Steel mold questions

[lead-1]

So far I have only used LEE aluminum molds so I have a question or two about steel molds. I am about to try an RCBS mold and need to know if there is anything I should do after the cleaning to use this mold?
I don't have any Kroil so do I need to coat the mold with anything before using?

[462]

Clean it, check for burs, make sure the halves mate tightly, pre-heat it, apply your favorite lube, and cast away. No need to smoke a mould. Don't worry about Kroil, though it may help boolit release.

[lead-1]

OK, thanks. I may be able to give it a try tomorrow night, I was really keyed to give it a go tonight but the kid had other plans for me.

[Wayne Smith]

At least you have your priorities in order. Cleaning a mold is much more important than adding anything to it. You want to minimize adding anything to the mold and never add anything to the cavities. Once you are thoroughly familiar with the mold and have cast with it successfully for a while you might want to experiment with some of the more exotic additives just to see if they work for that mold. Or you may not want to do so. Clean the mold, add just a tiny touch of lube to the alignment pins and to the top of the mold/underside of the sprue plate when the mold is hot, keeping it well out of the cavities. Cast away.

[cbrick]

I understand that there are those here that swear by Kroil, that said I'll be dipped in doggie doodoo before I put oil into the cavities of one of my molds, Kroil or any other.

Kroil, smoking the cavities or any other mold release agent sold for the simple reason they need something to sell to you will do nothing except to possibly cover up a problem and may or may not help. To my way of thinking it is far better to fix the problem, assuming there is one, as opposed to an attempt at covering it up.

RCBS molds are great casters and those of recent manufacture are better than ever. The first thing you'll notice is that an iron mold will both heat up slower than the aluminum your used to and hold that heat longer. Clean it well and pre-heat well and cast away, you'll like your new mold.

Rick

[rintinglen]

I most stringently second CBricks comments re Kroil, Bullshop, or any other petroleum product being deliberately introduced into a mold cavity, unless you are going to store it. Virtually all my molds are iron or steel, and I find them generally superior to Aluminum Molds in durability, and ease of use. I particularly am fond of RCBS Molds. If they made 4 cavity molds, I'd buy none others.

[45-70 Ranger]

Aman!

There are a couple of Lee moulds in the shop. Love the bullet design. Hate the moulds. There are at least 10 Lyman and RCBS moulds in the shop. They cast better than any aluminumn mould made and are, in my opinion, so superior to the Lee that I seldom use any other moulds than the iron/steel.

I never smoke the moulds either. Don't use Kriol as a release agent as much as some do. Once in a while I'll have a mix that is a might hard to drop. IF three or four taps on the center hinge won't pop 'em out, I might use Kroil. But usually never need to do so. As the others so well put it, Keep 'em clean, and you'll look at the Lee moulds with a sidways grin next time you go to cast and grab your RCBS and cast fine bullets. The Lees will gather dust!

Wade

P.S. two Lee moulds I had that failed so bad that they were junk, made it to the anvil for adjustment with a sledgehammer! That's my take on Lee. Stick with iron and you'll be better off for it....

[BeemerMark]

The issue is what to do when your done casting. While it depends a lot where you live, steel rusts. Here on NC coast they seem to rust overnight. I literally dunk them in oil. have to check them every month or so and add some more oil. Then when you want to use them you have to clean them.

I've gone to brass molds and couldn't be happier. have Lee's molds, just wasn't that happy. Got some Lyman and Saeco Molds and loved them but hated the mess. Got Bronze and life couldn't be better.

[lead-1]

I give it a try tonight and I think I dropped the best looking boolits of any boolit I have cast so far. I cleaned the mold and put a little graphite on the pivot pins and alignment pins and cast away, I'll have to give a two thumbs up for my first casting session with a steel mold.
Thanks for the input guys.

[Southron Sanders]

NO SUCH THINGS AS A "STEEL" MOULD-

At leaset with Lyman and RCBS bullet moulds, because they are made out of Soft, Soft IRON!

[lead-1]

NO SUCH THINGS AS A "STEEL" MOULD-

At leaset with Lyman and RCBS bullet moulds, because they are made out of Soft, Soft IRON!

Minor technicality.
I didn't know that, I just assumed they were steel.

[frankenfab]

I love iron molds. I would like to see NOE start offering them. In 3 and 4 cavity. I have a few Ballisti-cast iron molds, and they are just...wonderful!

[462]

Minor technicality.
I didn't know that, I just assumed they were steel.

Google Meehanite.

[Sonnypie]

I'm more... open minded.
I've tried several different things with my Lee molds. Why not?

I tried the Kroil with a Q-tip. Once I got past the wrinkels, it actually did help with the release. And I used a dryer Q-tip, and had good results faster. Much better, but... not really jumping out of the mold.

I went back to my childhood experience with casting lead soldiers. Part of the instructions was to smoke the mold with candle. It worked then, and by golly it works now!

I accidently touched one of my molds while smoking it with the candle. Of course the wax (parafin) instantly melted and rapidly spread and got into one of the block pins. It was amazing how it lubed it and freed things up.
So what the heck? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I touched the other side, then the sprue plate hinge. Holy cow! The sprue swung like a tilt-a-whirl!
Do I dare? Yes I dare! I touch the candle butt to the hinge bolt. WHOA!
Slip-purr-reey!

Tonight a friend gave me a Lyman 311291. It is a single cavity iron mold and is supposed to throw 168-173 grain boolits, depending on where you read. He thought it was a 150g mold, but wasn't sure.
Right now there is +/- 100 boolits in my quench bucket. I pulled some samples, towel dried them and scaled them. 173g on the center-line. 5 out of 5 I scooped out of the warm water. Whoa!
Nothing out of the Lee molds ran that tight. But it is a single cavity... humm....
And I guess I was holding my tongue just right because the handles off the Lee 6 cav went right on and the screws of the Lyman fit right through the Lee holes.
But I still need to get another set of handles.

So, I guess I'm more open minded, or daring, or bone stupid... Because I'm willing to try things.
That's another thing I love about metal, if it don't work, it can be cleaned up and still used.

Now if you'll 'Scuse me, the alloy should be back up to temperature after adding a few more ingots. Time to play...