I have been using Lee molds and preheating them by dipping an edge into the melt. Soon, I'm going to order a mold from Accurate molds...because we get what we pay for and I want something nice.
Accurate's aluminum molds use a different aluminum than Lee. Not knowing how this aluminum reacts, and being a lot more worried about warping a $130 mold vs a $20 mold, I want to ask what are the acceptable preheat methods for this particular aluminum alloy? I'm nervous about dipping the edge...worried about warping the blocks.
I've got a heat gun I could use. I'm willing to go buy a hot plate if needed, though I don't have a spare circular saw blade laying around...I'm told that laying a mold directly on a coil is a bad idea. To that end, I'm wondering if anyone has used a "glass top" or other non-exposed coil hot plate without a saw blade or similar item sitting on the plate directly with the mold on the blade, and if that works safely.