can this be saved ??? Lyman 358156 ax

[ROCKET]

Picked up a mold on eBay and the cavities are pretty rusted... I cleaned it a little with kroil but the rust still show on the bands - came with the handles ( real tight when opening and closing )

So... can I do anything to save this or should I send it back... ;(

pics can be seen here.... (http://imgur.com/a/nSKQt)

[roadie]

I guess it depends on the price, if it's cheap I would keep it. You might still get some more cleaned up.

What's the dimensions of the cavities now, you might be able to lap it a bit and smooth things out.

[ascast]

If your not happy, send it back. Lots of sellers are not knowledgeable about shooting stuff, lots of others are big fat liars. However, I would be pi**ed if I got a mold I that condition, BUT only ifd I felt I had been deceived or lied to- bad, dark fuzzy pics? Is the seller a shooter? or a junk peddler? A shooter should know better. Generally, I will NOT buy from bad fuzzy, pics or guys that offer no return option.
That said, pencil eraser will scrub off that rust, or steel wool, or Evaporust if you have some. I am certainly not good enough to even think about that damage affecting MY pistol shooting. I get it to drop bullits and start shooting.
good luck

[725]

Load a bunch and shoot 'em. See how they act. The defects in the photo are clearly seen. The one cast boolit in the photo seems like it hit a cold mold or cold pour. Pencil eraser pushing a cloth covered in Flitz might help, but really they look shootable to me. I agree with the above about deceptive seller vs known quanity. That's really up to you. As for the sticky handles, I'd douse it with PB Blaster or the like and work 'em back and forth a lot. They'll probably smooth out.

[ROCKET]

Load a bunch and shoot 'em. See how they act. The defects in the photo are clearly seen. The one cast boolit in the photo seems like it hit a cold mold or cold pour. Pencil eraser pushing a cloth covered in Flitz might help, but really they look shootable to me. I agree with the above about deceptive seller vs known quanity. That's really up to you. As for the sticky handles, I'd douse it with PB Blaster or the like and work 'em back and forth a lot. They'll probably smooth out.


I guess it depends on the price, if it's cheap I would keep it. You might still get some more cleaned up.

What's the dimensions of the cavities now, you might be able to lap it a bit and smooth things out.

Whats this set up worth ? paid 52 bucks shipped.. they weigh in at 160grains and they drop at 159 and 159.5

would Evaporust work best ? Can get some from amazon for 8 bucks..

[Bzcraig]

Depending on what you paid for it, I'd be inclined to cast a few and shoot em to see how that goes. I'd also consider casting a few and doing some 'lee-menting' using valve grinding compound to clean it up. Though the boolits aren't pretty they look shootable to me.

[Strtspdlx]

lap it in only if you're okay with not getting your money back or not being able to return the mold. id leave the face of the mold alone as that may help increase size somewhat so it may be helpful and can always be fixed later. the cavities I would definitely lap. grab some toothpaste drill a hole in a cast bullet or two screw in a screw and with a power drill lap it. if you've never done it before ive been considering making a video and posting it on youtube for a somewhat in depth approach, only difference being mine will be on a new lee aluminum mold.

ps theres also a lyman two cavity 358156 on ebay for $3 more that I can guarantee is in like new condition. no handles though.

[runfiverun]

I'd just oil it all up good and wipe it down with a rough shop cloth, backed with a chop stick or popsicle stick.
then oil it again with some penetrating oil and scrub it with a tooth brush.
then heat it up and wash it all down with some de-greaser and a spray of brake clean then give it another go.

[skeettx]

Clean it up, cast a bunch and shoot, shoot, shoot
Mike

[too many things]

you said you used Kroil. take a Clamp and put on the outside, take a red skuffy and cut it very small,"reason for the red is finer" take a WOOD pencil and cut it in half . make 4 cuts in the cut off part. that is to hold the skuffy pad parts
spin it with a slow battery drill and add the kroil . 3min it will be fine
DO NOT clean the Kroil off.

[jrmartin1964]

Cast up a bunch of 'em. Load 'em up. Shoot 'em up. Do it all again, and again, and again!
Jim

[ROCKET]

lap it in only if you're okay with not getting your money back or not being able to return the mold. id leave the face of the mold alone as that may help increase size somewhat so it may be helpful and can always be fixed later. the cavities I would definitely lap. grab some toothpaste drill a hole in a cast bullet or two screw in a screw and with a power drill lap it. if you've never done it before ive been considering making a video and posting it on youtube for a somewhat in depth approach, only difference being mine will be on a new lee aluminum mold.

ps theres also a lyman two cavity 358156 on ebay for $3 more that I can guarantee is in like new condition. no handles though.

The video is a great idea. I think you should do it.

