Cleaning lead off inside of mold

[Rich22]

Have a NOE 311-247 that I was casting with, noticed that I was getting finning down at the base of the bullets and checked it out and have lead stuck inside the mold adjacent but not inside the cavities. Have heated the mold to about 400 degrees and tried getting the stuff off with every non metallic object I can find that would do the job. I don't want to take a torch to the thing and my experience with dipping molds in a hot pot has been a bad one, what is the best way to do this. Also as an aside, on those bullets that have excess material at the bullet base, I assume this will come off when I size them?

Many thanks

[Skip62]

soldering iron
or
after mold is hot, rub a piece of lead on those areas

I've done both, and worked.

[BK7saum]

+1 on the lead. I've used a cold reject boolit. Pulls the lead right off the hot blocks

[Rich22]

That I did not think of, will try that in the morning, killer idea on that, makes sense but I never would have thought of that, soldering iron is for round 2 if needed

[leadman]

If all else fails, a sewing pin can catch a loose edge and pull it off. This works especially well with the aluinum molds. The newer Lee molds with all the machining on the faces are a bear to keep lead free. Smoking the surfaces with a match helps keep the lead from sticking.

[quasi]

if the mould is casting temperature, I just rub it with a cloth that has Bullplate mould lube on it. It usually comes right off. A popsicle stick-tongue depressor (hardwood) works as a safe scraper for stubborn patches.

[davegalesr]

I use a small block of hardwood with a crisp edge to clean my Lee molds - they tend to lead up on the spru side in particular. I use it like a plane and it pops the little nibs right off, as well as the sludge from cutting the spru too quick,