Oiled or not?

[MikeS]

Hi All.

I bought a used mould from a forum member recently, and when I got it, it had a nice bright red coating of surface rust on most of the external surfaces. The member I bought it from knows how to handle moulds, and it's apparent that he stores his moulds in an airtight container either with vci paper in it, or not, as the mould was dry. Luckily there wasn't any rust of any kind in the cavities, and the rust that was on the outsides of the blocks cleaned off with some kroil and a quick wipe with a paper towel.

So here's my question: When buying a used iron mould, would you prefer the seller to ship it to you without any extra rust preventative steps taken, and you clean up the mould when you get it using whatever method you prefer? Or would you rather the seller give the mould a good coating of rust preventative (either oil, or LLA, grease, etc.) which would remove any 'seasoning' the mould has, as well as require a much more thorough cleaning before you can cast with it?

With the mould I just got, I sprayed it with kroil, then wiped it down, including the internal faces of the mould, and the cavities (I didn't actually spray any into the cavities, only wiped them with the towel that had kroil on it from the rest of the mould), then preheated it, and started casting. About the only problem I had was the bases on some of the pours not being well filled out, but a couple of moments with a fine file across the parting surface of the mould (see the message by Ben about how to do that) fixed the bases not filling out completely! The mould is a bevel base mould, so it was easier to look at the boolits while still in the mould to determine if they had filled out completely.

So back to my original question, would you prefer a mould is oiled up for the trip in the mail, or left as it was before packing, and clean any rust that might come along when you get it? After thinking about it for a moment I decided I'm glad the mould wasn't oiled up, as I was able to clean it up, and start casting with it quicker than if it had been oiled up heavily for the trip. I mean just how much rust can grow in the 2-3 days it's enroute?

[MikeS]

I forgot to mention that since I cast over 300 boolits from the mould, and it's not one I'm going to be shooting lots of, when I was done I gave the mould a good coating of 'Fluid Film" a lanolin based rust preventative. Down here in south FL if you don't protect iron from rusting it WILL rust, and quickly too!

[Rockchucker]

I probably store my molds a little differently than most but I say to each their own anyway, and I don't want to receive any used mold in the mail all rusted up that I buy. After using my iron molds and they're cooled down to room temperature I usually stray them with a quality oil inside and out and store them in drawer in a tool cabinet covered with an oily towel. Clean up for reuse is simple and fast and living here on the salty coast of north west Florida I NEVER have a rust problem with any of my iron molds. On occasion I'll open up the mold drawer, remove the oily towel and put a lite coat of oil across all the molds and cover them up for storage again.

[quack1]

I oil molds before mailing them. In summer the package will make a couple trips from air conditioned buildings to hot trucks and just the opposite in winter, and the mold has a good chance of being drenched in condensation, cavities included.
I'd rather clean off oil than rust.

[44man]

I use nothing on my molds because my basement is dry from the de-humidifier and nothing will rust. It makes it nice to just grab a mold and cast.
Now a friend had a lot of machine tools he kept in plastic boxes. He put a chunk of camphor in each box. It stops rust but I don't know if it coats the steel as it evaporates.
If I had a rust problem I would use the special paper like comes with Lyman molds. Plastic bags should be fine if you squeeze out all the air.
How about a vacuum sealer for long term?
You fellas that live where you can take a piece of air and wring it out sure need something. [smilie=l:
Many years ago some gun writer said to smear beeswax all over the hot mold and store with a boolit in it :bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2:, I did it once, don't go there!

[Sasquatch-1]

Oil it up. You can always burn the oil off.

[ku4hx]

Here in the sunny and very often very humid South, oiling molds has always been a good idea. Same for guns, cast iron skillets and pretty much anything else with a propensity to rust.

[H.Callahan]

I would say oiled as well. Just for the fact that you never know what conditions the mold will go through during shipping. I have seen some crazy routings from package delivery folks.

