[b/smith]

I now use Frankford Arsenal Drop Out Bullet Mold Release Agent on my molds which is
a little costly is there a alternative to that ?

 

[HardBall]

A buddy does quite a bit of casting and he lives to be cheap. He uses something (I can see the can but can't remember the brand) but I don't think it's from Frankford Arsenal... I'll post back when I hear back from him.

 

[HardBall]

He uses a dry moly spray lube. He says he doesn't like a spray graphite because it builds up in the moulds. I think you can get a can of spray moly lube at auto parts stores.

 

[scott0116]

I too have used dry moly as a mold release for several years on both aluminum and iron molds and found it to work well. It is difficult to clean it out of the cavities should you decide to though. I have recently gone back to the old smoking method but i had been wondering how well the frankford stuff worked.

 

[b/smith]

the Frankford Arsenal Drop Out Bullet Mold Release Agent really works well its starts sticking a little about 150 to 200 rounds through it but a can does go as far as i would like.I heard of some smoking the mold but have not heard of how to do it.

 

[scott0116]

Smoking helps fill the cavities and helps to release the bullets. You just use the flame from a match ( a bic lighter works best) and smoke (deposit carbon) in the cavities.

 

[hailstone]

I've use a Lyman product that appears to be nothing more than another product called Slip Plate or one used by owners of Case/International air planters. Basically there a liquified aresoal mixture of powder graphit, volitle carrier and propellant. When sprayed on and the carrier evaporates leaves thin layer of graphit. Since starting it use several moulds that I've always had trouble with bullet release were like new moulds. They have case nearly thousand wheel weight bullets without problems or need to reapply.

 

[sundog]

A can of Drop-Out lasts a long time. Do not spray directly into mould cavities. It goes on too thick and that's wasteful, plus when it builds up, reduces bullet diameter. Spray some on a q-tip and swab the cavities. It cleans as it goes without build up - carrier acts like a solvent. I do not use it on anything expect iron/meehanite moulds. Aluminium moulds get lightly smoked with either wood stick match (non paraffin coating type) or butane lighter.

 

[WyrTwister]

I now use Frankford Arsenal Drop Out Bullet Mold Release Agent on my molds which is
a little costly is there a alternative to that ?

I used to use soot / smoke from a propane match .

I no longer use anything .

Almost all of my molds are Lee aluminum . I scrub a new mold with liquid dish soap then tooth paste ( very mild abrasive / polishing agent ) .

If a new mold is sticking , I turn the temp to max on the melting pot and cast away until the mold is " broken in " .

Then never look back . Bare aluminun . No release agent .

God bless
wyr

 

[scott0116]

WyrTwister, I have to assume the toothpaste is leaving a film behind which is acting as a release agent but more importantly as a means to fill out the mold. I have never had any luck with aluminum molds with bare cavities.

 

[WyrTwister]

WyrTwister, I have to assume the toothpaste is leaving a film behind which is acting as a release agent but more importantly as a means to fill out the mold. I have never had any luck with aluminum molds with bare cavities.

Well , I do not know if it is leaving a film behind or not ?

I rinse the mold in warm / hot water after the soap and after the tooth paste .

I would think , if it left anything behind , it would wear off after a few casting sessions ?

The 1 or 2 iron / steel molds I have rarely get used . I clean them with paint thinner or lighter fluid .

I quit using the soot / smoke because I want my bullets as big as I can get them .

Soot probably does not add a lot to the internal dimensions of the mold cavity , but I have actually reduced the diameter of .45-70 bullets down to the size / diameter that would work for .45 caliber handguns .

I really like the 6 cavity Lee molds , you can turn out a lot of bullets with them .

God bless
Wyr


God bless
Wyr

 

[BackWoods Billy]

I just smoke the mold with the paraffin wax when I'm fluxing the pot. I just read above that matches of the none paraffin type were used. Is there something wrong with smoking with the paraffin?? It seams to work well for me.

 

[unclenick]

I suspect the toothpaste is microscopically deburring the mold edges. I've often had the impression that was where bullets stuck, rather than in the middle. It would also polish the surface oxide that forms on the aluminum and may even plug some of its pores. That's speculation on my part, but I agree that once the aluminum mold settles, there doesn't seem to be any need for a coating.

 

[scott0116]

I think my next casting session i will remove the carbon and see what happens. I have never tried a well used mold without the smoking as i never could get good results with new molds.

 

[Ole1830]

I've been casting for a year and a half and have never used a release agent.

 

[WyrTwister]

I just smoke the mold with the paraffin wax when I'm fluxing the pot. I just read above that matches of the none paraffin type were used. Is there something wrong with smoking with the paraffin?? It seams to work well for me.

I suspect that the mold cavity may end up with some vaporized wax , deposited with the soot ?

When I lube a mold with a candle , if I get too much wax & it runs into a mold cavity , that cavity does not cast well untill the wax has time to burn out .

God bless
Wyr

 

[WyrTwister]

I suspect the toothpaste is microscopically deburring the mold edges. I've often had the impression that was where bullets stuck, rather than in the middle. It would also polish the surface oxide that forms on the aluminum and may even plug some of its pores. That's speculation on my part, but I agree that once the aluminum mold settles, there doesn't seem to be any need for a coating.

Your explanation is as good or better than what I have been able to come up with .

God bless
Wyr

 

[John Boy]

I no longer use anything

Plus 1 ... a clean mould does not need a releasing agent.
For about 4 years now, been using a clean product called Micro-90. Mix the concentrate to a 5% solution - run mould under hot tap water - scrub - rinse and repeat one more time.

About 85% of the bullets fall out of the mould with no major whacking needed. One light tap on the handle bolt > push the right mould halve with the stick and that is all is needed
The sticky ones - light tap on the handles again and they drop

 

[unclenick]

Cleaners are a good topic. Just a warning that you have to be careful with aluminum because it is etched by the highly alkaline cleaners like Greased Lightening and Fantastic and Formula 409. You want something close to pH neutral if possible. Baby shampoo might work. I find the orange oil-based product called Goo Gone, for removing price stickers and the like, works extremely well. It also evaporates away completely after awhile. Some of the water-based citrus cleaners may be good, too. I'll have to drop some aluminum in some Zep orange cleaner and see how it does?

The reason I like the citrus oil cleaners is my wife set me to trying to get years of cooking oil off her range hood one day. They turned out to be the only thing that would soften that oil and let me wipe it off without harming the paint. Previously I had used a slurry of baking soda and dishwashing liquid to rub it off, which works, but the baking soda is likely too alkaline for aluminum (haven't tried),

The reas

 

[WyrTwister]

Cleaners are a good topic. Just a warning that you have to be careful with aluminum because it is etched by the highly alkaline cleaners like Greased Lightening and Fantastic and Formula 409. You want something close to pH neutral if possible. Baby shampoo might work. I find the orange oil-based product called Goo Gone, for removing price stickers and the like, works extremely well. It also evaporates away completely after awhile. Some of the water-based citrus cleaners may be good, too. I'll have to drop some aluminum in some Zep orange cleaner and see how it does?

The reason I like the citrus oil cleaners is my wife set me to trying to get years of cooking oil off her range hood one day. They turned out to be the only thing that would soften that oil and let me wipe it off without harming the paint. Previously I had used a slurry of baking soda and dishwashing liquid to rub it off, which works, but the baking soda is likely too alkaline for aluminum (haven't tried),

The reas

Toothpaste .

God bless
Wyr