Care of New to me Saeco mold (I'm new, forgive me)

[bugkiller]

New to casting. Been using Lee Molds (aluminum). Just got a new to be Saeco mold, and want to take proper care of it. I'm in Fl. so rust is an immediate concern. I've read about some products, Kroil, EEzox, etc. in relation to gun care. I have also heard about Bull plate lube. Been using Never seize on Lee mold with success, but I'm almost out, so I'm willing to use another product.

What is the proper care of this mold, from beginning to end and back? If you would, start of storage, preparing for casting, casting, post casting prep for storage, and final storage. This is a well taken care of mold at this point, I want that to continue.

For now, I've put it in my safe. Hoping golden rod, desiccant, a/c and gun sock will maintain for the time being until the experts fill me in. :smile:

[Ben]

Sounds like with your many questions that it might be very good time spent reading here.

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_textonly2.pdf

[bugkiller]

Ben,
Thanks. I've got that publication. It is certainly well done, and I continue to read it over and over, picking up something each time.
I was hoping I could benefit from some who have had success in preserving their mold, esp. those who live in humid climates. Maybe with some specific pointers and/or products they have used with success.

By the way, those are beautiful stocks you have on your site.

[beezapilot]

I'm in Fl as well- Keep my moulds in tupperware with a spray coat of mould release on them. My shop is air conditions and I let them assume room temps before I store them away- I've never had one rust up on me. Never had luck with oils, they always led to delays.

[Ben]

Ben,
Thanks. I've got that publication. It is certainly well done, and I continue to read it over and over, picking up something each time.
I was hoping I could benefit from some who have had success in preserving their mold, esp. those who live in humid climates. Maybe with some specific pointers and/or products they have used with success.

By the way, those are beautiful stocks you have on your site.

Thanks for those nice comments !

It doesn't get much more humid than Alabama in the middle of the summer. I did this a few years ago and have not regretted a minute of time or penny of money that I have invested in this mold cabinet. I no longer use a light bulb for heat inside the cabinet , I now use a " golden rod. " I've never had a spec of rust on my iron molds since I began using this system.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?13322-Mold-Storage-Cabinet-Photos

['74 sharps]

The Permatex Anti Seize will work like a dream for a sprue plate lube while casting with your Saeco mold.

[Old Caster]

I feel Saeco molds are the best you can buy at this time and won't buy any others unless Saeco doesn't make a bullet like I want which of course is pretty often. Every time I use an iron mold I spray it liberally with WD 40 after it cools unless I am going to use it the next day. When I want to get it out again, I use any kind of brake or carburetor cleaner followed by compressed air. I usually mold for 6 - 8 hours at a time so it is ready to be cleaned and relubed anyway.

One of the most important things with this or any mold is don't go too fast or too hot, or you will start to get a smear on the top of your mold and bottom of your sprue plate which will make your sprue plate set away from the mold and cut the back of your bullets. When lubing a mold, take the plate off and put a very minute amount of oil where the bolt goes in and then wipe it off with a rag but not real hard. You just don't want it to get in the cavities or on the plate behind the bullets.

If your Saeco is an older one, it might have rather small pour holes in the plate. This was made this way in order to pressure pour with the mold held up to the spout. This is a difficult way to mold bullets but by far the best if you want them as perfect as possible but most people don't care enough to go through the hassle unless their competition requires it and inferior molds won't tolerate this method. If it is more modern, it will have standard size holes. If it does have the small holes and you don't want to pressure pour, you will need to get a different plate or modify the one you have unless it is a small bullet. You might get away with it in that case.

I don't put anything on my molds except the small amount of oil between the plate and blocks plus I have to use a tiny bit of oil on the front guide pin of a Lee 6 cavity so the blocks won't stick together. This won't happen with the Saeco.

[spfd1903]

We have plenty of humid weather in the summer only, but I wrap all my iron molds in metal preservative paper (Vapor phase corrosion inhibitor) and put each one in it's own zip-loc bag. Never a rust molecule to date.

[John Boy]

.... those who live in humid climates.
Eezox ... http://www.warrencustomoutdoor.com/pl-eezox.html#eezox
http://www.theopenrange.net/forum/index.php?topic=5457

[.22-10-45]

Gets pretty humid up here in MI. Some of my older Ideals might go for a few to several years between use. For the past 20 yeqars I have been using an industrial product designed for preserving ferris metal..Mold Saver. lanolin base spray lightly while mold is barely warm. Most industrial supply houses carry it.

[Wayne Smith]

In reality all you need to do is keep them in the air conditioning and keep an eye on them. If they will be stored long term than some of the paper mentioned works well.

[Petrol & Powder]

Kroil for short term storage and then clean with alcohol or acetone. RIG for long term storage, clean the same way. I haven't tried brake cleaner/carb cleaner but I bet that would degrease them just as well.
I live in VA and rust can be a huge problem. I'd rather tolerate the time needed to degrease the mold than the expense needed to replace the mold.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I started using airtight food containers with silicone type gasket, "snap-lock" or "Lock N Lock" style.

BUT, I still have one iron mold (a balisticast), that's real sensitive to rust, YES, it got rusty once, I now coat it with Kroil after every casting session to avoid rust, as I did with all my Iron molds before I got the airtight food containers. I have Lyman, RCBS, and Saeco molds...none of which have developed any rust for short term storage in the airtight food containers with NO oil or Kroil protection.

Every region has it's own conditions. While it does get HOT and humid in MN in the summers... FOR ME, it's quite possibly my sweaty hands/fingers while handling the mold after it's cooled from a casting session where I remove the handles and it's placed in it's storage container...MAYBE ?
I try to be as careful as I can, but who knows.
Good Luck

[bugkiller]

Thanks for those nice comments !

It doesn't get much more humid than Alabama in the middle of the summer. I did this a few years ago and have not regretted a minute of time or penny of money that I have invested in this mold cabinet. I no longer use a light bulb for heat inside the cabinet , I now use a " golden rod. " I've never had a spec of rust on my iron molds since I began using this system.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?13322-Mold-Storage-Cabinet-Photos

Wow. That storage cabinet on the thread you listed was just crazy. I love it when someone uses some simple ideas and puts them to work. I know I'm new, but someone should have made that a sticky. I'm going to have to put something like that together.

[bugkiller]

Keep those suggestions coming! Great minds here...

[Ben]

Wow. That storage cabinet on the thread you listed was just crazy. I love it when someone uses some simple ideas and puts them to work. I know I'm new, but someone should have made that a sticky. I'm going to have to put something like that together.

I've really enjoyed my mold storage cabinet. Not only does it keep my molds rust free, it also helps in organization as the top shelf holds molds 31 cal. - 50 cal. and the bottom shelf holds molds .22 cal. - 30 cal.

This cabinet keeps me from having to spray the molds after casting with some type of rust preventative spray and then having to clean and de-grease each mold the next time I cast with it. SAVES MANY HOURS OF TIME.

When you've finished casting with your SAECO mold, simply rub a thin film of Eezox

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/413498/eezox-synthetic-gun-oil-4-oz-liquid

on the outside of the iron molds and put them in the cabinet. The Golden Rod will do the rest of the work for you.

Thanks,
Ben

[Old Caster]

I am going to have to go back to P&P's post #12. It isn't worth ruining a mold as simple and quick as it is to clean oil off them.