[troy_mclure]

I bought a mold off eBay from a fellow in az. He shipped it first class. In the 2 weeks it took to get to me in louisaina it already had a thin coat of rust on it, as I picked the package up on my way to work it sat in my truck for a month while I was offshore. Then I returned home for a week, sprayed it with wd and forgot about it for another 2 months. So much rust had grown and the cavity (.54 rb) that it was ruined. It was badly pitted all over. I learned my lesson and ask for any mould/tool I order to be oiled and packed in a ziplock Baggie.

[SP5315]

I would want it shipped well oiled!

Our mail carrier walks their route. Last winter I had a mold delivered with the outer packaging soaked. By the time I opened it after I got home from work it had started to rust. Even in good weather most paper and cardboard is hygroscopic and will suck out any moisture in the air.

[paul h]

I personally wouldn't ship a mold that was rusty, but if the price is right I'll buy a rusty mold. A mold has to be fairly rusted up before it has pits and affects how the mold casts. The thing to figure out is whether or not your sweat equity is worth cleaning up a rusty mold or not.

[L1A1Rocker]

If shipping it should be well oiled if not greased, just like a firearm. For storage I put them in an airtight plastic container with a couple of rust inhibitor chips thrown in.

[RobS]

I use to oil then I started to put my molds in a plactic air tight ammo case, the ones with the rubber gasket on the lid. Problem solved however if I were to ship a mold out I would oil it down. Some mail becomes lost for weeks on end and I wouldn't take the chance.

[gray wolf]

I would prefer the owner took care of his equipment from day one,
and when it was shipped a nice lite coat of oil can do no harm.
I have had molds that were dripping with oil and all it takes to clean them is Dawn dish soap and a tooth brush,
Did I say use hot water.

[Huntducks]

When I sold a bunch of molds on ebay a few years back I just split them and Vac. sealed them no rust no moving around. I do same at home when I know i'm done for the casting season have an old Vac sealer in my loading room and use old bags.

[MikeS]

Why bother splitting the mould if you're going to vacuum seal them? Wouldn't the plastic of the bag hold the mould together?

Another interesting thing about the mould I just got, the blocks were held together with rubber bands, and where the bands were there was no rust!

[44man]

I bought a mold off eBay from a fellow in az. He shipped it first class. In the 2 weeks it took to get to me in louisaina it already had a thin coat of rust on it, as I picked the package up on my way to work it sat in my truck for a month while I was offshore. Then I returned home for a week, sprayed it with wd and forgot about it for another 2 months. So much rust had grown and the cavity (.54 rb) that it was ruined. It was badly pitted all over. I learned my lesson and ask for any mould/tool I order to be oiled and packed in a ziplock Baggie.
You hastened the rust process with WD-40. The cans are best when exploded as targets! :bigsmyl2:

[Freightman]

Rust! you have to have water to have rust, I think I could lay mine outside and leave them and never see any rust. It has been a long dry spell.

[Shiloh]

I oil my iron molds.

Shiloh

[300winmag]

Ohio=Humidity=heavy oil

[Huntducks]

Why bother splitting the mould if you're going to vacuum seal them? Wouldn't the plastic of the bag hold the mould together?

Another interesting thing about the mould I just got, the blocks were held together with rubber bands, and where the bands were there was no rust!

When you split them they lay flatter and corners don't put a hole in the bag.

[mpmarty]

I only have a couple of iron molds. They sit in a drawer with my LEE molds and look down their noses at the cheap rust-free aluminum molds. Even here in Oregon I've never had a rust problem. My safe has three five pound bags of silica gel hanging in there with the rifles and shottys but my shop has some old kitchen cabinet units with drawers where my molds live and no problems. +1 on WD-40 being only good for blowing up downrange.

[leadman]

WD-40 has its place, but it is not a good rust preventer. It is mostly Stoddard solvent.

I will use a light spray oil on them and either vac seal it or use a heavy ziploc bag and squeeze the air out.
I will store any mold I don't have a box for in the same heavy bags with the vapor paper in it. This goes in the boxes as well.

[Bigslug]

I cast, cool, coat heavily with 30-weight motor oil, and store in a plastic zip-loc.

When next I cast, I hose the oil off with brake cleaner. Nothin' hard about it.

Oil is just oil. Iron oxide, on the other hand, is DAMAGE! I'll take the oil, please!

