Mold release

[Rooster931]

Semi new to casting been at it for about 2 years and about 5,000 bullets later I am having a little issue. I have a new Lyman mold that drops a 158 grn semi- wadcutter the bullets are perfect when cast. They seem to be a little "sticky" in the mold. I have tried the old candle/match smoking trick with limited success. Thinking of trying that Frankfort Arsenal release what are your opinions or suggestions. Thanks

[USMC87]

Read the article at the top of this forum labeled kroil, I think this will help a great deal.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Bullets should not be sticking in a mold. A light tap on the handle hinge should be all that it takes to drop the bullet. There may be a burr on the edge of the cavity at some point. Sometimes it can be seen with a magnifying glass or a jeweler's loupe or using a Q-tip which will catch on the burr and leave a slight trail of fiber on it. The bottom line is..its got to be gotten rid of. Normally/otherwise a good mold should not need a mold release agent. Do not use any kind of candle to smoke a mold as the wax contains hydrocarbon(s) and the 'greasiness" will contribute to/cause wrinkled casts. A match works ok, but burns fingers...try one of those butane burning BBQ lighters. Also get a bottle of Bullshop's mold lube as it will keep your mold in good shape and running smoothly. LLS

[rintinglen]

Not a fan of the mold release--it works, but can cause build up that results in smaller boolits. A thorough cleaning with a toothbrush and a mild abrasive like tooth paste will likely take care of the problem with the mold.

[dromia]

The only thing I want to put in my mould cavities is alloy.

The kroil procedure didn't work for me when I tried it as an experiment.

Sticky boolits are due to a mechanical issue, find the problem and deal with it. Look at the leementing stickies and the articles on Cast Pics.

Mould release is an abomination and the work of the devil! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/adamsutherland/Smilies%20FB/icon_twisted.gif

[44man]

Understand molds first. Any cavity can have a burr so when I finish a mold I rub the edges with a pad of Scotch Brite.
Next is a cavity not exactly centered, they stick on one side. A tap on the handle should be enough to jar them out. Even .0005" off is enough to stick.
I tried everything and never seen smoke or Mold Prep make a boolit smaller, not going to happen unless you coat the mold with ashes from your stove. I don't know where the idea came from. But a good mold needs NOTHING in the cavities.

[Rooster931]

Thank you for the replies. I agree Dromia and that is why I have resisted the mold release up to this point. I will try the q tip test. I have done this on fifle crowns for years I just didnt think of that TY.

[John Boy]

Read the article at the top of this forum labeled kroilKroil is a hydrocarbon distillate and will leave a burned reside inside of the blocks, including the vent line!
MSDS - http://www.kanolabs.com/MSDS2013/AEROKROILaerosol2013.pdf

[dragonrider]

"Mould release is an abomination and the work of the devil!"

well said :drinks: Mold cavities are for alloy only.

[kweidner]

"Mould release is an abomination and the work of the devil!"

well said :drinks: Mold cavities are for alloy only.


Yep what he said. It sure doesn't take much to make em stick. I jewelers loop and about 5 minutes will usually cure the problem.

[MtGun44]

+1 on dromia!

Bill

[smoked turkey]

I went the route of the mold release...big mess, and didn't cure my problem. I finally got it out and tuned up the molds in question and now all is well. I hesitated to post because it seems you have come to the right conclusion already. However in case someone else thinks to try the mold release, they need to reread the above replies to the original post.

[Casting_40S&W]

Smoke from a wood Match or Cigarette lighter will add a micro thin layer of carbon, a nature release agent, and the element we are made of. Mold release will reduce the diameter of your boolits, and plug the vent lines in the mold face.

[44man]

Smoke from a wood Match or Cigarette lighter will add a micro thin layer of carbon, a nature release agent, and the element we are made of. Mold release will reduce the diameter of your boolits, and plug the vent lines in the mold face.
Smoke is microns thick and I have used Rapine Mold Prep in sticky cavities. If you can measure a boolit size difference you need a mike that measures in millionths of an inch.
Some stuff sold can be thick and build up. It is not needed. But you can smoke too much and build up a thick layer too. All a mold might need is a wisp of color. A good mold needs nothing.
Burrs are still the big problem but some designs do not have angles at GG's. Everything in a mold needs a slight angle so it releases. Nothing should be 90*, even the nose.

[John Boy]

I clean the molds with hot tap water twice with a commercial cleaning 2% solution of Micro-90. No mold releases are used - just a clean mold.
I have been known on a very few occasions for a stubborn mold to drip some paraffin wax in the cavity and on the pins. It is a colorless alkaline that leaves no residue. You will have to sacrifice a couple of bullets until the wax melts off

[cbrick]

The only thing I want to put in my mould cavities is alloy.

The kroil procedure didn't work for me when I tried it as an experiment.

Sticky boolits are due to a mechanical issue, find the problem and deal with it. Look at the leementing stickies and the articles on Cast Pics.

