Do you oil your moulds for storage?

[Martin Luber]

I have stored moulds in toolboxes with silica bags and sometimes vpi stuff. I notice that moulds stored on my desk will get flash rust in the bottom of the cavity, like moisture sinks and condenses during daily temperature swings.

I didn't like to oil them die to required cleaning before use but now I am considering it. I found on the Noe site to scrub with dawn and then preheat on a stove. This has worked well.


Use of slip 2000 degreaser before heating worked too well and resulted in flash rust in 10 minutes. Thoughts? Thanks

[Petrol & Powder]

Here's my method..........one method out of an infinite number of other methods, so this isn't carved in stone.

When preparing molds for long term storage (more than a couple of weeks) I start with a warm mold at the end of my casting session.
Using a flat blade screw driver, I place a dob of RIG (Rust Inhibiting Grease) on top of each hole in the closed spure plate. The heat of the mold will melt the grease instantly and it will flow into the mold and throughout the vent lines, cavities, etc. After the mold cools off, I wipe off the excess from the outside of the mold and put it in its box.

Because this is done while the mold is still warm, there's NO moisture present. The grease will return to a semi-solid state when it cools.

When that mold is returned to use it must be de-greased. That's the price you pay for NEVER having rust problems. Yes it is a chore to de-grease the mold, .....oh well. A few minutes spent removing the grease is a small price to pay.

If I will be using that same mold within a week or two, I follow the same procedure but use Kroil instead of RIG. It is slightly easier to remove and works fine for short term storage.

I live in the mid-Atlantic and you can WATCH ferrous metal rust. Tools are a lifetime purchase, take care of them and you only have to buy them once.

I know my method involves more work but it has never failed me.

[Dapaki]

Aluminum Molds, no worries.

Steel molds, smoke the cavities and use synthetic 2 stroke oil on the rest, very sparingly. No rust.

[725]

I live in humid central. I liberally coat all my steel molds with oil or fluid film (FF for longer term storage). I just have to degrease them prior to use. If I don't treat the molds, sure as can be, rust will appear.

[toallmy]

I do oil molds for storage all of them even brass and aluminum at least the hardware . Yep it takes a bit of cleanup before use but I’m ok with that . I keep the molds in The climate controlled Part of the house so I only do it if I’m not going to cast with them for at least a month or so.

[MT Gianni]

No but they would only rust if I left them on the lawn for a couple of days. I live in a dry climate.

[djryan13]

I started placing these inside the mold boxes and stopped using oil. I keep them in air conditioned room. Been just a few months since I started so will let you know if it works in about a year:

Zerust Rust Prevention Plastabs 1" x 3" - Pack of 10 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ULSW6FS..._2xmaFb96CC24V

I also store some molds (together) in a plastic ammo can. I use their big brother in that can (double sided tape attached to roof of can):

Zerust VC2-2 NoRust Vapor Capsule - Pack of 4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003T1H7IA..._RAmaFb4MHABWW

[Win94ae]

Yes, all of them.

[Winger Ed.]

All of mine are Iron blocks.
If I'm going to use one again fairly soon, I hose it off with spray can oil after it cools down
and put it & the handles in a zip lock bag..

After a hot, humid summer where they are stored in the garage- and after I had one ruin, I got mad.
Now if I'm not going to use a mold for a long time, I put it in a jar full of cheap motor oil with a screw on lid.
So far, I haven't lost another one by doing that.

[dragon813gt]

I had to move the molds into the basement of my house which had a dehumidifier. No central air so there’s no other area that’s humidity controlled. All of my molds are brass or aluminum so I’m only concerned about the sprue plates and hardware. They get a coating of synthetic two stroke oil and it seems to be working. Everything rusts here. As long as it’s not heavy I’m not really concerned.

[Outpost75]

On iron molds I use mineral oil USP from the pharmacy. This prevents rust, but sublimes away when blocks are pre-heated on a hotplate. I do the same to steel sprue plates on my aluminum blocks.

Kano Kroil is good for short-term storage and is driven away in pre-heating.

[bangerjim]

Aluminum - no

Brass - no

Steel (only own 2 of them, never any more!) - no

Steel/Fe molds just do not rust here in the dry desert Southwest!


banger

[Jsm180]

Everything gets sprayed with acf-50 here, steel, brass or aluminum, it all corrodes down here. Quick spray with brake clean and it's ready to go.

[Conditor22]

Just lightly coat the mold & cavities with Liquid Wrench L512 Dry Lubricant with CERFLON - 11 oz. (wipe the excess out of the cavities)

when you next use it just start casting.

[SSGOldfart]

I use kroll,and clean before using seems to work here. Why does the oil can rust out?? Everything rust here.!!!!!!!

[farmbif]

I have bad humidity here and spray my iron molds with rust preventative spray and put in ziplock bag after casting session if I'm not sure I'm gonna use it again within a couple days. I use several different things, fluid film, sta-bil rust stopper, barricade, just got a spray can of Lucas red tacky spray grease to try. I have to clean mold off with brake cleaner or carb cleaner and old tooth brush before use but at least I'm not dealing with rusty moulds. Ive learned expensive lessons in the past with rusted reloading dies.

[poppy42]

Steel molds yes! Definitely! I’d much rather spend time cleaning oil off then having to buy a new mold because it rusted and got ruined.

Oh and I’ve used, Lite weight oil, tranny fluid, rem oil, Etc

[rcslotcar]

I try to scrub the mold clean after use and oil them. I usually cast about 1k+ of any boolit so I will have a good supply and might not need that mold for a month. At this time I use about 30 molds.

[Bazoo]

I oil my iron moulds with remoil. Spray liberally and wipe the excess off. When it comes time to use it again I heat it and use it. I generally give it a spritz of lighter fluid once it's hot. I've found that on moulds that are to casting temp but have any oil contamination, I can open the sprue plate and fill the cavities with lighter fluid and it will boil and really scrub the oil out. Drop the fluid and give the mould time to dry and resume casting. It works great and doesn't drop the mould temperature much. I lube with a carpenters pencil.

I'm going to try mineral oil next on outposts suggestion I think.

[NObamain2012]

I dunk all my molds in brownells RP-2, regardless of mold material. I don't want a steel screw rusting in my aluminum molds either.