New Mold Prep

[aviumvenator]

Hello All, I will soon be receiving my first mold from Miha a brass 200 SWC. I have not cast boolits before. What are the concise steps for preparing the mold prior to casting and after casting? Do I follow the prep steps each time I cast? Any info will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance...

[buyobuyo]

You will need to clean the mold before you use it for the first time because it will have a coat of oil on it. I use non-chlorinated brake cleaner and an old toothbrush. Others boil the mold in water with a few drops of soap.

A lot of people preheat the mold while the pot is heating up with a small hotplate. This is a very good idea if the mold is a HP mold because the boolits will stick to the pins if they're not hot. Also, it doesn't hurt to do 2-3 heat cycles before you use the mold for the first time by heating the mold on the hot plate and then letting it cool to room temp.

The mold comes with sprue plate lube. After preheating and filling for the first time during the casting session, cut the sprue and then apply lube the the top of the mold, underside of the sprue plate, and HP pins (if you're using a HP mold). Then open the mold and apply the lube to the alignment pins and handle hinge. DON"T GET LUBE IN THE CAVITY. You'll end up with a bunch of wrinkly bullets until the oil burns out, or you clean the mold again. A little lube goes a long way. I use 1 drop on a q-tip and that does the entire mold. Re-apply during the casting session as needed.

Good luck and stay safe.

[dragonrider]

Welcome to the forum. Wash it in Dawn dish soap and hot water, rinse well with hot water, put in your oven at 250 degrees for 30-60 mins, that should dry it well. Melt lead, preheat mold and begin casting. Do not expect perfect boolits right away, although it could happen, it will take some practice. After casting, it being a brass mold you don't have to do anything special, unless you spray it with some oil to protect the steel sprue plate. You will then need to clean it again before casting. A couple cautions.
Do not pour hot lead into a wet mold. Water and lead, very bad.
Do not put cold lead ingots into your hot casting pot, preheat them.
Do protect your face and hands and feet.
When in doubt, ASK, that's why we are here.

[Dale53]

dragonrider has the right information. That's how I prep my moulds (whether iron, brass, or aluminum). I really scrub the dickens out of them with a toothbrush and Dawn Dishwashing liquid. Then, I rinse in hot tap water, then pat dry with a tissue (be sure the tissue is not an "improved" one with hand lotion in it, etc).

I then pre-heat on a hot plate while my bullet metal is melting. When the metal is ready, the mould is ready. I just recently used a new MiHec #68 four cavity brass mould. The second mould full, I had four perfect bullets. I think that I had six or seven rejects in 21# of finished bullets. I am pretty dern particular about bullet quality, too!

I am also a user of Bullshop's Bullplate lube - it will add years to the life of your moulds (and lower the frustration level while it is doing that).

Dale53

[lurch]

My opinion so...

Don't lube the part of the pins that sit inside the cavity and actually form the hollow points. You do want to put a small amount of lube on the guide rods that hold the hollow point pins in the brass blocks. Not much, just a little will do. If you put lube on the part of the pin that forms the hollow point you will have grossly deformed hollow point cavities until the volatiles in the lube are all driven away. I have never needed to do anything to the pins on the 4 (or is it 5...) MP molds I have to get the boolits to drop nicely.

[aviumvenator]

Just received the 200 SWC mold in the mail today. Very impressive work. Has me thinking about another...a 230 TC...is there a source to find the specs for the H&G mold for a 230 TC?

BTW, thanks for all of the replies and assistance.

[Moonie]

Let me get this right, your first mold was a Mihec? Consider yourself spoiled lol. Miha makes great molds but unless you stick with custom molds that may well be the best and easiest to cast with mold you ever have.

And welcome to your new addiction, at this rate it will be an enjoyable if expensive ride.

[MtGun44]

Starting with a Miha Products mold is cheating! Like getting a Porsche for your
first car - just not fair. You'll be spoiled for life. :bigsmyl2:

Lube the alignment pins and bottom of the sprue plate with the Mihec lube, very, very
little on a Q-tip.

Bill

[shotman]

KROIL KROIL dont leave home without it

[Calamity Jake]

The mold comes with sprue plate lube. After preheating and filling for the first time during the casting session, cut the sprue and then apply lube the the top of the mold, underside of the sprue plate, and HP pins (if you're using a HP mold). Then open the mold and apply the lube to the alignment pins and handle hinge. DON"T GET LUBE IN THE CAVITY. You'll end up with a bunch of wrinkly bullets until the oil burns out, or you clean the mold again. A little lube goes a long way. I use 1 drop on a q-tip and that does the entire mold. Re-apply during the casting session as needed.

Good luck and stay safe.

That one drop on a Q tip treats 4 2cav. molds at my house, and that's after wipeing off the excess with another Q tip.