Bull plate mess

[bishopgrandpa]

I recently purchased a brass mold and an aluminum mold and used the bull plate lube that came with them and obviously used to much even being aware to use very sparingly. The first castings came out wrinkled beyond anything I've seen in many years of casting. I've twice used Dawn soap, once acetone and once carb cleaner. I've used the hottest temp my pot will give me. 800 degrees by my Lyman gauge. I have improvement but have only a handful of acceptable bullets out of maybe 500 cast. How do you get rid of this stuff?

[Maven]

Clean the molds once more with 100% mineral spirits or 90% isopropyl alcohol, dry them thoroughly, and preheat and/or cast with them a few times (i.e., fill the cavities ~ 3x). Then apply an even layer of soot via wooden matches to each cavity on each mold. I know this is no longer fashionable, but it works well for me.

[HangFireW8]

Brass molds have a lot of mass, they can take longer to come up to temperature, are you preheating it?

[tomme boy]

I use a torch right in each cavity. Start from a cold mould and wave it back and forth on the cavities. Then spray it with brake cleaner.

[gpidaho]

When you get the plate completely clean, here's how I lube the plate. Very sparingly lube the bottom of plate, top of mould with dielectric silicone grease. It does a nice job of lubing and doesn't migrate into the cavities. Gp

[Conditor22]

I use Stihl synthetic 2 cycle mix, 1 2.6 ounce bottle will last several lifetimes
Steel Needle TIP Plastic Dropper Bottles, apply the smallest drop so the oil doesn't migrate from the sprue screw. Work the sprue plate back and forth multiple time looking for any oil migration and wipe off any oil.
Lightly dampen q-tip (1-2 small drops) fill the mold, cut the sprue then first wipe under the sprue plate then wipe the top of the mold. use a paper towel/cloth and wipe off the excess.
Dump the boolits then use the same q-tip to wipe the alignment pins and holes.

I also use a torch to burn out any excess that happens to get in the cavities.

Or you can pressure pour to get good boolits until the oil wears away.

[Springfield]

It's not the Bullplate. I have accidentally dripped some in a cavity in a broke-in mold and after 2 casts they were fine. Did this mould work great before using the Bullplate? If not then you really don't know what it is. I would just keep casting with it until it works, sometimes it is the only cure.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Bullplate is easy to clean up with just dish soap.
I agree with Springfield...and I suspect your mold isn't hot enough, you need to cast faster.

[country gent]

I apply 2 cycle with a small drop on a q-tip on spru plate top of blocks faces add another small drop do the pins and hinges. then take the clean end and wipe excess in same order as originally wiped. this removes and excess and evens out the coat. Has worked for me.

Brass moulds: heat cycle 3-4 times by bring up to 400* and letting air cool between, this helps form the patina that makes them cast and release good. Brass can be ran hotter when breaking in also. Sit the cycled mould on a hot pate or on top of the pot and pre warm it to temp. Run lead about 750* and cast hard and fast poor big sprues. as bullets get good then slowly start to lower temps and slow to comfortable cadence

Aluminum Moulds, I would heat cycle 3-4 times to start it in the right direction. pre heat and start hot. Lead can be ran a little cooler maybe start around 700*. Cast fast with big sprues. Aluminum need to run fast to as it looses heat quickly. When starting out a session maybe set the mould on top of the pot while waiting for sprues to cool and help hold temp even. With aluminum moulds in cooler breezy weather a small wind shield / break may help also.

Some moulds require a break in of several sessions to start casting their best.

You didn't give alloy your using. sometimes a little more tin helps with a moulds fill out.

[sigep1764]

Agree with the above. I use a Q tip to apply the bull plate. And cast hotter. I bought an MP 6 cavity brass mold recently, first brass mold ever. It takes a lot of heat for the small 22 cal boolits. I run it a couple of settings higher than my aluminum molds and dip it in the melt for almost a minute after letting it heat up on top of the pot while the lead in the pot comes up to temp.

[bishopgrandpa]

After reading all, I put mold on kitchen stove to preheat. Then I went to the shed to pour some boolits. The mold was so hot the lead didn't want to harden. After a few minutes I was pouring hot and fast and they were coming out great. That brass is a different animal for sure. Also my sincerest apologies to Bullplate. That evidently was not my problem. Live and learn. Thanks to all who replied.

[Conditor22]

Sounds like you need to get a hotplate for your brass mold.
I put a piece of 3/8 steel on mine to distribute the heat evenly and set the temperature to 400°

get good boolits on the first cast with my iron and aluminum molds, should be the same with brass.

[1eyedjack]

hotplate with old circular saw blade on top works great add a sheet metal "box" over it when its cold out let heat as the alloy comes up to temp

[country gent]

Another thing to try is use a bamboo skewer stick and lightly clean the vent lines with the pointed end. Plugged vent lines can also cause wrinkles and poor fill out

[Hickory]

Experience is a good teacher, and most times produces crafty pupils.

[Mitch]

yep brass is way different then iron or alu.molds.you found the sweet spot it seems to be small with brass molds.i set my PID to around 725.get the mold hot on a hot plat.then cast at a fast pace.wtch the sprue harden try to keep the same timeing.You found the spot once now you just need to keep it there.i can cast a lot of bullest in no time with MP 4 hole brass molds.I to had the same problem when I got the first brass molds.You did not say what mold you are using?

[bishopgrandpa]

Using an MP 2 cav 432 240 HP brass. Have a 4 cav coming and will be better prepared when it does.

[longbow]

Brass moulds like hot lead and hot mould temperatures! I pre-heat until the sprue plate lube just starts to smoke which is a bit too hot. The first few casts take a few seconds to harden then it settles in and I cast fast with hot lead. Actually I find my NOE aluminum moulds act like brass in that regard too ~ they like to be hot and cast fast.

Longbow

[Petander]

I followed these MP molds tips to the letter with my first Mihec HP 4 cavity (45 acp) mold last week, I started getting good bullets and great release in ten minutes,first session.

Especially good note is do not overtighten the HP pin holding pins. Loosen them up a bit instead.

Following sessions I smoked the pins with a match before starting. When up to temp,bullets drop out the mold without shaking and the mold don't mind a fast pace,even though I cast @ 800°F. Our weather is in the low 40's though. Door open,I get slight breeze.

I really like how these big block brass molds keep up the temp even during a little break. I do leave bullets in, just cut the sprue and put the mold on a hot plate to wait. Two molds work great,too. 3-4 pours with each,then change.

Heres the MP tips link:


https://www.mp-molds.com/tips-tricks...w-point-moulds

[sundog]

What Maven said.