Advantages of Aluminum Molds vs Steel Molds?

[dmftoy1]

Or Vice Versa?

I only own one mold right now and with the purchase of the Magma Luber-sizer on the horizon my purchasing power is somewhat limited.

Anyway, I was perusing the new midway catalog gazing lustily at the molds section and I could easily afford another Lee mold in .50 S&W, or .308 but the other molds run from $59 (without handles) upto $120 for a Hoch and I'm guessing there must be some advantage to the cast-iron (or steel?) molds over the aluminum?

I would think I'd have to go alot slower with a cast-iron mold as it wouldn't cool down as fast between casts but then again I'm pretty ignorant about what I'm doing.

Or is it only something I'd notice after casting 2000lbs of lead?

Just curious.

Regards,
Dave

[NuJudge]

Start up with an Aluminum mold is very quick. You can heat Aluminum by dipping the corner in the Lead. Iron molds are slow about heating, the best you can do is pour a lot of bullets bad bullets, before you get good ones.

The biggest Iron molds you are likely to find today are 4 cavity. A 4 cavity Iron mold weighs a lot more than a 6 cavity aluminum mold.

Iron molds are probably more durable than Aluminum molds. I've never worn out either type, however.

CDD

[UweJ]

I have both, aluminum and steel molds and I don´t notice any difference right now but then again I´ve only been casting for about half a year.

[1Shirt]

Have both, used both for many years. It is however easy to screw up an alum if you drop it on a hard surface. Did that once. Also , with the lee, you have to watch the pins and suggest carefully peening them in if/when they start to fall out. Also recommend Bullplate with both of them. Good luck!
1Shirt!

[Lloyd Smale]

sorry but ive got to disagree here. Ive had a bunch of the lee 2 cavity molds and wouldnt give you a buck for another one. They just dont hold up to anything but slow carefull casting and even then they sure arent going to last a lifetime. Verals lbt molds and lee 6 cavity molds are much better but you still have to be carefull with the. Lyman rcbs seaco steel molds are going to last the average guy a lifetime. I screwed up and wore out a few but most guys arent as hard on a mold as me. Now that brings me to the cadilacs of molds H&g ballistic cast and even some of the old seacos. I want to meet the man who can destroy one of them. THey may cost more to buy but 50 years of casting and they will still be on your bench. Theres only one reason to use aluminum for a mold ITS CHEAPER. Tooling to cut the molds will last a mold make much longer.

[BruceB]

As far as casting speed is concerned, the speedcasting routine I use works equally well with either steel (iron) or aluminum. I pre-heat both materials by dipping the mould in the melt.

With two-cavity moulds of either material, my casting rate runs from over 400 to 500-plus bullets per hour.

This casting method is explained at "HomePage" on the toolbar above, in the Members' Articles subsection in the left-hand menu column.

[Bass Ackward]

In my hands, there is no difference for any mold material for durability. In fact, I have 30 year old aluminum molds that dispite discoloration from lube, you couldn't tell they have ever been used.

I like different materials better for different things:

I like steel for bullets that need temperature. That is 30 caliber and below, hollow point molds, and pure lead molds of any weight or caliber.

I like brass for molds from 30 caliber rifle bullets on up to about 400 grain anything.

From 400 grains on up, I like and appreciate the aluminum unless it is for pure lead, then back to steel.

[dmftoy1]

Thanks Bruce! Your article is actually what brought me to this site. (that and your post on THR. )

The basic question I'm trying to work out in my mind is whether I'd be better off saving my $ and buying steel molds as funds allow or if I'm just being stupid. I figure that my first "free" batch of wheel weights and the 45-70 bullets that I'm casting from it will almost payoff the equipment investment and as soon as the budget recovers completely I want to expand and do the other bullets that are really expensive. (.50 S&W, etc.) The last molds I'll buy will probably be .45 acp as I can buy those cheap enough that I don't want to use up my valuable wheel weights!

Have a good one,
Dave

[sundog]

What makes more difference is whether the mould drops a useable boolit. To me, that's the main reason we've had so many successful group buys. Design and spec. I have and use ALOT of both iron and aluminium moulds, and treated with proper care, both work well and last long. sundog

[Springfield]

Steel moulds are harder to damage, but taken care of aluminum lasts well too. I mostly use LEE six cavity moulds, some of which have 40,000 bullets through them. I have a few Lyman 4 cavity moulds, and they work fine, but they are much heavier than a LEE aluminum. If you are only casting for an hour or so it might not make any difference to you, but I tend to do big batches, like 4000 at a time, so the aluminum is the way to go for me. I don't like the smaller LEE moulds. I do have an NEI single cavity and it is much better than the LEE, so brand does make a difference. I also like it that I don't have to oil my aluminum molds after each use. I really hate it when I get some rust on my iron moulds. Kinda like getting rust on yur guns, it realy pisses me off 'cause it is so irreversible, mostly. I do wish LEE would put set screws on the pivots of their 6 cavity moulds so I wouldn't have to. And use better wood on the handles.

