Smoking a new mould

All of my moulds have been smoked prior to first using them. Pins for the hollow bases or hollow points are lightly lubed.
I have a new Mihec Mould, still in the box, for .45 caliber.

An older member of my club happened to see it and commented on the quality. And then said don't smoke that mould. He said he never has and never did and his bullets come out perfect every time.

So just what is the popular consensus on new moulds fresh out of the box...prior to first use and during and after casting a few?

I didn't see any reference on the Mihec site regarding smoking.

Each company have there own ways of doing thing ,Just like we all have our own ways to clean a mold. I do smoke my molds after I first clean them and take less time to get the mold broke in for me. It works for me.

I don’t have many molds maybe 4 that I bought new and they are all aluminum which got cleaned in hot water and Dawn dried and smoked with a bic lighter. They have all been flawless after a couple of casting cycles. Most drop boolits without tapping, some 1 cavity will hold till tapped most time they drop out when heat is right with the alloy and mold. I do use a hot plate to get mold up to temperature tho.

read the directions that come with the mold, the high-end molds (NOE, MiHec ---) recommend heat cycling the molds a few time before using.

After proper heat cycling you shouldn't have to smoke the mold

I don't smoke any of my molds, either steel or aluminum(I have never owned a brass mold).
I make sure they are clean first. I heat them above normal casting temperature, then allow them to cool to normal, then cast with them.
I have never had an issue with any of them. No need to smoke them.

https://www.mp-molds.com/tips-tricks...w-point-moulds

Like Tazman, I don't smoke my molds. I give them a good scrubbing with a soft brush and brake cleaner, lube the pins and sprue plate, preheat them and go to casting.

No smoke here either,I like clean molds. I did try smoking a Lee ball mold once because the instructions said so, no harm done.

But MP instructions work good for me. No smoke,I don't want any crud in such a tight tolerance tool.

If the pins for the hp want to hang up a little, put them in a drill motor and run it against a buffing wheel or a piece of leather, for a FEW seconds! It will break any sharp angles, and let the boolit drop free! It works for me! And it does no damage to the molds. YMMV

Well, old habits die hard, but, I'll do it. Or "not" do it in this case.

I plan on just a light oil on the pin shafts to ease them back and forth. And start casting.

I'll let you know how it goes.

I spray my moulds with Frankford Armory drop out graphite before casting.

I smoked my first mold because 'they' told me I needed to. Haven't smoked one since.

I only smoke molds that are frustrating me....if I am having trouble I will try it. Most don't need it.

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Originally Posted by smithnframe

I spray my moulds with Frankford Armory drop out graphite before casting.

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I never put anything in the mold cavities. This just makes your bullets smaller in diameter.

I don't smoke my molds. Does the soot from the smoke get in the vent grooves? Stuff in the vent grooves gets in the way of air venting. Or I could be wrong.

New Molds I scrub with Dawn and dry well, blowing out with compressed air.

I heat cycle my molds 3-4 times, scrub with a Clean Toothbrush and brake cleaner.

Then smoke with loong fireplace match.

Doesn't matter if aluminum, iron/steel or brass.

It what works for me.

I never smoked my molds. Most are Lee aluminum, one RCBS Steel. I clean them well with dish soap and very hot water and/or brake cleaner and start casting. The first one don’t cast great, but in a little while they start throwing good boolits. I do have to tap maybe half the time on some.

I would be hesitant to grease the pins in fear that a little would find it’s way into the boolit cavity. Any kind of grease or oil there will ruin your day.

I just wanted to add that after use, I spray my molds with Ballistol. Ballistol is very water soluble and I think it makes cleaning them before use a lot easier.

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Originally Posted by waco

I never put anything in the mold cavities. This just makes your bullets smaller in diameter.

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+1.......

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Originally Posted by sailcaptain

All of my moulds have been smoked prior to first using them. Pins for the hollow bases or hollow points are lightly lubed.
I have a new Mihec Mould, still in the box, for .45 caliber.

...SNIP

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I assume this mold is Brass.
there was a recent thread, about what I am about to mention.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...rrible-boolits

Newly machined brass molds can have an issue, like easily getting "tinned" (alloy adhering to the mold face)...as well as just have some boolit dropping issues.

It is highly recommended to heat cycle your new mold several times, so a patina builds up. a complete heat up and complete cool down, 3 or 4 or 5 times. And even then, don't be discouraged if you still have some problems. If you have some minor problems, just quit casting for that session and let it cool down, and retry after a while.

While what I mentioned is common, it is not the case every time, it is probably just as likely that you will have no problems, each new mold is a thing of it's own.

Anyway, I wouldn't smoke it.
Good Luck.

Never smoked a mould til last nite. New Accurate Al. Several poor sessions, nose wrinkles. Yes, up to temp. Used a bic and after the first few casts, nothing I could see in the cavities but faces pretty dark. Wrinkles went away. High temp burning off any oils? Soot on the faces helping with venting? Don't know but when it works it does.

