Drop out mold spray

[jwlegal]

I know it is heresy to even mention sprays for molds in this forum. And I have seen several mold makers point out that they do not recommend the spray drop out lubes that are marketed to make boolits fall from the mold with ease rather than smoking the mold and smacking the hinge with a wood mallet or some such, but I have to ask.

I've been casting since the mid 70's and have learned from my mistakes pretty much reading everything I can lay hands on and being so very grateful for this site since I have learned a number of things from reading the different threads. I have been able to pretty much keep myself shooting handguns with my own boolits and a single stage press. I try to be very careful with every thing I do and think my handloaded rounds are just as good and in some cases better than commercial.

Threw that in so I don't get the stooped new guy response.


Yes I have had some problems with the spray mold release as far as you really have to be careful not to get but a very little in the mold or it can build up and cause problems. However it does a great job of protecting the molds for storage, and when carefully applied to a clean mold in a very light spray, it puts a light coat of graphite on the mold and boolits just fall out of the molds. I've tried it on 45, 44, 38, 45-70(.458 or 459) and on 30 caliber. So far I find that it is a real pain to clean a mold sprayed with it, but not so much a problem as it is trying to get a sticky mold to release a boolit just about the time you get a good cadence going.

Yes, you still have to tap the hinge with a mallet, but it is just a tap and not several taps trying to get the darn boolit out of the mold.

That is on the molds that I seem to have a hard time getting to drop boolits well. I have a few that I think I could clean and cast with and they would still drop out beautifully. But I have one in particular that until I tried the spray I spent more time whacking the hinge than I did pouring.

So, it is with great concertation that I ask.

What do you guys think of the drop out mold sprays?


Am I the only one that thinks this stuff, when used lightly and when cleaning the mold carefully to prevent buildup is something I wish I had tried 40 years ago?

[Jeff Michel]

An admitted heretic? Occasionally we get them flushed out.:mrgreen: My experience is somewhat limited, bear that in mind. The mold release that contains graphite does work after a fashion and just initially. It tends to accumulate in the cavity over time and always produces a marginal finish to the bullets and it's difficult to remove. The Spray On corporation makes a PFFT mold release agent that works real good but breaks down at around 600F. These were all aluminium molds. I have found that using the mold, deburring if necessary and keeping the mold itself clean and grease/oil free does more to facilitate ease of casting than any mold release I've used to date. Other's experience will likely vary.

[augercreek]

Somw where here I read to spray Kroil on the mould that it will help.

[Dusty Bannister]

I have used DropOut, but it reduced the bullet diameter of the castings. Lapping the mold lightly resulted in easier mold release. Fixing the mold means no lost time with re-application of an agent. There are other products that will work, but do not build up. Do a site search and you will probably find other products that you might care to try. Fixing the mold seems a better idea to me though.
Dusty

[Bent Ramrod]

I used the Drop-Out spray on moulds that, for whatever reason, didn’t fill out the cavities when casting. These were typically aluminum moulds, where the graphite layer seemed to keep the heat from dissipating, but I’ve used it on several balky iron moulds as well.

I never noticed a buildup or diameter change in the castings, but generally only used the stuff to keep the cavities and mould top coated. When the stuff disappeared after several casting sessions and the fillout started being a problem again, I’d treat the mould again.

After the can was empty, I went back to candle soot, which is always available and can be applied to hot or cold moulds as needed.

I never used either coating to facilitate dropping out. Generally, for me at least, when a boolit sticks in a cavity, it’s a different problem, like a burr on an edge, or a cavity slightly off-center.

[ioon44]

I don't use any sprays in my bullet molds, just clean molds, Al and iron. I find when the molds start getting too hot bullets will start to stick, let the mold cool a little or lower the alloy temp and the bullets drop easy .

