Newbie here: I have a new bullet mold, how do I not ruin it?

[Joebklyn]

I got a T/C .50 cal Maxi-ball off of E-Bay ($50 bucks to my door) I have many pounds of old pipe lead and zero black powder experience. I'm modern firearms savy but this stuff is going back 100 years and I have some ?s. The mold is adonized gold in color and made of aluminum, it will not attract a magnet. What do I need to do before I pour in molten lead? What do I do after I'm finished making bullets? How do I store the mold what do I use to keep it in it's like new condition? Thanks Joe

 

[Acorn Mush]

Welcome to the forum and to casting!

I believe most, if not all of your questions will be answered here http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=589835

Good luck and good shooting.

 

[junkman_01]

what do I use to keep it in it's like new condition?

Don't use it if you want to keep it in 'new' condition.

 

[Chawbaccer]

I can say from experience, don't use a half inch iron pipe to cut the sprue.

 

[ElvinWarrior]

Acorn Mush,

We are not rocket sicientists, and nobody I know has desires to go to the moon... Our crafts are ancient, simple, and direct.

Wipe your mold down with a good solvent, to remove any oil, grease, debris, what have you's from the mold prior to use. Rubbing alcohol works just fine for this.

Use the mold.

When done, wipe it down and coat it with a thin coating of gun oil.

That's about it for the care and feeding of bullet molds, except, if your mold is outfitted with a sprue cutter, ocassionally check the cutter to see if it may need an occassional sharpening.

Sincerely,

ElvinWarrior... aka... David, "EW"

P.S; As far as deliberately ruining a small workshop item, or a piece of crap pistol you really want to do in... I have found, through many years of diligent field research, that the most effective and fun way to completely obliterate something is to take it apart, lay the pieces out on a rail road rail, and sit back and watch a frieght train slam, grind, pound, flatten and mash the thing into total oblivion !!! LOL (Stand back a fer piece though, you don't want to be hit by any shrapnel !!!) This method is also effective in ending pesky domineering relationships with third party persons you wish had never come into your life to begin with...

 

[junkman_01]

This method is also effective in ending pesky domineering relationships with third party persons you wish had never come into your life to begin with...

You are a sick puppy!

 

[teddy52food]

The instructions with the Lee aluminum molds say to smoke the cavities with a wooden match after cleaning .

 

[StrawHat]

Coating an aluminum mold with oil, or any mold for that matter will give you fits the next time you go to cast. Adding anything to the cavity of the mold will result in a smaller diameter bullet.

Check out

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/

 

[dogrunner]

Joe: I've the identical mould (plus many other aluminum as well as iron moulds). Far as using it, you'll find it easy and convenient to use. But it's NOT the same as an iron mould. Suggest you follow Lee's suggestion and thoroughly clean it first (dawn detergent works good) and SMOKE it prior to use with a old style wooden match....DON'T use a candle as it'll crap up the mould cavity. Anyway, I use the same lead source you do for the front stuffers and it really works good. Far as preserving it........well, just clean it up after it's cooled, wipe it down with an oily rag. I store mine (must be close to 30 of the aluminum ones) block down in plastic coffee cans....I also give 'em a light spray with WD40 or break free......but you do have to repeat that detergent cycle with a light brushing with an old toothbrush prior to reuse.

Oh yeah, it'll come up to temp a lot quicker than an iron mould & you can even hasten the process by dippin' one end into the lead mix for a few seconds....lead won't adhere to it....also, when casting you might find it advantageous to occasionally touch the bottom to a damp (not soaking wet) sponge or towel. Keeps you from heat "frosting" your bullets.