[X-man]

Steel moulds are harder to damage, but taken care of aluminum lasts well too. I mostly use LEE six cavity moulds, some of which have 40,000 bullets through them. I have a few Lyman 4 cavity moulds, and they work fine, but they are much heavier than a LEE aluminum. If you are only casting for an hour or so it might not make any difference to you, but I tend to do big batches, like 4000 at a time, so the aluminum is the way to go for me. I don't like the smaller LEE moulds. I do have an NEI single cavity and it is much better than the LEE, so brand does make a difference. I also like it that I don't have to oil my aluminum molds after each use. I really hate it when I get some rust on my iron moulds. Kinda like getting rust on yur guns, it realy pisses me off 'cause it is so irreversible, mostly. I do wish LEE would put set screws on the pivots of their 6 cavity moulds so I wouldn't have to. And use better wood on the handles.

I too prefer steel/iron moulds to the LEE aluminum. As for the problem of rusting moulds, I solved this problem by placing all of my moulds in .50 cal ammo cans with several packs of silica gel I get for free from my local pharmacy. Since I live in Newfoundland, about a couple of hundred yards from the Atlantic Ocean, you can taste the salt in the air, so our climate isn't kind to ferrous materials unless their well oiled. Generally a wipe down with an oily rag and being immediately placed in the ammo can with the silica gel guarantees me that the mould will be in like condition when I go to retreive it. Some of the moulds I don't use that often have been stored for up to 3 years with zero rust. Check with your pharmacist for the silica gel packets. All medications in pill form are shipped with multiple packs of the silica to control moisture. You should be able to gets bags of the stuff absolutely free.

[Char-Gar]

Most of my aluminum molds are from NEI or are 6 hole Lee and I like them all. They heat up quick and are light in the hands.

I also use iron and brass molds and like them also, althought they they are more heavy and I tire of casting more quickly with them.

[montana_charlie]

I could easily afford another Lee mold in .50 S&W, or .308 but the other molds run from $59 (without handles) upto $120 for a Hoch and I'm guessing there must be some advantage to the cast-iron (or steel?) molds over the aluminum?

I think the dollar value of a mould is based on the quality of it's manufacture, rather than the material it's made from.

A mass produced mould...
May not cast a bullet at the size you want, because that manufacturer uses several cherries for production, and they are not all identical.

May not be properly finished...and requires you to do the final deburring, groove cleanout, or whatever.

May not fit your rifle as well as it fits the chamber of your neighbor's.

May not cast quality bullets due to some irregularity which went unnoticed prior to sale.

High cost moulds...
Are generally custom made to your specifications...and are (usually) warrantied to produce the exact bullet you expect.

Both iron and aluminum are used in higher cost moulds, along with other metals.

I consider the standard pattern aluminum moulds made by NEI (about $80) to be a good middle-of-the-road between mass produced and true custom moulds.
They also do custom work, and iron is available from them.

I never dealt with Walt Melander (of NEI) before he died. But, I have heard that he liked aluminum as the best material for moulds. He went on to say (I'm told), that as long as guys would pay the price for iron, he would continue to cut moulds from it.

All of that said, I am totally satisfied with my aluminum NEI blocks...but the slickest-casting mould I ever used was iron.
CM

[NVcurmudgeon]

One little point I have noticed is that aluminum moulds demand a faster pace of casting than I am used to with iron moulds. I don't cast faster because I can, more like I cast faster because I must to keep turning out good boolits. Guess it's the faster heat dissapation of aluminum. I am a ladle caster, YMMV.

[DJWright]

I've come to like a good aluminum mould better as I can cast faster then with steel. The steel stays hotter longer and takes more cooling time to avoid frosted slugs. The aluminum are also lighter which tends to be easier on you if you cast for long periods of time. O, and they don't rust.

[Jon K]

I'm with Lloyd on this one, my sentiments exactly, except that I can't speak for H&G moulds, since I don't own one. Production moulds Saeco is my favorite & Custom mould- Paul Jones.

Jon

[454PB]

I always figured if I could get 5000 boolits from a Lee mould, it didn't owe me a thing, and replacing it is a few mouse clicks away. The fact that they are so inexpensive allows me to experiment with a lot of design ideas. I own Lyman, Ideal, RCBS, NEI, and H&G moulds. I've had more stinker moulds from Lyman than any other manufacturer. I've yet to own a Lee that was junk, but I have had to "tweak" some of them. And....I've yet to ruin any of my Lee moulds. I don't drop them, drive nails, or beat on them. But then, that's something you have to avoid even with custom moulds.

[Wicky]

I use steel , aluminium and brass, the aluminium being Lee - all single cavity and so far (touch wood) I haven't had a problem with any of them. I usually only cast 200 odd boolits at a time maybe that has something to do with it - I also treat them with a bit of respect - I can always kick the dog when things go wrong.

[bpost1958]

In my 30 years of casting my preference is to use aluminium molds for high production or very low production (experimental) use . It seems more cost effective. The Lee 6 cavity molds are great casters of high volumes of boolits. The six cavity molds are indeed fast casters! I use the Lyman molds for higher precision, more critical (in my mind) 2 cavity casting at a more leasurily pace.

I still ahve the Lyman 200 Grain SWC four cavity mold I bought new 28 years ago. It has about 150,000 bullets through it and is still producing good boolits.

[kjg]

For just starting out opt for the lee's they are inexpensive and are fun ,as listed above sometimes they do need to be tweeked . even iron or steel sometimes need to be tweeked at times but I find steel molds do drop fast depending on type or mould or bullet designe, i have a couple of lee moulds that do better than my steel/iron moulds, another factor seems to be the temperature or your alloy, I also find softer alloy needs a bit more heet than harder alloy.kjg