Bullet Mold Question

[Gomezy3k]

Back years ago I used to cast .440 Round Balls with a Lee mold. I didn't cast that many at a time and never lubed the mold. Anyway, I recently bought a .454 Round Ball mold, a .58 Minie Ball mold, and a .54 Sharps mold. They are all Lee molds and the instructions that came with them say to lube the mold with Lee Bullet Lube. I have searched the town and none of the gun shops carry the Lee lube. What do any of you use to lube your molds or do you use anything? The reason I am asking is I figure I will be doing a lot more casting now than I did with my little .440 mold.

I am also planning on buying Lyman .44-40 and .45 molds but want to get an idea of what you do to your molds. Any suggestions???

 

[Pointman]

Smoke the moulds with a few wood kitchen matches and cast away. A lighter can be used in a pinch but doesn't put off enough carbon compared to a good match.

 

[yodar]

lubeing Lee Moulds

Lube the sprue cutter joint and mould pivots with liquid alox (lee and others sell it) it is alox dissolved in petroleum spirits. I have dissolved my alox in Naptha and xylene and thinned gummy liquid alox with naptha (white gas)

The smoking of the mould interior is vital to achieving the performance witht the lee moulds. The Liquid Alox spec is there because it must be a high temperature lube

Yodar

 

[Gomezy3k]

According to the instructions that came with the mold, it says NOT to use anything with ALOX in it because it gums up the works...????

 

[drinks]

Lubing molds.

I use a spray mold release agent from Midway, basicly graphite in a very light and volatile carrier, this can be used on the mold sprue cutter pivot bolt and the handle joint as well as the bullet cavity.
I apply very small amounts of Never seze, a high temperature grease with microscopic particles of Nickel in it, auto parts stores carry it especially for use on exhaust manifold bolts, nuts and studs, very good stuff, a small tube will last for years, this is what I put on alignment pins and hinges.
Do not use liquid alox on any part of the mold.
The graphite spray also seems to stop any rust on cast iron and steel molds.
Don