Does leaving last bullets in mold help with storage?

[Canuck Bob]

I read a few places, no idea where, that one strategy for storage was to leave the last cast bullets in the blocks.

I am asking the above for general knowledge for all mould materials and for my NOE aluminum blocks specifically.

[SmuvBoGa]

Some of the round baller casters "told" me that leaving the last one in reduced the rust factor for the iron blocks (no does not apply to the alum blocks). Maybe this work like the "hat screws" that prevent the hat from srinking :groner: An empty mould / hat grows smaller ;);)

[Jim]

I've heard that some of the older casters that use strictly steel blocks leave boolits in the mold to help eliminate rusting of the cavities.
Not having a lot of money, I'm pretty much confined to using the more economical aluminum molds. I've got some that date back about ten years and I've never left boolits in the cavities.
On the other hand, I don't leave my molds stored where humidity can get to 'em, so I don't really know if it would be an issue or not. I can't think of any way that leaving the cavities with boolits in them would hurt, though.

[Doby45]

It is my understanding that even with boolits in the blocks if you are in a place where a mold will rust, it will still rust with the cavities full. I never leave boolits in mine.

[462]

My experiment, performed in a humid, salt air environment, proved the claim to be just another myth. Mold blocks and lead-filled cavities do not form air tight seals, so some other measure(s) must be taken to prevent rust.

[cbrick]

Have never left bullets in the blocks in over 30 years of casting, I do store my molds in air tight containers with a desicant.

I also believe this to be just another of the old wives tales. At the possible cost of an iron mold (or sprue plate on an aluminum mold) do you really want to test it?

Rick

[deltaenterprizes]

It is my understanding that even with boolits in the blocks if you are in a place where a mold will rust, it will still rust with the cavities full. I never leave boolits in mine.

+1! Same here

[Harter66]

When I read "leave the last pour in" it was for uniform cooling to prevent warping.

I'm sure glad I live in the dry country ,I only have 1 iron mould ,so far no rust on the mould or any handles , I do dump the boolits after cooling.

[Ben]

Ditto 462


If you'd like to test the theory, come to Alabama...........the temperatures are 95 + and the humidity numbers are 80% and higher most every day.

Try leaving a bullet in an iron mold here and see about your theory. You'll have a rusty mess on your hands the next time you pick up the mold !

[theperfessor]

Gotta agree with 462 on this. As the bullets cool there is a small gap left between the bullet and mold that can trap condensation which does not evaporate easily. The only (iron) mold I've ever had to get rust in a cavity had bullets left in it.

Don't think it would hurt an aluminum mold though, but I just don't do this to any of my molds. For one thing, trying to cut the sprue on a cold Lee six cavity mold will cost you a new sprue cutter handle sooner or later.

[longbow]

I always leave the last cast boolits in my iron moulds.

The reason ~ I oil my moulds when I put them away. By leaving the last cast boolits in the mould, capillary action draws oil all around the boolits and makes sure the oil stays against the iron. I loosen the boolits first to make sure there is a small gap.

I used to live in a cool damp climate and I never had a mould rust doing this.

I am sure just coating the mould works too but even after years of storage, I take out a mould, open it and pop out the boolits, and liquid oil runs off the the faces of the cavities.

It works for me.

Longbow

[Baron von Trollwhack]

It does help psychologically. Some here need that.

Truth is, a lead alloy bullet cast in place with or without sprue attached has no rust preventative qualities.

If you mold a lot, put your favorite short term rust preventative on the iron, or ask what the aluminum mold guys use for the equivalent. Do different for long term storage.

BvT

[bootsnthejeep]

My old man always left the last pour in, but he also kept all his moulds in a dedicated pine box. He asked on of the H&G guys in San Diego the best way to store his moulds when he was buying one at the shop, and that's what he recommended. The wood would absorb any moisture and regulate humidity. Must work, never had a rusty mould.

Out of habit, I kept the last pour in the moulds. That worked fine until I started buying NOE RG moulds. I run half flat nose and half HP pins, and isn't it GANGS of fun getting those cold bullets off those pins. Only did that once. Well, ok, twice. THEN I learned.

But the wooden box has worked well for me. I got an old military surplus ammo crate. Perfect size.

[Ben]

It was some trouble to build, but I haven't regretted the little bit of money and the large amount of time and labor that I invested in this mold storage cabinet. It is made from a 20 mm Ammo storage can with a super tight rubber seal. Totally air tight.

The mold cabinet has a Golden Rod in the bottom of the cabinet. You can put clean molds in the cabinet and you'll not have a spec of rust on any of them yrs. later. Plus you also get an added advantage of some organization for your molds.

