Removing the lead from Magma molds

[Nick Quick]

Ok, so I realized that during the casting process using a Master Caster lead somehow gets between the sprue plate and the upper part of the mold raising a bit the sprue plate. I've discovered that due to the white wall behind the machine and my position on the chair while casting.
When I started the sprue plate was in perfect contact with the mold but after aprox 1000 bullets I've seen that between the sprue plate and the mold there is a tiny gap and I could see the white wall behind the machine through the gap.
Took the mold out and realized there is something not right there.
First of all, how that could happen.
I unscrewed the sprue plate and I've seen lead spreaded on the path of the sprue plate while it moves and cut the bullets casting cone from the base of the bullets.
Another question is how can I remove the lead without damaging the mold. I tried with a "lead remover" solution but is not efficient enough. IT only works on mild lead fouling inside the barrel. I do have here serious smudges with lead.
As a note: I tighten the screw quite well so it is not because the sprue plate was loose.
The only explanation I can come up with is that some times I do not let the alloy to cool enough in the mold and cut the sprue while the lead is still soft. I can't think of anything else as a cause of this lead smudging between the sprue plate and the upper part of the mold.
Just watch the pictures below.

Thank you

[John Boy]

What you have is Cause & Effect!
* Cause: Your timing to cut the sprue plate is too fast
* Effect: Because the timing is too fast, the melt is not fully solidified before the sprue plate is cutting the bullet base
Removal: Eezox and a razor blade. The Eezox will loosen the adhesion of the lead on the steel and you can scrap it off with a razor blade. Remaining coating - rub off with bronze wool spritzed with Eezox

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

First thing I try, at room temp, is using a lead alloy ingot and rub the area (like a pencil eraser).
NOW, if the mold/sprueplate is tinned, I heat up the steel/iron to "operating" temperature, then apply beeswax and rub with a wooden stick or dowel or for tiny difficult spots I use a bamboo skewer.

I never thought a iron/steel mold would tin during normal casting temperatures, but I recently had a 4 cav Saeco mold do that ...twice !
I used some cold gun-bluing solution on those areas after the second time I de-tinned it.

[ReloaderFred]

After removing the sprue cutter, take a razor blade scraper and gently remove the lead, making sure you hold the edge of the blade flat on the surface of the mold so you don't scratch it. To keep this from happening again, Magma sells mold lube that you mix with denatured alcohol that you spray on the sprue cutter and top of the mold. It's expensive, so my replacement is a generic can of PAM cooking spray, that I spray into the spray bottle I got from Magma and mix it with denatured alcohol to thin it down. I paid $2.99 for a 16 oz. can of the cooking spray, and it will last several years.

It works best to have the mold hot, and you just open the sprue cutter, but leave the bullets in place. Then lightly spray the closed mold to cover the top, but not the cavities. If it gets in the cavities, it will take numerous casts to clean them and get bullets that aren't wrinkled. The lube will also make the sprue cutter operate easier and smoother.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Nick Quick]

Thank you kindly gents.
It never happened before as I carefully cast without rushing anything. This time though, I was in the process of setting up the times for an automation I have for the Master Caster. While testing mold filling time, cooling time, cooling again after the mold opens etc I kinda forgot to pay attention of what is going on with the process itself. So most likely I rushed few times the mold opening time and forgot to give the lead its time for cooling inside the mold.
As pointed above "cause and effect". I did it without realizing I now have lead smudges between the sprue plate and the mold. Well, now I know what to check for from time to time.
It is not a tragedy tho. The bullets are still perfect to shoot but the base shows the mistake.
I have to say that removing the lead is not an easy thing mostly for the mold. On the sprue plate I'm not that worried but on the upper part of the mold close to the cavities is a very sensitive and tedious job. I don't enjoy it to be honest.

Thank you for the tips.

[runfiverun]

if you catch it while hot it's easier to remove.
I used to just dab a little of the magma lube on it while I still had boolits in the cavity's.
a pour or two would just swipe the excess lead away.

I have moved on to using a little anti-seize on the mold tops as a preventative measure.
just swipe the top before the mold dumps the boolits but with the plate open with a q-tip lightly covered with it.

it's either that or you add another 2-3 seconds to the cut time.

