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I'm probably preaching to the choir but I'll toss in my 2 cents:
New Molds need to be examined with a good magnifying glass and all burrs either scraped or rubbed off all edges. I use an exacto knife and a pencil erasure with good results.
Check all alignment pins and adjust as needed.
Clean with non-Chlorine brake cleaner and a soft brush (Paint brush works for me).
I preheat my molds by putting them on top of the pot while melting my ingots.
I keep my molds hot by keeping them on a hot plate beside the pot.
I keep my consistency by NOT STOPPING TO EXAMINE THE GOODS!
I can't stress this one enough (IMHO). Keep those aluminum molds working, if they cool down you get inconsistencies in the batch (in my experience).
Do your culling after you finish the batch and your next batch is melting.
I rarely have to smoke or condition my molds if get the burrs off and the pins lined up right.
I do use an old hammer handle to "tap" the handles occasionally to get a stubborn bullet to drop but that's the exception to the rule.
When I started casting RB, I could easily buy them for very little money compared to my time I was spending casting them. But, I enjoy the art of casting and have never been sorry for "wasting my time" on it.
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