Ideal for the humid SE US.






http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Mold%20storage/PICT0010.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Mold%20storage/PICT0007.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Mold%20storage/PICT0005.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Mold%20storage/PICT0011.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Mold%20storage/PICT0013.jpg

[theperfessor]

Nice!

[cbrick]

Along the line of Ben's ammo box here is a thread from several weeks ago and is my method of storing all of my molds, no bullets in the cavities and NEVER any oil on the molds. I store them clean and ready to cast. They are stacked by caliber and even with 70+ molds its a simple matter to find the mold I'm looking for.

Mold storage, clean, dry and completely rust free (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=115858)

Just a little something extra for the grey matter to chew on.

Rick

[Ben]

Rick,

That will work and I like that little extra touch of organization and labels. Makes getting your hands on the " one you're looking for " a little bit simpler.

Ben

[montana_charlie]

I don't leave the last bullet poured in the mould during storage, but I used to do that.

During 'my muzzleloading period' I had only two moulds ... an iron roundball, and an aluminum Max-Ball. When I took up casting again, to feed a Sharps hunger, I dug out all of my old casting gear to see what might be still usable. Actually, it all looked pretty good.

I had no need for the two bullet moulds, or their handles, so I left them in the cardboard box they had occupied since 1977. In responce to a thread just like this one, I looked at those moulds a couple of years ago.

I cut the two sprues and dropped the bullets out. Both moulds were as nice as when I stopped using them. (This to include the underside of the steel sprueplate on the aluminum mould.)

Over the 29 years those moulds held their 'last bullets poured' they had lived in Germany, Kansas, Montana, and the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.
Montana is desert-dry and Mississippi is swamp-wet. The other two locations are in between.

I'm not advocating either way. But that is my experience with leaving bullets in moulds during storage.

CM

[Canuck Bob]

Wow, Ben, I would melt in Alabama this time of year. I visited Florida one summer, sure liked the people and the ocean, won't go back in the summer. I think Barb bakes cookies at a lower temperature than the sidewalks.

I'm glad I asked, sure won't bother with that little trick!

Some excellent ideas offered, thanks.

Edit: Just saw your post Charlie, interesting. We are darn near neighbors by Montana/Alberta standards. I drank a few brews in Great Falls in my younger days. I sure like Montana, a great place to have fun and mind your manners.

[Southron Sanders]

Humidity? Humidity? What Humidity???? I have lived in Georgia almost all of my life and have never noticed ANY HUMIDITY!!!!

All of this "Heat and Humidity" stuff is just Yankee propaganda!

[Canuck Bob]

I think the mysterious Arctic Cold Front from Canada is another conspiracy.

[MT Gianni]

Humidity? Humidity? What Humidity???? I have lived in Georgia almost all of my life and have never noticed ANY HUMIDITY!!!!

All of this "Heat and Humidity" stuff is just Yankee propaganda!

Come visit tropical Eastern Montana and you will drink more fluids than you thought possible. Then try Wyoming.

[Sprue]

Once long ago I purchased several RCBS Molds from an estate and they were filled, as was the sprue plate. So I figure that the ole timer knew what he was doing so I started doing it too. But I did/do cut the sprue plate off. Prior, to that I broke a handle.

I keep mine stored in an ammo can along some desiccant pads, with cavs filled for what its worth.

[Char-Gar]

That idea of leaving the last bullet in the mold has been around for many years. I have never done that and have never had a rusty bullet mold. I did buy two molds off ebay that had the last bullet in them. When I knocked out the bullet, both molds had rust in the cavities.

So, I think it is a very bad idea.

[Dale53]

Here is the "Real Story" regarding leaving bullets in the mould to prevent damage.

Being a "Certified Old Fart", I can remember general living conditions quite different than most of you are experiencing today.

First of all, NO ONE had air conditioning. I live in the humid mid west and anything made of iron will rust as you look at it, particularly in the summer time. Leaving the last cast bullets in a mould will do NOTHING to keep rust away. That is not the reason. "Back in the day", everyone cast bullets in a shed or garage. They left the bullet moulds hanging on a nail. Living the last cast bullets in the mould prevented wasps or mud daubers from laying eggs in the cavity (they will do so in any dark cavity). When the eggs hatch, the larva excretions will heavily pit the moulds.

THAT'S what started the practice of leaving bullets in the mould.

We now have ammo cans or A/C controlled environments that keep the humidity very low during the hot summers and, at least in my basement shop, I get no rusting of anything, including my moulds.