[avogunner]

[QUOTE=jwlegal;...….I've been casting since the mid 70's and have learned from my mistakes pretty much reading everything I can lay hands on and being so very grateful for this site since I have learned a number of things from reading the different threads.....[/QUOTE]

I don't use "drop out" sprays but just wanted to reiterate what JW says here. I too have been casting since the early 80's and learned - A LOT - by trial and error but since the invention of 'Al Gores Amazing Internet' and this site, I've learned so much more. Thanks to all the members here for their experience and knowledge! I wish this was around when I started...it would have been so much more less painful.
Semper Fi!!

[robg]

Never used mold release stuff just smoked them if they got sticky .found if I use 2 or 3 two cavity molds at the same time by the time I've fill the last one I can open the first and the boolits drop out easily most of the time no matter how fast I go .

[dh2]

I use drop out on my molds the first time that I cast with them and have as good of results as smoking them.

[stubshaft]

No mold release, No smoke either. Clean mold at proper temperatures works every time. I do use Kroil on my molds for storage.

[Tom W.]

I'll smoke them with a kitchen match ( gotta be quick ) and if they give me a lot of trouble due to some brain fart I had I'll spray the cavities with RemOil. It only takes about five drops to burn it out and everything is fine.
Last month I used a bit too much synthetic 2 cycle oil to lube the sprue plate and that was a disaster. but after making sure the mold was really hot I sprayed it, and in short order all was well.

[Hossfly]

I’ve only used smoke from propane lighter, seems to work fine, but time will tell. All my molds are fairly new aluminum Lee molds. I do have old Iron Lyman 2 cavity for .303 that I’ve never used cause I don’t own a .303. All work just fine by smoking, and most just fall out upon opening and dropping into water bucket. I’ve learned a lot on this site on what not to do.

[country gent]

I will smoke a stubborn mould starting out, and when its gone the mould is usually casting fine and trouble free. On really stubborn moulds I have rubbed Molybdenum disulfide into the surface with a pencil eraser and blew excesses out. This will help release for a lot longer and affect size very little.
The spray on releases work some better than others. My issue is the small changes in size and the residues some leave behind. Die Cast at work had a spray on release that was good, they used it when starting up and once up to temp everything was fine. It left a residue but it could be washed out with steam cleaner when die had to be worked on. These cast a mish metal at around 1400* and under pressure of a shot tube filling the cavities. Here the release spray was better than the hooks and pick that had a high risk of scratching the cavities surfaces. ( some of these trees had 12-14 parts on them). Once up to temp the ejectors were fine and did the job.

I would rather spend a little time tinkering with the mould and getting it right, rather than remember which moulds need release agents or other special things

[Hardcast416taylor]

If the cast boolets are hanging in the cavaties of the mold then that is a possible burr or rough spot that needs addressing. I check the cavaty with a cotton swab to see where it snags. I then will use an old dental pick to gently smooth the burr out. Turning a boolet on a screw mandrel with valve compound is another way to smooth a cavaty. I also years ago tried the release agents when they were in fad. I found that rubbing a #2 soft lead pencil in the cavaty areas of sticking would work about as well. I still smoke a cavaty with a wood kitchen match when needed.Robert

[georgerkahn]

The old adage, "Different strokes for different folks" :) :) comes to mind! Hey -- this IS a hobby, and if spray coating helps -- more power to your use of it. I have "had" to use carbon (smoke) from a Bic butane lighter on occasion on a few moulds, but what I still cannot understand is why, after several hundred bullets and no more smoke really visible -- the bullets don't start to again stick? My thoughts are maybe the smoking is superstitious? (Hey -- I do it, when needed, anyway) My sort-of-challenge, when I started using moulds with pins -- is having them stick. Too often I'd have bullets free from both sides of the mould, but "glued" to the pins. My solution? Polishing them on a buffing wheel; coating with soft lead from a #1 pencil; and.... some spray on mould release from Brownells.
Hey -- there are sooooo many different variable going on in any bullet casting (alloy, alloy temp, flux, mould temp....etc...etc.) -- again, if it works -- keep that procedure going! (The first three letters of "procedure" ARE "pro"!)
geo

[Walks]

Tried it, light or heavy. Don't like it.

