Lyman Moulds

[Gohon]

Have a couple questions for the more experienced casters. I ordered and received a Lyman mould and a set of lee handles to go with it. I've never used anything except Lee moulds and they seem to work fine for me. First thing I noticed was the difference in quality between the two, it was like night and day. But what I'm wondering is (1) what kind of habits that I have with the Lee moulds do I need to chuck out the window with the Lyman moulds. (2) Do I clean these moulds with hot soapy water and a tooth brush the same way I cleaned the Lee moulds. (3) Do most of you have handles on all your moulds or do you just change them as you use different moulds. The Lee handles were a snap to put on. Finally (4) what do you use if anything to keep the moulds from rusting between uses. Sorry for all the questions but for what these guys cost I don't want to mess them up. Thanks.............

[grumpy one]

Have a couple questions for the more experienced casters. I ordered and received a Lyman mould and a set of lee handles to go with it. I've never used anything except Lee moulds and they seem to work fine for me. First thing I noticed was the difference in quality between the two, it was like night and day. But what I'm wondering is (1) what kind of habits that I have with the Lee moulds do I need to chuck out the window with the Lyman moulds. (2) Do I clean these moulds with hot soapy water and a tooth brush the same way I cleaned the Lee moulds. (3) Do most of you have handles on all your moulds or do you just change them as you use different moulds. The Lee handles were a snap to put on. Finally (4) what do you use if anything to keep the moulds from rusting between uses. Sorry for all the questions but for what these guys cost I don't want to mess them up. Thanks.............

The trick with Lyman moulds is to treat them as a lifetime investment rather than a tool that is subject to wearing out. If you make a mistake with a Lee mould you shrug and move on; if you do so with a Lyman mould you'll be deeply embarrassed and wondering whether to admit it.

Aluminium moulds heat and cool more quickly than iron or steel ones. That changes the rhythm that you use for casting. You will soon develop timing that works for each.

Moulds have to be clean to work, but if you end up with water in threaded holes etc. in a Lyman or RCBS mould, they will rust. I think most people avoid bringing water into contact with iron or steel moulds - I know I do. There are several other cleaning agents that will do the job without the rust risk. I think most people use brake cleaner. I mostly use acetone, but it takes a while.

I just keep one set each of Lyman and RCBS handles, and change moulds depending on what I want to cast.

When I put a mould away for a time, I first coat it very thinly with Ed's Red, then put it in a steel box with a bunch of other moulds and some bags of dessicant. I remove the Ed's Red with cotton tips, acetone, and finally cook off the last bit by casting after I've gotten the cavities pretty clean (I only clean the cavities). This means it takes longer to get a Lyman mould back into service than it does for a Lee, which doesn't need any cleaning.

[missionary5155]

Greetings Gohon
Handles... you could aquire a handle for each mold but when you start having 50 + molds it would become a MAJOR investment. Enough handles for how many molds you might use during a casting cession is a workable goal. Molds do cool off so you can change handles within a short time. I have 3 handles here and probably 4 up there in the NORTH.
Storage.. I oil my molds with motor oil and wrap them in wax paper. I have NEVER had any rust. My molds in Illinois are stored the same way. Oiled, wrapped and placed in a cardbord box according to caliber. They sit for years until I get back up there.
Cleaning.. Spoonful of denatured or medical alcohol cleans the oil off in no time while the pot is cooking. You will get many altenatives.. Soapy water and brush works great also. Just be sure to prewarm the mold so all molecules of water disapate.
Habits... Lee molds warm up fast and cool fast. Lyman heat up slower and stay hot longer. You can cast faster with Lee generally... When I cast I normally run 2 or 3 molds at the same time. The rotation between molds keeps them from over heating and I am not waiting on sprue puddles to cool. I also cast HOT as I like good boolit filloutand HOT gives me fewer rejects. So the molds and plates have ample time to cool a little.
God Bless you Mike

[hyoder]

1) I have never used a Lee mold , so I can't help you there.

2) I boil my molds in watter with a little Dawn dish detergent, no brush. Then just in case I spray them with brake cleaner and to much of that can cool the mold down enough to sweat.

