Thanks for another use for Kroil Oil

[Dragonheart]

​​I wanted to thank those that have posted about using Kroil Oil. I have used Kroil Oil for years for an overnight soak to remove fowling from gun barrels and it's the best stuff in the world to free a rusted bolt, but I never thought about using it for mold release.

The thing I did differently was to use Kroil as a carrier for HBN powder. I added a small amount of HBN powder to a small amount of Kroil, mixed it well and painted it on the inside of a couple of molds. Then I placed the molds in my toaster oven at 425 degrees and cooked them till the oil had completely evaporated. While still hot I painted on another coat and cooked them again. After they cooled I brushed off the excess and I could see a slight difference in the color of the metal where it had been coated.

Then I started casting; the bullets dropped out of the molds like rolling off a table. The Kroil apparently helped carry the HBN into the pores of the metal. For those that don’t know, HBN is also called white graphite and it is unbelievably slick. I first heard about HBN being used as a barrel coating to cut down or eliminate barrel wear; first used by our military in cannon barrels.

I am going to run these molds for a while and if they continue to perform as they do now I will be coating all my molds using Kroil & HBN.

So thanks guys for letting me know about another use for Kroil.

[pworley1]

Please keep us posted on your results.

[rsrocket1]

I notice the same sort of effect with butane lighter soot when I used to smoke the cavities of my mold. After wiping the soot off, the mold takes on a different color. I wonder if it does the same thing and if the size of the soot particles (type of smoke) makes a difference. HBN is 1/2 to 10 microns in diameter and is more controllable in terms of uniform size.

Where do you get this stuff? Looks like some abrasive distributors sell it.

Was this used on an Aluminum, Brass or Iron mold?

[Dragonheart]

I ordered a pound of 70 nm HBN from Lower Friction in Canada about a year ago with the intention of coating some barrels.

I used the HBN/Kroil mix on two steel molds; one Saeco one one Lyman with equally good results. I would caution using care as a 70 nm particle is smaller than a human pore. I wear a full face respirator, gloves and long sleeves when I open the container and when I brushed off the residue just to be on the safe side.

I don't think my results would be the same on aluminium or brass due to the tighter structure of these metals as opposed to steel. Saeco molds already have some copper content in the steel. The problem with smoking a mold is it leaves a build up that can effect the dimensions of the bullet and has to be continually reapplied, however I would assume there could be some penetration into the metal from the hydrocarbons. The original post of using just Kroil Oil alone should work, just like seasoning a cast iron skillet as the build up closes the pores. I think my process may be better and was certainly easy and fairly quick to do. I will cast a quantity and let all know if there is any change.

[andremajic]

Also works great on stubborn barrels that won't unscrew from the action.

Works great on a lot of rusted stuff!

[too many things]

Kroil makes a product called Pyro Lube. it has the black graphite in it. It works the best. BUT they only sell in a gal can.
Cost is about $200 shipped. you would need a lot of friends to buy a gal. I got a gal about 2yrs ago and have only used about 1 oz Once the mold is seasoned it there for a long time
Your Idea may work the same
coat the sprut plate too top and bottom
I use the PL on Lee 6 cav and it works the same as on a steel or brass mold

[Green Frog]

Kroil makes a product called Pyro Lube. it has the black graphite in it. It works the best. BUT they only sell in a gal can.
Cost is about $200 shipped. you would need a lot of friends to buy a gal. I got a gal about 2yrs ago and have only used about 1 oz Once the mold is seasoned it there for a long time
Your Idea may work the same
coat the sprut plate too top and bottom
I use the PL on Lee 6 cav and it works the same as on a steel or brass mold

With your overabundance of Pyro Lube, would you be interested in breaking some down into small (say, 4-6 oz bottles) and selling it to some of your e-friends here on the forum? I for one would be interested in a bottle or two myself if you want to go that route.

Froggie

[georgerkahn]

... as would I like a small bottle of the stuff. (Many a living was made during the Great Depression by fellows purchasing apples by the case, and selling by the each. One U.S. gallon = 128 ounces. The full gallon will fill 32 4 oz. bottles; if you purveyed them at $9.95 each, you'd gross $318.40 -- a nice return on your investment. Containers on flea-bay are cheap, and buyer could suffer postage.
I know I'd surely go for one...
geo

[kbstenberg]

I was just on Ebay HBN is listed in any quantity from a lb. to .5 oz

[Airman Basic]

There's a thread somewhere on this stuff which does a similar job, IME:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0086ADMME/

[kbstenberg]

would the normal grey colored lube do the same as the white?

