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

[ascast]

I NEVER use a mallet on singles or doubles , except as a last resort. Then I have an old hammer handle handy.

[brstevns]

I have been using this little jewel for years, it is lite, well balanced and the yellow end is just hard enough to work and does not damage the mould. I am about to wear out another end and thus I am looking at options. I have used small lead hammers, love them but they do not balance well at all. I have played with small dead blows and was not crazy about them. I have to have assistance opening a mould as I have avascular necrosis in both hands and need the extra umph to open the moulds, I also need to limit twisting in my wrists and palm of my hands. I cast mostly with 2 cavity Lyman, Saeco and RCBS moulds and have a small smattering of NOE 4C aluminum and Saeco 4C iron moulds as well.

Attachment 240391

Same I have used for over 45 years

[Shopdog]

40 or so years ago.....

Took a drop of beech 6011 LJSmith handrail and bored a hole in the same orientation as a baluster except,all the way through. Took a hickory handle dad had made years before that,ball pein style and fitted it in. The profile of the rail is spot on perfect for tapping sprue plate open..... both ends get equal wear....still using it.

[trapper9260]

I have use a cut of pine for the shape of a mallet then I worn that down Now I use a cut maple limb that is dry out and bark off and put a handle on it and works ok for me. I do put a ingot mold under the bottom pour to catch the dripping from it .

[The Old Salt]

A piece of Nylon dowel 1” dia about 12” long. Light wt works very well. Best part was I just happenned to have it in my scrap pile. From what project? Who knows 😁

[sniper]

I used an old hammer handle...cheap, and it worked just fine! I like your idea of a hammer.

[wmitty]

Broke a kinetic bullet puller several years ago between the handle and the opening end. I like it better than the hammer handle or the rubber/plastic end mallet I’d used previously.

[samari46]

Go to Lowe's or Home depot and buy a couple pair of welders gloves. Use one and always keep a spare. striking the sprue plate does the screws that hold the mold to the handles no good. Have an old pair that I use when melting wheel weights as well. Frank

[rcslotcar]

I just found a short Police baton and it works great.

[Traffer]

I have been using a piece of very soft white pine 5/8"x 1 5/8" about 14" long. It works very well. However someday I wanna make me a small baseball bat type mallet. After reading some of the posts here I may wrap it with rawhide to boot.

[Burnt Fingers]

Go to Lowe's or Home depot and buy a couple pair of welders gloves. Use one and always keep a spare. striking the sprue plate does the screws that hold the mold to the handles no good. Have an old pair that I use when melting wheel weights as well. Frank

I open all my single and double cavity molds by hand. However I can't do that with 4-8 cavity molds. If you can you're a very strong person.

[David2011]

I open all my single and double cavity molds by hand. However I can't do that with 4-8 cavity molds. If you can you're a very strong person.

If you lube the sprue plate with a high temp synthetic 2 stroke oil you can open it before the lead freezes. Takes very little pressure at that point and the lube eliminates lead smears.

[foesgth]

I use a belaying pin. You know the thing the pirates use in the movies. I have some from a topsail schooner I crewed on.

[kevin c]

+1 on the rawhide mallet, I have 3 different weights, usually, only need the 2 oz. one

How many cavities are you using the two ounce mallet for? I have aluminum eight bangers, and a few sharp rap on the handle bolt is usually needed to get the casts (bevel based pistol boolits, with lube groove) to drop. So far the tools I've tried, which are all light, havent worked well. This includes leaded loaded wooden dowels and a small rubber coated dead blow hammer. The brass end of the hammer and rapping with the side of my steel needle nosed pliers works better, but have already scarred the molds with the occasional misaimed blow. Same with tapping on the side of the handles as was suggested to get some lateral displacement.

I think I need to hit harder or heavier with something non marring, and the right weight rawhide mallet may be a good choice.

[Echo]

I used a hammer handle, then a tape-wrapped 1" dowel, and now use a nice little plastic mallet.

[ranger391xt]

I started out using a 1 inch oak dowel. It became a splintered mess in a short amount of time. Now I use one of those orange plastic "dead blow" hammers. I think I saw a picture of someone using one, maybe in the Lyman 4th edition Cast Bullets book, but I cannot remember for sure.

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[GregLaROCHE]

I use a broken shovel handle cut down to around 14 inches.

[Walter Laich]

Attachment 240394

Harbor Freight Pittsburgh®- Item#66205
been using it for a few years. Before used an old hammer handle.

saw the above post and got one, too. works great and less filling

now all I have to do it look at the mold with it in my hand and the sprue plate opens by itself

[Drew P]

The cheapness of our community is evident in this thread! I use a mini rawhide mallet, not easy to find, so I paid way too much. But it gives me some satisfaction to have a nice dedicated tool for the job which will last a lifetime on the casting bench.

[6bg6ga]

I don't use a mallet. No need to beat on my molds because the bullets fall out simply because of the action of the casting machine. I use a Ballisti-cast Mark IV bullet caster. I simply make sure the molds are clean and the lead is hot enough and its crank and go.