3) I have about a half dozen handles. I store the molds without handles.

4) I remove all the loose parts from the molds, spray them molds down with a heavy coat of WD40, place them in individual plastic boxes, and stick them in a drawer in a Craftsman chest which stays in my conditioned shop.

In this part of the world if I take a mold out of the shop in the summer it gets treated just like a used mold, spray it down, etc. Condensate will build up on a cool mold taken outside in a heartbeat.

[HeavyMetal]

Yes iron molds need different storing than aluminum!

Different areas of the country also demand different storages techniqe as well. Here in souther Calif. I keep my molds in an old ammo can, the type with the rubber seal on the lid, and a jar of dissacant in with them. Other areas you may have to oil them as well as use my type storage!

All molds will get taped together with Electric tape when not in use. This has never caused me an issue and it keeps the molds from seperating and damaging the cavities!

I do store a few with the handles on, and tape the handles closed, because they are the most freqently used.

I'm not sure Lee handles are a good choice for Lyman molds?? Never having mounted a set on Lee handles as I have a few Lymans collected over the years. My concern would be to sloppy a fit on the handle and they would bang themselves to death every time they opened and closed. That's something to check as no two handle sets ever fit the same mold set the same way!

[longbow]

I have never boiled or scrubbed my iron moulds. Some do and swear by it. Whatever works for you.

Occasionally I will use brake cleaner or solvent to clean up a mould but normally I just wipe them down with a rag and make sure the vent lines are clear.

I pre-heat the mould over a low flame so it is good and warm when I begin casting.

I cast hot and as missionary says ~ I get better fill out.

I only use a couple of sets of handles and put them on moulds as required.

If the mould overheats I cool it by dipping a corner in water (or lately into a snow bank) while the cavities are full. Never had a problem with warping. As long as it is hot enough to sizzle any water that could possibly get in has evaporated before the next pour.

When I am done casting I set the mould aside to cool for a bit with boolits in cavities then use a mix of WD40 and light oil like 3 in 1 to wipe down the warm mould and make sure some gets into the cavities. I leave the boolits in place so oil wicks in around them to protect the cavities. Never had a rusty mould and do not find it a problem to wipe the oil off.

Some iron moulds seem to have a bit of a break in period before they cast good boolits ~ sticking and poor fill out. If you have trouble, try smoking the mould cavities with a wooden match or burning piece of paper to coat the cavities with soot. I don't recall having to do this with aluminum moulds (don't have any now) but have had some problem iron moulds that did not cast well for a while when new and smoking the cavities helps.

Longbow

[Dean D.]

A trick I use that an old friend taught me years ago is to use a shaving brush to apply the oil to my moulds and to my guns after cleaning. A couple of drops of 3-in-1 or any other light oil on the bristles goes a LONG way and can be applied well even into those tiny, hard to get to places. Believe it or not you can still purchase shaving brushes at a quality pharmacy. My gun room is not complete without one!

[Bret4207]

I store my moulds dry in an old dead refrigerator with a light 40w bulb running in it and a desiccant box. No rust issues anymore.

Don't confuse the "quality" of the Lyman and Lee. They're 2 different animals, but both can do go or poor work. I have 80+ moulds- Lee, Lyman, RCBS, SAECO, NEI, Modern Bond, H+G- all can do a good job or bad. If you take of the Lee's they can last a long time and provide good service.

You'll be happier with Lyman handles on the Lyman moulds in the end. The Lee's are makeshift and need shimming to work right.

[Gohon]

Appreciate the response from everyone. The Lyman mould I got is the 22 caliber 44 grain gas check design and as soon as the gas checks that are on back order arrive I'll start casting with it. The Lee moulds I have work well for me though the 45 caliber mould has recently gotten a little sloppy on closing and though it drops perfect boolets, I have to pay attention to the blocks lining up properly. Again, thank you all........

[mrbill2]

I would suggest you perheat the 22 mold. Getting a mold up to temp when casting 22 caliber takes some time.

[Gohon]

I've got a hot plate I intend to use just for that purpose.