I have a brass mold question...

[armoredman]

I have this mold, see?

Well, I have never used a dinky little brass mold like this - do I need a really thick glove when the metal integral handles start getting hot? How long before it DOES get hot under normal usage, i.e., can I drop 50 balls and then have to drop it? I really want to try the conical bullet. I know the steel sprue plate has a bit of rust on it. Is there anything special I have to do to maintain the mold itself? Does it need to be smoked or mold release, or are they known to drop easy.
Thank you!

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hello armoredman,

Personally I would think those handles are going to get warm, or even hot.
I usually wear lether gloves while casting.
I'd suggest giving it a try, if it get to hot set it down.

AntiqueSledMan.

[Wayne Smith]

They are gonna get hot really fast. Don't try to cast without gloves, and probably welding gloves. That's a one piece mold and your hand is as hot as the mold!

[William Yanda]

If I were concerned about hot handles, I would consider making wood handles, removeable, or wrapping those with leather shoestrings or something similar.

[Bent Ramrod]

Even with welding gloves, you will find it hot to hold when it is up to the temperature needed to cast good boolits.

I put heavy cotton gloves inside heavy leather gardening gloves and still find casting with metal molds like Ideal nutcracker tools and early Winchester moulds something of an ordeal. If you do heavy manual labor and have calloused hands, the heat might be more bearable.

[Jbiker]

Any welding supply outfit will have heavy gloves which will work ! Remember you go cheap, you buy 3 times !!

[gwpercle]

I used to buy those little moulds at flea markets and garage sales ... just to collect them .
As boolit moulds they leave a lot to be desired .


They get hot from the get go , use some gloves . Block alaignment usualy is pathetic if the mould is old ... new reproductions aren't much better .
I inherited a brace of Manhatten Navy Cap & Ball revolvers they came with an iron mould and I gave it a workout ... I was interested in what the conical boolits would do . Both ball and conical were a little miss alaigned . It wasn't a great mould ... a Lee 2 cavity round ball mould was so much better it wasn't funny .
Heat that puppy up and see how they drop ... brass shouldn't need any special treatment .
If the hinge pin is tight ...lube it .
Gary