How do you clean bees wax from a mold?

[atygrit]

I'm very new to casting and I have a Lee bullet mold that I think has some bees wax at the lube ring that is making the bullet stick. What is the best way to clean it? I have tried denatured alcohol and it didn't seem to do anything.

Thanks,

[plainsman456]

You might try a propane torch,just warm it up then wipe it out.

[BACKTOSHOOTING]

What is it doing when you cast with it ?
It should melt out preety quick but take awhile before your boolits smooth out.
Can you put up some pics ?

[454PB]

Brake cleaner.

[atygrit]

[QUOTE][What is it doing when you cast with it ?/QUOTE]

It is just not releasing the bullet from the mold. It seems to fill out fine, just have to tap the bolt to get it to release.

[357maximum]

with some designs and some moulds that is quite normal.....what design is it?

[BACKTOSHOOTING]

Is it new? may be burrs in the cavity, Use a tounge depresser or such and rub around all the cavitey surfaces and edges. Then clean it with a stiff tooth brush and Comet cleanser, rinse well and dry and try again.
If that dose'n fix it you Might have to Lee-Ment it [ look for the stickie at the top of the forum ] I've done this to my molds and it made a huge differance in the way they drop.

Steve

Ohh and welcome to the madness

[Gelandangan]

Hair dryer to melt the wax.

[JeffinNZ]

Boiling water. Don't try and 'burn' it out.

[gofastman]

Id try getting the mold warm (say 200*F) and spraying it out with non-chlorinated brake cleaner.
IME, new Lee molds need to be cleaned and scrubbed several times before they are truly clean enough to make good bullets

[HATCH]

Id try getting the mold warm (say 200*F) and spraying it out with non-chlorinated brake cleaner.


Thats a good way to die.... fumes will kill you

I can assure you that there isn't ANY wax in the cavities if you have cast with the mold already.
Spray with brake cleaner and run the mold.
You might need to run it on the warm side to get them to drop good.

[gofastman]

Thats a good way to die.... fumes will kill you

the fumes are dangerous if concenterated, but if you are outside and use NON-chlorinated cleaner, it shouldnt be a problem

[Sensai]

Back to basics; bee's wax in a mold cavity will NOT cause a boolit to stick. It could cause wrinkles or failure to fill out, but not sticking. Sticking is caused by roughness, burrs or boolit design. With a new mold, my money is on burrs or general roughness.

[atygrit]

Thanks for the advise. I will check it closer for burs. I won't be casting anytime soon though, I was able to cast 500 bullets, so I shouldn't have to cast for a little while.

[bangerjim]

I use bees way to lube the joints, pins, and such on all my molds, especially when they are brand new. Miracle stuff..........beeswax! Does NOT cause anything to stick that I have ever seen. Will cause surface imperfections in your castings if there is too much in there. Just wipe it out when mold is hot. Does not burn away like paraffin wax.

Avoid the (hot) brake cleaner at all costs. Some brands can still have TCE in there! Not good for human beings or any living creature! TCE is the best room temp degreaser you cannot find. Used to buy it in 5 gallon cans to degrease everything! They used to spray down entire commercial and military aircraft with it before the greenies cracked down. Just let it wash down the drain. Now airports and repair facilities are spending millions on ground water remediation to remove it. (Actually they just evaporate it into the air!!!!!!! Go figure)

Those little buggers really know how to make a useful product....lube, reducer, candle fuel, hand moisturizer......etc.

You probably have burrs as mentioned above. Check 'em out with your finger and a strong magnifier. Remove per thread on this site on Lee-menting.

bangerjim