Smoking a mold is fine for me,aluminum or iron/steel. Just smoke 'em with a Looong fireplace match.

They all drop out with a tap or two. Depends on how sharp the corners of the mold are.

Mold Lube, very light on alignment pins, mold top, sprue plate bottom. Wipe in on, wipe it off.

Works for me.

[country gent]

One of the reasons moulds slowly cast better with use is also behind the heat cycle break in some do. A new mould is heated and soaked at 350*-400* 3-4 times before use. This heating and cooling helps to relieve the mold blocks and promotes the fine patina to form. This patinas is a release agent in itself and forms heating and cooling over time. Mould will look almost the same finish wise but the color or shade changes just a little as it forms and builds. It keeps molten alloy from sticking and helps with the bullets release

[Rcmaveric]

You guys make me feel young. Not nearly as experienced. Came close to it once with a Lee Shot gun slug mold (wound up being the wrong alloy with a cold mold caused shrinkage that locked the slug to the pin). Finnaly got it working though. Stupid thermal dynamics and physics. If one mold can drop beautiful bullets flawlessly from the mold, then the all can. Just a matter of finding the right finishing touches.

[mold maker]

I used it on one mold , once. It's easier to fix the problem than hide it.

[Jack Stanley]

I've had molds that worked a little better with NEI mold prep , but for the most part I keep the cavities clean .

Jack

[RED BEAR]

Tried it when i first started casting and it was more trouble than it was worth. Haven't used it since.

[barrabruce]

Didn’t know there was such a thing.
I have been known to use a sharp 6B pencil to get into a tight corners of one mould to make it drop.
A light polishing with a metal polish on a screw in a bullet works better.

Some of my moulds are steel and look nearly black with condition.
Maybe too hot ...but they drop easily.

Some designs with a couple of tapered lube grooves and long noses drop like water.

Loverin designs can be a pain until they get hot enough.

I fill my blocks with metho if they are up to temp and don’t fill out or stick a bit.
It bubbles away and cleans out oils and such.
Just tip over and open to empty.

Colouring in with a soft lead pencil gives you the option to concentrate on areas of interest when it is flaming hot.

Hard sharpened pencil is my first go to for removing lead specks or build up.

Finding the real trouble why they are sticking is the most important step to fixing.



But then again we are 20 years behind you over here.
Ha

[Dragonheart]

As far as I am concerned smoke is for bar-bq. It builds up and has to be continually redone. I cast my first bullet when I was 16 and I am 70 now. I cast over 15K bullets last weeks from iron & brass molds. My bullet surfaces are smooth and almost no visible mold line and some of my molds are older than me. If I consistently have to tap more than twice to release the bullets from 4 cavities I go back to square one.

My cheap and simple solution is rubbing the mold surfaces and the cavities with the graphite of a #2 pencil then brush off the excess with a toothbrush dedicated for that purpose only. The graphite coating tends to keep down those tiny lead deposits that tend to appear at the edge of the cavities and the build up under the sprue. It also tend to last longer providing longer casting sessions without interruption. If you decide you don't like it, simply wash it away.

[Rich/WIS]

Tried it and found the buildup issue a PITA. Still use it but not in the cavities. Found that if sprayed LIGHTLY on the top of the mold and bottom of the sprue plate it pretty much eliminated lead smearing. Put a cotton ball in each cavity before spraying to keep the cavity clean.

[oger]

Use it on the outside of alum molds so my lazier temp gun works and it seems to hold heat in the mold. On the outside of iron molds it will keep any corrosion from starting but for the insides don't bother just get the mold hot enough.

[country gent]

What is metho ?

[barrabruce]

Methylated spirits.
Basically 90% drinking alcohol with some methonal alcohol mixed in 5%.
Most have a purple dye as well as some stuff to make it a foul bitter taste and your stomach whench.
Methanol will blind you if you burn that in your metho stove. And get the vapours in your eyes it has a slightly lower burn temp but blooms faster and burns clean as.
I buy the clear stuff in 20 ltre tins for my camp stove fetish.