[Dragonheart]

Kroil makes a product called Pyro Lube. it has the black graphite in it. It works the best. BUT they only sell in a gal can.
Cost is about $200 shipped. you would need a lot of friends to buy a gal. I got a gal about 2yrs ago and have only used about 1 oz Once the mold is seasoned it there for a long time
Your Idea may work the same
coat the sprut plate too top and bottom
I use the PL on Lee 6 cav and it works the same as on a steel or brass mold

I think we are on the same page.

Graphite has been used in crucibles forever as it can stand high heat and molten metal does not stick to it. HBN apparently has similar properties as it can withstand temperature in excess of 1800 degrees F and is super slick. As a long time user of Kano Labs products I considered graphite, but I did not go that route because of the initial cost for a product I did not know if it would work. Since there have been many postings of those using HBN for barrel coatings and the fact the military had used it successfully I decided to go with the flow. Treated HBN barrels apparently also eliminated barrel fowling, which got me to thinking about using it for a mold release. I first tried tumbling a mold with HBN and copper BB's and this seemed to work, but this didn't seem to give me penetration for a long lasting coating. It was not until I read the posts on this site of others using Kroil Oil that I got the idea of using heat to open the pores of the metal and Kroil Oil as a carrier for deep HBN penetration. Those that are treating barrels with HBN are coating the inside of the barrel with HBN, then firing jacketed bullets tumbled with BB's in HBN to impregnate the HBN into the barrel metal, so it would appear friction and heat is the key.

Apparently, heating my molds then applying the Kroil/HBN mix is working as I have now cast 40 pounds of lead through the two molds I treated and they are still releasing bullets with ease. Additionally, I don't know about others, but in the past it always seemed that after a while I would get some small lead spots between the mold cavities that needed to be cleaned. Attached is a photo of one of my treated molds after 20+ pounds of casting. I have not cleaned the mold it is just as when I stopped casting (cooled down of course). As you can see the mold has taken on a deep shiny black color and is clean; I suspect the color is due to the Kroil, but I attribute the release to impregnated HBN. With this mold all I have to do is turn the mold upside down and the non-HP bullets drop out; I tap the knuckle to cause the HP pins to release and those bullets just drop out also. A small thing certainly improves the casting experience.
140306

[Dragonheart]

There's a thread somewhere on this stuff which does a similar job, IME:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0086ADMME/

Hi Airman,

I am an old man that many years ago took every industrial engineering lab that was offered, so I am what might be called a tool nut. I can say liquid wrench works, but I can assure you if you ever use Kroil you will throw the "Liquid Wrench" away, I know I did. Kroil actually gets under oxidation in short order and separates it from the metal. Bench Rest shooters have been using an overnight soak of Kroil for years to remove the fowling in their gun barrels. It's a great product, give it a try and I don't think you will go back to anything else, and no I don't work for Kano Labs.

[blackthorn]

Hey guys---that would be "fouling"----Unless you are trying to get chickens out of your bore? LOL Sorry, could not resist! All in good fun! Have a great day!

[Airman Basic]

I was trying to compare the graphite with Kroil as the carrier as compared to the Teflon in the Liquid Wrench product. The carrier in both seems to evaporate and leave the dry residue. Anybody tried both?


Hi Airman,

I am an old man that many years ago took every industrial engineering lab that was offered, so I am what might be called a tool nut. I can say liquid wrench works, but I can assure you if you ever use Kroil you will throw the "Liquid Wrench" away, I know I did. Kroil actually gets under oxidation in short order and separates it from the metal. Bench Rest shooters have been using an overnight soak of Kroil for years to remove the fowling in their gun barrels. It's a great product, give it a try and I don't think you will go back to anything else, and no I don't work for Kano Labs.

[Dragonheart]

I was trying to compare the graphite with Kroil as the carrier as compared to the Teflon in the Liquid Wrench product. The carrier in both seems to evaporate and leave the dry residue. Anybody tried both?

I have not tried the Liquid Wrench, but since penetration into the metal is what you are looking for Kroil is touting just that.

[Dragonheart]

Hey guys---that would be "fouling"----Unless you are trying to get chickens out of your bore? LOL Sorry, could not resist! All in good fun! Have a great day!

Never trust spell checker or my word processor that fills in what IT thinks I want to say. There have been times a chicken would have been easier to get out of the bore.