Mould release is an abomination and the work of the devil! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/adamsutherland/Smilies%20FB/icon_twisted.gif

Heed those words, they are from a wise, well spoken, experienced man.

In addition to mold releases smoking a mold is nothing more than an old wives tale. If boolits are sticking there is a reason for it, it is far better to find the problem & fix it as opposed to using an old wives tale in an attempt to cover up the problem.

Rick

[Suo Gan]

I have tried smoking molds, but to be honest I liked tobacco better.

All jokes aside, lightly smoking a mold can and has worked for me. I have tried mold release but never found it satisfactory. I am not as meticulous as most people, I just want to pour bullets sometimes and don't want to fool with things, simplest is best in my mind. Smoking them can work by letting them drop easier. I have used candles and matches, but a kerosene lamp set on 'smoky' works pretty good on a stubborn mold. To each their own. Reversal is usually as simple as giving it a swipe with an old toothbrush. I don't see the harm in experimenting with it. I have been told so many times in my life, "That IS NOT the way to do something!" and do you know what? They usually are right, but sometimes they are wrong. Smoking is one of those things that might work in a given situation.

Never had to do it with anything other than a Lee 2 cavity mold.

[cbrick]

Odd that you would feel candles and kerosene smoke would work. Both are an oily smoke, the last thing you should want in your cavities.

Rick

[mold maker]

In a mold, hiding the problem doesn't make it go away. Eliminating the problem is permanent.
I have better uses for old wives tales.

[cbrick]

Here are some usefull old wives tales.

1. If you make a face at your Mom, like sticking your tongue out, and someone hits your back, the funny look will permanently stay on your face.

2. If you spill salt or have extra salt you have to throw it over your shoulder to ward of the devil and bad luck. Never just throw the salt away.

3. Never swallow gum because it takes 7 years to go through your system!

4. Beware of Friday the 13th because bad luck usually happens.

5. If you blow a dandelion you can make a wish and it will come true.

6. If you break a mirror you will have 7 years of bad luck.

7. If you knock on wood the bad luck that was supposed to come to you will be bounced away.

8. A four-leaf clover or rabbits foot are lucky.

9. Don’t walk under a ladder or you will have bad luck.

10. Don’t open an umbrella in a house or you will have bad luck.

11. Don’t put a mirror in front of the door of your entrance way or money and luck will be reflected away from your home.

12. If you carry an acorn in your pocket you will have good luck.

13. Oysters are an aphrodisiac and will make you fall in love.

14. Don’t clean your house at night and let the dust out of the door because you will sweep away your good luck.

15. Don’t swim after you eat. You have to wait at least one hour or you will get bad cramps that could lead to drowning.

16. If your palms are itchy you will get money.

17. If your eye is twitching you will get money.

18. While having a meal and a utensil falls it means that you will have a guest. If a spoon falls the guest will be a girl. If a fork falls it will be a boy. If a knife falls it could be either a boy or girl.

19. You can make a wish on the first star you see.

20. If you sleep with a bar of soap in bed this should prevent leg cramps (Charlie horses).

21. Extreme heart burn when you are pregnant means you will have a hairy baby.

22. If you are pregnant and you have a pointy stomach then you will have a boy. If your stomach is rounded then you will have a girl.

23. A bullet mold must be smoked to cast good bullets or to release the bullets easily.

Rick

[LAH]

And...........step on a toad & your cow will give bloody milk.

[Suo Gan]

The amount of "oil" in the smoke is about like the amount of "fart" I let out in a baseball stadium, fairly negligible to say the least. But then again the amount of smoking one does is subjective. Just a light smoking has worked for me. Does the buck stop with you or what? It works the best for me in a given situation, get over yourself already. I am just stating what I have found...I am not lying about it. Take it for what its worth.

[cbrick]

get over yourself already. I am just stating what I have found...I am not lying about it. Take it for what its worth.

Get over yourself already. I am just stating what I have found and pointing out the possibilities to others, take it for what its worth.

Rick

[williamwaco]

"Mould release is an abomination and the work of the devil!"




I would say that is a slight exaggeration.

It makes a passable dry lube if you don't have any powdered graphite.

It makes a passable sprue plate lube if you spray it very lightly on the bottom of the sprue plate.
(If you do this, be sure the cavities contain bullets to prevent the release from getting into the cavities.)

It makes a passable substitute for sight black.

You can use it to make your knuckles look like you have been working.

You can use it to reverse-beagle a mold. It can be used to make the mold cast smaller bullets. They will be VERY ugly but they will be smaller.

[LAH]

It makes a passable sprue plate lube if you spray it very lightly on the bottom of the sprue plate.

It makes a passable substitute for sight black.

I do the first & have done the second.

[bobthenailer]

Ive tried 2 different mould release products years ago with negative results .
Since then ive learned a few other tricks for good bullet release , even so some moulds/designes just require a little more work for good bullet release