[NyFirefighter357]

What is metho ?

Denatured alcohol

[lightman]

I tried mold release and smoke a few times and quit it. I have not used either in a long time. I did have a troublesome mold and used a cotton swap to find a burr and a ceramic knife sharpening stick to remove it. My mold tapper is a plastic tipped hammer and usually a few gentle taps on the handle bolt head is all thats needed.

[MT Gianni]

I have never used it and stopped smoking years ago. Felix Robbins stated in the late 90's that the best way to prevent bullets sticking was to take a yellow #2 pencil as the blanks at that time were made with Osage Orange wood. Sharpen it and go over every inch of the mold, cavities and top with the pencil. Then break the point off and burnish all the "lead" off with the wood. It has worked for me since then. The graphite coats the pores of the mold, as well as letting you see any burrs. The ones that are not removed with the pencil lead or wood are obvious and need perhaps an exato knife in an extreme case.

[Dragonheart]

I have never used it and stopped smoking years ago. Felix Robbins stated in the late 90's that the best way to prevent bullets sticking was to take a yellow #2 pencil as the blanks at that time were made with Osage Orange wood. Sharpen it and go over every inch of the mold, cavities and top with the pencil. Then break the point off and burnish all the "lead" off with the wood. It has worked for me since then. The graphite coats the pores of the mold, as well as letting you see any burrs. The ones that are not removed with the pencil lead or wood are obvious and need perhaps an exato knife in an extreme case.

Exactly, and that is what I have done for years and it works! The only thing I would add is from time to time there will be a spot of lead that just seems to be resistant to standard removal. I personally never use anything on my mold blocks that is harder than the metal my mold blocks are made of. For those diffidence lead spots, specially those on the block face that will widen the mold line, I use a Q-tip dipped in a 1-1 mix of white vinegar and standard 3% hydrogen peroxide. If the lead is persistent I use the pencil lead and the eraser to break it free as the lead dissolves. The solution will work on all three standard mold metals. However, this mix will rust ferrous metals, (stainless is okay) so it needs to be washed off once it has done its job.

[sundog]

I use Drop-Out very sparingly, and only when absolutely needed other than on aluminium or brass moulds. Technique is simple; spray q-tip lightly, shake off excess and swab cavity(s), let dry and use dry end of q-tip to 'burnish'. Solves wrinkling and drop problems real fast with a cantankerous mould. This technique will not reduce boolit diameter, at least measurable with the tools we commonly use. Do not use on a hot mould.

Wooden stick match (or butane lighter) works well for aluminium and brass - again, sparingly and only when needed. Works best if mould in warm (not hot).

In my casting experiences since mid 70s, I have run across more than a few moulds that should make good boolits, but for whatever reason resist full fill out (wrinkling or rounded edges) or insist on sticky drops. Nothing wrong with giving them some assistance to get the finished product right.

What Mt Gianni related (Felix pencil technique) is a good procedure. Felix and I shared that discussion on more than one occasion. I still do this with a mould that needs it.

Files, stones, and exacto knives can be your friend if used judiciously. There is no reason to fight with a mould while casting, life is too short. Once in a while you get a bad mould - it happens. Get it repaired/replaced, fix it, throw it away, or use it for experimenting (think rebore).

[MaLar]

I have used it as boolit lube. Spray it on then shoot or spray then lube and size. I got a bit more velocity with it that way before P.C.
If your using it alone it's a low speed lube.

[gwpercle]

The buildup and removal of the stuff put me off for moulds.
Liquid Wrench Dry Lubricant works much better...No Buildup whatsoever.

The best use for the black drop out spray is to spray the inside of you empty pot . It keeps crud from clinging to the sides of the pot. And even better is to spray your casting ladle, inside and out...this keeps lead from clinging to the ladle spout and bowl . When casting I was having to stop and tap the ladle on the bench to knock off stuff that wanted to stick....after coating the lead flows out the spout with no clings or clogs.
Gary