Cleaning the bullet molds [Archive]

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A Nimrod

09-02-2006, 01:38 AM

waksupi

09-02-2006, 01:57 AM

Nimrod, get the mold up to hot casting heat, and work on that lead, with a common lead pencil. You should be able to get it cleaned up.

And if I hadn't said it before, welcome aboard!

Bass Ackward

09-02-2006, 05:42 AM

As your eye sight degrades, that pencil gets hard to see the difference from the lead you are cleaning. :grin: I use a piece of cottom cloth with a tooth pick inside.

You can even use lead removal cloth made for removing lead from bores too if you have a nasty case for some reason. It is also good for polishing a spot in the cavity where lead might be sticking. Watch the sides (angles) of your bands for this until you break in the mold.

Lead can be very hard to see on aluminum molds but will cause fill out problems that get blamed on other causes. It can sometimes be diagnosed with bullets sticking in the cavities from a mold not usually aflicted with that problem.

montana_charlie

09-02-2006, 07:47 PM

Or...you can always use the same technology found in the Outers Foul Out
Mould blocks submerged in solution with one wire connected to them, and the other wire connected to a separate chunk of steel will pull lead away from the blocks if you have the polarity correct.

There are many home made versions of the Foul Out, but they don't HAVE to be used only in barrels.
CM

jcadwell

09-03-2006, 02:57 PM

Buy some solder wick from Radio Shack. Sucks up lead like crazy.

shooter2

09-03-2006, 04:36 PM

Hello boys and girls I have a 405 gr. lyman mold and some how I got lead on the face of the mold where the 2 parts come together. I was wondering how to clean it off there isnt a lot but it bugs me and I get the very small fins once in a while .

TIA Nimrod

Get it hot and scrub it with a brass welders brush. Available from Home Depot or Lowes for less than a buck each in packages of three.