No. 2 pencil for sprue plate prep?

[huntinlever]

It can take the high heat without breaking down better than a petroleum oil.

Thanks Ed.

[Winger Ed.]

Thanks Ed.

Oh,,, glad to help.

Taking higher temps. is why it's specified for hot running engines like air cooled 2 strokes and engines with a turbocharger.

Water cooled boat engines don't get that hot and can get by without it.
But now days, air cooled 2 strokes last much, much longer than they used to with just old school oil.

Turbine engines can't run long without it.
It's still expensive compared to old school motor oil.
When synthetic oils were new, and required for jet turbines, even in the 1960s, it was over $30. a quart.
(back when that was a lot of money)

[fastdadio]

Thanks for that info, and your expertise. Do you plan to use it everywhere (incl. the cavities)?
Do you think the same issue with the powder exists if it's in solution with the alcohol?

No, not the cavities, just the sprue plate, alignment pins, and the top of the mold to prevent galling. I don't have a problem with my boolits dropping out, so not going to try fixing what isn't broke.
Can't say, about the powder alcohol mix, I never tried it.

[15meter]

NOE instructions are to get the mold up to temp and start casting, fill the mold then open the sprue plate, don't open the mold, leave the boolits in the mold. Wipe the top of the mold with a Q-Tip moistened with 2 stroke motor oil. This is the easiest way to not get oil down in the cavities.

Works for me.

Something else to look at while you are oiling your mold:

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-a-boolit-mold

I have Kroiled the cavities on a mold that did not want to release well. Sometimes it seems to help.

[huntinlever]

Thanks guys. Moved results from these early casting sessions to a dedicated thread, but wanted to say thanks again. After boring the RCBS handle holes out to 11/64" from 5/32", the handle performs perfectly well (thanks for the note Ed) and they are popping like champs. Just made a thin slurry of 91% isopropyl and the fine graphite powder, applying/letting dry on the mold top, sprue plate and pins, and works well. But I'd like to try the 2-stroke method too, another time.

Have a good weekend all.

[MT Gianni]

I have been using pencils on molds since I started casting in the 90's. Pencils have changed and when you find an old one take it out of circulation and keep it. If is rubbery, doesn't have a graphite center and doesn't smell woody when sharpened write with it.

[huntinlever]

I have been using pencils on molds since I started casting in the 90's. Pencils have changed and when you find an old one take it out of circulation and keep it. If is rubbery, doesn't have a graphite center and doesn't smell woody when sharpened write with it.

Good to know, thanks. The ones I have are marked No. 2 but now I'm not sure, wasn't aware they changed them. I ended up creating a thin slurry with the graphite powder and 91% alcohol, and it worked great, but I still prefer the pencil as it's really easy to control what gets hit. Thanks again.

[Mk42gunner]

I think carpenter's pencils are still graphite. One of them should last for decades of boolit casting.

Or go with soapstone.

Robert

[huntinlever]

I think carpenter's pencils are still graphite. One of them should last for decades of boolit casting.

Or go with soapstone.

Robert

Thanks Robert. Didn't know that. Got a couple carpenter's pencils.

[kevin c]

As far as initial cleaning goes, I’d think being generous with the solvent, especially when rinsing, would remove the most oils, so I scrub with a saturated tooth brush and use a syringe to rinse with fresh acetone or alcohol.

I’m lazy, and found scribbling with a pencil over every surface needing lubrication tedious, so I use two stroke oil on a Q tip or cotton rag for quick application both at the start and during casting. Do be sure that the cloth or swab has only cellulose based fiber if you’re applying lube to a hot mold: a bit of char on the applicator is infinitely preferable to a melted mess stuck on the mold. I do use a carpenter’s pencil while casting to remove spots of lead from the blocks or sprue plate.

I’ve never had much luck with beeswax other than as a reductant. It may be I’m doing it wrong, but even very little put on a hot surface immediately melts and spreads fast beyond where it was intended to go. It burns very easily and can leave stains and residue that I’ve found very hard to remove.

