Just received my MP aluminum mold yesterday. Looking for help!

[tayous1]

So I tried to cast with it last night and keep having two problems. Problem one the boolits keep coming out with wrinkles the second is that they stick.

I smoked the mold and pre heated it but still had no luck is an 8 banger and I did 10+ casting and even took it and placed it over the stove flame for a few minutes. The boolits still came out with wrinkles. I have a few Lee aluminum dies and never had this problem.

I'm I doing something wrong? Any advice that might help me out with the sticking but mostly the wrinkled ugly boolits?

[Wayne Smith]

How did you clean it? It comes with machining oil in the pores - and you need to clean it out or you get wrinkles and voids. Brake cleaner and an old tooth brush is how I clean a new mold, and then heat it up good a couple times.

Your other issue is either lead temp or mold temp - too cool will result in wrinkles and sticking.

[tayous1]

How did you clean it? It comes with machining oil in the pores - and you need to clean it out or you get wrinkles and voids. Brake cleaner and an old tooth brush is how I clean a new mold, and then heat it up good a couple times.

Your other issue is either lead temp or mold temp - too cool will result in wrinkles and sticking.

I'll try to clean it again I used dish soap on it the first time as it's worked with the rest. I'll try and cleaning it again with a heavy metal cleaner I have.

As for to cold maybe it was? The sticking only started after I took it and heated it up over the stove for about 5 minutes. It was hot enough that by hand I could move the spur plate. Maybe I need to heat it up a little more because most of the time I do over heat my molds the first time I use them. Might have to go back to do that?

When I say overheat I'm not talking about a lot but to the point that the lead on the plate is still liquid and have to wait a few seconds for it to make somewhat of a solid.

Thanks for the help!

[Burnt Fingers]

1. Clean with hot water and Dawn.

2. Place the mold in the oven. Turn oven to 400°, wait 30 minutes and turn off oven.

3. Repeat step #2 three times.

4. Preheat mold on hot plate.

5. If the mold is hot and the melt is hot and you're still getting wrinkles a VERY LIGHT smoke will help.

The sprue remaining liquid for a few seconds is the proper temperature for the mold.

[Huskerguy]

I had this same problem with my new aluminum mold. If you cleaned with a brush and soap you are probably good there.

The next issue is heat. Not enough of it. Try preheating the mold and get the lead up pretty warm, around 750 or so. Then start pouring like crazy and do not look at your bullets! Just pour, cut, dump and go again. Within a few pours you will get the mold up to the temp it needs. Sort the wrinkled ones later, just pour bullets like a scalded dog. Eventually you will find the speed you need and it will likely be too hot and you will need to slow down.

[Burnt Fingers]

I had this same problem with my new aluminum mold. If you cleaned with a brush and soap you are probably good there.

The next issue is heat. Not enough of it. Try preheating the mold and get the lead up pretty warm, around 750 or so. Then start pouring like crazy and do not look at your bullets! Just pour, cut, dump and go again. Within a few hours you will get the mold up to the temp it needs. Sort the wrinkled ones later, just pour bullets like a scalded dog. Eventually you will find the speed you need and it will likely be too hot and you will need to slow down.

It shouldn't take a few hours to get the mold up to temp. Maybe a few minutes.

[kevin c]

Miha's molds are very well machined. Still, even though I've read here that folks have no issues using them straight out of the packaging with no prep, I deburrr the edges of all the cavities with a popsicle stick and and degrease them with denatured alcohol or acetone and an old toothbrush.

[Huskerguy]

It shouldn't take a few hours to get the mold up to temp. Maybe a few minutes.

It was a typo, should have been "pours" not hours. Make sense now?

[bangerjim]

Preheat on an electric hot plate! PERIOD. I get perfect drops from the 1st pour by preheating.

You are having cold temp problems. Also check your pot temp. You do have a lead thermometer.............R-I-G-H-T?????????????????

Oil is NOT your problem. I go from casting HMG plastic boolits (using PAM as the lube/release agent in the mold cavities) to casting Pb by only wiping out the cavities with a paper towel. This scrubbing and cleaning and cleaning and scrubbing of molds is old school stuff. Believe me..............700+ °F Pb will get any oil out in only 1 or 2 pours!!!!!!!!!! I have NEVER had to scrub & clean ANY of my MANY molds over the years, even when new. The main thing for quality boolits is TEMP......a preheated, to full casting temp mold (not just warmed on the edge of the pot, again old school) and the correct alloy pour temp are both critical to quality. Your pour cadence is also a key variable. Practice. Every mold is different.

Also preheat all your feed ingots on your hot plate to about 10-15°F below the liquidous temp of your alloy. That way, adding ingots will not cause your pot to go cold and recovery time is almost instantaneous. Temperature..........................IS everything!

Good luck with your excellent choice of molds. I have several in Al and Brass he makes.

banger

[tayous1]

Got it to heat enough so no wrinkles! Yet stick is still a problem! To the point that they deform the boolits as I try to get them out of the mold.

Heating it more did help but out of 20+ casting, I only got 20 most that I could use! Most chipped off when trying to get them out of the mold will be washing and cleaning the mold today.

[tomme boy]

I spray with brake cleaner or carb cleaner preheat and get perfect cast on the first pour. You have to use a hot plate with any mold over a 2 cavity. It saves wear and tear beating the poop out of the molds getting them up to temp. I put the mold on the hot plate and turn it and the lead pot on at the same time. Come back about 1/2 hour later and get a perfect cast the first time.

