Dipping molds to preheat/pro or con

[Boolseye]

I'm a dipper, and none of my molds have ever suffered for it (that I can see).
How many of you dip the corner in the melt to preheat, for how long, and have you ever seen damage as a result first-hand? I don't mean from dipping a stone-cold mold, which would obviously risk warpage.
-BE

[bhn22]

I think most of us do it. I just make sure that I dip both mold halves equally, just because it seems to make sense.

[Hondo 60]

I've done it in the past, but the mold has gotten too hot & then the melt stays melted.
(even after a minute in the mold)

So I just hang the mold above the melt now to warm it up.
But I'm no expert, I've only been casting about a year.

[ShooterAZ]

It does work, and Iv'e done it. I prefer to just use a hot plate. If you do it, just dip a corner for 20-30 seconds or the mold will get too hot. One downside to this is getting lead on the inside face of the mold if you aren't careful, and getting lead into the holes for the pins.

[Walter Laich]

I've done it but like the hot plate for overall uniform heating. I will say to each his own as there are always several methods in doing something

[Victor N TN]

I've done it a FEW times. But the man that was my casting teacher, (we worked together) told me it was a bad habit. He told me to just balance the mold above the casting pot for 15 minutes and it should be good to go. At that time I had bought one of the Lee taller production pots. I got to where I would lay the mold I was going to use on top of the furnace when I turned the unit on. Buy the time the metal was liquid, the mold was good to go.

In my 40+ years of handloading and 15 or 20 years of bullet casting he had probably forgotten at that time than I'll ever learn. I guess some engineers DO have some common sense. hahaha

[jonas302]

I lay it across the top of the pot and cover with tinfoil when I plug it in if a second mold is used I will preheat it on a hot plate

[Boolseye]

keep 'em comin'!

['74 sharps]

Hot plate..........only thing I dip is a chip or two.

[454PB]

I've used about all the previously mentioned methods, but I now use a propane torch. I have a shelf below my casting bench that is just the right height, and I place the mould on it with an ingot on the handles as a counter weight. I place the propane torch on the floor, aimed at the blocks, and in the time it takes to flux the melt, the mould is preheated.

[JSnover]

I hang mine over the pot or let them sit in a Lee Precision Melter for a bit. It's too small for much else.

[GLL]

Hot Plate !

Jerry

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I have dipped in the past !

Then I bought a $1 hot plate at a thrift store, which sat on the closet and I was still dipping!!!

Then one day, I dropped a Lyman 2 cav mold into the melt, full submersion. It took forever to get all the lead off that mold, especially from the alignment pin holes...what a mess.

Then I dusted off the hot plate, I LOVE IT !
Haven't dipped since.

[krems]

Hardcore dipper from day one. Never ruined a mold yet!.......just be careful not to leave it in the melt for too long. The only thing I don't like about dipping is that lead gets into the mold handle slot sometimes and you have to pick it out.

Krems

[btroj]

My name is Brad and I am a dipper.....

I tend to put the nose of the mould in the melt or sometimes lightly rest the mould bottom on the surface of the melt.

[Bored1]

Haven't casted a lot yet, but both of the gentlemen I am learning from have suggested just setting it on top of the electric pot for a few minutes and it seems to work. Since it appears I am more accident prone than most, figure best not to temp fate and dip teh mold. with my luck who knows what will happen!!!

[stinjie]

Set it on the wood stove in the winter works good.

[pworley1]

I use the lay it across the pot will the lead heats method.

[dragon813gt]

Hot plate.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

It was/is popular to dip a corner of aluminum molds (blocks) to preheat them. Lee even recommended it once upon a time. It was generally regarded as a poor idea for many years to do this with iron molds as it was thought/stated that one risked warping the blocks. I personally never dipped any of my molds, but preferred to pre-heat them on a hot plate or the stove. Things worked fine for me that way so I've stuck with it. LLS

[Echd]

I prefer to dip them. Heats them up quickly and lets me get to work.

[DLCTEX]

Hot plate is primary method, but I have dipped and used a torch. Whatever is handy and fast if need be.

[oger]

Yard sale $5 toaster oven set it at 350 deg while the pot heats. Rarely have any bad bullets even on the first cast.

[BNE]

Hi Brad...My name is Barry and I am a dipper too.

