doc25
01-26-2007, 06:50 PM
:shock: Here is what I did to fix up my rusty gushow mold. I picked up a Lyman 358477 single cavity at the gushow for $10.00 as well as a 358480 another $10.00 and a set of handles for $15.00 (this should teach the wife not to let me go out alone), this is my first trip into steel block territory as the only other molds I have are Lee.
The 358477 was rusty and I have read about cleaning molds with a battery charger so decided I would give this a try. All I had kicking around was a little power supply that was set up to charge alarm system type batteries so I went with this.
Next I had to find a sufficient container to hold the blocks, thank the Chinese takeout containers. Plastic and just the right size. Filled this with water to cover the blocks. I added an indiscrimitate amount of baking powder to the water and mixed it well. I needed an electrode to put on the positive side of the battery and found a drill bit to use (this will get partially eaten during the process so don't use your best ones.
http://usera.imagecave.com/doc25/IMG_0458-copy.jpg
That's a pic of my little set up and the drill bit attached to the positive lead.
http://usera.imagecave.com/doc25/IMG_0460-copy.jpg
Here is a pic of the power supply.
The alligator clip got attached to the sprue plate of the mold. It cleans the side facing the drill bit better. I left it in the solution for about 3 hours. Longer might have been better but I'm a bit impatient. I pulled it out a few times to brush the rust out of the cavity during the process.
Couldn't wait to test it. Well the sprue plate was also bent a bit so I had to fix this next. I figured I could just put it on a stone and we'd be O.K., I figured wrong. I had to start with sandpaper on a piece of glass. I started with 100 grit went to 220 then on with the water stones. Now I had the mold in good shape and was getting good boolits out of it ... except they wouldn't drop well out of the mold. I had to hit it so many times I knocked the wood off the handles and the whole mold ended up in my water quench :shock: this is the second time I've done this and it still makes my shorts wet and brown!
So now I had to make this thing drop a boolit. I cast a good one and drilled a hole in the base. Inserted a screw and took some of the sludge out of my water stone container. I put the sludge on the boolit that was chucked in the 18v drill and spun that puppy for about a minute or two. I kept stopping and putting more sludge on it to keep it lubricated and honing.
So how did it turn out? Just fine. The boolits seem to be dropping when I open her up or with just a little tap. Here is a pic of the finished mold.
http://usera.imagecave.com/doc25/IMG_0461-copy.jpg
Hope you enjoyed my little adventure.
The 358477 was rusty and I have read about cleaning molds with a battery charger so decided I would give this a try. All I had kicking around was a little power supply that was set up to charge alarm system type batteries so I went with this.
Next I had to find a sufficient container to hold the blocks, thank the Chinese takeout containers. Plastic and just the right size. Filled this with water to cover the blocks. I added an indiscrimitate amount of baking powder to the water and mixed it well. I needed an electrode to put on the positive side of the battery and found a drill bit to use (this will get partially eaten during the process so don't use your best ones.
http://usera.imagecave.com/doc25/IMG_0458-copy.jpg
That's a pic of my little set up and the drill bit attached to the positive lead.
http://usera.imagecave.com/doc25/IMG_0460-copy.jpg
Here is a pic of the power supply.
The alligator clip got attached to the sprue plate of the mold. It cleans the side facing the drill bit better. I left it in the solution for about 3 hours. Longer might have been better but I'm a bit impatient. I pulled it out a few times to brush the rust out of the cavity during the process.
Couldn't wait to test it. Well the sprue plate was also bent a bit so I had to fix this next. I figured I could just put it on a stone and we'd be O.K., I figured wrong. I had to start with sandpaper on a piece of glass. I started with 100 grit went to 220 then on with the water stones. Now I had the mold in good shape and was getting good boolits out of it ... except they wouldn't drop well out of the mold. I had to hit it so many times I knocked the wood off the handles and the whole mold ended up in my water quench :shock: this is the second time I've done this and it still makes my shorts wet and brown!
So now I had to make this thing drop a boolit. I cast a good one and drilled a hole in the base. Inserted a screw and took some of the sludge out of my water stone container. I put the sludge on the boolit that was chucked in the 18v drill and spun that puppy for about a minute or two. I kept stopping and putting more sludge on it to keep it lubricated and honing.
So how did it turn out? Just fine. The boolits seem to be dropping when I open her up or with just a little tap. Here is a pic of the finished mold.
http://usera.imagecave.com/doc25/IMG_0461-copy.jpg
Hope you enjoyed my little adventure.