[bullseye67]

Good morning, I have "saved" worse looking molds than that one. I find casting a couple of times and getting frosted boolits really helps to release the rust. I saved a single cavity Lyman that I found at the bottom of a bucket of scrap from an auction. I would have sworn it was more rust than steel, but the handles were like new. I soaked it in kerosene mixed with ATF for a few days then scraped it with a "popsicle" stick and a chopstick. Sprayed it down with brake clean and heated it up.....bullets looked worse than yours....scraped them. Put Kroil all over it while it was still warm and put it away. The next time I was casting, I sprayed it with brake clean again and use the sticks again, heated it up and surprise the boolits were looking really good but I could see flecks of rust in the first several then it cleaned up...no more rust... It drops .312 and 197 grains without gas check or lube. Shoots really well in 30-06 rifles with longish throats. Hope all the advice helps.....remember pistol boolits are really forgiving...of course shorter distances help to..

[Dan Cash]

I think the mould will work as is but your link brings in a popup for a Chinese dating service.
Where the heck did you buy that thing???

[ioon44]

One thing that would work for a pitted bullet mold is is to use Hi-Tek coating on the bullets and after sizing they should look and shoot great.

[ROCKET]

I think the mould will work as is but your link brings in a popup for a Chinese dating service.
Where the heck did you buy that thing???

Did you really read my post and did you press on the correct link? ;)

[skeettx]

WHAT pictures, nice looking girl :)

[45workhorse]

One thing that would work for a pitted bullet mold is is to use Hi-Tek coating on the bullets and after sizing they should look and shoot great.

What he said. If not Hi-Tek, powder coat and shoot. Once loaded you can't see the imperfections. Paper or critter won't know the difference.....

[John Boy]

50:50 mix of acetone and ATF - rub with bronze wool

[Bent Ramrod]

Looks like pretty trivial damage to me. If the boolits fall out of the cavities, you should be all set. Your sizing die will smooth up the shank and you'll be good to go.

If the boolits don't fall out easily, a minor amount of lapping and a session of casting to reoxidize the cavities ought to get the mould working like new.

Geez, from the verbal description, I was all braced to see something horrible. :???:

[TenTea]

Whats this set up worth ? paid 52 bucks shipped.. they weigh in at 160grains and they drop at 159 and 159.5

would Evaporust work best ? Can get some from amazon for 8 bucks..

Evaporust is great stuff and would remove the last bits of corrosion from that mould, I predict.
It's handy to have around the shop for other duty as well.
Good luck!

[Dan Cash]

Yes, I read your post and clicked on the only link you provided. If that mould came from the steamy woman featured in the popup, no wonder it was/is rusted.

[Good Cheer]

Heh, sometimes I think there should be a hall of shame for molds sold to honest people.

[Strtspdlx]

I can take a picture if you'd like. Everyone gets all butt hurt when I try to tell them the mold they sold me is junk and I never return them in fear they're going to not send my money back because none of the purchases where through ebay or paypal. so needless to say I have a few useless molds that I cant sell because I don't sell junk. If it wont serve its intended purpose either I repurpose it or into the scrap bin it goes.

As for this mold I think you'll be fine, you may consider some automotive polishing/glazing compound to lap the mold and clean off the light surface rust you're seeing. I use those aforementioned molds to test new ways of fixing better molds and I've had very good luck using automotive paint polish and/or compound, just don't run the compound in the cavity long as some of them can remove a good bit quicker then you think.


Heh, sometimes I think there should be a hall of shame for molds sold to honest people.

[swheeler]

If the handles are too tight for you just whack the domed pin in the center with a hammer, test until you get what you want.

[Driver man]

Clean up with fine steel wool .I have resurrected a lot worse than that with good results.

[Joe K]

I have used evaporust successfully on rusty molds. Let soak for a day, scrub with toothbrush and soapy water, rinse well and use it or oil for a later time. Evaporust is reusable also. This will remove blueing but will be fire blue once you use it. Hope this helps.

[russ4570]

Don't use any abrasives until you have had a look a "electrolysis rust removal". google it od youtube it. When I was living in the tropics I had a few wasps make mud nests in my moulds. That caused really back rust. Using this method it removed all the rust and stopped any further from growing.
Give it a try, Id be confident is saying you will be very happy with the results.
Regards

[nicholst55]

Whats this set up worth ? paid 52 bucks shipped.. they weigh in at 160grains and they drop at 159 and 159.5

would Evaporust work best ? Can get some from amazon for 8 bucks..

Evaporust is some amazing stuff. I'd use it, myself.

[rintinglen]

That mold will shoot well and cast well. Buy some Evaporust, disassemble the mold and give it a good cleaning to degrease it then give it an overnight bath in the Evaporust. Once that is done, rinse the mold halfs in de-ionized water and dry in a hot --450 degree--oven. then cast up a couple hundred boolits, let the mold cool and then repeat. I've gotten great service out of molds much worse than that.

[dkf]

Hardly any rust. I'd just lap each cavity a little with some fine lapping compound (400 grit or so) and done. Will smooth it out and shine it up in no time.

[Walter Laich]

Hardly any rust. I'd just lap each cavity a little with some fine lapping compound (400 grit or so) and done. Will smooth it out and shine it up in no time.

+1
and as said above the mold really isn't in that bad of shape. Know you probably wanted a perfect one but the bullets this one makes will be fine and they'll be coming at the target so fast that it will never notice any minor imperfections