Another Magma Bullet Master Gurus Question

[bjordan]

So, now that I have the Magma Bullet Master MKII running well, I have come back to the well of knowledge with another question.

What are other users using as their bullet release agent and what is your process?

I have both a sample bottle from Magma when I got my Master Caster and I have a can of the Frankford Arsenal mold release that I have used when hand casting. The Frankford works, but it doesn't seem to last very long once applied. The Magma spray leaves wrinkled bullets even after running the machine for 30 minutes (as light of a coating as I can get).

Other than removing the 8 molds, how are you applying whatever release agent you are using?

Thanks for the help!!

[hunter74]

Sprue plate lube from Magma or other brands applied on top and on underside of sprue plates when the machine is running. I don't spray with Magma lube anymore because like you're saying you get a lot of wrinkled boolits.

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[bjordan]

Thanks Hunter74, so you don't spray into the cavity, just the top and underside of the sprue cutter with the Magma release spray?

I suspect I will need to pull the molds and scrub them with a tooth brush and hot, soapy water.

Sprue plate lube from Magma or other brands applied on top and on underside of sprue plates when the machine is running. I don't spray with Magma lube anymore because like you're saying you get a lot of wrinkled boolits.

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[hunter74]

That's right bjordan. According to Magma their spray is more for general lubricant of the moulds and it should not bee used as release spray against sticky boolits in the cavities. If you have that probkem you may try to drive your machine slower or install knockers in the bottom of the machine. They do a good job of knocking those stubborn boolits out.

A scrub down of the moulds would not hurt but my guess is that it won't help long. Good luck.

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[bjordan]

Thanks Hunter74. I will give it a try.

The scrub down (performed last night) with hot, soapy water and a toothbrush was to remove the Magma spray from the cavities. I'll give a spritz of the Magma spray to the top and bottom of the sprue cutter today and see how it performs. Thanks.

That's right bjordan. According to Magma their spray is more for general lubricant of the moulds and it should not bee used as release spray against sticky boolits in the cavities. If you have that probkem you may try to drive your machine slower or install knockers in the bottom of the machine. They do a good job of knocking those stubborn boolits out.

A scrub down of the moulds would not hurt but my guess is that it won't help long. Good luck.

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[ReloaderFred]

I use a mix of cheap cooking spray (aka PAM), mixed with denatured alcohol. The spray is $2.99 for a 16 oz. spray can at the restaurant supply store, and the denatured alcohol was $13.99 for a gallon, which will last forever. I spray as much cooking spray as I can into a pint spray bottle, which won't be a whole lot, due to the foaming action. Then I fill the bottle the rest of the way with denatured alcohol and shake well. As the level goes down in the bottle from use, I'll squirt a little more of the cooking spray in and shake it up.

In use, I only spray the molds while they've got bullets in the cavities, which cuts down on the amount that gets in the cavities and causes wrinkles. You can stop the carriage just where the sprue normally falls off for each mold and give it a quick spray. Don't over spray!

I don't use anything in the mold cavities themselves, but then my machine has knockers, which work pretty well. I'll still get a bullet sticking in the cavity every once in awhile and have to stop the machine and get it out, but it's rare once the molds are broken in well.

Hope this helps.

Fred

PS: The cooking spray smells like fried chicken cooking.......

[bjordan]

Thanks Reloader Fred! I will get a pint spray bottle, Pam and I already have denatured alcohol. Thanks for the process also where and when you spray. Most of my molds are new. The few I have that are used sure do drop well.

My machine does not have any knockers, other than myself and a wooden hammer handle whacking the sprue plate. I will upgrade eventually and look into knockers down in the belly of the machine to knock bullets loose.

Thanks.

I use a mix of cheap cooking spray (aka PAM), mixed with denatured alcohol. The spray is $2.99 for a 16 oz. spray can at the restaurant supply store, and the denatured alcohol was $13.99 for a gallon, which will last forever. I spray as much cooking spray as I can into a pint spray bottle, which won't be a whole lot, due to the foaming action. Then I fill the bottle the rest of the way with denatured alcohol and shake well. As the level goes down in the bottle from use, I'll squirt a little more of the cooking spray in and shake it up.

In use, I only spray the molds while they've got bullets in the cavities, which cuts down on the amount that gets in the cavities and causes wrinkles. You can stop the carriage just where the sprue normally falls off for each mold and give it a quick spray. Don't over spray!

