Smoking mold?

[Gunslinger]

I've heard you can smoke molds to prevent the bullets from being stuck in the mold? But how do you do this? And does it work with aluminum molds also?

[mooman76]

It works and is meant especially for aluminum moulds. You can use a match or something like that. Some use a lighter but you shouldn't use a candle because it put petrolium sutt on the mould!

[largom]

I have found the old wooden matches to work the best for me. They are larger than paper matches and the wood gives off good soot. As said above aluminum moulds like to be smoked.
Larry

[docone31]

I use a disposable lighter.
I crack the mold slightly so the burned gas can flow through the cavities. I also then open the mold, and smoke it, holding the lighter close to the mold.
When I do that, the castings literally fall out. I am talking Lee Molds.
I had one mold that just would not let go, period.
For that one, I poured a casting through a 1/4-20 nut. I let it freeze and removed the entire unit. I did it for the other one also. I am glad I made two. Shortly after putting slight fine grit lapping compound on it, the first one I made snapped off. The second one LeeMented both cavities. Potentially makeing the cavities similiar.
I believe the grit I used was 1200.
It worked like a charm.
I used a 7/16 box wrench and turned the castings in the cavities. Shiney, smooth, and after smoking, the castings fell out of the mold.
I have done them without smoking. Sometimes, no issues, sometimes real issues.
Definately smoke em. It is worth it.

[Gunslinger]

Thanks for the rapid answers guys.

How often is it neccessary to do this? Will the soot last a long time?

[docone31]

I soot every other time. I only cast 1000 at a time.

[runfiverun]

i just smoke my one and only aluminm mold with a cigarette lighter, and as i go .if the boolits stick i smoke the cavity that needs it.

[Gunslinger]

Okay then, I'll give that a try next time I'm casting...

[Morgan Astorbilt]

I use a trick that we use for smoking sights. A strip of masking tape(The cheap white kind). You fold it in half down the middle (glue side in !:>) and light it. It gives off an amazing amount of lamp black, and no oily residue.
Morgan

[Cloudpeak]

I
For that one, I poured a casting through a 1/4-20 nut. I let it freeze and removed the entire unit.

I think that's a danged good idea. Superior to the drill a hole and use a cut off screw method.

I lapped both of the 9mm 6 cavity Lee molds I'm using now just to polish them up a bit and haven't had to smoke either one though I do have one cavity on the 124 gr RN mold that could probably use it.

I don't need to smoke either one of my Lyman 4 cavity molds (44 mag & 45 ACP)

Cloudpeak

[KCSO]

Don't smoke mold it causes cancer!

I do smoke my LEE moulds though per instructions. Smoking the Lee's works better than carbiide or MOULD realease.

[Gohon]

Last night I cast around 500-600 357 bullets using a Lee mould. Smoked the mould at start up and maybe half way through. I use one of those long fireplace gas lighters which does a good job and keeps me from burning my fingers with a regular Bic lighter. I've got two cans of mould release but stopped using it as it seems to have a buildup and the stuff is hard to clean off.

[montana_charlie]

I prefer to find out why the bullet sticks in the cavity.
Sometimes the problem can't be corrected, but fixing the mould is preferable to smoking it.
CM

[dwtim]

Here's a couple additional tips:

+ If you smoke with a lighter, use the mold right after--or heat the mold up good and hot before smoking it. Butane burns very efficiently, and one of the byproducts is water. Unless you want rusty steel parts, make sure that water evaporates soon after.

+ Don't clean an aluminum mold with a chlorinated cleaner after smoking it. There will be a reaction that pits the metal. At least, that's what happened to two of my Lee molds.

[No_1]

Another trick that really helps me is to get the mould up to temp before you start casting. Some dip the corner into the melt, some balance the mould on the edge of the pot (I used to) and some use a hot plate. I just got a Thermodyne Type 1900 hot plate in a load of gear from my dad. I now use it to preheat my moulds to about 650 degrees before I start casting. It really helps to reduce the reject rate. The info in post #4 about lapping the mould is an excellent idea. Most time boolits stick do to imperfections / machine marks in the cavities.

YMMV,

R.