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Thread: Sticky Lyman molds...

  1. #1
    Boolit Master




    TexasGrunt's Avatar
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    Sticky Lyman molds...

    Every multi cavity Lyman mold I own, with the exception of my single four cavity has one or more sticky cavities.

    What's the best way to solve these sticky cavities? Lapping?
    Semper Fi!


    Currently casting for .223, .308, .30-06, .30-40 Krag, 9mm, .38/.357, 10mm, 44 Mag and 45 ACP.

    I like strange looking boolits!

    NRA Patriot Life Endowment member.

  2. #2
    Perma-Banned



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    I use a popsicle stick and scrub my mold cavities if I have one that wants to stick...has worked every time that I have used it. Also, Liquid Wrench dry lube works well.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master Ithaca Gunner's Avatar
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    Kroil, I swab a light coat in and on with a Q-Tip.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master Maven's Avatar
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    TXG, This isn't the only solution, but it has worked for me: Take a new copper (Never stainless steel!) bore brush with of ~ the same caliber as the mold, chuck it in an electric drill, then spin it at med. speed for ~30 sec. in each direction in the troublesome cavity. Clean the cavities, smoke the mold if you prefer, and begin casting. Alternatively, a worn bore brush wrapped with 0000 steel wool also works, but you'll need to degrease the mold cavities.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master




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    Quote Originally Posted by Maven View Post
    TXG, This isn't the only solution, but it has worked for me: Take a new copper (Never stainless steel!) bore brush with of ~ the same caliber as the mold, chuck it in an electric drill, then spin it at med. speed for ~30 sec. in each direction in the troublesome cavity. Clean the cavities, smoke the mold if you prefer, and begin casting. Alternatively, a worn bore brush wrapped with 0000 steel wool also works, but you'll need to degrease the mold cavities.
    Many thanks! I'll give this a try.

    I've tried the Kroil. I get wrinkles till it's burnt off and the cavities still stick. I've gone over the edges on most of them and it helped a bit. But I've got a couple you really have to wack them to get the boolit out.
    Semper Fi!


    Currently casting for .223, .308, .30-06, .30-40 Krag, 9mm, .38/.357, 10mm, 44 Mag and 45 ACP.

    I like strange looking boolits!

    NRA Patriot Life Endowment member.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Ive also used a pencil eraser to lightly smooth and remove burrs

  7. #7
    Boolit Master Maven's Avatar
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    TXG, You're most welcome...and let us know if it worked! Btw, I've had no success with Kroil either.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master Ithaca Gunner's Avatar
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    A few weeks ago I got a new Lyman 454190, cleaned the packing gunk off, Kroiled it and the boolits almost leap out of the thing! For me it works better than smoking or spraying that release in.

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I not only work the edges with the pencil eraser but the other cavity surfaces as well. Sometimes a rough surface can really grip a bullet. Another area to look at with sticking cavities and square grooves is the surfaces of the lube grooves to make sure they don't have a under cut to them instead of the release angle they should have. This usually takes some magnification to see due to the low surface area.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master
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    There is a sticky by a fellow from New Zealand, IIRC, on lapping using the WEET method. It works when all lesser efforts fail.
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...hod-(In-parts)
    _________________________________________________It's not that I can't spell: it is that I can't type.

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