I don't use anything in the mold cavities themselves, but then my machine has knockers, which work pretty well. I'll still get a bullet sticking in the cavity every once in awhile and have to stop the machine and get it out, but it's rare once the molds are broken in well.

Hope this helps.

Fred

PS: The cooking spray smells like fried chicken cooking.......

[bjordan]

Just a quick update: I was able to spend some time with the caster, and I lightly spritzed the top of each mold after the sprue was cut. I used the sample bottle of Magma sprue cutter lube that came with my Master Caster. My bottle spray action doesn't work very well, but with a very light coat, I was getting very good bullet drop as the machine ran.

So, problem solved. I will switch over to a large spray bottle of Pam cooking spray and denatured alcohol after I use up the defective bottle of Magma spray.

Thanks to all!

I am still looking for more Magma molds, so if you have any, let me know.

[ReloaderFred]

I use the cheapest cooking spray I could find at the restaurant supply store, and it works fine. I've been using that same can for about 2 years, and it's still over half full. I tried spraying it straight from the can it comes in, but it's too much, and it gets into the cavities and takes forever to burn out. The mix works the best for me in the spray bottle. If you're really quick, you can spray while the machine is running, but I find it more efficient to stop the machine for each mold and do the job right, rather than spraying and hoping I hit the right area on each mold.

As long as you cut it with the alcohol, and keep it out of the cavities, it will make things a lot easier, especially the sprues going into the right place after they're cut.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Plate plinker]

I like Kroil in the master Caster.

[bjordan]

Thanks Fred. I got a spray bottle at Dollar General this morning, but forgot the Pam. Doh. I will walk down there in a few minutes and get a large can. I already dug out whats left of a gallon of denatured alcohol that I had. It will be enough.

I used up the last 5 pound ingots yesterday of scrap lead + foundry lead in the Bullet Master. So today was melt more scrap lead into ingots. 135 pounds. The Bullet Master is a hungry beast...

I use the cheapest cooking spray I could find at the restaurant supply store, and it works fine. I've been using that same can for about 2 years, and it's still over half full. I tried spraying it straight from the can it comes in, but it's too much, and it gets into the cavities and takes forever to burn out. The mix works the best for me in the spray bottle. If you're really quick, you can spray while the machine is running, but I find it more efficient to stop the machine for each mold and do the job right, rather than spraying and hoping I hit the right area on each mold.

As long as you cut it with the alcohol, and keep it out of the cavities, it will make things a lot easier, especially the sprues going into the right place after they're cut.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[bjordan]

Hey Fred. What was your final ratio of canola oil to denatured alcohol? I bought a 6 oz. can of canola cooking spray and sprayed all of it into my new spray bottle. Then I added 6 ounces of D.A. My can of cooking spay was a lot smaller than yours. Should I add more oil or D.A., or am I Ok? Am I over thinking this??

I use a mix of cheap cooking spray (aka PAM), mixed with denatured alcohol. The spray is $2.99 for a 16 oz. spray can at the restaurant supply store, and the denatured alcohol was $13.99 for a gallon, which will last forever. I spray as much cooking spray as I can into a pint spray bottle, which won't be a whole lot, due to the foaming action. Then I fill the bottle the rest of the way with denatured alcohol and shake well. As the level goes down in the bottle from use, I'll squirt a little more of the cooking spray in and shake it up.

In use, I only spray the molds while they've got bullets in the cavities, which cuts down on the amount that gets in the cavities and causes wrinkles. You can stop the carriage just where the sprue normally falls off for each mold and give it a quick spray. Don't over spray!

I don't use anything in the mold cavities themselves, but then my machine has knockers, which work pretty well. I'll still get a bullet sticking in the cavity every once in awhile and have to stop the machine and get it out, but it's rare once the molds are broken in well.

Hope this helps.

Fred

PS: The cooking spray smells like fried chicken cooking.......

[ReloaderFred]

Due to the foaming of the cooking spray I'm using, my ratio is probably close to 1/4 cooking spray and 3/4 alcohol. I don't pay a lot of attention to the mix ratio, because it doesn't take much to lube the sprue cutter and top of the mold. In fact, I've found that less is better.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[TonyN]

I use Acetone and a tooth brush to clean the cavity out then once I'm ready to start casting I'll use a candle and let a little milt on the block so the sprue plate will have that as lube and it works great.