I never smoke molds unless I have a problem with them.

My rule is: Always try them out clean and dry first. THEN decide if you need to do anything.

I think I only have 1 or 2 molds that need any intervention... All the rest cast fine with no shenanigans.

Thanks

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Originally Posted by sailcaptain

All of my moulds have been smoked prior to first using them. Pins for the hollow bases or hollow points are lightly lubed.
I have a new Mihec Mould, still in the box, for .45 caliber.

An older member of my club happened to see it and commented on the quality. And then said don't smoke that mould. He said he never has and never did and his bullets come out perfect every time.

So just what is the popular consensus on new moulds fresh out of the box...prior to first use and during and after casting a few?

I didn't see any reference on the Mihec site regarding smoking.

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I have had many,many,many molds all different shapes and sizes
and have never done anything to the mold to prep it for casting
other than preheating mold,putting on handles and pouring in molten lead.never smoked a single one
it may take awhile but boolits come out as they should

You mean there are casters that still smoke molds? I though that went out about the time the buffalo did. What on earth for?

Well Al at NOE includes on his instructions that he uses a BIC lighter , have found that on some molds it does help the first few times , to each their own , if you have no problems without doing it great if you have some problems try it , only takes a few seconds and you can always clean mold cavities , most of my molds cast big enough but on some molds I agree you may not want to lose any size , as to buffalo have the head upstairs on the wall .

If you need to give a boost to having your bullets drop out of the mold just use a #2 pencil and color the cavities and other surfaces with pencil lead. The very thin coating of graphite causes the bullets to drop. In addition it helps keep those little buildups of alloy at the edges of the cavity and those pesky dots from developing on the block faces that gradually build up and keep the blocks from closing completely, not to mention sprue smears. It does this without the carbon build up. Also it tends to stay on much longer wop you don't have to keep a candle burning.

Additionally, if the iron cavities are a little rough from the previous owner not taking proper care of the mold, the graphite rubbed into the grain of the iron tends to smooth it out. The pencil also works equally well to slick up a brass or aluminum mold.

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Originally Posted by Dragonheart

If you need to give a boost to having your bullets drop out of the mold just use a #2 pencil and color the cavities and other surfaces with pencil lead. The very thin coating of graphite causes the bullets to drop. In addition it helps keep those little buildups of alloy at the edges of the cavity and those pesky dots from developing on the block faces that gradually build up and keep the blocks from closing completely, not to mention sprue smears. It does this without the carbon build up. Also it tends to stay on much longer wop you don't have to keep a candle burning.

Additionally, if the iron cavities are a little rough from the previous owner not taking proper care of the mold, the graphite rubbed into the grain of the iron tends to smooth it out. The pencil also works equally well to slick up a brass or aluminum mold.

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Graphite = carbon
Smoking = carbon

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Originally Posted by popper

Never smoked a mould til last nite. New Accurate Al. Several poor sessions, nose wrinkles. Yes, up to temp. Used a bic and after the first few casts, nothing I could see in the cavities but faces pretty dark. Wrinkles went away. High temp burning off any oils? Soot on the faces helping with venting? Don't know but when it works it does.

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Tom cleans his molds with an ultra sonic machine before he ships them. He said all you have to do is take it out of the box and use it. I doubt it was any residual oil.

I smoked one new mold about 35 years ago and had nothing but grief until I cleaned it up real good and it casts great boolits even to this day.

For me smoking is a last resort after all of the other preps fail & it works.

I started casting in 1972 used a small pot belly stove to heat lead. have never smoked a mold never had a problem. I do leave the last bullet in the mold when done casting.

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Originally Posted by bob208

I started casting in 1972 used a small pot belly stove to heat lead. have never smoked a mold never had a problem. I do leave the last bullet in the mold when done casting.

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Bob,
I do likewise (leave last boolit in the mold). Up until recently all my molds were steel (ferric anyway). Since adding aluminum (with the Lee type lever) & now brass I do not.

When I was new to casting, I tried smoking the molds and spray on release agents. I noticed a difference, although slightly, in finish from smoking and an obvious difference with the release. For several years I have only put lead in my molds, nothing more. I "break in" a new mold by several heat/cool cycles on a hot plate before the first cast. Works for me...

Similar incident, one of the guys I shoot with in our pistol league is an older gentleman he has been casting bullets close to sixty years , he told me the same thing. He said he has never smoked any mold he has ever used. He is very knowledgeable and well respected.

I've tried to smoke moulds but could never get one to stay lit.

I have usually smoked a new mold and had trouble with a high percentage of culls for the first 3 casting sessions. Then the mold began to make 95% keepers. I just thought that was the way it was. Well I am a follower of Larry Gibson and have always taken his advisement on anything gun related. His knowledge and experience is always correct . So if he doesn't smoke his molds, I will no longer smoke mine.