Help cleaning a used mold

[reloaders4you]

I just bought a used Lyman 358429 4 cavity mold. I sprayed some break cleaner on the mold to get rid of any oil and such. Then when I went to smoke the mold oil or lube or something started to appear. What other methods can I use to clean the mold completely. Thanks for the info in advance and HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Reloaders4you

[plumber]

I get my molds hot and put it in a metal container of Kroil. Let it sit a couple days, clean off the flats with denatured alcohol. Then I get it hot, and cast until I get good boolits. Treat the sprue with bullplate, and cast away. I store my molds in Kroil as I have very high humidity issues. My molds are clean, rust free, and drop well.

[mooman76]

What were you smoking it with? Some things put off oils like candles for one. I'd just try usuing it. You don't need to smoke an iron mould as much as a Lee aluminum and I quit smoking my moulds years ago anyway.

[reloaders4you]

What were you smoking it with?

Strike anywhere matches

Reloaders4you

[reloaders4you]

I get my molds hot and put it in a metal container of Kroil.

What is Kroil?

Reloaders4you

[plumber]

Kroil is a lube/solvent like WD40 but way better. No shooter should be without. I use I for everything from cleaning my molds, guns, penetrating oil, ect.
www.kanolabs.com

I have found smoking causes more problems than it fixed.

[docone31]

With my molds, especially Lee, I let them soak for at least two days in mineral spirits.
Just letting them soak like that really gets stuff off it. I get aluminum flakes after two days.
The mineral spirits does not degrade the metal, the machineing process planishes the flakes down. The mineral spirits dissolves the oil bond from machineing. Same with steel molds.
Let them soak, then use them.

[RP]

Another point I would like to point out all brake cleaner are not the same or is carb cleaners the good ones evaporated fast and are very flamable. The knock offs dont clean as good if its a mould or carb or brakes. Oh by the way the best think to clean the old brake drums with is a water hose unless you have a wheel cyl leak. It will clean the dust right off and removes dirt and crud making the job alot cleaner. I also use Kroil on my moulds and dont clean them before casting just get them hot boolits come out fine if you dont beleive me take a mould that is cast fine and spray it with some Kroil it will smoke but will not wrinkle boolits sometimes helps them drop better.

[Freischütz]

I use a toothbrush. First I scrub new and used moulds with gasoline. Then I switch to hot soapy water. After that I dry them quickly over a burner on the stove.

Sometimes there's still a little residue. It burns off after the first 5-10 bullets are cast.

[reloaders4you]

After that I dry them quickly over a burner on the stove.

What about blowing them dry with compressed air?

[JSnover]

What about blowing them dry with compressed air?

That will get the bulk off but heating the mold helps get all of the solvents out of the pores

[shotman]

guess you havent been around on the site Kroil is the best thing you can use . Most NAPA's have it or order direct at above link
you dont clean it off just wipe the wet off and cast look at some stickys

[Shiloh]

I use a toothbrush. First I scrub new and used moulds with gasoline. Then I switch to hot soapy water. After that I dry them quickly over a burner on the stove.
Sometimes there's still a little residue. It burns off after the first 5-10 bullets are cast.

Same process only with Ed's Red.

What about blowing them dry with compressed air?

Done that also. Used brake parts cleaner as well. Whatever is on hand.
Cast as usual. It may take up to a dozen throws to start getting keeper boolits.

Shiloh

[geargnasher]

Another point I would like to point out all brake cleaner are not the same or is carb cleaners the good ones evaporated fast and are very flamable. The knock offs dont clean as good if its a mould or carb or brakes. Oh by the way the best think to clean the old brake drums with is a water hose unless you have a wheel cyl leak. It will clean the dust right off and removes dirt and crud making the job alot cleaner. I also use Kroil on my moulds and dont clean them before casting just get them hot boolits come out fine if you dont beleive me take a mould that is cast fine and spray it with some Kroil it will smoke but will not wrinkle boolits sometimes helps them drop better.

I would like to point out that most brands of brake cleaner are non-flammable. Even the Chlorinated ones (which you should never spray on anything hot). Also DOT 3 brake fluid is a polyglycol and as such is completely water-soluble. the only time to use anything other than soap and water on brakes is in the case of oil/grease contamination. Also, most carburetor cleaners are NO GOOD for cleaning moulds because they contain a petroleum lubricant that is left behind when the solvent evaporates. this keeps carb linkages moving freely and reduces wear, and causes wrinkly boolits.

On topic, smoking ANY mould will cause more problems than it will fix. You can discover this on your own quite easily. If you just use brake cleaner and a stiff nylon toothbrush and cast from a squeaky-clean mould and Bullplate on the sprueplate you should be fine. I think soaking in Kroil is a good idea, never needed to try it.

Gear

[reloaders4you]

If you just use brake cleaner and a stiff nylon toothbrush and cast from a squeaky-clean mould and Bullplate on the sprueplate you should be fine.

Gear

WHAT IS BULLPLATE?

Reloaders4you

[Bad Water Bill]

Go to the bottom of this page and click on BULLSHOP. No caster should EVER be without at least 2 bottles of this wonder lubricant.

[BIG GUN]

I find that after using the solvents, if there are rough spots, a #2 lead pencil will clean things up and leave a thin film of graphite that is a great boolit release.

[canyon-ghost]

My favorite way to clean them is with what is at hand. I just use the largest bronze brush I've got and bore solvent. Scrub the heck out of it, dry, then dowse with rubbing alcohol to remove the solvent. This is on cast iron molds, I don't own aluminum ones.
If you find that Hoppes or similar solvents are eating the wire cores on the brushes, just pour rubbing alcohol over them, stops that too.

Ron