Season a mold?

[djohns28]

I'm going to build some C channel molds this weekend and maybe some angle iron molds. Can you season them like a cast iron skillet to prevent rust and get a relatively non stick surface? I know cooking skillets don't see the high temperatures associated with lead but is there a high temp oil that may bake in and do the same thing? I see that Kroil is a popular mold release agent. How does it do for rust prevention?

[Mk42gunner]

I don't think there is an oil that will withstand melted lead without burning. At least not one that is affordable.

As far as ingot molds go, I just let my angle iron ones rust, the first few ingots will clean the rust out and by the time the rust is gone they are dropping free easily.

Its not like I smelt and cast ingots nearly as often as I cast boolits, and I don't care what the ingots look like.

Robert

[country gent]

There is also a difference between cast iron pans and angle iron. cast iron has carbon pores that absorb the oils when cooking and hold it. Angle iron is normally a hot rolled steel and lacks these pores. As long as there are no mechanical locks in them the ingots should drop out fine with a tap or 2 on a hard surface

[Chill Wills]

As said above, a little rust is your friend. You should get a good release.
As long as the inside has all release angles with nothing to lock up the cooled ingot, you should be good to go.

Nothing like using aluminum muffin baking pans that bond to your ingot.

I think you will be fine. Post a picture.

[longbow]

If there is a clean spot on the angle iron it is possibly (not likely though) that the lead will solder itself to the steel. If the angle iron has the usual mill scale not very likely to happen but could. New exposed welds might be prone to soldering since that will be new clean steel.

A coating of graphite spray should stop any issues.

What the crew used to use in the lead refinery where I worked for many years was a slurry of diesel fuel and lamp black. They mopped that all over the lean anode moulds. I believe the same was used in the silver refinery and that is a lot hotter pour. It is smokey and messy though... and lamp black is not readily available these days as far as I know.

If in doubt a shot of graphite spray will do it and once you have cast a few times the steel will rust a bit and prevent further bonding. As country gent said, as long as there are no mechanical locks... like edges/corners, weld spatter or rough welds and the like, you should be good to go.

Longbow

[John Boy]

Save your time and spend some money,6 lb ingot ... https://www.amazon.com/Melting-Casting-Refining-Aluminum-Precious/dp/B00FBEH5K8/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=ingot+molds&qid=1583445306&sr=8-5

258031

I converted 1200 plus lbs of various muffin tin alloys into 6lb ingots using this mold

[Springfield]

I would hate to have to smelt 600 lbs of lead, 6 lbs at a time. I prefer to have enough ingot moulds to do 50 lb batches, that saves time.

[djohns28]

I would hate to have to smelt 600 lbs of lead, 6 lbs at a time. I prefer to have enough ingot moulds to do 50 lb batches, that saves time.

Which is the exact reason I got a 20 foot stick if c channel. A roughly 5" piece will drop a 5 pound ingot. there are a lot of 5" molds in a 20' stick.. for 30 dollars..

I'll post some pics when I get them done, hopefully Saturday.

[GregLaROCHE]

My angle iron molds cast ingots just over two pounds and they are as long as my pot is high. I think five pounds is a little big. They will cool the pot down too much when adding to melted lead and you will have to wait too long to heat back up.
Normally the ingots should fall right out from the angle iron.

[Dragonheart]

Just buy a can of liquid spray graphite and paint the inside of your molds. The liquid flows, drys almost immediately and will tend to fill in small imperfections, but rough welds are better if ground smooth. One coating will likely be all you need to get you through your session. Angle all the sides of the molds and the ingots will just drop out.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Rust is a release agent, in regards to Iron ingot molds used for lead alloys.

[Conditor22]

cut the ends of the channels at a slight angle and the ingot will just fall out

https://i.imgur.com/Jk3G4sv.png

https://i.imgur.com/VjiIcHv.png

[Jack Stanley]

I made one of those about thirty years ago and it still works fine .

Jack