RCBS 2-cav & sticking boolits

[Ola]

This mold is my absolute favorite and it has served me well for years, but recently the boolits have started to stick in the cavities. I have to pry them out with my thumb everytime, usually with quite much force.

The mold is .357 RCBS 2-cav 180 gr sil. It has always been little bit "sticky" but now the problem has worsened so bad that I need some help.

I already fixed the alligment problem and now it is perfect. It did not take much to make it tight like a new mold (Thank you Cast Boolits -members for instructions!)

I have cleaned the cavities many, many times with different methods. I'm quite sure the cavities are clean. I probably should also mention that I have not scratched them.

The only time the boolits drop freely is when the mold is cold (not in casting temperature).

I'm running out of ideas what to try next. Maybe you have some?

Thanks, Ola

[Ben]

You give your mold this treatment and " the bullets will jump out of the mold."

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=47669

[HARRYMPOPE]

Sometimes pushing the halves together(ft or back) with you mallet when opening them will cause them to be pulled out by the opposite cavity.I use this on a couple of my cranky molds.

George

[Ola]

You give your mold this treatment and " the bullets will jump out of the mold."

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=47669
Yes, I know that trick and have done it to my other molds (new ones). But this mold is an old friend and it USED to to work quite well. So, that's why I thought there might be something that I should try BEFORE using harsher methods.

Of course, if the polishing is one quite natural solution, if there is nothing else.

[Ben]

I never looked at this treatment as something " Harsh".
If you make 15-20 revolutions with fine grit, you may not be able to determine a change in " as cast " dia. However, you'll certainly see a marked difference in how the mold drops it's bullets when opened. It doesn't take much of a " micro - burr " to interfere with bullet release.

Very few molds of my 100 + that I own have not had this treatment.

When a person gets tired enough of pecking on the handle hinge pin trying to get bullets to drop from the sticky mold cavities, they'll do it and then wonder why it took them so long to do it.

Ben

[HARRYMPOPE]

Sometimes going to an alloy with more antimony will cause this.

George

[runfiverun]

you didn't slightly mis-align the cavity's when you fixed the pins did you?
you may have a slight burr on the edge of the cav's too, but it might just be a micro out.
the lap will usually fix both issues.

[largom]

Look at it this way. Ben's suggestion will not hurt the mold if done sparely so why not give it a try?

Larry

[Ola]

you didn't slightly mis-align the cavity's when you fixed the pins did you?
you may have a slight burr on the edge of the cav's too, but it might just be a micro out.
the lap will usually fix both issues.

The cavities WERE mis-alligned and I thought that was causing the stickynes. But fixing it did not solve the problem. As far as I can tell the alignment is now as good at it can be.

Next I will lap the cavities, you talked me in to it. Should I start with lapping compound or try out some milder stuff first? The mold is not aluminium so toothpaste might not be enough?

And I still wonder what caused the ever worsening stickynes? It would be useful to know it so I do not do it in the future..

[Ben]

Ola :

If you have access to this product, it will work just fine . It is fine valve grinding compound usually available at auto parts stores.

The abrasive compound is oil based and the mold will need a thorough cleaning with hot water and detergent when the lapping is completed :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/PICT0001-22.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/PICT0002-16.jpg

[HDS]

You say you have done that to almost all your molds, do you have any Mihec or NOE molds that needed this procedure?

[runfiverun]

i have a similar can to ben's just it has a different name on it.
i have not had to lap either of my noe molds.
i did follow a break in procedure [heating and cooling cycles] for it however and it took a few [3-4] heat cycles for it to work how it should.
but i do the same thing for all my new molds.

[dragonrider]

I lap every mold I get, new or used, before I ever cast with it.

[Moonie]

You say you have done that to almost all your molds, do you have any Mihec or NOE molds that needed this procedure?

I have a NOE 221 4 cavity that had one cavity that was sticky, once polished it drops much easier but still not as well as the other 3.

[Ben]

HDS :

I don't own any MiHec molds, I do own several NOE's, I've spun a bullet in the NOE's.

Just makes things work that much better and does no harm at all.

Ben