Mould mallets... What do you use and why?

[coloraydo]

I use a cut off piece from the fat end of an old pool cue, about 10" long.

[Duckiller]

Have used a hammer handle for many years. It is starting to ravel a bit. Got a 2" square piece of hard exotic wood from Rockler. Turned a smaller diameter handle and a larger hitting nd. Will use it the next time I cast. Rockler and other wood working stores have shorter lengths of hard exotic woods. They can be turned into real good whackers. Heavy enough to move sprue and hard enough to take the abuse without showing damage.

[Burnt Fingers]

As I said I use a rawhide mallet. On 2 cavity molds I open the sprue plate by hand. I use the mallet to encourage the boolits to leave the mold.

Most of my casting is done with multiple cavity molds and I can't open those sprue plates by hand.

[LenH]

I use a homemade lead hammer for molds 4 cavity and larger. For 2 & 3 cavity molds I use a gloved hand to open.
There are instructions on this site for making a lead hammer as shown in this picture. I use a piece of all thread for a handle.
One well used one new.

[lightman]

I use a plastic tipped hammer much like the one pictured in the original post. I think mine is smaller and is much older.

[bobthenailer]

Small rawhide mallet (brownells) or gloved hand and push sprue open, rawhide mallet to knock bullets loose.
Been using the same mallet for 30 years and over 400 K bullets

[Froogal]

I started out using a wooden dowel but it didn't last very long. Found my old, homemade brass hammer and now it lives right next to the casting pot.

[David2011]

A friend started me out using a rawhide mallet. I've also tried a dead blow hammer and it works well but it's large and heavy. Most of the time I use a replacement hickory hammer handle but I still like the rawhide mallet because it's light.

[JBinMN]

I don't use a mallet. I have a short chunk of SYP 2X4, or something like that laid across a #10 coffee can and I take the sprue cutter on the mold & smack it on the 2X4 & the sprue drops into the can so I can add them back to the pot as I go.

In the picture below, look to about the 8:30 - 9 o'clock position and you will see the can & the chunk on top( I grabbed a triangle shaped chunk of wood since I seem to have used the short 2X4 chunk for something else a while back. A similar length of 2X4 is up around the 1 o'clock position in the pic, but that one is used under the spout to slide molds across when I fill them. It is just setting off to the side at the time of the pic being taken.) But it is the same process done with the triangle chunk as with a short chunk of 2X4.


I don't need to pick up anything to cut the sprues.

I wear leather gloves to put the sprue cutter closed again after I drop the boolits into a tray with a damp towel, and refill the mold again then repeat.

Works for me anyway.

[RedlegEd]

Hi all. I use a 1" Oak dowel with 1" PVC pegged in on one end, and paracord wrapped handle on the other. The PVC keeps the dowel from getting chewed up. Ed

Attachment 240503

[Nodakjohns]

I use a NOE mould mallet. Since I am a new caster I did get a good discount so I figured I might as well. it works fine for me.

[NoZombies]

Rawhide mallet. I've never damaged a mold with it. I've seen plenty of molds beat to death by bad casters using hickory.

[alamogunr]

I use a lead hammer made with that mold that made the rounds a few years ago. I made 4 while I had it and am still using the first one. I only use it when I can't move the sprue plate with my gloved hand. That's mostly 4 cavity molds. Two cavity molds usually only take a good push with the hand. The lead hammer only weighs about a pound. When it gets beat up a bit, I tap everything back smooth with a small ball pein hammer.

It still galls me that the hammer mold disappeared shortly after I passed it on. I hope whoever kept it made a lot of hammers.

[Blammer]

I use the one NOE makes, lasts forever and good too!

[Walks]

Beagle333,

I have never understood why Folks don't put an ingot mold underneath the spout on their bottom pour pots, Everytime I see this it just drives me crazy.

I've seen a few bad accidents because there was nothing to catch overflow.

Don't quite understand your set up withe two small cups.

Bur I guess I'll just over curious.

[Butler Ford]

I use a sawn piece of tobacco stick, when it breaks or wears out, I don't mind. There is probably another 200 thousand left In the barns.

[sigep1764]

I use my Lyman kinetic bullet puller. Its plastic, cant hurt the mold. When it wears out, ill buy another. Its served for 7 years.

[AllanD]

Like many here I use chunk of a hickory hammer handle

Actually the sawed-off the 12" handle end of a broken sledge hammer handle I needed to replace anyway...

[Wag]

8" long piece of pine 1x2.

--Wag--

[15meter]

I turn my own mallets, one of my hobbies is woodturning. Last one was white oak, lasted ~10 years. Current one appears to be white ash, piece came from blocking on a steel truck. I Don't think this one is going to last as long as the white oak, but it has a very nice feel in the hand. Probably could have gone smaller, but it works. Down the road if I decide it's too big I'll either re-turn it or make a new one.