[huntinlever]

Thanks for the post, Kevin.

[kevin c]

You’re welcome.

A couple more things, that may or may not be useful to you, depending on how you plan on lubing your cast slugs and whether they drop freely from the mold.

I also deburr my new molds. The way I learned was to use a softwood popsicle or coffee stirrer stick, with the oil removing solvent wash to follow which will rinse off the wood fragments and burrs. I also use a paint on mold release from HiTek that really helps the bullets to drop freely.

I coat with HiTek, which adheres best to oil free lead. With that in mind, when I reapply two stroke oil (or sprue plate lube, which many suspect is the same thing) over the tops of the blocks with the cavities still filled, those bullets go into the sprue pile to be remelted rather in with the other new casts.

[Larry Gibson]

I used to use an old carpenter's pencil, the large flat ones. They had a lot of graphite in the soft "lead". I would scribble all over the sprue plate (top and bottom) and the top of the mould blocks and on the alignment pins. It worked very well for a number of years until I got some Rapine mould prep which worked much better when I applied it with a Q-Tip. Unfortunately, it is no longer made. I make my own now using powdered graphite.

[huntinlever]

I used to use an old carpenter's pencil, the large flat ones. They had a lot of graphite in the soft "lead". I would scribble all over the sprue plate (top and bottom) and the top of the mould blocks and on the alignment pins. It worked very well for a number of years until I got some Rapine mould prep which worked much better when I applied it with a Q-Tip. Unfortunately, it is no longer made. I make my own now using powdered graphite.

That's what I do now, Larry, and your post I came across somewhere here is what informed it, thanks. I still use the carpenter's pencil mid-session sometimes, but really only to dislodge any small bits of lead "plaque" should they pop up, though actually that hasn't happened the last several casting sessions. I warm the mold on a medium setting on a hot plate and I'm dropping good bullets from the start.

I made up a thin slurry with the powdered graphite and 91% iso. alcohol. Can I ask how thin you make up your solution? Mine's really thin (or extremely low density, I should probably say), almost like a solvent "tincture" of the graphite in the alcohol and not a "slurry" in any way.

[Larry Gibson]

........I made up a thin slurry with the powdered graphite and 91% iso. alcohol. Can I ask how thin you make up your solution? Mine's really thin (or extremely low density, I should probably say), almost like a solvent "tincture" of the graphite in the alcohol and not a "slurry" in any way.

Last batch I made (a casting buddy here in town talked me out of it....) as I recall I used about 75% alcohol to 25% graphite by volume by eyeball. Mix it in a little semi clear plastic bottle and leave it about 1/4 empty so the mix can be well shaken up prior to use. My last bottle of Rapine mould prep is about gone so I've got to mix some more. Just a few days ago I picked up a small bottle of graphite Lock Ease. It's pretty thin stuff so I've left the bottle open for about half of it to evaporate. Then will try it. Going to order some more powdered graphite though.

[huntinlever]

Last batch I made (a casting buddy here in town talked me out of it....) as I recall I used about 75% alcohol to 25% graphite by volume by eyeball. Mix it in a little semi clear plastic bottle and leave it about 1/4 empty so the mix can be well shaken up prior to use. My last bottle of Rapine mould prep is about gone so I've got to mix some more. Just a few days ago I picked up a small bottle of graphite Lock Ease. It's pretty thin stuff so I've left the bottle open for about half of it to evaporate. Then will try it. Going to order some more powdered graphite though.

Sounds like I'm doing it with much less concentration. So far so good but I'll try the ratio you mention going forward. Thanks.

[smokeater]

Reading mold prep instructions for new MP molds, he recommends rubbing a lead pencil on the pins to keep lead from sticking. So, on my new mold I followed his instructions of pre-heating the mold in 3-4 heating sessions and rubbing a lead pencil point on the pins and I had no trouble casting bullets on first try. Bullets just fell right off pins, every once in a while one would hang but just a light tap and it fell right off. So it does seem to have some merit and will continue to use the method myself. I like easy.