The actual best way to protect your moulds is in a airtight cabinet or ammo can with either desiccant or a Goldenrod as suggested above.

Dale53

[Harter66]

My Dad just gave me a Lyman manual #43 . At the top of page 105 it says "Leave a cast bullet in the mould when you put it away. This will help prevent rust but, still, store in a dry place." Copyright 1964.

It is an amazing book some of data is way hot . I saw an 06' load that started just 2gr under the current average max load and goes 2 over,a fairly heavily compressed load in my current brass I would think. It has data for rifles ,pistols and shotguns ,w/ data for cast and slugs ,even cap and ball stuff. Sorry OT, anyway there's a reputable source for the "myth" in print. I'll have to go check my 48-49th editions now.

[Bret4207]

1st hand experience- it doesn't stop rust, no way, no how. 'Nuff said.

[crabo]

I bought 5 H&G molds from an old caster in Ft. Worth. He kept his molds with a boolit in the cavities, stored in a tool box, in the garage. They were all fine, but I won't do it myself.

[imashooter2]

Yes, bullets stored in the mold cavities are very well protected. It is highly unlikely that they would be even slightly damaged encased in a quarter inch or more of steel or aluminum.

The drawback is volume. It gets very expensive to store any significant quantity of bullets in this manner.



[smilie=1:

[Bret4207]

Yes, bullets stored in the mold cavities are very well protected. It is highly unlikely that they would be even slightly damaged encased in a quarter inch or more of steel or aluminum.

The drawback is volume. It gets very expensive to store any significant quantity of bullets in this manner.



[smilie=1:

Took me a second to get that.:drinks:

[dnotarianni]

I leave mine empty and spray the blocks with aerosol case lube. Leaves a dry film that washes off with a hot water rinse when ready to use again. Couple min on the hot plate warming the mold up to cast and cavities are dry and ready to go
Dave

[smokemjoe]

I leave one in , Nice to have a bullet in them to check the size if you need a mold for a certain bore size, But store them in a 50 Cal. box with the packs of d. Have gone to brass and alum. molds now, Joe

[johniv]

Been there done that, doesent work. All molds now get a coat of rust preventitive.
John

[Ben]

Won't work......Just another " Old Wive's Tale " related to bullet
casting that carries with it absolutely no truth.

[Sonnypie]

Mine arrived empty.
They end up the same way after a session of casting. :takinWiz:

But then.... I've never known Abloominum to rust neether. :groner:

As a side note, I always let mine cool with the blocks closed. My thinking there is that the left hand helps the right hand to both stay warm. :idea:

[Artful]

Here is the "Real Story" regarding leaving bullets in the mould to prevent damage.

Being a "Certified Old Fart", I can remember general living conditions quite different than most of you are experiencing today.

First of all, NO ONE had air conditioning. I live in the humid mid west and anything made of iron will rust as you look at it, particularly in the summer time. Leaving the last cast bullets in a mould will do NOTHING to keep rust away. That is not the reason. "Back in the day", everyone cast bullets in a shed or garage. They left the bullet moulds hanging on a nail. Living the last cast bullets in the mould prevented wasps or mud daubers from laying eggs in the cavity (they will do so in any dark cavity). When the eggs hatch, the larva excretions will heavily pit the moulds.

THAT'S what started the practice of leaving bullets in the mould.

We now have ammo cans or A/C controlled environments that keep the humidity very low during the hot summers and, at least in my basement shop, I get no rusting of anything, including my moulds.

The actual best way to protect your moulds is in a airtight cabinet or ammo can with either desiccant or a Goldenrod as suggested above.

Dale53

Very true - but you forgot the oil - you were supposed to oil it and the wicking action between the boolit and the mold was supposed to help prevent the rust the boolit in place was to keep creepy crawly things out - for years I used an old ref - bypassed the switch so the light stayed on 24/7 put my molds in there. worked very well. :bigsmyl2:

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

from 1978 until his stroke, I had the privilege of visiting Elmer Keith at his home in Salmon, Idaho. I live near Boise, so it was a real fun drive in the mountains over and back. Several times I arrived when he was out at his gunsmith's place casting boolets. He always left the last boolet in the mould, after cutting the sprue. He told me that when he started casting, dropping it and then looking at that last perfect boolet in the mould was his motivation to make good ones. I think he just liked to look at it as the lead melted. He also told me the anecdote about mud daubers not being able to lay eggs in the cavity as well. He said it went back to the ML rifle days when the gunsmith made the RB mould with the rifle and a replacement was difficult to come by if you ruined one. Makes sense...

Rich