[Wheelguns 1961]

Got it to heat enough so no wrinkles! Yet stick is still a problem! To the point that they deform the boolits as I try to get them out of the mold.

Heating it more did help but out of 20+ casting, I only got 20 most that I could use! Most chipped off when trying to get them out of the mold will be washing and cleaning the mold today.

You are dumping the bullets too early if they are chipping. Once you cut the sprue, try a 5 count before dumping. This will change with size of bullets and type of mold. As banger jim said, your poor cadence is causing you problems. It is all about heat management. Open too early and they come apart. When you have the proper cadence, they should fall right out.

[tayous1]

You are dumping the bullets too early if they are chipping. Once you cut the sprue, try a 5 count before dumping. This will change with size of bullets and type of mold. As banger jim said, your poor cadence is causing you problems. It is all about heat management. Open too early and they come apart. When you have the proper cadence, they should fall right out.

How long do I have to wait? I went inside and grabbed a drink as it cooled and still chipped mostly because it was stuck on the mold! It's taking a metal tool to brake them loss.

[Wheelguns 1961]

When the sprue changes to a dull color, cut it, try a slow 5 count, if the bases are breaking off, you need to wait. This is what I thought you meant by chipping. Apparently, I was wrong. It is all about heat management. You learn by doing, but you must have enough patience to figure out what is happening. Even if your mold is hot enough, it is possible to get wrinkles if your are getting lead drips in your cavities before you are filling them. This happens very easily with an eight cavity mold because the cavities are so close together. You need to be precise with your lead placement. Don’t get discouraged. It will come to you. Just keep at it.

[Huskerguy]

How long do I have to wait? I went inside and grabbed a drink as it cooled and still chipped mostly because it was stuck on the mold! It's taking a metal tool to brake them loss.

It is hard to describe "how hot, how long," etc in all of this. A hot plate is very helpful, I use one. I have also done it without and the more the cavities, the more hot lead you are putting in the mold so it will warm up quickly.

Going inside to get a drink seems way too long. Even if mine is getting too warm, I just slow down a bit. A key is how easily can I cut the sprue. If it is too cold you will have to pound on it with a wooden handle. Too hot and it will cut by hand and smear. Look for signs of your lead cooling to the correct temp.

Not sure what you are talking about by chipping. Some bullet designs fall out better than others, the more rings and line grooves, the more difficult generally. However, you should be able to tilt the mold down and shake the handles a bit to get the bullets to fall out. I just can't imagine what is causing any chipping or bad edges.

Perhaps take a video or pictures and post them.

[tayous1]

It is hard to describe "how hot, how long," etc in all of this. A hot plate is very helpful, I use one. I have also done it without and the more the cavities, the more hot lead you are putting in the mold so it will warm up quickly.

Going inside to get a drink seems way too long. Even if mine is getting too warm, I just slow down a bit. A key is how easily can I cut the sprue. If it is too cold you will have to pound on it with a wooden handle. Too hot and it will cut by hand and smear. Look for signs of your lead cooling to the correct temp.

Not sure what you are talking about by chipping. Some bullet designs fall out better than others, the more rings and line grooves, the more difficult generally. However, you should be able to tilt the mold down and shake the handles a bit to get the bullets to fall out. I just can't imagine what is causing any chipping or bad edges.

Perhaps take a video or pictures and post them.

Chipped the lead boolits as I try to get them un stuck from the mold. I have chipped off parts of the boolits.

It seems that if the mold even gets a little cold they start to wrinkle. Worst part is them not falling out it takes several seconds just to get them out of the mold.

Going to clean it again and see how it works out. Might do a video. Because it seems I can't find the sweet spot for this mold it's to hot or to cold!

[GregLaROCHE]

As all have said, make sure the mold is completely oil free and make sure your alloy and mold temperatures are hot enough. I’ve never gotten perfect boolits with the first pour, it usually take a lot of fills until they come out the way I like. I don’t however have a hot plate, so I rely mostly on the first castings to heat the mold. I did have a Pedersoli steel mold that dropped perfect round balls from almost the start.
Don’t be discouraged, just keep casting!

[whisler]

Check the cavity interiors for burrs. That will cause them to hang up badly.

[gwpercle]

Forget water and Dawn ... Clean with Acetone . Long soak to pull out the cutting oils that are deep in the aluminum cores . Heat mould to casting temp. for 30 mins then let air cool . Repeat this twice more ...You are heat cycling, breaking in the mould and pulling oil from deep inside the aluminum block . Acetone soak/scrub before each heat cycle w/ a Oral-B toothbrush(they don't melt) .
Brake or Carb. cleaner are a decent second but acetone is best cleaner .

For a mould release agent use a spray on dry lube , the kind with micro Teflon particles in an alcholol base , like Dupont Teflon Non-Stick Dri-Film Lube , it puts a thin film of Teflon in the cavities ...it doesn't contaminate and boolits fairly jump out ... make sure you have no burrs!
Don't give up just yet moulds need some casting time before they start acting right ... it's normal break in ... some take longer than others !
Chipping boolits ? Your alloy may be too hard ... what are casting and what are shooting ?
Sometimes an adjustment in alloy can make casting easier .
Gary