Hi, looked but didn't see it. Been a long time and just starting casting again, can't wait. Tom's Accurate 46-405VG arriving today.
This is what I recall: I used a q-tip with mineral spirits to remove any machining oil from all surfaces. Allowed to dry completely. A small amount of beeswax on pins and sprue and handle (bolts? Not sure what to call them), smoked cavities; but also, marked the bottom of the sprue plate and top surface of the mold with a good amount of No. 2 pencil, simple graphite. No oil of any kind, as I've seen a lot.
Haven't found anyone using pencil like this, however. First time prep, anyone doing it this way? Thoughts?
FWIW, Tom's info was that for all his molds they get an US cleaning and scrubbing-out before shipping. For his own use, he blasts with compressed air all his new molds after the lathe and then depends on mold heating itself to simply burn off any liquid contaminants. Anything obvious is just removed with a Q-tip.