How do I carbon a Lee mold?

[Marlin Hunter]

Hello everyone.

I am new here, and new to casting.

I purchased some Lee molds (.54 cal, 45 ACP, .38/.357, and shotgun slug). I am looking for an easy way to carbon them. I tried wooden matches, but it takes too long. I know I can't use a candle. I was thinking about an alcohol lamp. What is the easiest way to carbon the molds? Would a dry molly film coating work?


Is that orange thing in the thread title a question mark or a thumbs down? I thought it was a question mark.

[Ben]

Be absolutely certain the mold is clean.

Once the mold is clean, and HOT, use a butane lighter to put a THIN film of soot inside the cavities.

Looks like your symbol is a thumbs down.

[oneokie]

Bic lighters work well. The orange thing in your thread title is a thumbs down. Ask a moderator to change it for you.

[sundog]

I like wood stick matches, the kind WITHOUT paraffin, but I fail to understand how it can take too long. And like Ben said, be sure it is clean.

[Willbird]

I do not smoke a mold unless I HAVE to, and even if I have to, I usually clean it again and most of the time then it will run without smoking. The butane grill lighters work quite well for smoking.

Bill

[Marlin Hunter]

I like wood stick matches, the kind WITHOUT paraffin, but I fail to understand how it can take too long. And like Ben said, be sure it is clean.



I used over 20 matches on one side of the mold and it still is not covered with carbon. The match burns out before I get a good carboning flame. I guess I have clean burning environmentally safe matches that don't produce carbon.:veryconfu

I will try the butane lighters

[docone31]

Perhaps the concept of flaming a mold is misunderstood, especially with Lee Molds.
I take a BIC lighter, hold the flame close enough to produce yellow in the flame. I hold it on the cavity untill I see dull aluminum colour.
I then cast 500 or more castings.
I have found, when I have prepared my mold, I rarely need smokeing.
I once took one right out of the box just to see, and cast without preperation.
It cast great.

[mtgrs737]

I do not smoke or carbon Lee moulds, if they stick I Lee-ment them then the boolits just fall out when I open the mould.

[Bret4207]

I do not smoke or carbon Lee moulds, if they stick I Lee-ment them then the boolits just fall out when I open the mould.

My advice too. Smoking insulates the mould from the heat, leading to possible wrinkles, and makes a smaller boolit. It also adds a variable to what may be an otherwise great mould. Get the mould CLEAN and HOT before you try adding witchcraft to the mix. Cast fast and when you start seeing frosty boolits you can slow down a bit. Frosty boolits are usually well filled, but most guys prefer them just short of frosty.

[Junior1942]

.... Frosty boolits are usually well filled, but most guys prefer them just short of frosty.

That's me. A frosty or almost frosty bullet is the best bullet, IMHO.

[ddeaton]

I clean and scrub and debur first. I have always used Rapine mold release, which is just graphite and alcohol I think. This works fine for me, but the last 2 Lee's I skipped the mold release totally like others have said on the forum and boolits dropped just as well. If and when I smoke, I like to use a beeswax candle. I use them for inletting all the parts while building flintlocks. Kerosene lamp works well also.