[GabbyM]

Best rust prevention I’ve used to date is Amzoil MP (metal protector) in a spray can.
Second and maybe as good. ATF mixed 50/50 with odorless kerosene. That is also the Ed’s Red compatible gun oil. I brush that on as chain lube on my farm equipment. ATF has lots of rust inhibitor additives. Thinning with the K2 makes it penetrate into everything.

I’ve sprayed milling machine fixtures with WD40 before. Since we had it in 55 gallon drums. When stored on a shelf inside a heated machine shop the WD40 sprayed fixtures turned brown all over while the ones put away with nothing but the water base coolant from the machine looked better but also rusted in spots. Add to that WD40 will turn to hard gum in only a couple years. A real mess inside a revolver action.

[alamogunr]

Why bother splitting the mould if you're going to vacuum seal them? Wouldn't the plastic of the bag hold the mould together?

Another interesting thing about the mould I just got, the blocks were held together with rubber bands, and where the bands were there was no rust!

I bought a mold once on Ebay that the seller shipped loose in a small box. The halves were not secured together and by the time it arrived, it was beat all over. The cavities were large enough that there were dings inside. Don't remember about any rust.

[MBTcustom]

If I could have it any way, I would prefer the mold blocks be dip coated like any other precision tool I might buy, but I have never seen this practiced. If I ship a mold to somebody, it will be literally dripping with some heavy weight oil, rubber banded together, and double bagged with plenty of packaging material in the box to keep it company.

[MtGun44]

Both choices are wrong. Store molds in an ammo box with some silica gel and you will
not need oil, and will not get rust.

Bill

[1Shirt]

I recently bought an old obsolete Lyman mold on ebay w/handles that showed in the picture to be rustyi on the outside. Got it cheap, and the outside was rusted and pitted as were the handles. However the inside, and the blt cav. were clean and it cleaned up well with Kroil, and casts a very decent blt. It is a **** shoot with old molds bought on ebay.
1Shirt!

[jonk]

I don't oil any of my molds, unless I KNOW I'm not going to be using them for at least a year; in which case they get a heavy oiling and get wrapped in plastic, then put away.

I do get some light surface rust on them, but no pits.

When I want to cast, I want to cast. No matter how much I degrease, boil, scrub, etc., an oiled mold to me means wrinkled bullets for about 50-75, before it burns off and works.

I'd rather look at a tad of surface rust than go through that every time.

I'm sure it's just me, but that's what I've found.

[MikeS]

Best rust prevention I’ve used to date is Amzoil MP (metal protector) in a spray can.

I'm not 100% sure, but I'm pretty sure that the Amzoil MP is basically LLA in a spray can. I would love to get a can of it to see if I'm right or not. I know that Zep used to (still do?) make a rust preventative that smelled identical to LLA, and was the same color/consistency, so it probably also was basically LLA considering that LLA started it's life as an industrial rust preventative.

I don't remember if I've mentioned it or not in this thread, but I also use LLA on my iron moulds, I'll wipe them down with a fairly good coating of LLA while they're still warm from casting, and once cooled down I wipe off most of it, leaving a very thin film (I'll leave it a bit thicker on the outsides, but the cavities get a real thin coat), and I've found that I don't even need to clean off the moulds when I'm ready to cast again, just preheat, and cast. I use Fluid Film when I'm not going to use a mould for a longer period of time, and I think when I'm ready to cast with one of the moulds I've coated with it, I might try just wiping off most of it, and trying to cast, and see if I can do that like I do with LLA, or if the mould requires a full cleaning.

[MikeS]

Both choices are wrong. Store molds in an ammo box with some silica gel and you will
not need oil, and will not get rust.

Bill

Actually the best answer is to just use brass moulds, then rust becomes a non-issue!

[Lance Boyle]

I'd have to say oil it.

It might be a minor inconvenience upon receipt but that's better than an aww damn upon opening it. I agree with the treat it like a firearm for shipping. A few minutes with a soft toothbrush, a drop of dawn and some hot water in the sink will get rid of most of the oil.

