Lee mold lube/care

[Bashby]

Cast my first boolits ever the other day. Brand new Lee 358-105. Going by what I read here, I cleaned it up. Didnt have comet, so I used Barkeepers Friend and a toothbrush, then brake cleaner. I didnt use any lube, didnt know any better. Smoked them with a bic. Cast about 250 boolits. After a while one cavity started sticking to where it would take 6-8 whacks with a stick to get it to drop. My sprue plate screw kept working loose, maybe because lack of lube?
This morning I decided to read the directions that came with the mold. They say to lube with beeswax or anti sieze. I dont like the mess anti seize leaves and dont know where to get beeswax. What else works? I have Sno-Seal leather treatment made with beeswax but it has other ingredients.

[Froogal]

Candle wax works just fine. I just recently christened a new mold. A Lee 358, 148 grain wadcutter. I lubed it with candle wax and smoked it with a Bic. I did nothing else. It made perfect bullets right from the start. Sometimes, when the bullets begin sticking, you need to just let the mold cool down a bit.

[Conditor22]

Any wax/lube on the pins will leave a mess
use synthetic 2-Cycle engine oil mix like this ↓↓↓
https://www.amazon.com/STIHL-0781-31...%2C211&sr=8-11

Get some Q-tips and after you cast your first boolit with the mold, cut the sprue (don't dump the boolits) and lightly dampen the top of the mold and the bottom of the sprue plate.
Wipe off All the excess oil

I use a needle tip bottle to store/apply the synthetic 2-Cycle engine oil mix because it applies smaller drops. - Put 1-2 small drops of oil on the sprue screw, work the sprue wiping any excess off the mold and sprue plate (keep it out of the cavities, you'll get wrinkles which a good cleaning with dish soap and a toothbrush will cure)
open the mold and carefully apply a light sheen of oil to the alignment pins (making sure to keep the oil away from the cavities.

I drill and tap for a brass set screw to keep the sprue screw from working loose, keeping it lubed (doesn't take much) help with new molds.

High heat Loctite works for a very short time, some people use thin wire in the hole to help the screw hold again.

If boolits stick in the cavities, rub a carpenters pencil around the edges of the cavities to remove any burs then lightly smoke them with wood matches or butane lighter. I like to wipe excess smoke off the mold face.

[Bazoo]

I use graphite. IE a carpenters pencil. Take the sprue plate off and color the underside and the pivot hole well, then color the alignment pins as well as the top the mould. When using the mould, if you smear lead between the mould top and sprue plate, just recolor the bottom of the plate and top of the mould with it hot and go back to work.

I tried using two cycle oil, and I never could do it without contaminating the cavities.

To keep a steel mould or the steel parts on a lee mould from rusting between sessions, I spray with remoil. It doesn't contaminate the cavities and need anything extravagant to remove it. I normally give the cavities a dowse of lighter fluid to clean them, but not always. The remoil doesn't take but a few casts to cook out once hot. I also will run lighter fluid in the cavities with the mould hot if I have any contamination during casting. I've never experienced it burst into flames like you'd think.

[tankgunner59]

You can get beeswax at any sewing center. They sell it for use on thread on material that is tuff to sew. If you want a larger amount you can google it and find several places to order it from. You don't need a large amount, it will last for a while. I use candle wax or paraffin to lube the handle bolt and the sprue screw, and beeswax to lube the mold alignment pins.