blind squirrel found a nut

[mainiac]

Found out something the other day,and thought i would share with you guys........was casting fast and furious with my 358156 mold, and this thing always gives me fits with one cavity sticking. Anyways, i happened to have a piece of soap stone in my pocket (welder/pipefitters always carry soapstone), and i wrote all over the cavities with it and blew the loose dust out, and the cursed mold never behaved as well as it did then! But, the best part was that i coated the top of the blocks,and underside of sprue plate, and something magical happened,,,,, the sprues started cutting like butter, and it became impossible to get lead smear! No matter how quick i casted and cut sprues, the mold started behaving like a well oiled machine. Find yourself a piece of soap stone and try it for your self! I beleave youll like the results.

[Onlymenotu]

Tks Great tip....... happen to have a some of it laying right here beside me that I emptyed out of my pocket after work,,,,, I'll have to give it a try

[NVcurmudgeon]

mainiac, thanks for the tip. I remember my father always had soapstone in his pocket when he wrked as a pipefitter in the shipyards through WWII.

[mooman76]

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to pick some up. Most of my moulds work good but every once in a while I get a fincky one. WD40 actually works good for me but if I have to use it half way through casting it cools the mould off some and it takes me awhile to get back into my stride.

[Murphy]

Mainiac,

Sounds like an interesting discovery.

I hope to see some others try it and report back to us on their experience with it.

I currently have a enough of Bullshops' plate lube to last me a good long while.

Murphy

[David R]

I'll give it a shot, my 357446 sticks in all 4 cavities.

David

[Springfield]

OK, what the hell is soapstone.

[felix]

Talc in a hard, natural state. Magnesium and silicon hooked together in a very loose state, but still solid. The loose state allows the hard elements (as in carbonate form individually) to appear extremely soft. Prolly the softest "stone" there is. ... felix

[Pepe Ray]

More to YOUR point, Springfield, soapstone is used in THIS context, to make a marking device for metal workers or any artisans who must measure, cut, fabricate metal or hard to shape materials like brick or roofing etc. I've seen it in flatsticks like chewing gum or round "pencils". Most hardware or building supply stores will have it.
Pepe Ray

[mainiac]

Talc in a hard, natural state. Magnesium and silicon hooked together in a very loose state, but still solid. The loose state allows the hard elements (as in carbonate form individually) to appear extremely soft. Prolly the softest "stone" there is. ... felix

Felix, some of your answers are amazing! I dont know a damn thing about soapstone,other than i can write on steel,and it doesnt burn off while cutting. Guess i never stopped to think about what it really was! You have some scientific mind!

[mainiac]

While im thinking about it, awhile back i tried coating my molds with never-seize (made to coat steel to prevent severe rusting) to combat the lead smearing thing, and i can report an utter failure! The stuff oozed its way down into the cavities and i couldnt make a good bullet until i thourghly cleaned the stuff out. I do NOT recommend this stuff!!!! Ive been meaning to try the bull-plate stuff,but never remember to order any.

[carpetman]

Maniac---We gotta live with felix--you'll give him the big head to where we cant stand to be around him Felix--notice that this is being posted under a thread "Blind squirrel finds a nut".

[Bullshop]

I have had no trouble with deformed bullets even if the bull plate finds its way to the cavity.
BIC/BS

[wills]

Maniac---We gotta live with felix--you'll give him the big head to where we cant stand to be around him Felix--notice that this is being posted under a thread "Blind squirrel finds a nut".

I always thought it was: "Even a blind hog finds an acorn some of the time."

http://www.palopetro.com/images/pig.jpg

[357maximum]

I always thought it was: "Even a blind hog finds an acorn some of the time."



"The sun shines on every dogs @$$ sooner or later"....This is for the folks that live far enough north that sunshine seems a commodity at times...

[stocker]

357 Max: I resemble that remark, Foot and half of snow since last night, drifting in the wind, haven't seen the sun shine just like Johnny Cash.

[1Shirt]

Always been a blind hog and acorn where I come from. Always nice to find a new discovery that works. I considered Bullplate to be one of my best discoveries last year. Think I will order out another couple of btls. of the stuff in the near future, in case there is a run on it. Good thread!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[mainiac]

I may live north,but the weather we have been having is simply amazing. Tonight it is 19 degrees,the coldest that it has been all year!!! No snow,grass is still green, and the garlic that i planted in september is supposed to be asleep in the frozen ground.... the ground aint froze,the lakes aint really froze, and i never dreamed id ever see a winter like this. Last year was similar,but i cant beleave this year. What is the world coming to?

[Pepe Ray]

SSHHHHHHH
We've got enough tourists already!!
You know very well that if they come for the winters that the Black Flys will drive 'em out in the summer.
Pepe Ray

[stocker]

Well the sun is out today, but it's also a balmy minus 32 degrees. Time to put on a heavy shirt. The good thing is it stopped snowing. It is supposed to warm up in a few days by 20 degrees which is probably just perfect for the snow to start again. Enough snow this year to play hob with our deer population if we don't get some melting soon.

[Mr Peabody]

Thanks for the news, I've got a mold for my 338 that's always hanging up on one of the cavity's. I'll try that out tomorrow