I did just that with a recently returned mold from Lyman that was swimming in oil. A double wash in the sink with the toothbrush and dawn. In 25 bullets or so I was casting perfect looking bullets.......too bad they didn't get the nose diameter correct.

[alamogunr]

This is a little off topic, but several have posted about cleaning up an oiled mold with hot water and Dawn. A few weeks ago I got out a mold that I had oiled before storing and decided to try something slightly different.

Some time ago SWMBO was talked by her dentist into buying an electric toothbrush. She only used it a few times and turned it over to me. I've been using it ever since. I saved the old brushes(don't know why) and decided to try using one to clean up the mold. Lots of hot water and Dawn and scrubbing with that electric toothbrush got it clean with a lot less elbow grease.

[Harter66]

Oiled plz. I live in the desert where a wet day is 20% humidity. Rust is a non-issue here. I do hit the iron moulds w/a light oil when I put them away bagged.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Rust never sleeps, so for me oil is always cheaper than metal. My molds are all iron. I know that dessicants in tightly sealed plastic bags and airtight ammo cans are a good way to go, but some old habits are hard to break. I use a product called "Clenzoil" to coat the mold(s) when cool and remove it with a dip in Acetone and a scrub with a toothbrush. A minute or two under a portable hairdryer and then on to preheat. Stored in a small sealed plastic bag, nothing has ever rusted. LLS

[Silver Hand]

My head in the sand for over the last three decades I did not know you could oil a mould and still use it. Having some understanding of wood and tools in general I created a dry wooden box that serves one purpose, to keep moisture away from my moulds and gear.
It was never sealed in anyway except for the lid. Kept inside were my moulds, well used H&I dies top punches and gas checks and always more than a dozen sticks of alox and wax. I kept the last pour and sprue in the mould to hold things together.
Three of this dozen or so moulds, had not been used in twenty years or so. One of which had some rust in the cavities when I reached for it recently. I was going to lap the mould instead I ran twenty or so hot drops with it and about that time it cleaned up. [I might not see as well as you but it looked good to me].
I can say when I oil something with motor oil, hot off the [commercial] wire wheel it stays cleaner longer. Also wood absorbs and retains moisture well. I keep a few blocks under the outboard motor cover also.
The box with the moulds was kept in a carpenter shop although there is a wood stove it is usually left unheated. The wind blows through the walls all winter and summer is short.

[Down South]

Oil mine after use. I hate rust.

[500Smith]

No doubt, oil!

[a.squibload]

Oil for shipping please, easier to remove than rust.

You made me think, some of my molds are in a file
cabinet in the garage, it has rained a couple times.
Even though it's usually dry here I store primers, etc.
in big plastic bags with dessicant, should do the same
for the molds.

[Silver Hand]

Oil it is.

[longbow]

I thought I had weighed in here but I guess not.

I always oil my moulds and find clean up to be quick and easy and seldom find any issues with casting after cleaning off oil. If I don't get good fillout, I pre-heat until the mould smokes then away I go.

Don't kid yourself about brass or aluminum moulds not rusting either... more correctly the sprue plates and pins that are steel will rust and a rusty sprue plate will make short work of the nicely finished tops of the mould blocks.

Some have success with air tight containers or silica gel and that's fine. It works for them.

I oil all of my iron and steel moulds and all steel parts on my bronze, brass and aluminum moulds.

No, I have never had a mould rust but I have seen plenty of other people's moulds with rust on them. I will stick with oiling, it works for me.

Longbow

[no34570]

Any of my iron moulds get a spray of lanolin or CLP,here on the coast of Oz,the iron does rust quickly.

[RetAFSF]

I live in a high moisture area, oil only works if the mold is completely submerged/encapsulated in oil. In my environment I clean the molds while warm then apply a thick coat of axil grease. Haven't had a problem since.

[BD]

When I lived in Coastal SC I always kept my iron molds oiled. It's been a little bit of a pita to clean them up as I get to them here in Maine. I store them dry in vapor bags here and rust isn't nearly the issue it is in SC. I should have read this thread yesterday as I just mailed an iron H&G #130 in a trade, and to be honest I never thought about the possibility of rust in transit.
BD