Degrease Mold

[cb91a1]

What is the best way and what to use to degrease mold before casting?

Thanks,CB

[oneokie]

Spray it down with brake cleaner, boil it in water with Dawn dishwashing soap, scrub the cavities with toothpaste and a tooth brush.

[docone31]

I did an experiment.
I got two new molds, I took an empty coffee cup and filled it with mineral spirits. I set each mold in it for several days at a time each. Lots of aluminum flakes, the mineral spirits changed colour.
I removed the molds, let them sit cavity down, and then smoked them with my BIC lighter.
I cast a bunch of boolitts! I did not have to reject any.
That was the esiest, simplest method I have done yet.

[No_1]

Just don't sip from that cup!

It is amazing how we learn something new everyday. I clean then coat my moulds after use with "Pro-Lube" PL-S spray because of the humidity in Florida. I use the method Nolan mentioned in post # 2 to clean my moulds. I find it a pain to clean them but am happy to find no corrosion when I am ready to use them again. Learning from this thread I am going to set up a cleaning tank for them where I will soak them for a day or so before I intend to use them and see what happens.

Thanks for the tip guys!

Robert

[Calehedron]

When I first started out a year ago, I used brake cleaner, TSP, boiled, etc my Lyman moulds. The last 10 I have purchased new, I did nothing more that put them in a bowl with dish soap and hottest water my sink puts out and scrub with a cheap Walgreen's toothbrush and then let dry. Here in PHX there isnt any humidity to speak of until monsoon season in July or August. When the moulds dry, sometimes they show a little orange beginnings of rust and I then buff the cavities with 0000 steel wool chucked in my Makita drill untill its gone. This also helps get rid of any burrs on the interior faces. Heat the mould on the hotplate for 30 mins while I'm temping up the pot and fluxing and they drop almost perfect from the start.

I know that this may or may not work for everyone, but for me it cut down on a lot of labor, expense, and time to get a new mould ready.

As for storage, most just sit out on a shelf on the handles in my garage above the bench. The others are in the original orange boxes, some with the paper, some without. Phoenix is very metal friendly.

[beagle]

Denatured alcahol works pretty well too./beagle

[waco]

i scub them with dawn and a toothbrush under hot water, then boil them for 10min. in an old pot
smoke cavities with wooden match, and go from there
works good for me!
waco

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Another solvent that does a good job is Acetone (which is/was also available as nail polish remover). If the mold is heavily oiled or greased its probably best to soak it...the more the better. Acetone is highly volatile and flammable so it evaporates prety fast; brushing with a toothbrush speeds things up, but more important....acetone vapors aren't good for anyone to breathe and vapor buildup in a confined area could be dangerous so if you go this route do it in a well ventilated place. Paint and or Lacquer thinner both work well too. LLS

[94Doug]

I have seen this question asked many times, and I always wonder...has anyone removed the top handle and just run them through the dishwasher? Hot water, detergent...seems like it would do the same thing. Obviously, when the wife is away.

[Firebird]

Dishwasher detergent is very high in PH and will put pits in aluminum, so expect to ruin aluminum molds if you do this trick.

[94Doug]

...I guess that's why I never tried. Still, all the basic elements were there.

[jforwel]

When I was a newbie at this, well I still am, I put my iron moulds in the dishwasher since it seems to get very hot while drying. I opened the washer and pulled the moulds out and they were still wet. They rusted instantly. Waste of good casting time. :roll:

[cuzinbruce]

Iron Moulds - take them apart and boil in washing soda for 5 or 10 minutes. Use a basket or a strainer so you don't lose the small parts. Alternately wipe them down with acetone or lighter fluid.
Aluminum Moulds - just wipe them down with the lighter fluid or acetone. Smoke them with a Bic lighter.
I store my dry, wrapped with VPI paper inside a plastic bag.

[scb]

I soak mine in MEK for a half hour or so before use. I use a resealable glass container as MEK will melt most plastic. MEK = methyl ethyl ketone