Proper care of iron mold

[Jevyod]

Just ordered my 2nd mold! My 1st is a lee aluminum mold. Now I have a RCBS 35-200-FN coming!!!! Anyway, like the title states, how do I care for it? I remember reading somewhere that you need to oil it after every use. Where do I put the oil, and with what shall I oil it?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

It kind of depends on where you live and the environment you plan to store them in. The humid summers in Minnesota will promote surface rust on unprotected iron.
I use to completely coat an iron mold in kroil, then put in a plastic bag.
BUT, you have to clean the mold before using it. So I invested in airtight food containers like cbrick shows in his thread.
(my post with photos is #65)

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?115858-Rust-Free-Mold-Storage-on-the-cheap

[RickinTN]

I'm thinking you'll get several different answers. I use a q-tip and apply a light coat of Kroil to the entire mold. There is a sticky about this I think in the Mold maintenance/design section. Some folks don't like it but it works for me and others. When I pre-heat the mold for the next use apparently it cooks off and I've noticed no ill effects from it.
I'm sure you'll get more answers.
Rick

[Gtek]

WD40 (yuck), Ed's Red, Kroil, Dexron, etc.. Just need to be temp stable environment as possible. Sealed air tight boxes are great, I use Tupperware type stuff from Wally World. I am not a fan of leaving last cast in hole. I have used all of them, and yes you need to clean, clean before casting. But I live five miles from coast in Florida and do not get/have any rust on my molds/moulds. Gtek

[Bret4207]

I've done about everything to try and keep rust at bay. The "leave the last one in the mould" sounded great. That idea is why my beloved 311316 is no longer pristine one the inside. The damage from the rust still shows! Somewhere I got the idea of coating the whole mould in wax, like canning wax. I think I'm still cleaning that krap off a couple of them. Oils? No thanks, I don't care if it's WD40, RIG, Kroil or oils produced from the tears of virgins gathered at the peak of Mount Galena at midnight on the 5th Sunday in February or fancy silicone retrieved from where ever those silicone trees grow! No thanks. What I do is keep all my moulds in an old, dead up right freezer with a 25 watt light bulb burning down near the bottom and a big desiccant pack from Brownells in there too. I store the still warm mould in a Lyman mould box or a heavy duty zip lock if I can. Some moulds sit in the open and don't seem to suffer for it. I don't have too much trouble with rust this way but it's best to check them periodically. Oddly, I find the sprue plates on my Lees tend to rust first, while my H+G and Cramers, RCBS, etc take longer to show any issues. When I see anything looking like a hint of rust on the Lees I immediately check the desiccant box and it's always in need of a trip to the oven for drying. That's how it recycles itself.

Works for me int he humid northeast in an unheated milk room in my barn.

[detox]

I sometimes forget to oil my RCBS moulds and they do not rust when stored inside my home. Lyman moulds will rust very easily and should be oiled right after use. My new mould my by Accurate Moulds is made from aluminum and never needs oiling.

[waco]

I use a product called Fluid Film
I just hose down the whole mold with this and they sit out in the cold damp shop year after year without a smudge of rust!\
When I want to use the mold, I just scrub with toothbrush and Dawn dish soap, then boil in clean water for 10 minutes.
Good to go!!!

[Walter Laich]

I keep them in the house in a plastic semi-air tight cheapie tool box for home depot. Got a bulk order of desiccant off ebay and have a small bag of it in the tool box. Cut holes in the tray so all the air will be exposed to the desiccant.

Mine are fine from one casting session to the next.

do have to remember to let it cool off before putting it in plastic box, though. :-)

[longbow]

Well I oil all my iron moulds... and my aluminum moulds and my brass moulds. Why you ask? Because they all have iron or steel parts. A rusted sprue plate will destroy the top face of an aluminum or brass mould very quickly.

I also leave the last cast boolits in the cavities but not because I think it will prevent rust, it is because they hold the oil against the cavities ~ it wicks into the space around the boolits and stays there.

I usually oil while the mould is still warm using WD40 and light oil mix (like gun oil or 3 in 1). This penetrates and wicks into tight spaces like between boolits and cavities. I have never had a mould rust.

I have not understood why so many people have trouble cleaning oil off moulds before use as I have never found it to be a problem. I simply wipe the mould down with a paper towel then pre-heat until it starts to smoke. Works for me anyway. Solvent or brake cleaner should also be quick and easy if you find it necessary.

So there you have lots of opinions and none wrong. Air tight containers are probably okay as long as they stay air tight. Desiccants work too. The heated freezer is a good idea if you have one and have room for it.

I am simple though and oil is cheap, and it works so I use it.

Whatever you do, make sure your moulds don't rust or you will regret it!

FWIW

Longbow

[Ed_Shot]

I store my Lyman molds with a liberal coating of penetrating oil and rapped in a rag between usages. To prep for casting I disassemble and clean with a squirt of non-chlorinated break cleaner from W-mart. Pre-heated on a hot plate I get keepers on the 1st or 2nd cast. Pretty easy and I sure don't worry about rust.

[tygar]

Just ordered my 2nd mold! My 1st is a lee aluminum mold. Now I have a RCBS 35-200-FN coming!!!! Anyway, like the title states, how do I care for it? I remember reading somewhere that you need to oil it after every use. Where do I put the oil, and with what shall I oil it?

I am new to this site but not new to pistol casting. I started in the 60s & have 6 molds from that era. Being military I moved all over & when I first started I lived in So. Cal. & I don't remember ever oiling my molds.

I was transferred to Alaska & by the time I unpacked my gear there was surface rust on all the molds. After cleaning I thoroughly oiled the complete mold. Pulled the screws & put oil in all the holes, the sprue plate, the complete mold body. I did this after every session.

I did the same in Va/DC, Oregon, & back to Alaska. No rust. I stopped casting in the early 90s since it was easier & very cost effective to buy my lead bullets from local casters. I stored my molds & packed them in a cosmoline type grease.

I decided to start casting this summer & got out my molds after 20yrs of storage & they were all in great shape...all except one. A Lyman 429360. I had missed it when cosmoing my molds & it just had the normal spray on gun oil I used. There was some surface rust & some more extensive rust in the handle area & the sprue plate screw broke when trying to remove it. The mold did clean up fairly good with rust remover & light steel wool. Have to get the screw removed & re tapped but it will be usable.

I always spray down my iron molds with RemOil if I'm going to be casting in a short time period & Kroil oil them heavily if not going to cast them for a while.

Different than some here, I always spray my molds clean with Carb cleaner prior to using & re lube plate & pins. I have never had a rusting problem when molds are oiled after use & re lubing is no big deal. I even oil Lee sprue plates after use.

Just like a firearm, clean it & oil it & it will last a lifetime.

[duckey]

I use Rem Oil or any of my gun oils. I like the Rem Oil cause it is in a spray can and applies quickly and easily. I also spray a rag with it and wrap the mould in it and put it in a plastic bag. When if comes time to use it I clean it with rubbing alcohol 91 proof. If rust forms on mould I use Lock Tight Naval Jelly which will have it looking real nice in about 10 min.