- This topic is empty.
-
Topic
-
stilly
My friend bought me a mold here and it arrived, it was brass and Until that day I had only really ever used Lee molds for everything I make.
I am impressed with this mold since it is brass it is VERY nice. I ran it under some hot water the other night and cleaned it with a scouring sponge and some soap and gave it a good rinse, then I heated it to about 300 in the oven and let it cool and then I heated it and let it cool twice in the toaster oven I have outside that I use for PC and I thought that I would give it a try and see how it casts and almost all bullets were wrinkled. That is fine though, I get that, I have a hot plate from amazon on the way and I expected that, but one thing that I did NOT expect was for the lead to REALLY grab hold to the HP pin and hang on for dear life. This mold came with three sets of pins, I put in a shallow HP pin and kept one of the normal HP pins in. I REALLY like the look of the normal HP pins. It has a good potential to make some GREAT boolits, but not when I have to grab the bullets with my forceps and twist back and forth and tug and pull and FINALLY the bullet let’s go… The shallow HP pin had no issues letting go, it was barely in there anyways, but the other normal HP pin has me concerned. I have never known lead to hold on to anything so tight like that. I had to get my mappi torch out and almost melt it off in order to get it to let go.
I know that I am doing something wrong. Can I get a little guidance here? I was going to ask this over at castboolits but I figured that the best source of info might be right here.
I have also ordered a small container of BRASS AGER that will allow me to dunk the mold into a small bowl of water and within seconds, turn the brass brown (give it that patina I guess) and then I need to take it out and dunk it in baking soda water for a few moments and then I can probably use it. I have not had really any issues with the lead sticking to the mold though, just the little steel pins.
I got out some of that franklin mold release and sprayed the pins with it and it seemed to help a bit, but some accidentally got onto the mold face as well. I figured that I was going to spray the pins down with the mold release and try to cast again. This franklin stuff looks like black spray on graphite to be honest.
Anyways, I certainly do NOT want to ruin the mold so I thought I would come here and ask before I actually do it. Is this brass ager stuff okay to use to put a patina on my mold or is there a better way because I am not certain that I noticed any patina on the mold as of yet.
Any guidance here is appreciated. Thanks.
stilly
-
Replies
-
adamsutherland
Clean off that release spray. I find any mould release to be an abomination.
As NOE recommends you need to get the pins really hot to get good fill and release. The like the sprue plate they are slower to heat up than the mould body and loose heat quicker as well.
Personally when I get the mould up to temperature I blast the pins with a blow torch, also I treat the pins with sprue plate lube during the seasoning cycles, rub a smidgeon on and then rub it off and heat up the mould. I never do this once I am casting with the mould only during the seasoning cycle. This is what I do not, NOE recommendations.
maillemaker
Hugh Kuhns
The problem of the hp pins holding onto the bullet is a quirk of a new mold. I have taken a tip from forum member Beagle 333. He suggested that the pins should be polished to a brilliant finish by putting them in a drill and using a fine sandpaper and then a metal polish. This will make them very slick and then follow up with mold lube and a heating sequence as Dromia has advised. Don’t use a graphite spray…ever.
This works for me..hope it will for you too.
762sultan
adamsutherland
maillemaker
Hugh Kuhns- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.