A friend just gifted me a Lyman .570 round ball mold. I have a Lee magnum melter and some soft lead on the way. I've got a Lyman lead ladle. I've also got a k type thermocouple for my multimeter that goes high enough for casting.
First question is care and maintenance of the Lyman mold. Most of what I can find in searching is on the Lee molds. For a Lyman mold, do I just clean the mold with soap and water before using and use the smallest amount of 2cycle lube on the sprue plate? Do I oil the mold when I'm done to prevent rust?
Second question is on casting. I want to cast these balls as small as I can. As I understand it, I need to get the lead and mold as hot as possible (but without frosting?) So that the lead shrinks more as it cools and also so that the mold expands more and creates a smaller cavity, correct? Is there any recommendations on casting cadence to achieve this?
The other question is on fluxing/reducing the lead in the pot. Is it actually needed while I'm casting if I'm just casting a single cavity mold with a ladle?