"Finicky" mold & storage question

[Whitespider]

I’ve only heard about the “finicky” mold until now. Picked up a Lyman 2-cav for .357, darn thing casts beautiful boolits, if, and only if, you do things just right. I think I must have dumped a 100 boolits back in the pot before I figured out what it likes.

It wants the melt HOT, but the mold cooled a bit between pours (runs best when an occasional boolit comes out just a touch frosty)
Wait too long between pours and the nose wrinkles
Pour too quick and the center bands frost and look rounded
It needs the cavities smoked, but only lightly
It won’t open unless you push lightly on the lower, right rear corner
I ladle pour, and it wants a FULL ladle and “pressure poured”
I had to drill out the spout on my ladle to get the right pressure
It needs to be held absolutely level for the bases to fill out properly
The sprue plate must be struck just right and not too soon, not too late, to shear the sprue flush

But once you get it “right”; man does it cast beautiful boolits! I finally got 111 keepers, weighed every single one, only .3-grains difference from heaviest to lightest; bright shinny boolits, with sharp square corners.

Question;
I’m getting quite an investment molds and would like to store them without worry of rust and such.
What’s the best storage solution?
Should I grease them, oil them, store them dry, smoked?

Thanks

[Calamity Jake]

"What’s the best storage solution?"

Can't answer what is the best, but I use 50cal. ammo cans that have a good seal and add a desecant pack.

Should I grease them, oil them, store them dry, smoked?

I store my dry with empty cavities but spray the outside of blocks and spru plate with midway mold prep.

"Wait too long between pours and the nose wrinkles

I ladle pour, and it wants a FULL ladle and “pressure poured”

It needs to be held absolutely level for the bases to fill out properly"

The above problems sounds like the mold is not venting properly, clean the vent lines and VERY LIGHTLY bevel the mold top on the cavity side with a good stone

"It won’t open unless you push lightly on the lower, right rear corner"

One pin and or it's mating hole has some problems causing the mold to stick closed, take a look at these for burrs and both pins for being the same height.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Finiky mold... Look for a burr somewhere or alignment pin problem.
BUT... I have also just removed the plate, placed a 1/4 -20 bolt centered over the mold hole and poured a boolit. Let cool, drop the boolit and coat it metal polish (I have some FLITZ) . Replace it into the mold and spin the boolit in the mold about 50 times (I use my 1/4" drive socket/ratchet). Remove boolit, clean cavity, replace cut off plate and normally problem is solved. Some mold cavities are just toooo rough to release well.
Storage.. I just oil my molds and wrap them in wax paper taped with masking tape. I write on the tape what mold is. Molds are then placed in boxes by caliber. I have some molds been wrapped for 10 years+ and NO rust in Illinois humidity. I will return in a couple months and they will be fine I am sure.