Best way to clean up old moulds

[jakemo]

I'm in the process of buying some old Lee moulds from a guy. They look really crapped up and need serious cleaing before I would use them. Any suggestions on the best way to accomplish this?

[Suo Gan]

Try mixing white vinegar and water 50:50, perhaps simple green would work too. Scrub them with a tooth brush.

[Moonie]

It would depend on what they are goobered up with. Lube from lubing them? Lead? Beaten to death?

[Artful]

Aluminum can be eaten with simple green so keep an eye on them.

I like hot water and Dawn for grease/oil/lube

[1874Sharps]

One thing I would not do is try to clean them ultrasonically, as an ultrasonic cleaner can take bites out of aluminum.

[quasi]

I use Hot water, dish soap and Comet cleaner. Simple Green does eat Aluminum, I don't recomend it.

[gwpercle]

Be gentle with aluminum . Toothbrush , hotwater and Dawn first , scrub em real good then see if more drastic steps need to be taken.

This did the trick for a bunch of my never cleaned Lee's . One or two required a little lead removal from the underside of sprue plate with 0000 steel wool and oil.
but the aluminum parts only needed toothbrush and Dawn.

gary

[kywoodwrkr]

I just cleaned up some Al molds yesterday that had various and sundry stains and gunk on them.
I used Ballistol, which could be difficult to find, don't know.(I bought 5 gal can)
I've been using that to clean many items which were stained from a fire.
I use the base product, not an aerosol or other modified product.
It is not harmful to paper, wood, plastic, bluing et. al. but does seem to remove stubborn gunk.
JMHO