I have done both. I will lay the mold on top of the Lee pot when i turn the pot on and put a 1/2 pound ingot on top of the mold (6 holer) to keep the mold lying flat on the top. I still get wrinkly boolits for the first 10 pours.....Seems like I have to get the molds really hot, then cool them off by slowing down a little bit as I continue to cast. Dipping has sped this process up a little. I'm only a year into casting, so I have not figured out a firm pattern yet.

[Clay M]

Hot plate..........only thing I dip is a chip or two.

Hot Plate for me as well.I use my casting thermometer on the element to set the temp.

[tg32-20]

Hot plate, the only way I can get it to a know temp.

tg32-20

[country gent]

I ladle cast and some molds get a dip occasionally, but any with sprue plate and bottom apparatuses get set beside the pot to warm. I cast with a dutch oven over a weed burner, so sitting beside is like on top. I will sit no1 to cast with beside the pot while it melts then set any others beside it when it seems appropriate. Works for me and is simple and easy.

[Mk42gunner]

I dip my molds and/or set them on top of the Promelt to preheat. I have not damaged any mold (iron, aluminum, or brass) by doing this, even when I was using a Coleman stove and a cast iron pot.

I would like to try using a hot plate and mold oven some time; but the wiring in my house is old and mostly 14 ga, so I am not going to try running a 7-800 watt lead pot plus a hot plate on the same circuit. Maybe if I ever get my shop wired so I can cast in it.

Robert

[JSH]

Hot plate. Led goes in them not on them.
I use an electric skillet with the sides cut off. Cranked up as high as it will go. Stack ingots on the hot plate along with molds. Any more when I cast it is usually an 8 hour or so deal. I will run a y where from 2-6 different molds. Depending on what I need.
I dipped one time. And the alloy got into the vent lines.
The above comment on a few seconds, his alloy is way hotter than mine.
Jeff

[GT27]

Pro dipper,count to 20 and I'm g2g!:cbpour:

[DRNurse1]

I have dipped in the past !

Then I bought a $1 hot plate at a thrift store, which sat on the closet and I was still dipping!!!

Then one day, I dropped a Lyman 2 cav mold into the melt, full submersion. It took forever to get all the lead off that mold, especially from the alignment pin holes...what a mess.

Then I dusted off the hot plate, I LOVE IT !
Haven't dipped since.


I did that! Still scraping the alloy off the outside of the mould, but it works fine. Started using the purchased-at-retail the next time I cast and have not looked back, either.

[Spruce]

I dip. I coat what ever I don't want lead to stick to, mould handles, pin holes, top of casting pot with 2 cycle oil, or ester A/C oil, or sprue plate lube. I think I learned that here. One of these days, I'll make a mould oven and try that.

[Ron in PA]

I bought a hot plate, but dipping is faster.
Ron

[Airman Basic]

Yard sale $5 toaster oven set it at 350 deg while the pot heats. Rarely have any bad bullets even on the first cast.
Your handles don't bake?

[John Boy]

How many of you dip the corner in the melt to preheat, for how long, and have you ever seen damage as a result first-hand?Have never dipped a mold and never will.
Clean the mold with Micro-90 - put on a gas stove burner that I do all my casting on: Electric pot and cast iron pot

[dromia]

If the cast iron stove is on I sit them on that to preheat I also season new moulds on it.

Failing that I dip aluminium moulds and blow torch iron and brass, I have a hot plate/oven but don't really have a convenient space for it in the casting room so it gets used rarely.

[quasi]

I am a dipper and I have let a Mihec 4 cavity HP mould fall into the melt on my RCBS pot. Took a while to clean it up!

[Elkins45]

I won't dip a Cramer-style mold, but I dip everything else. I tilt the mold so that the front corners of both halves are in the melt and so is the lever of the sprue plate. I find that if you don't get the sprue plate up to temp as well as the blocks you can have good casts but the first few require a giant whack to cut the cold sprues.

[MT Gianni]

I use a hot point and keep two or three molds on it.

[troyboy]

Hot plate from the DAV

[rockrat]

I heat mine on a hot plate, then dip for 1 minute. Ready to go.

[doubledown]

I use a propane torch, the only thing I dip is Copenhagen! :wink:

[farmerjim]

Dipped once destroyed mold. Never again. I use a hotplate.