping well again. I think the heat will "blue" the mould all on it's own.
    The outside doesn't matter but casting should also heat blue it .

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
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LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
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