Mould cleaning prior to casting

[FISH4BUGS]

OK....I have, FOR YEARS, scrubbed with soap and water, cleaning the mould.
I now have discovered a nylon brush, QTips and brake cleaner.
Spray it on (in a well ventilated area - like outside), scrub it with the nylon brush, spray the cavities, wipe them out with a QTip, remove the sprue plate, then wipe the entire mould and sprue plate down with a dry cloth.
Seems to work like a charm.
That's way too easy. Am I doing something wrong? The mould still casts great, and degreasing is simple.
Anyone elese do this?

[rosewood]

Nylon brush, dawn, hot water. Then blow excess water off with air hose. I would be lost without my air hose. Then re-lube where appropriate.

[country gent]

I still soap and water clean using one of the new electric tooth brushes. The vidrating rotating bristles do a much better job. On new molds I also boil in dish soap and water to remove oils protectants.

[bangerjim]

I have never cleaned any molds. I just heat them up to casting temp on a hotplate and cast away....right out of the box.

And........I cast a lot of hot melt glue 38's and 45's and use PAM as the release agent. Lots of PAM in there! Just wipe off the excess oil with a paper towell and go right back to hot lead casting. No scrubbing and cleaning and cleaning and scrubbing and boiling and cooking.

No wrinlkes!!!!!

Wrinlkes are cause not by grease but by a cold mold and under-temp lead. And possibly by poor casting techniques.

For a long time, the old wive's tale of grease and wrinkles has existed. I and others on here found it was just that..........a tale.

The key to my PERFECT boolits on the 1st drop is pre-heating the mold to casting temp, not just warm. Try it, you will be amazed.

If you really stop and think about it, how could a tiny itsy bitsy amount of oil cause big wrinkles over and over? It is mold/lead temp and technique......not grease or oil.

Just stating what I have proved over the years I have been casting many many thousands of perfect boolits. Many others on here (if they are brave enough to ignore the flamings) will say the same thing.

This is something you can easily prove to yourself! Don't just take my word for it.

bangerjim

[Redwoode]

Would you elaborate on poor casting techniques that result in less than perfect casts please?

[TCFAN]

I use the brake cleaner and Q-tips. No brush for me. Then put mold on a hot plate till the pot is up to the correct temp.................Terry

[Taylor]

Brake cleaner,sit on hot plate to dry and warm up.While I'm waiting on the pot to get to temp.

[bangerjim]

Would you elaborate on poor casting techniques that result in less than perfect casts please?

I have played around with all kinds of methods of pouring lead to find the best for me.

I use the Lee 4-20 pots exclusively.

I have found you can create inferior boolits if:
you allow the lead to swirl and slop around in the sprue
you have too long a stream of lead from the spigot to the sprue
you hold the mold at a "cock-eyed" angle while pouring
you have a weak stream of lead due to either valve is set to tight or your level of lead is really low
you cast with dirty ingots which creates inclusions and other unwanted "stuff" in your castings
you have an insufficient level of Sn. 2% is the standard I and many other strive for to get good cavity fill-out


I have found by letting a healthy stream of lead pour directly down the center hole, you get better castings. Size of cavity comes into play here also.

Depending on your cal and weight, you should fill the cavity in about a second or so. That is a healthy stream. The lead should not dribble in. Or splash violently out when the cavity is full.

Be sure the feed ingots you make (or buy) are 100% clean by fluxing 3X with pine sawdust (best) and a bit of parafin the last time B4 pouring your ingots. Skim very well. Any dirt/grime inclusions will cause you to have inferior castings....and clog your valve.

These are my humble findings/ideas that give me perfect boolits. Your mileage may vary.

Play around with your temps and techniques to find you Galena Valhalla!

bangerj

[Deadpool]

When I receive a new mould, I'll spray it down with carb cleaner first.

Then, I've repurposed an old toothbrush and use dishsoap and hot water. Let dry and wipe cavities and flow lines with a Q-tip. Then apply carbon coating with a Bic lighter. Works great.

When fillout starts to suck, I'll wipe with a new Q-tip like before and apply the Bic lighter again. Always works like a charm.

Lube as normal. Keep lube out of cavities!

[ioon44]

My last new mold is a lee, I just cleaned it with acetone and a Q-tip put some lube on the sprue pivot and started casting. I did not put any carbon or anything in the cavities. After the third casting session it is still casting fine.

[Sticky]

Hot water, soap and a toothbrush. No smoking, just cast, works fine for me so far. Preheat mold, very few rejects.

[ascast]

Starter fluid- it's cheaper than brake cleaner. NEI black graphite mold release on ALL surfaces, inside and out. Keeps the spatter off, small amount of rust protection, lubes cutter just fine. Into airtight ammo can when done. Some molds have been in there 30-35 years. No issues. I could mount handles, warm them up and start casting this afternoon and be ready to cast by the time the pot was ready.

[ShooterAZ]

I use the Birchwood/Casey Gun Scrubber spray cleaner. It has plenty of pressure to blast an oily mold clean. I imagine brake cleaner would work just as well...just never tried it.

[R8ed]

CAUTION
On a model railroading forum a member posted of the dangers of heating solvent and its residue.
The OP restores vintage motorcycle fuel tanks.
He ran out of his usual degreaser/cleaner and used an alternative product, some of which became trapped in the porous metal of the tank.
The next step was to braze repair the area. When he put a torch to the area a small puff of smoke came up in his face.
Long story short....
When heated the cleaner produced phosgene gas. The OP now has SEVERE health problems he will never recover from.

R8Ed

[Petrol & Powder]

Because I oil or grease my molds for storage I must de-grease them before use. It's pain but rust is a constant threat and I'd rather have the trouble of cleaning grease off than dealing with rust.
Alcohol and a Q-tip followed by acetone and another Q-tip does the job quickly. A quart of acetone or denatured alcohol lasts a long time.
For short term storage I use a small amount of kroil applied with a Q-tip. For long term storage (months) I use a light application of RIG.
I am absolutely certain there are better substances these days but I know RIG works and I'm old school. The three minutes it takes to de-grease the mold is a small price to pay (for me, feel free to disagree)
Starting fluid comes in an aerosol can. I imagine that convenience would make starting fluid attractive as a de-greaser. Starting fluid is relatively cheap and evaporates quickly, both bonuses.

[country gent]

On my steel mould while still warm from casting I spread a light grese or oil on for rust prvention, doing while warm gives an even thin layer. I then clean with dish soap and water with an electric toothbrush tne night before using. Solvents can beused but I find them more of a mess and other issues. I run tap water in a sink and a dab of soap work and rinse good.

[Ed_Shot]

Brake cleaner,sit on hot plate to dry and warm up.While I'm waiting on the pot to get to temp.

+1 ..... and I store them with a light coat of penetrating oil.

[zomby woof]

I take a tooth brush, hot water and simple green to a new mold. A little comet cleanser also. a good cleaning and then in the toaster oven for some tempering. Seems to work.