I really enjoy reclamation projects,

[BCall]

Especially simple ones. I always enjoy seeing pictures and descriptions of when someone restores an old reloading tool back to it's original glory. I've done a couple of Ideal #1 sizers, some presses, some molds, and a few other items. While I don't think mine look as nice as many I have seen, they always work nicely in the end. And while not perfect, they always look presentable in my eyes.

So whenever I find an old reloading tool in kinda rough shape and cheap, I tend to snag it up and see if I can make it look nice and put it to use. I have a theory that this is part of what drives some of the prices up on Ebay. People like the satisfaction of working with a tool that they have put their own personal touch to. I may be crazy, but that would explain whay some of the rough stuff brings darn near as much as nicer ones.

This was my latest. I've never really done anything with the 311413, but I got this mold with a set of handles for $10, so I figured I'd give it a shot. The mold and handles both were completely covered in rust. Not any real pitting, but surface rust all around. Even some in the cavities. I wish I had taken before pics, but I forgot.

Then comes the simple part- a soaking in Evaporust. Maybe 15 minutes later, all the rust was gone. All the bluing too. Blocks were completely in the white at this point. I polished the cavities with a felt point and some polishing compound. Didn't take much. Adjusted the pins so the mold closes good. Lightly stoned a little bit of the faces to make it close completely, and stoned the bottom of the sprue plate to make it flat and sharpened the holes. Oddly, the holes arent centered in the cavities, they are too far apart.

But when it was all said and done, I cleaned it up, heated it up, and tried casting with it. Bullets dropped nicely at .313. Pretty round, and nice bases. It's not a pretty as many I have seen and not nearly perfect, it works quite well now. It took on an odd patina after use, I guess from the oil I had on it after the Evaporust. If you don't oil something after using the Evaporust, it can rust over again really quickly.

While not a rare or special mold, it pleases me to see it working again rather than relegated to a junk pile. Thanks, Billy
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh259/blcall/SN851735.jpg
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh259/blcall/SN851736.jpg

[Suo Gan]

It looks good to me too. Coupla things, what is a felt point? And are you buying the evaporust locally?

I love making 'worthless' things usable again too.

[HangFireW8]

Suo Gan, a felt point is just that, an Ogive shaped hunk of felt that you put on a screw tip for a dremel and spin it.

BCall, I did the same thing with my ancient Ideal single cavity 311413. I bought it on eBay for the "free" handles shown in the second picture, turned out to be double cav handles. it was a bit warped so I drove the alignment pins back, lapped the faces a bit, cast some lapping boolits and lapped it, vented it myself and tried it out. It casts nice nearly round boolits at .314 to .3145". It is now a favorite, and I love working with stuff way older than me. (Which is getting harder and harder to find for some reason?)

-HF

[BCall]

Suo Gan- HangFire is right, the felt point is just a hunk of hard felt used for a polishing point. There was another member here using them to polish cavities and he did a darn fine job. Better than mine. It works and doesn't hurt a thing if you are careful.

I have found evaporust at 2 places around here. First at O'Reilley auto, and at Harbor Freight over in Columbia. I really like the stuff. It's supposed to be non toxic, and it does a good job.

[Jack Stanley]

Billy I think at least part of that color you see is from the heating of the mold . It reminds me of what some of my H&G molds looked like when I got them years ago . I don't think they actually had a "finish" but were just heated up and yes I guess that is an oxide of sorts . I've had sprue plates and molds that got some agressive cleaning on the outside turned out the same way .

With the sprue holes offset like that are to going to mark the bullets with a felt tip pen and indicate them in the chamber when loading ? That old Frank Marshall trick might give you some nice groups .

Nice work on the mold by the way .

Jack

[Suo Gan]

Suo Gan- HangFire is right, the felt point is just a hunk of hard felt used for a polishing point. There was another member here using them to polish cavities and he did a darn fine job. Better than mine. It works and doesn't hurt a thing if you are careful.

I have found evaporust at 2 places around here. First at O'Reilley auto, and at Harbor Freight over in Columbia. I really like the stuff. It's supposed to be non toxic, and it does a good job.

Have an O'Reilly's in town, I guess I already have a felt point too. Have some rust buckets I'll spruce up this winter. Thanks for the tips.

[Catshooter]

Satisfaction. I know just what you mean. I know that guns and moulds are 'just tools'. I've even said so myself. But in my heart I don't beleive it. They're different, special. And restoring one to life again just isn't the same as re-building my lawn mower somehow. :)

Very satisfying work.


Cat

[David2011]

Nice job! AutoZone also carries Evaporust.

david

[Wayne Smith]

What's the temp for blue? 750-800 degrees F, I think? Remember the wonderful blue screw heads on the Colts? That was a temperature blue. Color is controled in part by the type of steel.

[Buckshot]

I love making 'worthless' things usable again too.

..............So does my wife, but so far I'm pretty much like before. [smilie=p:

.............Buckshot

[6.5 mike]

That makes two of us, Buckshot, LOL.

[Echo]

Gives the womenfolks something to do - for some of us, a never ending task...

[Ben]

Billy,

You did a fine job raising that one out of the grave.

GREAT ! !

Ben