[Nick Quick]

How is that Magma lube looking like? I have two kinds of Magma lube so I may have the sprue plate lube and I don't even know it yet.
I cannot take a picture right now as the set-up is at a friend shop, but I have one lube(white) in a little tube that I use to lube the mold guiding ramps and one lube in a square shape(white also) that I use in the pot for reducing after I alloy with linotype. Makes a white clean smoke and let a yellow residue that it's very easy to remove if I want, but I usually let it there and eventually will all disappear.

And what type of antiseize? The copper one or the silver one.

[runfiverun]

the silver one.
I have all three types [copper/aluminum/nickel] but I'm currently using the nickel.
no reason it was just the closest.
you don't need much just wipe it across the mold, about 2 pours later you'll see a little wisp of smoke.
then every so often I swipe a little more on.

your gonna chuckle a bit but I forgot about the square flux they have I used some of it to make some boolit lube with.
but that will work too, you just need the tiniest amount and to make sure it doesn't run into the cavity's.
I would break a chunk off and just barely touch the corner to the side of the mold when the bases were facing me.
a little 2 stroke oil on a q-tip will work too if you have that around.
and so will a little bees-wax.

you don't need much the trick is to form a layer on the mold top so the lead won't stick, and if it does you have a bit of a barrier there to help it come right off again.

[Nick Quick]

Thanx for the tip R5R. I will try it tomorrow.

Now for real, there is anything left you didn't try and made some lube of? Just jokin a bit.
I tried the two stroke oil on the shot maker ramp and it was bad. Smoke and smell bad and it didn't even last more than few minutes and I had to apply again.
I think I'll try first with the square solid white Magma lube on one mold and after I change it I'll try the silver anti-seize on a different mold and see for myself the results. There is no better lesson than the one I experience myself trying different things.

Thanx a bunch for the tips.
Respect.

[John Boy]

Warning: if you use Permatex Anti-Sieze on your molds - you'll never be able to remove it ... the coating however thin will be there for the life of the mold! It works but I stopped using it. Instead use paraffin which is an alcane and never leaves burned paraffin on the mold

[wlkjr]

I have some smearing sometimes too. I use a brush that looks like a big toothbrush, but with stainless steel bristles as the brass bristles will deform quickly because of the heat. When I remove my molds I usually take the sprue plate off and clean it up with a powered wire wheel and also the mold top. A propane torch will heat the mold enough to soften the lead for removal.

[runfiverun]

woa you gotta be very careful running a brush over a mold like that.
I have run many molds with nothing on them, but take care to make sure the alloy has fully hardened before cutting the sprue.
mehanite molds are good but they are fairly soft so they will machine easily, you can tear one up if you get aggressive with metal tools.

I don't know of too many things I haven't tried modifying or researched using as a boolit lube.
ski wax, surfboard wax, sticky wax, some deodorant's, poly ethylene, poly glycol, ozokerite, 5-6 different paraffin's, scented candles, soy wax, different greases, different stearates and stearate combinations.
poe oils, poa oils, pao oils, polymers, metal soaps, graphite.
I have even discussed using powder coating as an ingredient for use as a bore scrubber.

[Pee Wee]

NOE $6.00 Sprue plate lube, follow his directions. There is also one called MP mold and sprue plate lube that looks and works the same. you can order it right from NOE

[runfiverun]

it's all bullplate they distribute.
many think it's amsoil [sabre] 2 stroke oil.
you can use ester-A/C 100 oil too it's sold at your local auto parts house [it's for oiling the A/C unit on your car]
it makes a pretty good lube component too.

[Nick Quick]

I tried the Magma solid lube and it worked.
On a side note, even if I touched just a bit with the mold full it spreaded everywhere and somehow went inside the cavities. I couldn't stop it, lol. I wiped the excess as well as I could but it was to late. It took me around 30 lever pulls to make that lube go from inside the cavities.
But......it works. Is true I took my time and increased the cooling time with few seconds. The process it may be slower but I don't care as the machine works by itself so I can coat bullets while the machine cranks bullets for me.

The most important part in the whole deal is that I've learned something new out of my mistake. And now I know "why" and also "how to" fix it.